Virgin River is RAGING!

suigeneris · 01-11-2005

If you are jonesin for some winter paddling head to St George,UT. My uncle said it is a disater area with all the rain. The Virgin and Santa Clara have risen 10 feet. Just be sure to dodge telephone poles and SUV's on your way down.

Meng · 01-11-2005

Have you ever seen the river at this flow??? Is it to-high-to boat-floodstage or high water fun???? In SLC and wanna check it out if its worthwhile and not stupidly dangerous. Anyone from SLC area interested in a trip or educated about the boatability of the virgin??? Any sweet bedrock tributaries???

double-a-ron · 01-12-2005

Hey Meng,

I just drove through St. George last week. The sections that you can see from the road wouldn't create anything. Its flat and nothing in the river bed to create features. Maybe huge wave trains??? At some point after I drove through they shut many of the roads.

It seems to be too bad that I left Crested Butte when I did, They are getting record snowfall and from what I hear, people are going HUGE!!!!!!! I on the other hand am stuck in the rain south of LA. Murphy's Law in effect.

Twitch-You alive???

Later
Aaron

twitch · 01-12-2005

Alive and kickin'. Just did a tour of SW Colorado....holy crap it was deep. I tried calling you back but the phone lines are all messed up & I can't seem to get through to you. Try me at work this week in the afternoons (after 2pm) 3/440-7979.

When was the last time CB had an 80" base going? I talked to a buddy there yesterday and he said that you could hear slides coming down Gothic Mtn.....DAMN! You & I both need to reconsider our career choices!

Ed Hansen · 01-12-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meng

Have you ever seen the river at this flow??? Is it to-high-to boat-floodstage or high water fun???? In SLC and wanna check it out if its worthwhile and not stupidly dangerous. Anyone from SLC area interested in a trip or educated about the boatability of the virgin??? Any sweet bedrock tributaries???

CNN just showed a clip of a house falling/breaking up into the Santa Clara and all it's pieces getting grinded-up as it all washed away; along with the roads. So, I would guess that it would not make for great boating. Plus, they are reporting people dying. No sheriff in their right mind is gonna let you put-on.

The weather in our western states sure seems to be "feast of famine".

barry · 01-12-2005

Ive paddled the virgin at flood several times (7,000 cfs+)...There are four "canyon sections" 1) the narrows--inside Zion park, 2) Zion Canyon--also inside the park 3) Timpaweep Canyon--between the town of Virgin and LaVerkin; and 4) the Virgin Gorge running just outside of St George to Littlefiel AZ. ALthough they may have washed out...I would not advise anyone to run the narrows or timpaweep at this level. ...the Virgin as it leaves the narrows portal and makes it's way through the park may be be good .... I am driving down from Salt lake on Friday to run the Virgin Gorge on Saturday if anyone wants to hookup (if it's still running...Ive seen it lose 10,000 cfs of water overnight).

merry prankster · 01-12-2005

Barry - most of the gages along the Virgin crapped out during this event. The simulation for little field has the river dropping from ~ 2700 saturday monring to 1600 by sunday AM. Have fun, it should be pretty interesting.

http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/river/stat...plot.cgi?VLTA3

I'd also echo the comments that the sherrif won;t be too happy to see recreationall paddlers amongst the wrecked homes, cars, and munciple debris.

Ron · 01-12-2005

I would think all the houses in the river would cause some problems down stream. Anybody know what rating a rapid would be running though someone's kitchen to the bedroom and out the back window? Isn't it great to know that millionaires with $700,000 homes can't dictate to a piddly little steam like the Santa Clara where and when to run. Makes us realize who's in charge here, huh!!!?

barry · 01-12-2005

Thanks for the info MP...In 1991, I ran the Virgin Gorge @ 6,000-7,00cfs. The sand waves, similar to those encountered on the San Juan, were immense and worked there way upstream in sets of 5-6..truly amazing. The Virgin was out of it's banks and into the tree's in many places and somewhere upstream had washed out the driving range(s) of several golfcourses. The result was thousands of golfballs making there way down river...thus, when surfing one of those sand waves golf balls would bounce under your boat making an an usual thump thump thump sound from your bow to stern. As for the the sheriff, there are too many places to put in/takeout for all of them to be guarded.

merry prankster · 01-12-2005

I didn't mean to imply you'd have problems in the gorge. The temple run and the park might be a bit frwoned upon.

I am sure there'll be more flows down the virgin this season. Once these things start then tend to prime the watershed for more (though lower) events. Should be a good spring for st g. boaters.