Cataract Canyon

[flip me over]

Has anyone ever done a alternative put in for Cataract Canyon. We were lookin to get closer to the confluence and meet friends there. We do not have time for the full trip and we are trying to skip the flatwater section. Has anyone ever tried to put in on Lathrop Canyon or Lockhart Canyon.

[tango]

Originally Posted by flip me over

Has anyone ever done a alternative put in for Cataract Canyon. We were lookin to get closer to the confluence and meet friends there. We do not have time for the full trip and we are trying to skip the flatwater section. Has anyone ever tried to put in on Lathrop Canyon or Lockhart Canyon.

with rafts?

[dgosn]

You can drive to the river from Lockhart Basin Road, if not a few hundred yards away?. I was there several years ago. I remember the road wasn't horrible, but long and windy. Not sure if I trailer would make it or not. You also hit the NPS boundary a little ways before the rio.

Regardless, once you get there the tammies are ridiculously thick. I went there with the hopes of swimming on a hot day. It was damn near impossible to contort my body enough to make it through the tammies. I cant imagine how you would rig a raft there let alone get gear the final 50 feet to the water.

One option for a short trip is Jackson bottom, at the current flows it would be about 10 hours of rowing maybe 12(assuming you keep motivated), you can float at night. This does mean that if you are pushing it to the confluence in a day there wont be enough time for shot skis, and general debauchery which is one of my favorite parts of cataract. With this years run off the row out will be a lot longer due to the rise in lake levels, not sure where good current ends, but I would imagine that it will slow WAY down around dark or bodie canyons.... I am sure someone else will nnow more about that.

Better yet get a motor and then you can enjoy the flatwater more!

scott

[zbaird]

you can drive to lathrop. i have talked with the guys in the nps office about this, trying to get people in a day later. some company offers a 4x4/ raft "adventure". peeps are driven to lathrop, raft to the confluence and jet boat up and out. the guys assure me it would take as long to drive to the river at lathrop then to float it. no shuttle out for your car is available. the road is suposedly 4x4 abusive and a trailer was highly discouraged.

[AJI]

We have had success catching a ride down with an empty jet boat that left Potash. The empty jet boat was headed down to the confluence so they could pick up the clients. There are a lot of companies that do this run on a daily basis. When we had success we did find some difficiculty talking the companies into our idea. Once they understood we found a company that hooked us up with a sweat deal! They loaded all of our gear and off we were catching up with the remainder of our group just in time for even delight. Ask the jet boat company's to see if this is a possibility.

[ecjohnson]

Well, the only Jet Boat company down there is Tex's Riverways... and they're pretty cool people. Go to their website: Tex's Riverways Canoe and Kayak Outfitter and Shuttle Service Home Page

It's actually advertised as a service that they provide, so you don't need to talk anyone into anything.

[st2eelpot]

Several companies motor down quickly. Hell, Adrift offers 1 day cat runs (jet boat to confluence, oar boat through rapids, motor out, then fly back to Moab). Tag, I believe it was them, runs a 1 day on a mini J-rig with two motors (240hp for the flats, 30 hp for the rapids)

If you want to pay someone to boat you down from Potash to the confluence, many companies will consider doing it. most charge about $50 from what I hear. Some guides have offered to pull me out for free after the rapids. The companies I'd ask:

Tex
Adrift
Navtec
Western
Tag
(basically all the local companies who run Cat and Western. Oars is hard to get in touch with for stuff like this it seems.)

And, depending on when you want to do it, if none of them will do it, I have some friends with sport boats there that might consider doing it.

Cheers

[flip me over]

Thanks so much for all the great info. Tex,s Riverway service seems to be the best option.
Safe boating and thanks again!!!