Any tips for Catract Canyon Shuttles

[peterB]

I am doing a Cataract trip the last week in April and am wondering what is the best method or who people recommend for shuttling.

[zbaird]

i have used Coyote Shuttle, (435)259-8656, out of moab for 4 cat trips in the last 3 years. i recommend them highly as they have even dealt with sh*tbag cars at no extra charge. they will pick up your cars at potash (assuming you are runnin' the 'rado in) and leave them at hite. i think they charge 125 a car. dont know how much $$ from the green side. i have run my cat trips 2 ways. the way to save money is to have raft passengers and kaykers run shuttle (while boatmen drink beer at the put in) and then pay coyote for one or two cars from the put in depending on trip size. i am not sure that coyote will run one car anymore, but i have persuaded them to run one for 175. i have only used the save money method once and it saved everyone 35 or so bucks off the cost of the trip. could be more depending on your avg persons per car. was it worth it for me, sure, but that is because i didnt have to do the driving. had i been one of the suckers running the 6 hr-ish shuttle, i would have opted to pay the 125 per car as i have on all other trips.

as far as the best route, i dont know. i think our crew took the highway last year which adds milage but has a higher speed limit. i have heard of crews running the other way and just speeding like hell in about the same time or a little less.

ed, you drove it last year, 6 ish hrs sound right? think i remember one of you guys saying something about it. what did ya think about the route???

[yojimbo]

Peter -

We used a plane shuttle by Red Tail Aviation (I think). Left the rigging crew at Mineral Bottom & drove 3 cars to Hite. LEft 2 cars there and drove 1 up to the runway just up the hill towards the bridge. You can park next to the runway. We stood around in the sun for a while and then a dude in a Cessna 206 popped in and picked us up. THe take off is over the edge of a cliff and out over Lake Foul. He flew us back up the river so we could check out the rapids from way up high. At the time ( 4.5 yrs ago) he could land on the river bottom at Mineral & the maneuver over the edge of the canyon to drop down to river level was even better than the takeoff. I think this isn't allowed anymore, so you may need another vehicle or shuttle ride down to Mineral Bottom. I haven't gone the Colorado side yet, but the Green side has some awesome camps and sidehikes.

Have fun!
Jim

[slimerboy]

Redtail is at the Canyonlands Airport in Moab. Their number is (435) 259-7421. Ask for Lavar. He's a cool pilot. Tell him Brandon from Salmon Air sent you.