It's OK to Push Yourself

From trench to crest, this wave easily topped out at 5 feet. Photo Credit: Matt Jackson

Paddle at your own pace. That's my mantra. By that, I mean know thine own paddling skills and know when you're ready to progress from paddling Class II+ to Class -III rapids.

I've been relegating myself mostly to Class II or Class II+ for the last few years. I've been paddling easy rivers that I turn into personal slalom courses. I've learned almost every move on them and can hit the lines with ease. I could have easily spent yet another season on these waters trying to get creative and find lines that I might not have seen before—and I still will.

But I recognized it was time to move on. I was lacking a challenge. In order to start advancing my skills, I needed to find places where I could try moves and lines that I couldn't do in my sleep without risking the need for a brace or roll. I needed water that would take me not a leap but a step beyond my comfort zone.

And I did it on a river I'd been paddling the last two seasons. This spring after a heavy snow melt some friends and I headed to the lower section of Slippery Rock Creek, which at normal flows is not much more than Class II. Typical summer flows are between 0 feet to 1.5 feet, and we've run it countless times at the median level. This day, we had a healthy 4 feet, which is a lot of water for a small creek like the Slip. 

The nature of this stretch is largely devoid of dangers like undercuts and strong pour-over holes. This means at high water the natural rapids turn into fun slide-like drops with huge wave trains.

One of the normally gentle drops creates a huge series of waves on the lower Slippery Rock Creek. Photo credit: Matt Jackson

That run gave us a big-water feel without the risk of paddling a stretch of river we might not have been prepared for. Still, despite its relative ease we had to be on our guard—particularly for strainers. Plus the water and air temperature combined for less than a total 80 degrees.

A few of us, myself included, were hesitant to hit the water that day. After all, we'd never run it at that high level before. But after the run, we were all smiles and couldn't believe we'd been contemplating passing up a great day on the water and a great chance to advance our paddling experience without stepping too far outside our comfort zone.

Knowing, and paddling, at your own pace is important. But it's also important to know when the time to hesitate is through.