# Muddy Chute



## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

I was looking at the gauge this morning and it looks like it's starting to rise. I was out there hiking a month or two ago and would love to catch the Chute with water. I don't think it's hit a runnable flow yet this season.


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## dkhighland (Mar 19, 2013)

*Muddy Chute Gauge*

Do you think if it hits 100 cfs on the Emery gauge that it would be fine for Pack Rafts? We did the Escalante a few years ago at around 50 cfs or a little lower.

Thanks for your reply!


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## TUNACAT (Jun 6, 2011)

Done it a few times the lowest at 300. I'm sure you could do lower but prob not below 150.


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

It's important to remember that there is significant diversions taken out downstream of the Emery gauge, so even if it says 100 there is a fair chance that there is still 50 or less in the Chute...


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## Nathan (Aug 7, 2004)

I did it with 100 on the gauge a couple years ago. It was too low for a kayak, but I think it would be ok in a packraft. The more the better, but it was still a cool place to experience without much water. 150 sounds like a good minimum to shoot for.


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## dkhighland (Mar 19, 2013)

Thank you! Keeping an eye on the gauge. Seems to be stuck on 50.


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## dgoggins (Jun 2, 2016)

OK, me and several buddies want to packraft the chute....it seems the gauge is still lower than average, but today was at 99. Has anyone been to the area recently and checked the actual water level at i-70?


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## UTMIKE (Nov 25, 2013)

its been on the rise daily..i too would love to PR it soon. Hot temps this week may help push it. I have some friends going down this weekend to PR it, and i think they are hoping for min 110..will report when i hear how there trip goes


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## restrac2000 (Mar 6, 2008)

As always, imperfect but it does take into account the high temps forcasted this week:


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## dgoggins (Jun 2, 2016)

It got up to 118 last night....if the trend continues this weekend should be pretty good.....as long as a bunch of irrigation water wasn't taken out. I think I am getting my group to packraft it on Monday...

though, when should you hear from your friends about their trip?


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## UTMIKE (Nov 25, 2013)

prob hear back sunday night or monday


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## dgoggins (Jun 2, 2016)

*Trip Report*

OK, so we got in on Sunday night (June 5th) and checked the i-70 overpass water level. It was 1/2 to 3/4 of my shin high...so about 12-16 inches. The gauge was reading 123-124cfs that night. BLM recommends 24" of water, which would put it above my knees, though I believe that is for kayaks. Though.....probably not...it was still brutal for us in packrafts. 

We camped at hidden splendor that night and Monday morning talked to a group that did some canyoneering sunday. One of the group said that they got in on Friday morning with a group of 17 packraft paddlers, when the gauge was around 107 but determined it was too low. They ..would have been right. They said at 123cfs we should try it, so we did. 

Tomisch butte pull-in looked like this ->










I said brutal...maybe it was just hard. We were probably floating...60% of the time. The water was normally only ankle deep in many parts. If the river bottom was flat, you can get by with a packraft, but hit any rock and you either had to butt scoot or get out. A lot of the time we were walking...most any "rapids" you had to get out and just walk your raft through it...not enough water to float over anything. 

So, sometimes floating, here in the chute where we thought the narrowness would ensure 4 miles of easy floating...but that wasn't really the case..it was only slightly easier than the other 11 miles ->









A lot of the time it was walking the boat ->









Or getting creative about trying to get maximum floating by spreading your weight, but still easy enough to get off the boat and walk ->









Anyway....we still had a good time. Hard trips don't make bad trips. We weren't rushed...we took a day and a half and camped on the river right after the chute. 

I would still say....that 150cfs is probably the minimum to have an easier packraft float. 

Right now the gauge is a bit over 130, but I don't think you would have much easier than what we had.


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