# Masculine adventure with the flavor of white hot steel!



## willpaddle4food (Oct 11, 2003)

One must adapt to the changing world, and shed old preconceptions. For instance, the forecast for next sunday in Westwater canyon is sunny, 37, with very little chance of ice. That's boatin' weather! I need to test drive my new boat before the season gets started in earnest. Anyone interested in a day trip? Shuttle very early, launch at dawn, through the rapids at peak sunlight, boats loaded back up by 4pm. Nuthin' to it.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Thats awfully tempting. I got a new drysuit that I need to try out and I've been jonesing for some boating. I can't make my decision till later in the week though.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Sounds like fun. I'm itching to boat, but will likely go further south. Watch the weather if you plan to run Westwater Sunday. The extended forecasts I am seeing are predicting another closed low to drop into the Four Corners area Friday, Saturday and Sunday...


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## David L (Feb 13, 2004)

If I lived closer.........

That's my excuse for declining the invitation!


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## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

willpaddle4food said:


> One must adapt to the changing world, and shed old preconceptions. For instance, the forecast for next sunday in Westwater canyon is sunny, 37, with very little chance of ice. That's boatin' weather! I need to test drive my new boat before the season gets started in earnest. Anyone interested in a day trip? Shuttle very early, launch at dawn, through the rapids at peak sunlight, boats loaded back up by 4pm. Nuthin' to it.



Hmmm. Interesting. I launch on the Grand next Tues the 24th. It wouldn't suck to get a dress rehearsal day before that. PM me if this begins to look more likely, please.


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

There will be no direct sun at any time while in the rapid section.

Water is 39 deg, but the good news is it's rising! Flows kinda steady at 3100.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/uv?site_no=09163500

Brr.

Have fun!


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## willpaddle4food (Oct 11, 2003)

We don't need no stinkin' sunlight. Causes cancer anyway. I plan to duct tape handwarmers all over my entire body under my drysuit. Unfortunately, it's a micro cat with no floor that I will be driving, so I guess a certain amount of wet must happen.


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## spencerhenry (Jun 21, 2004)

12'6" sotar a micro cat?


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

willpaddle4food said:


> We don't need no stinkin' sunlight. Causes cancer anyway. I plan to duct tape handwarmers all over my entire body under my drysuit. Unfortunately, it's a micro cat with no floor that I will be driving, so I guess a certain amount of wet must happen.


Check these out, with stickum. https://www.amazon.com/Grabber-Performance-Peel-Stick-Warmer/dp/B001G7QEDI

Thermacare pads work well too, and have adhesive


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## T.O.Mac (Jun 6, 2015)

I could be persuaded...haven't run westwater since november...been too long...

thomas
fruita, co


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## QuietHunter (Jun 8, 2010)

Put me on the maybe list as well. PM for my email.


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## BrianK (Feb 3, 2005)

Why do you think there is little chance of ice in the canyon? I'm not saying you're wrong - I'm just curious what makes you say that.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

*Ice Dams Suck*



BrianK said:


> Why do you think there is little chance of ice in the canyon? I'm not saying you're wrong - I'm just curious what makes you say that.


The guideline I've heard is that if there's ice in DeBeque Canyon, there's probably ice in Ruby and Westwater. 

Not trying to be a downer but...

You may come around a bend and not see the ice dam / bridge until you're hemmed in with 6 foot walls of ice on either side of the river. Maybe you should keep the crampons and ice axe handy in your captains bag? Somehow those items don't seem to go with inflatable boats...

I know some guys that got stuck on Ruby about this time one year. They wound up hiking the smallest raft past the ice dam for them all to float out on. They cached the rest of their gear and boats until things thawed in mid-February. The photos kind of reminded me of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow without frozen corpses along the side of the trail...

I'd want a visual less within a couple of days before launching and certainly during the same weather cycle. I've heard you can call Redtail Aviation or the airport in Green River and they may have info, or ask someone that's flying that way to take a look.

BLM Moab may have info also.

Good luck,

-AH


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## willpaddle4food (Oct 11, 2003)

Food for thought. I've got a call in to redtail aviation. There have only been a few days where the temp got below freezing here and it has been unseasonably warm. On my up to powderhorn the colorado river is just running chocolate milk, no ice cubes. I'll see what else I can find out.


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## willpaddle4food (Oct 11, 2003)

The friendly folks at Redtail don't have recent eyes on the river, but sent me to this link
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ut/nwis/uv/?site_no=09180500
which shows toasty warm water as high as 38 degrees.. Redtail assures me that there is not now ice in the river, and when there is, it will be noted on this page. So, I'll keep watching it as the weekend draws near, but right now it all seems like a go.


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## mikesee (Aug 4, 2012)

It's been a really warm winter here. Normally ice in Jan would be a major concern, but this year it simply isn't. Even tiny pothole lakes that'd normally have many inches of ice have, at best, a skim of grease right now.


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## BLM Ruby Horsethief (Dec 21, 2011)

I just spoke with the river ranger here and he said its very unlikely anything is blocked. He spent last week on Horsethief bench and the water is moving fine. That being said, it looks like the weather is changing just in time for the weekend and it is suppose to get cold again so keep that in mind if you plan to float this weekend.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Where are people at with this? I said I was tempted last when this first went up but just curious what people think. I think if I go I'll likely drive part way on Saturday and then the rest on Sunday morning. Did anyone get a permit yet?


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## willpaddle4food (Oct 11, 2003)

There is an emerging core of us growing enthusiastic about the idea of "Meh. Well NO." Forecast has changed from sunny and 37, to cloudy, 36 and raining. Snowboarding weather. Next weekend is sunny, but then the high is 32....


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Yeah...I think I'm in the same boat. Sounded fun, less so now. If its not this weekend then I wouldn't be able to go till second week of February due to work complications.


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