The Mama Bear Swim Team
Yes, even Denny has swam that rapid. Photo by Teresa Gryder.
You don’t want to be on this team. A lot of people have swum Mama over the years. Mama Bear is a long, stout rapid on the Molalla that occurs after Papa Bear and before Baby Bear. It’s on the (surprise!) Three Bears run, which only has water during the rainy season.
Scouting Mama Bear before launching, photo by TG.
Most people scout Mama Bear Rapid from the road, before launching. It starts with a powerful entrance rapid that requires maneuvering before you even get to the main drop. People flip at the main drop, where currents collide making the water tricky. The current then pushes directly into a rock, and then percolates through a rocky section before converging in a long gorge. It gets called both class 3 and class 4; I think the rating varies with water level.
Wally Fitch in the gorge at the bottom of Mama Bear, photo by Scott Ciecko.
If you swim at Mama Bear, consider yourself lucky if you don’t get seriously hurt—you’ll probably get a deep bruise. Hips and butt bones can take a beating. Then when the rocks stop beating you, the waves and current continue. There is nowhere to get out for a long, long time, while you are swept through a basalt gorge. When you’re swimming in there, it lasts at least a century. It helps a lot to have a plan.
Here are two important tips about whitewater swimming that can save your life.
When swimming whitewater, Don’t Stand Up because if you fight for footing in fast water you risk foot entrapment. The Defensive Whitewater Swim Position is on your back with feet downstream and near the surface. Keeping your butt up is something you learn experientially. Keeping your feet up is something you decide to do, until you are in shallow/slow enough water to safely stand up.
Foot entrapment and the defensive whitewater swim position - illustration.
The more advanced strategy is to Swim Aggressively when you can get out or avoid a hazard. Doing the crawl is the fastest stroke if you know how, but any stroke will do—get it done, catch that eddy, land on that rock, get yourself out. Of course you must time it such that you CAN get out, and have deep enough water to swim in.
There are more tips that matter.
One is Save Your Energy. Bide your time. Pay attention to your situation. If you can’t immediately get out, don’t burn yourself out trying to do the impossible. Wait, stay calm, observe. If you are calm enough to pay attention to your situation, you can take action at the right moment.
Hang onto your paddle. You can use a kayak paddle to swim aggressively. Instead of letting go of your paddle, you can use it to drag yourself through the water, paddling on both sides like you do in a boat. You can move faster this way than by swimming without the paddle. Hanging on to your paddle is a great idea anyway, because they can get lost. A canoe paddle can be handy too—not for swimming, but for hooking onto ropes or brush.
Time your breaths consciously. People get into trouble when they gulp for air and get water instead. The first gasp when you go into cold water might be involuntary, but after that, get a grip on any panic and inhale when you can get 100% air. In big water you might have time for a couple of really good breaths in between waves and holes. In small water (creeks, low volume rivers) you can probably get good breaths more of the time. When you are under water, consciously relax to save oxygen.
There’s a lot of talk about getting away from your boat in rapids. This is overly simplistic; it depends on the particulars. Obviously you don’t want to be downstream from a heavy raft that could squash you against a rock. But you might want to hang on to your packraft, IK, kayak or canoe just for the floatation. Or you might push your boat away from you so you can see where you are going, and swim more aggressively. There are a myriad of other considerations: it’s a gametime decision.
Last but not least, it helps a LOT to have a good life jacket, worn tight. It doesn’t have to be a type 5, but it should float you with your head out of the water. If your chin is in the water when you take it for a test swim, it might be time to get a new one. Wetsuits provide some floatation too, as well as the little bit of air that’s in your drysuit. Whatever the case, if you’re not wearing your life jacket, it won’t help you, so it should stay ON.
We are all in between swims. If you haven’t swum yet, you are not boating much whitewater. Swimming Mama Bear is an experience I would wish on no one, but it does remind us of a few important strategies for that day when you are the unlucky one. Work on your roll, and practice swimming, so that you are prepared for whatever happens!
TIPS FOR WHITEWATER SWIMMING
Don’t stand up.
Defensive and aggressive swimming are both useful techniques.
Hang onto your paddle and use it.
Save your energy.
Time your breaths.
Put your boat where you want it.
Wear a good life jacket.
Ted demonstrating how to NOT swim Mama Bear: Roll UP! Photo by Teresa Gryder.
Many thanks to copy editors Jennie Goldberg and Joe Whitfield.
