Cataract Canyon

Currently about 62,000 cfs. Things would really need to heat up quickly to drive flows back up significantly at this point in the runoff (historical peak is in 2 weeks)

Record is over 110,000. So we won’t even get close to record territory. I saw a forecast that put the maximum predicted flow at 74,000 this year.

That said, I have ZERO interest in cataract at anything over 25,000. Scary shit.

Was on a trip in 84 with Sidewinder at over 110,000 cfs. and still rising. NPS wasn't going top let us finish running the canyon. Landed a chopper at Brown Betty and took a couple of the boys up I think Bego and Greg Williams from Sidewinder not sure who else to look at the big drops, but when confronted with lifting everybody out the park service threw their hands up and let us run the canyon. All they could really do was fly everybody out. and I don't believe they were going to shuttle us out. Hell or High Water for sure.

rivh2o said:

Was on a trip in 84 with Sidewinder at over 110,000 cfs. and still rising. NPS wasn't going top let us finish running the canyon. Landed a chopper at Brown Betty and took a couple of the boys up I think Bego and Greg Williams from Sidewinder not sure who else to look at the big drops, but when confronted with lifting everybody out the park service threw their hands up and let us run the canyon. All they could really do was fly everybody out. and I don't believe they were going to shuttle us out. Hell or High Water for sure.

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I read about that story once maybe in the BQR, sounded crazy! If I recall correctly the chopper was just a bag of bolts also...

there's a really good episode about that story on the most-excellent river radius podcast. link here.

Wow, the story was from the old Mtn. Gazette! I miss that old publication!

Mountain Gazette article - not sure if posting the PDF will work.

The flow forecast looks like it's falling off a bit, but the flow out of Flaming gorge is still only 850 and will likely bump to 9000 around the first week of June.

OP, I'd love to join but it's a busy time of year for me and I wouldn't run Cat much above 10kcfs unless I knew the crew well. Make sure you're current on North Wash conditions.

tBatt said:

Mountain Gazette article - not sure if posting the PDF will work.

The flow forecast looks like it's falling off a bit, but the flow out of Flaming gorge is still only 850 and will likely bump to 9000 around the first week of June.

OP, I'd love to join but it's a busy time of year for me and I wouldn't run Cat much above 10kcfs unless I knew the crew well. Make sure you're current on North Wash conditions.

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That's a terrific story!
Thanks for sharing!

Xlnt, thanks for posting I have a copy of that but to find. I have to dig deep into my storage bins and from time to time I go back and reread it. I was just cutting my teeth in the eighties as a newbie and that was differently a wild ride/scene! I have never been on the open ocean and the waves were huge would just swallow a J-rig like nothing at all. The rig would be going up the face of a wave with still another boat length just to get to the top. I don't know what was more scary flying out of Hite Int or Cataract. Both were pretty awesome. Thnx