1997 Cataract Canyon High Water 1

Oar boat surfs the Window Wave (top of Big Drop Two), then goes for more in Satan's Gut (Big Drop Three). Second time was not a charm. What a ride!

These videos were taken between May 28 and June 18, 1997 from several locations along Big Drops Two and Three. During this time, the river's flow ranged from 50,000 to 71,000 cfs.

National Park Service video
http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/rivervideos.htm

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• nps
• cataract
• canyon
• rafting
• high
• water
• oarframe
• oars
• boat
• canyonlands
• drop
• big
• drops
• white

[guaranic]

@Oriononearth one of the other videos i saw at this level had a guide that was way farther over to the left, but he had a good angle and managed to avoid that... thing

[Oriononearth]

It is easy to comment, so I will. Guide looked in over his head, exhausted, inexperienced, and possibly did not even scout. Boat had no momentum, no power, never seeking workable lines. Rapid is runnable at that level by qualified, prepared guides with good equipment. Be careful who you raft with, and most of all at flood levels. Luck will serve a guide well if they line up all their ducks. This was great entertainment because noone died, but no experience on a river is worth dying for.

[skellers36]

that was freakin awesome!

[greenglenn138]

The video " 1997 Cataract Canyon High Water 5" is the NPS film on what not to do. This is poor rafting, the swim is awesome and the possibility of a fatality goes up. In this video, the raft got hung up and went left at the top standing wave. By then , it is too late. The river push the raft left, right to Satan's Gut. Yes the Gut is a mear grinder, however the swim is short to calm water. I would ride with this guide. He did the best he could at the time.

[nbriver71]

This has gotta be one of my favorite parts of that park service video. Right into Satan's Gut. I never ran high water Cataract in a single boat. The company I guided for strapped 3 boats together, side-by-side, and ran it as a triple-rig with two guides rowing. One in front and the other in back, like a sweep boat.

[doesrealityexist]

I've made that run through Cataract several times at high water and even during the 97 season (I was a UofU ORP boat captain). This boat capt. was an idiot to line it up like that, people die, I've seen, I've even rescued people. it. This was a NPS film for "what not to do"

[akidkayaker]

wow, i wuda walked my ass out if i saw that lol

[Kelebrinlith]

I've never seen it a high water. We had no problems. But there were nasty ass holes that if you went into them you were never gonna be the same. That second one that got them had some hydrulics that just seemed wise to avoid at all costs.

Great video. -- ghd

[gritzah]

that run was effed from the beginning. you need a j-rig to blast thru that.

[timoboy1991]

wow that was scary :O