# CATARACT CANYON - when to run this season (2022)?



## F.A.A.C. Slim (Jan 14, 2010)

Any buzzards want to help me guess when to run Cataract this season? Flows look light and I don't expect any big runoff. I've never done that section of the Colorado but must do. I've got 4HP motor on a 16' Jacarundi AIRE and am mentally prepared for what I expect to be an ugly finish / take out. So what's your best shot at a date for launch? cheers http


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## mikepart (Jul 7, 2009)

What do you want out of your trip? Do you want to hit big water or avoid big water?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Cat at lower water is fun without a lot of worry. The problem is the take out, or lack thereof.. I was told yesterday that the NPS did a little work on it, but have no first hand intel from someone that's been there. If it wasn't "Jeep Week" there now, I'd take a trip to look..


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

Last week of May, first week of June is the "normal" peak for Cat. Look for it to make it out of the teens this year (unlike last) but I doubt it will hit 30k (which is when things get "interesting"). Right now we have a series of decent storms hitting the Wasatch, which will help if they continue on into the drainage area... Peak depends on whether there's a cool, wet May (2019) or dry, warm one (last year). 

I was at North Wash takeout on March 30 and posted a couple of photos in the "Perched River" thread. It's not much worse than last year but will entail a good anchor and winch w/roller tubes and/or tarps. If it rains, you're in for a suffer fest... Humping loads up that 30-40 degree slope is no fun in dry conditions, if it's slicker than goose snot be extra careful and go slow. The "good" news is that drop in lake elevation has made for a little more room at the foot of the "ramp" - like 4 boats instead of two. Or consider motoring out to Halls or Bullfrog - yes, they're "closed" to motorized vessels but being worked on now. If you show up in a raft - or three - just kill the motor and row the last few yards to the "beach" - doubt any ranger presence and if so likely you can talk your way clear...


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## F.A.A.C. Slim (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks for feedback. I had not seen the "Perched River" thread; real informative. I'd prefer about 8 - 12 K flow (at least I think that best from what I've read). Looks like I should plan for just before July 4th; and I'd launch mid-week. Have been considering motoring to Bullfrog; any chance there would be reasonable camps in that 50 mile run to Bullfrog? cheers


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

F.A.A.C. Slim said:


> Thanks for feedback. I had not seen the "Perched River" thread; real informative. I'd prefer about 8 - 12 K flow (at least I think that best from what I've read). Looks like I should plan for just before July 4th; and I'd launch mid-week. Have been considering motoring to Bullfrog; any chance there would be reasonable camps in that 50 mile run to Bullfrog? cheers


There are plenty of places to camp, but you're competing with the houseboat \ speedboat set..


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Is cataract a non permit stretch? Is it classv at high water? It looks Giant but not crazy technical (right?) I wanna do a run there someday.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Is cataract a non permit stretch? Is it classv at high water? It looks Giant but not crazy technical (right?) I wanna do a run there someday.


Yes, yes, no, and perhaps 😂

Water means a lot in cat, there, no matter what flow are places you need to be, so, yes, it's technical. Unfortunately it's now on wreck.gov....


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

Belay Marshal's reply. You need a permit. Class V above 35k altho' only in certain rapids up to about 60k (can only dream about those flows...). It is "technical" only below about 7k, and then at best Class III with a few IV moves. Boring. And it's a REALLY terrible, uncomfortable place. No trees to set up hammocks. LOTS of scorpions. Tons of mice who like to scamper over your partner's face, and leave droppings. Hantavirus? Also NO SHADE. And butt ugly. Just naked rocks. And WIND. Always WIND. Always upstream. Need more info? The takeout sucks. You might die. 50-52 miles of flat water before the 16-18 miles that contain really boring rapids, then another 30 miles of flatwater to the takeout. Honest.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

You have to have a permit to run cat. I always call it big water 4+ at high water with a caveat. Its huge and fairly unpredictable at high flows, scariest in the 50-60k range far as Im concerned. If you dont have the butterflies at 60k, you have a problem or you're lost. You'll be standing on your box looking at a line and then all the sudden it will swell up and break hard right where you thought you wanted to be, and now youre in it. Timing becomes everything , but you cant time it. There are a several big moves you absolutely must make (if you dont want to swim the maw) and you can get rejected from making them pretty easy. At those flows many of the rapids turn into one, some eddies are super powerful and many of them you just really dont want to fuck with. I remember running safety in a snout once in the 40k range and the row boats got behind a bit so I grabbed an eddy I really didn't want to. When I would hit the fence in the snout it would damn near suck the whole tube under. Absolutely the kind of shit that will flip a rowboat who tries to enter. Swims can become a real problem in a fast huge cold river. The bank is a LONG ways away and your boat might be too if you go for some good downtime. You want a tight crew that knows their shit in there at high water or it can get bad quick, like losing people bad. There is a reason the NPS sets up the "Catch and release program" below big drop 3 when it gets high and busy.


