There is a funny, unspoken game that goes on inside ones head, I think it has a bit to do with the hunting instincts of man.
It goes something like this;
You feel obligated to find the easiest rout or crossing, but inside you hope there won't be one. If you cross in some difficult, near-impossible place, and the others find some easy in, out, and good water, you are the idiot. So the more difficult the crossing, the better it gets, because somewhere in the mix is the "brave" factor. This is the part you look for. If you get to a place that looks like "the end of the trail" due to an un-crossable location, the guy who makes it across is now the "hero of the moment", but here the rules get a bit more gray. If he is the only one that can cross, the points somehow go down a bit, whereas if everyone can then pluck up the courage to make the crossing, he gets the most points.

But as soon as the crossing or rout is made, everyones points automatically return to near zero.
It take a whole lot of big points to move up to the Point Retention class, and then lots of accumulation to move up even a little. This way everyone gets a new and equal chance each time.
Here we are taking a break from the complications of the imaginary rules to enjoy the wide open river flats which always provides some fun dry banks for trail jumping.

Photo by Sean McLaughlin
Sean and Chuck are both starting to take photos so our chances of good shots are getting much better!
Here I am following Sean who has obviously made the crossing first.