Zion - river predictions?
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After a fun time on Moonlight last fall with my wife, we're headed back to Zion for two weeks in April with the plan to tick both free and aid routes. |
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Probably. This was March last year: |
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Yes the mighty Dirty Virgin will run high this year. We are close to 200% snowpack and they are predicting it flowing above 600 cfs for a while. The river crossing is pretty reasonable til 300 cfs. Check the flows before you go, here is the link to the town gauge wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapCl… |
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Gee, my wife didn't like it at 70 cfs... no way in HELL I'm getting her across that at 300 cfs :) |
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Andy, |
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Thanks John. |
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Another Smoot route, Crack in the Cosmic Egg is supposedly stellar. Desert Shield is also an option but has some mandatory free climbing I believe. Tricks of the Trade is awesome, but it's probably closed now. |
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Uh,.... I haven't seen anyone mention that the river flow not only fluctuates seasonally as well as responding to precipitation, but that it also responds to,.....sun! |
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Mike Anderson wrote:Another Smoot route, Crack in the Cosmic Egg is supposedly stellar.Crack in the Cosmic Egg looks great, but what's up with the spicy C2+ move on P1... chance of a ground fall? |
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Andy Laakmann wrote: Crack in the Cosmic Egg looks great, but what's up with the spicy C2+ move on P1... chance of a ground fall?Yeah, it's spicy -- you have a chance of ground fall. My partner drew the lead on that pitch and I can't say I fought him for it. |
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Lydia wrote: Yeah, it's spicy -- you have a chance of ground fall. My partner drew the lead on that pitch and I can't say I fought him for it.I'm too old for groundfalls :) Bummer though, the rest of the route looks perfect. |
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Andy Laakmann wrote: I'm too old for groundfalls :) Bummer though, the rest of the route looks perfect.Interesting route, for sure. I think there were moves that were equally as hard as the opening ones further up the route, but there you don't have the ground fall issue... |
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Use a red alien for the insecure move. |
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Lydia wrote: Interesting route, for sure. I think there were moves that were equally as hard as the opening ones further up the route, but there you don't have the ground fall issue...I don't mind hard moves... I just mind hard moves that hit the ground :) |
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Andy Laakmann wrote: I don't mind hard moves... I just mind hard moves that hit the ground :)Hahaha -- yeah, like I said, I wasn't sad that I drew the "even" pitches on that route to lead. But it's a cool route, relatively straightforward approach (no river crossing), and a cool view of the park. If you decide you want more info about the route, I can send along some photos, pitches descriptions, etc. Have a fun trip! |
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RE: K-mart raft... |
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Anonymous Spraying Account wrote:RE: K-mart raft... I've thought about getting a packraft for the occasional wet approach.From the Zion NPS website: "Watercraft use in the park requires a backcountry permit. Permits are issued when the river is flowing in excess of 140 cubic feet per second." Note that innertubes are prohibited. If you kiddie raft looks like an innertube...well... Cheers. |
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Check closures...I think Cosmic Egg all the way through Angels Landing are closed right now for Zion chicken nesting?? A friend was bullhorned off Angel's last week, unaware of the closure. |
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Well, if this is accurate: |
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Yep. No closure on Mt. Moroni. |