Cataract Canyon early May

bob_dobalina · 03-09-2010

Looking for advice on floating Cataract Canyon at the beginning of May this year. Having a tough time finding info - found lots of info about high water floating during runoff at the end of May though. Expected flows, difficulty at this level, recommended boat size would all be appreciated.

asleep.at.the.oars · 03-10-2010

Flows probably in the 20s - 30s, although it varies wildly with snow pack & temps. Take anything from your kayak to your J-rig, there's plenty of room to sneak the big stuff if you want at those middle flows.

bob_dobalina · 03-10-2010

is a 13.5' raft with 18.5" tubes big enough?

bob_dobalina · 03-10-2010

Quote:

Flows probably in the 20s - 30s, although it varies wildly with snow pack & temps. Take anything from your kayak to your J-rig, there's plenty of room to sneak the big stuff if you want at those middle flows.

so i'd be able to sneak all the "big drops" at this flow? are there any mandatory big hits?
do you think I'll get better response on this in the trip planner forum?

asleep.at.the.oars · 03-10-2010

At around 30 I recall lots of big wave trains but no mandatory hits in the big drops. The first 10 or so were kind of washed out, mile-long was starting to pick up, and there were some healthy holes between there and the end. BD 2 has some moves to make if you want that clean run, especially now that the claw (BD 2.5) is in the river, but center to right I think would be reasonable in a small raft. I started boating with the start of our decade-long drought, so I've only run those levels once - in a triple-rig (hooray liability!), but remember spending the whole run wishing I had a smaller boat. Don't pack the fine china, but I've been more puckered looking at Horn or Warm Springs. Features like the red wall aren't out yet at those middle flows. And how many boats in the trip? Picking up carnage with friends is a whole lot easier than solo. I think a lot depends on experience and comfort level. Ultimately, most everything comes down to that classic question - would you be willing to swim it? If not, you probably shouldn't go. If so, yee-haw!

bob_dobalina · 03-12-2010

there will be other rafts and kayaks in the groups but haven't discussed logistics. i'm ok with swimming but my wife not so much so the idea was for her to walk the big drop sections and I'd be running an empty raft - i'd hope to have a safety raft behind me. I don't know if that is crazy or not? is walking this section do-able? are the big drops the main section of big rapids or are there more? you mentioned mile-long - is this part of the big drops? also Horn/Warm Springs?

asleep.at.the.oars · 03-12-2010

Horn is in the Grand, Warm Springs on the Yampa. Walking anything is possible, but there isn't an easy trail along Cat. Mile-long is the section from rapid 15-20 (or something like that). I wouldn't want to run down there with thoughts of walking rapids and not flipping. It's relatively benign, but even the wave trains are big enough to send you off if you miss a bit. If I can read between the lines a bit, it sounds like you would have a happier trip picking a time of year when flows are in the mid-low teens and the water is a bit warmer.

northfwestg · 03-12-2010

bob, be prepared for anything, we ran the cat last 4-20- big drops measured 30,000. I tagged the claw and flipped my 16 foot gear boat. safety was in place, so all was good. the scouts are easy enough, but the walk, portages would be stupid. Run that shit and wear a drysuit, cause big drop 2.5 might just swallow you up. OOh yea watch out for the dead cows man, dont drink that water. you might stay away from the cat at these flows, it will be heavy, and there really aint no walkin through the big drops. furthermore if your crew is not dialed, yall could get worked.

atg200 · 03-12-2010

the big drops are easy to walk around, but it would get pretty tedious walking around mile long and all the other rapids that are big at that level.

with that said, i would be fairly surprised if cat was at 30K in early may this year with the thin snowpack in the yampa/upper colorado basins unless we really start getting dumped on soon. 15-20K strikes me as more likely.

AKATief · 03-12-2010

Our mid-may trip 2 seasons ago peaked at 67K. Flipped my 13.5 footer in big drop 2. River rangers (who have the coolest boat I have EVER seen on the river,) picked up 2 of my passengers (after crushing one between them and an S-rig.) I rode through Satans Gut hanging onto the belly line of my up-side down raft. Wildest ride of my life... the 16- 18 footers and the dory on the trip made it throught fine. 13.5' felt really small that day.