My buddy BT navigates a perfect line over Black Rock Rapid (III+ to IV) during our recent Salt River trip. Moments later, I went with a less-than-perfect line: over Black Rock, sans boat. Classic.
BT vs. Black Rock
eric murtaugh
adventure tips, tricks & rants with writer eric murtaugh
eric murtaugh 
BEAUTIFUL!!!
Looks like a tricky bit of steering through the eddies. Is that a shadow or a rock right after the drop?
That would be a gnarly rock followed by an even gnarlier hole followed by another rock. This rapid kicked my ass. I totally blew the set-up. You have to start way river left to avoid a rock outcropping river right, and quickly work your way river right (as demonstrated by BT) to avoid that gaping, violent gap to the left. I thought I started far enough left, got swept into the rock outcropping, flipped, and rode this bad boy out on my backside. Yeehaw! “How not to run Black Rock,” by Eric Murtaugh.
Hey, any one you can walk away from…
It’s just a different kind of fun!
huh? was that English?
Spanglish, maybe.
Ooh what fun. Great photo, too. Keep sharing your rivers.
The photo looks even better when you click on it!
Beautiful, and sounds like fun. The river washed your hands after scratching your dog’s butt too right? Just messing with you Eric. I’ll leave you alone about the dog…
I’m clean as a whistle now!
Great picture. I once canoed down the Delaware river and I gotta say, some of those drops can be pretty scary. Yikes!
I bet! Any drop on any river will definitely wake you up.
Cool!!!
You have to wonder what’s going through BT’s head as he’s approaching that drop.
And an excellent time was had by all
Oh you bet!
Awesome!
Dude looks pretty determined, doesn’t he?
Awesome pic!