Edited to add that B4Otter is pretty spot on. He posted while I was typing.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Sorry, got my yes and nos mixed up..


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Sounds terrible and scary! Oh well maybe I'll go do a westwater instead...unless....you guys invite me on your snout rigs!!! Woot woot!!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Sounds terrible and scary! Oh well maybe I'll go do a westwater instead...unless....you guys invite me on your snout rigs!!! Woot woot!!


Westwater is seriously gnarly with water too Charlie.. Many folks have died there, not to mention the rangers are assholes, it's hot, the shuttle is expensive, they have scorpions, spiders, snakes and such too, there's a HUGE lake between you and the take out, with no shortage of afternoon winds. Might think about a nice Ruby Horsethief trip, IF you can get a permit..


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## F.A.A.C. Slim (Jan 14, 2010)

Sounds like I'd best pack a few body bags


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## DidNotWinLottery (Mar 6, 2018)

I am considering an end of the season run in September from West Water down.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

F.A.A.C. Slim said:


> Sounds like I'd best pack a few body bags


 unfortunately you would not be the first to come out with them full.




DidNotWinLottery said:


> I am considering an end of the season run in September from West Water down.



Ive done Loma down to the lake a couple times. Its a fun long trip when you cant line up something better like a grand, middle/ main, etc.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

I think loma down is a fun long trip all on it's own. Especially when there's water in the river.

Heck, you can even spend a night at Red Cliff's lodge, eat a good meal, shower and head on down the next day, they have a boat ramp and floating docks there. 

Getting the permits for the upper stretch and coordinating it with a cat permit these days might be the monkey wrench in the gearbox though.


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## craven_morhead (Feb 20, 2007)

Well, the cat permit isn't much of a problem - still unlimited.


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## Bootboy (Aug 25, 2020)

All of the aforementioned negatives aside, I’m of the opinion that a Cat trip, even in the heat of July, is way better than no trip.

Getting smacked in the face by Dobson flies attracted to your headlamp is a unique, character building experience.

Avoid Spanish bottom camp. It’s a buggy, rodent infested shit-hole, seriously

Cataract does have its charms though. you can go in late season and not see another group, the camping is great at low flows, and above all, it’s time spent in the desert on the river.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

Its not unlimited, it just hasn't reached its limit. Inching closer every year though. That is why it is important to call and tell the park if you took less people than you said you were taking. Once it hits the cap, lottery time. Nobody wants that.


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

What Zach said! NPS has done carrying capacity studies EVERYWHERE and when triggers are reached there might be public hearings, public comments, etc. - but certain end result is some kind of lottery. Cat has always been the safety valve for the entire Intermountain West. PLEASE report your actual trip size (vice what you paid for on permit) so "the powers that be" have accurate info!


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## scrtsqurrl (Feb 21, 2014)

Canyonlands River Management Plan was last updated in 1981

Let that sink in.

They are not going to make any major changes without a full government planning square dance that will take years. Keep an ear out for public comment periods but I think we're pretty safe for now.


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

Yes - I was there. It sinks in all the time, whenever I try to forget knees, back, what's left of brains... BUT, to implement a lottery because carrying capacity trigger is reached is well within administrative discretion. Sure, various folks could challenge - speaking of square dances - but that would likely take even longer.

We (outfitters) used to have meetings w/Canyonlands management (Pete Parry and successors) end of season. Typical back-scratching "what can we do better?" etc. One time they asked the usual "so how many folks did you take down this year?" and my buddy replied "heck, we don't even know how many we brought back..." Unlike most plans, Canyonlands didn't (doesn't) track user-days (one person on the river for one day) but rather just total # of people. 

That's why you should report actual trip size.


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