Every log cross sitting style?

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SSSdave
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Every log cross sitting style?

Post by SSSdave »

Ever cross a stream on a log sitting style with legs wrapped clamping around a log? In situations where the log is rather scary?

This person has several times even when others in a group walked across. Better to be safe than sorry. I'm not too proud to embrace less manly methods haha. Of course there are a number of factors that go into making log crosses more or less difficult:

How wide the stream is, thus how long is the log to be crossed?
The amount of water flowing below?
The depth of water below?
Possible dangerous water rapids are just downstream?
How wide the log is?
How flat is the walking surface of the log?
How wet or icy the log surface is?
Branches knots and whatever to get by?
The height of the log above the water below?
How much trouble those crossing just before had?
How heavy a pack one is carrying?
What is in the pack one DOES NOT want to get wet.

More often sizing up difficult log crossings, I may decide to first try crossing without a pack, just to size up what I'm facing. And may decide to take items out of my pack and toss them across if such distance is not too far. Especially my sleeping bag. Not only does that insure the bag stays dry but also lowers the remaining weight. Then there are things like camera gear. So may do multiple trips. In the end there is always the main pack.

The sitting method won't be a choice with really large logs, but then really large logs ought to be easier to cross standing up anyway. And really narrow trunks likewise cannot use the method. Narrow trunk crossings are usually short distance where one just tries to get 3 or 4 good steps in before leaping to the far side. Any longer and most will lose it. For this person the sitting crossing is particularly useful when a log is wet. However when a log is not only wet but also icy, I'm likely either wait till the ice melts as the day warms or pass and either find another way to cross or admit defeat.

No the sitting method has advantages when one can wrap legs around a trunk enough to stabilize incremental movements across a log. Of course this is not a two critter leg crossing but rather a four because one expects to use the two arms with hands to grab the log in front of one and pull ahead shimmying slowly while maintaining a death grip on the wood with one's thighs. The torso is always rather bent forward trying to reduce any side to side motion. One wrong move and one also drops the torso down for a total love grip around the log arms and legs.

A critical challenge will be to pass the inevitable part of the log that will have some branch or knot sticking out where one will have to release the thigh death grip while hands grab whatever thing is sticking up, and daintily bring the legs up to a crawl position to inch around it whence the legs can then drop down again to show their love for the trunk. Or if a branch is high enough, one may move to a standing position and swing around the protuberance before getting back down to the less dignified position.
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oldranger
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Re: Every log cross sitting style?

Post by oldranger »

Yep to your initial question. Wet log that I crossed many times on my feet when dry, but not this time.

Mike
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intrek38
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Re: Every log cross sitting style?

Post by intrek38 »

Better safe then sorry, Kinda like this ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk0NikKV9Bg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Every log cross sitting style?

Post by SSSdave »

Thanks intrek38, that is exactly it. And the high flow of the crossing was a good example of when using the safer method sitting methoc is wiser. Even if he could have walked across 9 times out of 10, that is still a poor choice if one expects to backpack for years taking such chances regularly.
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Rockchucker
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Re: Every log cross sitting style?

Post by Rockchucker »

No but saw a guy once slip on a crossing and smack his head hard on a rock, he was out and had a terrible concussion from what I could tell. The sad part was he was kind of showing off in front of his kids and paid for it.
I'm no suture for my future.
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cloudlesssky
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Re: Every log cross sitting style?

Post by cloudlesssky »

My wife took a tumble on what seemed a simple wet log crossing this summer. She ended up with a nice gash and bruise. In retrospect, I'm sure the minor loss of dignity while scootching or wading across would have been preferable.
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Re: Every log cross sitting style?

Post by intrek38 »

Another Example at 1:33:24, https://vimeo.com/64186889" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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sparky
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Re: Every log cross sitting style?

Post by sparky »

I once tried to scootch my butt across a rather large log that was high above a rager. I suddenly realized it was a really really bad idea. Going backwards was even scarier. No thanks. I cant remember what the problem was, it might have been a branch I couldn't get around or something.
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