sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - may/june 2011 - survive
My friend Derek and I were circumnavigating Glacier Peak in Washington. Seventy-five miles into the 95-mile loop, we hit a major obstacle: a raging 30-foot-wide river between us and the path back to our cars. We needed to figure out how to get across it—or retrace our steps. —David Burdick
![](images/Survive-900pix.jpg)
Bill Flower, Knapsack Subcommittee chair, and Sascha Paris, outdoor activity training manager
"We can't recommend this you-slip, you-die approach. Ropes can offer a false sense of security and even cause drowning. A more prudent approach would be to find a broader, slower section with a reasonable bottom and good footing. Make sure your backpack's hipbelt and sternum strap are undone. With the help of hiking poles and/or a partner, walk carefully across, facing upstream and sidestepping. If you can't find a suitable section of river, either build a real bridge out of enough logs to provide stable footing or turn around and retrace your route."
Illustrations by Koren Shadmi