Why did Dweck's group decide not to portage? Was Dweck's river guide lacking in experience and knowledge of the route? These questions are not answered in this report. It's not as if there are many obstacles that require portage on the Eel- anyone who has ever boated on rivers in the northeast gets used to portage stops fairly quickly. During the summer Eel River boaters have to portage frequently. It seems foolhardy and reckless that anyone would attempt whitewater on a wild and scenic river WITHOUT familiarizing themselves with the route. I'm not sure how/why the McCann Bridge would escape anyone's notice in advance, especially because it is by definition a hazard to navigation. Black Sands Beach in Shelter Cove has had signs warning of dangerous surf conditions for a long time. BLM literature as well as independent guidebooks stress the dangerous surf risks, but sadly that has not stopped several unfortunate and tragic accidents from occurring. Do we close the beach to everyone because of poor risk analysis and decision-making? Do we strand local residents, many of who have long-standing family ties to the McCann area, because transient visitors fail to take appropriate and safe precautions?
Re: “Danger at McCann”
Why did Dweck's group decide not to portage? Was Dweck's river guide lacking in experience and knowledge of the route? These questions are not answered in this report. It's not as if there are many obstacles that require portage on the Eel- anyone who has ever boated on rivers in the northeast gets used to portage stops fairly quickly. During the summer Eel River boaters have to portage frequently. It seems foolhardy and reckless that anyone would attempt whitewater on a wild and scenic river WITHOUT familiarizing themselves with the route. I'm not sure how/why the McCann Bridge would escape anyone's notice in advance, especially because it is by definition a hazard to navigation. Black Sands Beach in Shelter Cove has had signs warning of dangerous surf conditions for a long time. BLM literature as well as independent guidebooks stress the dangerous surf risks, but sadly that has not stopped several unfortunate and tragic accidents from occurring. Do we close the beach to everyone because of poor risk analysis and decision-making? Do we strand local residents, many of who have long-standing family ties to the McCann area, because transient visitors fail to take appropriate and safe precautions?