The phrase “change is inevitable, progress is possible” leaps to mind more and more when I look at Pnet these days. I miss the old forum’s ability to trace all the tangents that inevitably develop in any “virtual campfire” sort of discussion. On the other hand, the ability to include photos in a post is nice and there are some pretty decent photographers here. Photos can certainly be useful to illustrate some things that are being discussed. That might bode well for the future of Pnet since, if a picture is worth a thousand words, many in these days of twitter, facebook, etc. seem to have lots of Iphone pictures and lack time (apparently) to write or read a thousand words. (How many characters might that be, even without punctuation, anyhow?)
Sorry to hear of SA’s stroke. That’s something I’d wish on no one. I was hoping he’d post so I could ask him about (and here’s a tangent) the drought in the southwest dropping the level of L. Powell enough to expose the upstream parts of Glenn Canyon. Now there’s a worthy paddling destination if ever there was one.
I’d rather be out on a river with you “Gandalf”, and a couple of the “hobbits”, than sitting around a virtual campfire.
BOB
I remember that boat!
I remember it too…Mad River Flashback I.
I bought it; then spent about 16 hours doing restoration, and re outfitting.
PJC gave me a song and dance about how much he “needed it”; then basically stole it for what I remember as a mere pittance. It’s a vintage, Royalex “collectible” don’t ya know!.
I missed it; God knows why, I don’t.
Found another one; another 16 hours of restoration and re outfitting.
Very small canoe, with a fairly steep learning curve; thrill a minute.
First time I took it on moving water it took me undernearth a
log of it’s choice, and swept me off t
he seat, like a broom sweeping a dustball .
Vic in what I believe is a Mohawk Solo 14, and me in the Flashback gives an idea of scale.
Vic & I are approximately the same weight & height.
BOB
Bob, If it’s any consolation, I’ve taken more swims out of that boat in the couple years I’ve owned it than I did in the preceding couple decades. It is a “thrill a minute” as you say. I was looking for a nice Made River Guide when I bought it; now a guide seems dull. (Though dry…)
I’m glad to see that old age starts at 74. If my back would only get the message!
talked a buddy into buying a flashback, he kind of regretted it so I bought it off him, great boat for surfing little waves, not so great for spanning drops- got absolutely hammered trying my maiden voyage down the upper yough at 2’3". I swam a lot with the boat that day, I lost the front airbag at national falls so rolling wasn’t really an option for most of the run. I’d fill up in the drops and flip in the runouts. A great memory but nothing I care to repeat- my boat was lime green and I sold it with broken gunnels.
@PJC said:
Bob, If it’s any consolation, I’ve taken more swims out of that boat in the couple years I’ve owned it than I did in the preceding couple decades. It is a “thrill a minute” as you say. I was looking for a nice Made River Guide when I bought it; now a guide seems dull. (Though dry…)
Like the one you took when Mary and I rammed into you in my Dimension on the Current and pushed you under the strainer? At least the boat had the good sense to go over the tree.
The sheer line on the original MRC Flashback was just way too low for a river running whitewater OC-1. Apparently John Berry designed it for slalom racing and kept the ends very low for sneaking under gates. MRC revised it adding depth and calling it the Flashback II but I think they only made it for a year.
“Like the one you took when Mary and I rammed into you in my Dimension on the Current and pushed you under the strainer? At least the boat had the good sense to go over the tree.”
No, not like that at all, Pete. That was a “one of” event. I just thought you were a nice guy and wouldn’t ram me when I was trying to back out of a strainer, fer’ cryin’ out loud. And Mary, Buddy, and Rico all conspired… or perhaps you just brought them along to add mass to the collision? (Was it something I said? :’( )
All the other swims with that boat were the result of lack of freeboard, as you suggested. Waves will swamp it, as will failure to accelerate out following even a relatively small drop. It can sure enough dance its way through a boulder garden, though.
But we digress. This new format sure takes some getting used to…
What did the BOB hit me with? It wasnt the Flashback… someother red boat
Kim, I’d bet it was a Wildfire.
And remember back when the old Pnet threads didn’t just disappear? Anyone else notice that? Remember that button where you could just contact the administrators?
But change just happens. No sense wallowing in nostalgia.
@PJC said:
And remember back when the old Pnet threads didn’t just disappear? Anyone else notice that? Remember that button where you could just contact the administrators?
Are you talking about all that was posted above this portion of the discussion? It didn’t actually go anywhere. You are currently looking at “Page #2”, which might be confusing because the old P-net had threads posted on single pages of unlimited length. If you are logged on, the site automatically takes you to the place where you last stopped reading, which, now that the discussion has spilled onto a new page, is why you didn’t see Page 1.
And the button for contacting the administrators is still there. Go to the Home Page or any message-board page and scroll all the way to the bottom (it’s a really long way to the bottom if you are on the Home Page), and it’s there, among a handful of other choices.
Oh, by the way, since “change just happens. No sense wallowing in nostalgia.” does that mean I can have your nice beaver-tail paddles?
For your viewing pleasure…
A Flashback I (red), and a Flashback II (pretty in pink/faded red).
As different as the old pnet format, and the new format.
The Flashback II has quite a bit of both initial & secondary stability.
The Flashback I is an “excuse boat”…
The vast majority of those invited to test paddle it have lots of excuses why they can’t, or won’t give it a go.
BOB
@PJC said:
Kim, I’d bet it was a Wildfire.
And remember back when the old Pnet threads didn’t just disappear? Anyone else notice that? Remember that button where you could just contact the administrators?
But change just happens. No sense wallowing in nostalgia.
Hey dude! Grousing about the present and wallowing in nostalgia is my life. Stop trying to chill my grudge.
Kim: The red canoe in attached photo is the canoe(Whitesell Piranha) that rammed you when “you” pulled out in front of me, without looking upstream. What are you complaining about? I found your camera on the bottom of the river, after your “fish count” didn’t I?
I’ve already clearly stated my opinion on the new format.
Talking about, reading about, viewing, and test paddling “old school”, solo, whitewater canoes; I can’t seem to get enough of that.
If Pat is giving away paddles; put me down as alternate for that fancy beavertail, if guideboatguy bails…
BOB
A Whitesell Piranha also works wonderfully well for ramming whitewater kayaks.
A Whitesell Piranha is also smashes well into bridge abutments in New Hampshire.
But String has a point; we’re supposed to be bashing our hosts in this thread.
Most people feel inconvienced by change. Forces all of us to learn new stuff, when many of us long for the old and familiar.
Some stuff is gone that I enjoyed, like the way conversations were nested. But photos are a nice addition.
May take a while for the old voices to adjust. And for me, I like that some old voices have been silent, especially the tortured syntax voices.