[Awclist] [Fwd: RRFW Riverwire - NEW HITE RAMP WASHED OUT]

[Thomas Robey]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	RRFW Riverwire - NEW HITE RAMP WASHED OUT
Date: 	Fri, 27 May 2005 23:15:39 -0600
From: 	Riverwire-RRFW <riverwire at rrfw.org>
Reply-To: 	<riverwire at rrfw.org>
Organization: 	River Runners for Wilderness
To: 	riverwire at rrfw.org



RRFW Riverwire – NEW HITE RAMP WASHED OUT

May 27, 2005

Boat Ramp Washed Out Near The Hite Marina

By Lisa Church, from the Salt Lake Tribune lchurch at citlink.net

MOAB - The torrent of water rushing down the Colorado River has washed 
out a boat ramp near Hite Marina, forcing the National Park Service to 
dispatch heavy equipment to repair the eroding riverbank so outfitters 
can pull their boats from the water.

River flows through Cataract Canyon topped 66,000 cubic feet per second 
on Wednesday, and extra park rangers were stationed below the 
challenging white-water run to help snag people, boats and equipment 
pitched into the river by the raging rapids. The Colorado Basin River 
Forecast Center is projecting flows in that section will peak this 
weekend above 70,000 cfs.

The park service habitually dispatches additional personnel when 
Cataract flows reach 55,000 cfs, according to Paul Henderson, 
Canyonlands National Park spokesman. At that point, the potential for 
boats to overturn in the churning Colorado becomes "very high," he said. 
"We've got five people down there right now," Henderson said. "Normally, 
a routine river patrol is often a solo trip, but when the water is this 
high, we want to be pre-positioned to intercept anyone who may end up in 
the river if a boat flips."

But high water can smooth out difficult rapids, making it easier for 
river guides to maneuver in usually technical areas, Henderson said. 
"It's the hydraulics. Folks will say that at 35,000 to 40,000 cfs, 
Cataract is a bigger challenge than it is today. A lot of stuff 
disappears in big water," Henderson said. "Still, you feel pretty small 
when you see these walls of red-colored water towering above your boat."

Meanwhile, the boat ramp that serves as the last takeout point before 
Hall's Crossing, about six hours downstream, has been taken over by the 
swift, powerful water. In the past two days, the riverbank below the 
ramp has eroded, carving out a drop of several feet beneath a ledge. "It 
appears that the biggest issue today is not running the river, it's 
pulling your boat out," Henderson said. "It's pretty hard to drag some 
of these J-Rigs up over a steep ledge." Park service workers from Glen 
Canyon Recreation Area hauled heavy equipment to the site Wednesday to 
break off the ledge, grade and fill in the area with gravel, Henderson 
said.

For river outfitters, who have faced five years of low-water flows, the 
big water is a welcome relief, even if it does bring some problems. "For 
the guides, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," says Myke Hughes, 
owner of Adrift Adventures in Moab. "And for people coming off our trips 
now, they're just amazed - not only by the white water - but also by the 
skill of the guides running the river." And if outfitters can't get 
their boats out of the water at Hite, they will just drop off the 
passengers then float the river an extra six hours to Hall's Crossing, 
Hughes said.

Across town, Sheri Griffith Expeditions has begun sending a motorized 
raft to assist in case their oar-powered boats get into trouble, said 
Arlo Tejada, marketing director for the Moab-based company. "We're 
telling our passengers everything we can to prepare them," Tejada said. 
"But everyone is pretty much excited to go. "It's the biggest white 
water in America right now."

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