David- glad you're okay.  you're not the first guy to come out of chaos face down, but i'm glad you weren't the first to die there.  chaos is just as bad as they say it is.  i live in portland and paddle the little white all the time, but in the group of paddlers i boat with, nobody ever runs spirit without someone else setting safety first.  if anyone is running spirit that day, someone portages, ferries across, and holds rope next to chaos in case someone misses their line below spirit.  sure, it means not everyone can run spirit, but that's not usually a problem and it is the only way i would feel safe doing it.  it is also what i would recommend to other folks thinking of running the drop.

Scott Collins