# Cataract North Wash Takeout Conditions



## scrtsqurrl (Feb 21, 2014)

It is super steep. Don't try to back down. It will only result in tire spinning and digging up the ramp. All the commercials have gone to roller tubes and pulling from the top with a long line. 

There heavy current at the ramp. Be ready with a line or land below/above and walk it. 

My 2c.


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## suffusive (Aug 26, 2021)

I would do it in my diesel 80 series Landcruiser with full lockers on 37s because I pull a 4k lb camp trailer up crap like that all the time, but I definitely agree that I wouldn't recommend it for unmodified/normal trucks unless you were going to winch up.


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## Benjamin W. (Apr 2, 2020)

Thanks for the update. I'll be interested to see what it looks like at the end of August. Planning a trip then and will post pics of the takeout at that time.


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## sarahkonamojo (May 20, 2004)

Thanks, Dominy. Looks like good current, though.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Thanks for the photos, that's STEEP..


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

suffusive said:


> I would do it in my diesel 80 series Landcruiser with full lockers on 37s because I pull a 4k lb camp trailer up crap like that all the time, but I definitely agree that I wouldn't recommend it for unmodified/normal trucks unless you were going to winch up.


I did a trip last year and having seen it in person.... and I'm not saying you are wrong but gut reaction was that I wouldn't attempt it with my fully built trailer queen rock crawler with 40's. The pictures do no justice to how steep and loose it is. My friend Bryan agreed, and he has an Ultra 4 and Moon Buggy and a bunch of other offroad rigs. I'd say its at least a 50-70 foot long 45 degree slope of loose silt gravel. The consequence for being wrong on this one is a very wet rig. I'd only try it with a very nice winch setup. Not much to anchor to there though...so you'd have to have a solid vehicle to attach to. 

We ended up de-rigging everything and carrying by hand. That SUCKED super bad... almost to the level where it wasn't worth the trip for me when the water level is that low. It is badly in need of some serious Dozer work. I think next time I might bring my beach rollers and a long winch line. I'm thinking it would need to be at least 100ft line to do it right.

It feels like a day of work with a dozer each year could cut a decent ramp out that isn't dangerous. I very well could be underestimating what it takes and I've never run a big machine though.


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

Actually the current is not as bad at the takeout as it was 6 months ago, and there is more room for boats to land and stack upstream. Still a good idea to land upstream and walk boat down, the little "eddy" you see in the photo is big enough for a couple of boats. The driftwood pile is in same place it was when I took photos on March 30, so apparently not much change in lake elevation.

Roller tubes and winch or stout line tied to trailer hitch are the way to go. It takes time but way safer than trying any fancy 4WD trciks - plus if you screw up, even with a winch for belay, you're going to tear up the ramp even more and make it worse for everyone behind you...


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## bigfishn (10 mo ago)

Electric-Mayhem said:


> I did a trip last year and having seen it in person.... and I'm not saying you are wrong but gut reaction was that I wouldn't attempt it with my fully built trailer queen rock crawler with 40's. The pictures do no justice to how steep and loose it is. My friend Bryan agreed, and he has an Ultra 4 and Moon Buggy and a bunch of other offroad rigs. I'd say its at least a 50-70 foot long 45 degree slope of loose silt gravel. The consequence for being wrong on this one is a very wet rig. I'd only try it with a very nice winch setup. Not much to anchor to there though...so you'd have to have a solid vehicle to attach to.
> 
> We ended up de-rigging everything and carrying by hand. That SUCKED super bad... almost to the level where it wasn't worth the trip for me when the water level is that low. It is badly in need of some serious Dozer work. I think next time I might bring my beach rollers and a long winch line. I'm thinking it would need to be at least 100ft line to do it right.
> 
> It feels like a day of work with a dozer each year could cut a decent ramp out that isn't dangerous. I very well could be underestimating what it takes and I've never run a big machine though.


I did it in my stock '16 Toyota Tundra SR5 first week of April this year. We had a heavy trailer which we drove 6 hours with three boats high. However, we choose to do one boat at a time, and none of them were fully loaded. Never slipped at all. Just slow, 4x4 low in 1st gear....and another thing, we did 80% of the ramp. I didn't want to risk the last 20-40 feet, can't say it couldn't be done, but it wasn't worth it to me. So we hand carried it up that first, really shitty 20-40 feet. I think we were totally done in less than 2 hours, all gear, 7 people and 4 boats.


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## Kirby (Aug 14, 2013)

bigfishn said:


> I did it in my stock '16 Toyota Tundra SR5 first week of April this year. We had a heavy trailer which we drove 6 hours with three boats high. However, we choose to do one boat at a time, and none of them were fully loaded. Never slipped at all. Just slow, 4x4 low in 1st gear....and another thing, we did 80% of the ramp. I didn't want to risk the last 20-40 feet, can't say it couldn't be done, but it wasn't worth it to me. So we hand carried it up that first, really shitty 20-40 feet. I think we were totally done in less than 2 hours, all gear, 7 people and 4 boats.


We did the same thing last September. Lowered PSI in tires just hauled the boats one at time on the trailer and had no issues.


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

Good for you both. If there had been any rain...


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Okay the photos look like they don’t give the steepness any justice…the Fruita boat ramp looks way worse than that. We really talking about a true 45° here?


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

No. Fucking have epensice sompass with inclinometer (?) in my rig and have never measured. I would guesstimate 35 degrees overall.


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

Expensive! compass


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## scrtsqurrl (Feb 21, 2014)

westwatercuban said:


> Okay the photos look like they don’t give the steepness any justice…the Fruita boat ramp looks way worse than that. We really talking about a true 45° here?


I did actually measure last year...I'm that guy... 

I got a range of 26 to 34 depending on where on the ramp I measured. 

It is more steep this year.


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## jwburdge (Apr 9, 2014)

B4otter said:


> Good for you both. If there had been any rain...


Good point. They're both a bunch of dummies....
Everyone knows it is impossible to drive the boat ramp


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## suffusive (Aug 26, 2021)

....but there wasn't rain, and they did drive it = fully possible. Doing rough calcs, a 36 degree slope should require a coeffiicent of friction around 0.72 for my 7000lb rig to avoid sliding which is achievable on dry ground. I'm not sure what the major concern with tearing up the ramp is if it's "impossible" to drive anyway?!? Kinda funny.

I second the utter lack of any winch anchor, that was the first thing I noticed. If they're going to make it stupidly steep they should at least post up a nice winch anchor point at the top. And dig in some stair steps on one side. I don't think I would back down there without having a winch-out backup plan.


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## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

I think the point is if you stick a vehicle in there it's going to be a big pain for anyone else trying to take out the same time... at least until the wrecker can get there from Hanksville or Blanding, both of which are going to be expensive.

I've taken out at North Wash probably 15 times since 2013. The downstream (older) ramp was a little less steep and even then, if it rained there was a slopfest. At the current ramp I've twice arrived after rainstorms and even with roller tubes and organization it is dangerous and the footing is treacherous. The good news is since they added the lower parking/loading area there is room for more people & boats... if that's good news.


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