Colorado

American Whitewater staff and board gathered in October for a fall trip down the Colorado River that began at the Potash Boat Ramp outside Moab and continued on down through Cataract Canyon (separate trip report on that river page). The objective was to learn more about water issues in the Colorado Basin and the Returning Rapids Project. Flows on this segment of the Colorado River were 3100 cfs dropping to 2900 cfs during the time we were floating from Potash to the Confluence. We launched from Potash at river mile 47 on Day 1 and were on the water by 8:15am stopping for lunch at the petrified wood near river mile 37, and ending our day at Lathrop Canyon on river right near river mile 24. On day 2 we crossed the river and hiked up to the ruins at river left near Lathrop Canyon. We camped for the night just upstream of The Loop on river left near river mile 13. On day 3 we hiked up to The Loop and down the other side as the boatmen took the boats around. The afternoon was overcast with a light mist in the air as we reached the confluence. We camped at Spanish Bottom on river left that evening. The morning of day 4 we crossed the river and hiked up to the Doll House and then came back to the boats to continue our trip through Cataract Canyon.