Classic Camp Site

This majestic camping spot in Canyonlands National Park is next to a 2000 foot cliff in Cataract Canyon.

Video of the Week:

2014 looks like one of the better whitewater rafting years in Cataract Canyon since 2011.

SNOTEL Reports Looking Good for the 2014 White Water Season!!!

 

SNOTEL is an automated system of snowpack sensors operated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. This system is one tool used to estimate what kind of the river runoff we can expect. SNOTEL sites report the current snowpack/moisture content expressed as a percentage of the average of the last five years for that date.

Unfortunately, the California Mountains have experienced a low snowpack so far this winter. Due to this lack of moisture and continuing drought conditions, the state of California has declared a state of drought emergency. It seems that their state will be relying heavily on its allotment of the Colorado River for water needs in 2014. This most likely means that they will allow more water to be released from the Glen Canyon and Hoover dams to help ease the lack of water.

The Colorado Plateau supplies the majority of the water in the Colorado and Green Rivers. The Gates of Lodore and Desolation Canyon on the Green River receive their water from the headwaters in the Wind River Range of southwestern Wyoming.  The runoff from these mountains is stored in and released from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The Yampa River is a free flowing tributary joining the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument. The 2014 SNOTEL sites currently show that the Colorado River Basin is at 106% of average and the drainage for the Yampa River is at 107% of average, with the wettest months of winter still to come. Actual river runoff can change depending on total snowfall as well as how fast the runoff occurs. At this point we are very excited about the 2014 rafting season!


If you have any questions concerning flows of any of the rivers we run, please feel free to contact us at info@griffithexp.com or call toll free 1-800-332-2439 (Please ask for Jose or Brenda). We love to talk about the river and share our 43 years of experience to help make your river vacation a great one!!

There has been a lot of Buzz in Moab over the last few months about a new company offering flights into the Moab Canyonlands Field Airport.  Well, we received the official word this morning that Sky West Airlines will be offering flights from Salt Lake City, Utah to Moab on a daily basis starting on March 2, 2014.  Here is the information from their official press release:

Book Your Delta Flight from Salt Lake to Moab Today!
Flights Operated by SkyWest Airlines
 

MOAB, Utah Jan. 6, 2014 – The new Delta Connection flights from Salt Lake City to Moab, Utah (CNY), operated by SkyWest Airlines, will begin on March 2, 2014! And right now is the perfect time to begin booking your spring travel plans.

There will be two daily, roundtrip flights from Salt Lake to Moab on Mondays, as well as Thursday through Sunday. One daily roundtrip flight will be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The flight schedule is as follows*:

*Flight schedule varies by day of week and is subject to change

Customers may book flights at www.delta.com or by calling Delta reservations at 800.221.1212. Remember, the best fares are always available at www.delta.com.

This press release and additional information about SkyWest Airlines can be found at www.skywest.com.

We are excited that there will be flights from the Salt Lake City airport, which is a large "Hub" airport.  I checked the price of the flights in June, and it looks like the round-trip flight from Salt Lake City to Moab will be about $174 per person.  I found this price through Kayak.com (the Delta website was working a little slow this morning).

Remember that if you are flying in to the Moab airport, you will either need to rent a car through Enterprise (at the airport, advance reservations required) or arrange for a shuttle into Moab, as the airport is about 14 miles outside of town.  Please feel free to call me (Kristl) at 800-332-2439 for shuttle information.

Is this a vacation you want in 2014?

 

Cataract Canyon...Now with New Rapids!

September’s record breaking rains and the shrinking of Lake Powell have combined to form some new rapids in Cataract Canyon. For about 10 years, Lake Powell has been at record lows. These low lake levels have allowed the Mighty Colorado River to reclaim some of its former rapids. This has given us the chance to run 5 “new” rapids including the very fun and almost mile long rapid of Water Hole.

Our operations manager, Brenda, was able to squeeze in a Cataract Canyon trip before the government shutdown during the last week of September, and she reported lots of new debris flows from the recent rains.


One of these mudslides created a brand new rapid! Here is Brenda’s description of the new unnamed rapid: “A brand new rockslide has come from the right-side of the canyon to narrow the channel below Water Hole Canyon. At the low water level I ran it at it is was not huge maybe a class 3. The start of the rapid has a classic “V” into some fun splashy waves. If you break through the “V” to the left there is a runnable hole. The hole is little smaller than the Little Delores hole on Westwater Canyon. This should be a really fun rapid at higher flows.

YEAH new RAPIDS!"

2014 Rafting Catalogs

The Sheri Griffith River Expeditions River Journeys catalog has just arrived in Moab. Filled with Lots of new photos, updated itineraries and great information.

BIG CHANGES TO DELIVERY OF THE CATALOG: After years of sending out thousands of brochures many of which were as returned as undeliverable or sent to the landfill, we have decided not to do a bulk mailing in 2014.  If you would like to receive a copy of our 2014 brochure, or impress your friends and family members, please call us at 800-332-2439 or email us at info@griffithexp.com.

We will even throw in a FREE DVD, Moab trip planner and a postcard that you can keep or mail to your friends!

Here are the best ways to get your copy:

• Email (info@griffithexp.com)

• Website (click here)

• Phone (800) 332-2439

• Mailing us (PO Box 1324 Moab UT 84532)

• Walk in and ask for one (2231 South Highway 191 Moab Utah 84532)

• Telegraph (nearest Western Union)

• Secret handshake. (Well it is secret for a reason)

Canyonlands National Park!

Canyonlands National Park Information

Canyonlands National Park covers a vast area of rock wilderness in southeast Utah, centered on the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. Over millions of years, the rivers and their small tributaries have carved the flat sandstone rock layers into many amazing forms with a wide range of colors. The 530 square miles of the park contain countless canyons, arches, spires, buttes, mesas and a myriad of other spectacular rock formations.

For more information on Canyonlands National Park: www.griffithexp.com/canyonlands-national-park

To book a trip in Canyonlands National Park: