Highwater, Helicopters and Money

Highwater, Helicopters and Money

EPISODE SUMMARY

Cataract Canyon in Utah can host the biggest whitewater in North America. In 1983 it had flows over 100,000 CFS. Two commercial river trips were stuck in Cataract for that highwater and their guides tell their story.

EPISODE NOTES

As the winter of 1983 closed out in the Western United States, the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains were covered in exceptionally deep snow. Spring was warming up and rain was falling. This combination of fast melting snow and rain timed the runoff into the Green and Colorado Rivers just perfect to create record high flows well above 100,000 CFS into Cataract Canyon. It was commercial river season in Cataract and two trips were being pushed into running the biggest water in North America to ensure the company made its profit. As the river level continued to rise, trips were loosing boats and the risk was intense. Bego, Laurie Cooper and Tim Cooper were guides that season and are still friends today. 35 years later, they told that story around the campfire of running Cataract Canyon in 1983, a boss who was seeing dollar signs, and helicopters that shuttled notes and people up and down the corridor. See more at Instagram and Facebook.