42
votes
Accepted
Figuring out from a map which direction is downstream for a river?
USGS has a web map called Streamer that will let you trace a stream or river in the US. If you click on a point on a river, it will highlight every part of the river that's downstream of that point. ...
- 4,364
36
votes
Accepted
Is it significantly faster to hike along a river bank?
It depends and is hard to generalize about.
If river volume is seasonal (think late summer in temperate countries, especially with snow-capped mountains or places with a specific rainy season), you ...
- 4,356
31
votes
Can horses ford deeper/faster rivers than humans?
Actually, it is often the opposite--many fords which are fine for humans are unsafe for a horse and rider, because the ground is too rocky, or the area is too narrow or steep, or the ford relies on ...
- 1,297
29
votes
Accepted
In the US is it legal to travel on any river/creek my canoe will navigate?
All waters no, some places like National Parks require permits, see Dinosaur Monument and Canyonlands.
It also differs state by state, in some states the water belongs to the public but not the stream ...
- 69.4k
27
votes
How can I find the safest place to cross a frozen river from a map?
The only factor that is going to be important is the speed of the river. Faster parts of a river stay liquid longer, and are going to give you a thinner surface. A surface broken by rocks helps very ...
- 1,800
23
votes
In the US is it legal to travel on any river/creek my canoe will navigate?
Don't violate Zebra Mussel restrictions!!!
There are lots of lakes in Minnesota, and many of them are connected by streams. Its is great to paddle between them in a canoe, you can go tens of miles ...
- 411
19
votes
Is it significantly faster to hike along a river bank?
On rare occasions it can be easiest to walk in the river.
I had this happen to me on a trek in the Rocky Mountains up near Banff / Lake Louise. The valley next to the river was old-growth forest mixed ...
- 13.4k
18
votes
Can horses ford deeper/faster rivers than humans?
Horses are bigger and stronger and than humans and because of the square cube law, they have more mass to surface area which makes them better suited to fording deeper/faster rivers.
As to whether or ...
- 69.4k
17
votes
What are the risks of stream crossing with bare feet?
I think there would be many times when crossing barefoot would be fine. However, a number of potential risks do exist.
Those can include:
Getting scraped or cut on either the bottoms or sides of ...
15
votes
In the US is it legal to travel on any river/creek my canoe will navigate?
No.
Water use, like everything else in the US, is a patchwork of Federal, State, and Local regulations plus quasi-legal muscle. Multiple overlapping laws and agencies can apply at each level. Here's ...
- 431
14
votes
Accepted
How to cross rivers or streams at night or in darkness?
Don't, unless you know the route very well and are sure the rivers can pose no danger.
Travel the day before so you arrive to the trailhead before it gets dark, then spend the night at the trailhead. ...
- 27.5k
14
votes
Can you notice a waterfall in time to get off the river?
It's always risky to be on a river that you have no information about.
Apart from waterfalls there could be other dangers such as rapids, rocks under the surface, whirlpools/undercurrents, artificial ...
- 13.4k
13
votes
How can I find the safest place to cross a frozen river from a map?
There is no general rule in winter, it simply depends too much on conditions.
Most rivers have a lot less flow in winter, as precipitation falling as snow will not run off into the river.
Rocks in a ...
- 7,850
12
votes
Figuring out from a map which direction is downstream for a river?
In addition mostly to @csk's answer, there are maps that give the direction of rivers, e.g. OpenTopomap
For most parts of the world, this information is redundant at the first glance since you can ...
- 4,328
12
votes
How can I find the safest place to cross a frozen river from a map?
safer to cross
Hope for the best, plan for the worst: think ahead what you will do if the ice breaks.
In this case you can cross at the "Kahlaamo" (ford, crossing place) near the bottom of ...
- 836
11
votes
Accepted
Can you notice a waterfall in time to get off the river?
No. Not reliably. But you only need to be wrong once.
Depending on how abrupt the drop is, you may only see a horizon line, with no white caps from rapids below. If there is enough wind to put ...
- 12.1k
11
votes
How can I find the safest place to cross a frozen river from a map?
In a meander the fastest flow and the deepest water are on the outside of a bend. The outside of a bend is therefore where you're most likely to have trouble with both thin ice and deep water.
If you ...
- 26.9k
10
votes
Accepted
What is an ice circle, and how does it form?
Ice Disk
That phenomenon is called an ice disc or ice circle. It occurs in slow moving water in cold climates.
Ice discs form on the outer bends in a river where the accelerating
water creates a ...
- 23.5k
10
votes
Accepted
How do you protect yourself against crocodiles when you have no option but to camp on the banks of a croc-infested river?
If I were in such a situation, and not alone, my best bet would be rotating shifts of sentry. When its about camping, the whole problem escalates when everyone is asleep, or more evidently when ...
- 31.8k
10
votes
Figuring out from a map which direction is downstream for a river?
The answer is often to not use Google maps, and this is no exception.
If you want an online source, Openstreetmap.org can help - the cycling layer shows contours so you can use the methods in another ...
- 26.9k
9
votes
What is this floating raft-like object in the waters of a reservoir in Massachusetts?
Looks very similar to a bird nesting facility I've seen before in nature reserves. Purpose: allow for safe nesting for (probably a specific, possible endangered, species of) birds. Safe, because it is ...
- 881
9
votes
Accepted
Strange river level changes (similar to tides) near the "Lech Fall"
It looks a lot like there's a power station just downstream (photo), which can be seen on openstreetmap. I suspect that the power plant is being used to respond to peak loads for which hydro is very ...
- 26.9k
8
votes
Accepted
What is this floating raft-like object in the waters of a reservoir in Massachusetts?
Just thought to expand the topic a little more.
What is pictured in Sue's question is floating nest for birds. There are a number of birds that prefer the safety of raising their young away from the ...
- 9,609
8
votes
Accepted
How can I use horsetail as a "indicator plant" to find gold while gold pannig?
You can't.
The theory required you to get samples and send them to a lab, which wouldn't exactly be practical in the field anyway.
METAL ABSORPTION BY EQUISETUM (HORSETAIL)
A19
GOLD
...
- 8,097
8
votes
Does fordable by 4WD imply fordable on foot?
From The U.S. National Weather Service,
Turn Around Don't Drown®
Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other
thunderstorm related hazard. The Centers for Disease ...
- 24.3k
8
votes
Accepted
Can you sit on the comfy trike saddle while the canoe is in the water?
Yes and No.
There are challenges: While the trike does sit with all 3 tires on the the bottom of the canoe, it only fits in this one position, facing forward in the front half of the canoe. You can ...
- 30.5k
8
votes
In the US is it legal to travel on any river/creek my canoe will navigate?
As mentioned in the answer provided by Charlie Brumbaugh, many states use the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) to define the limits of state control. The images below from the American Water Works ...
- 2,790
7
votes
Sleeping in an inflatable boat
Why not have the best of both worlds? I take week long river excursions a few times a year, and I always sleep inside my inflatable, but on shore. Super comfortable, and it keeps me off of the bare ...
- 71
7
votes
How to cross rivers or streams at night or in darkness?
There are a couple of things you will want to do.
Headlamps are essential as you will want the full use of both of your arms.
The darkness will make it more difficult, mostly because you be able to ...
- 69.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible