From Deseret News archives:
Cataract Canyon
Rafters hold on tight for a wild, white-water adventure
Carried along by the water and a few strokes of the oars, the boat rolls and pitches, then rises up, almost vertical, then rolls and pitches and falls again ... and again ... and again, all the way to calm water. That's when the anticipation of the next series of white-water rapids sets in.
The uncertainty, the anxiety and the excitement modern-day river rats enjoy must be close to those feelings experienced by John Wesley Powell back in 1869 on his first trip down Cataract, except today's runners have the benefits of Powell's experiences and the flood of river runners who have followed.
Powell had nothing to go by, only the experiences of the rapid he had just floated. He knew nothing of what lay ahead. River runners today know the river as well as they do the route back home.
Also, Powell's boat was wooden, much smaller than today's rubber rafts, and it leaked. He made frequent stops along the Green and eventually the Colorado for repairs and to carve new oars to replace those broken in the rapids. Today's boats are flexible, comfortable and self-bailing.
Powell would write that the rapids he encountered in Cataract were the most difficult he'd faced.
He wrote: "On starting, we came at once to difficult rapids and falls, that in many places are more abrupt than in any of the canyons through which we have passed, and we decided to name this Cataract Canyon."
It is well known that the rapids in Cataract Canyon can be as powerful and difficult as those in the Grand Canyon, which is considered the grandest of all white-waterrafting trips. There simply aren't as many rapids as on the Grand.
One thing that has made Cataract the preferred river trip is time.
The 120 miles of water from Potash through Cataract Canyon and out at Hite can be floated in from one to five days. To make it through the Grand Canyon on a motor-powered J-rig takes between seven and nine days, and up to three weeks to row the 300-plus miles.
Comments
- Jazz helping photo gallery 10:18 p.m.
- Donny's dancing gets high praise 10:10 p.m.
- British panel to begin war inquiry 10:05 p.m.
- TRAX victim still in critical condition 9:58 p.m.
- Real Salt Lake: Fandemonium 9:57 p.m.
- Iraq's election to be delayed 9:57 p.m.
- Nevill, Cummard withFlash 9:54 p.m.
- Alternative to climate change? 9:52 p.m.
- Climate-change debate heats up 9:52 p.m.
- Hate crimes against gays rose 11% 9:51 p.m.
- Real Champions
- Bronco, Kyle rubber match
- Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
- RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
- BYU's Lamb, Jorgensen reprimanded
- Plenty on line for rivalry game
- Time for big matchups in WAC, MWC
- BCS at-large bids up for grabs
- Hall, Johnson matchup key
- Is talking about religion taboo?
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
214 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
212 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
194 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - BYU records with win
132 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
131 - Bronco, Kyle rubber match
130 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
104 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
103 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103
Dear Ted... K before you go talkin smack on 2A look at your rankings first :]
Whipped Panguitch pretty handily over the weekend and is not even in the top 5?
Respect. Your post smacks of disrespect. Just your sarcasm is exactly...
Ask the people in Draper and South Jordon how they feel about the temple,...
Ray, Garrett says global warming probably cannot be stopped. So what exactly...
That's why they play them!
Not sure where you live (I live in PAC-10 country) and you don't hear stories...
LET ME GIVE YOU AN EDUCATION.....EVERY LDS CHAPEL YOU SEE IN THE WORLD IS A...
Anyone who thinks cut blocks are dirty is ignorant of the rules. Cut blocks...
Yes, upsets are more likely to happen in a single soccer game than a seven...



You can be the first to comment on this story.