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!!

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!"

The Gourmet Experience- Our Trip for Foodies!

Luxury River Trips: This experience is all about "going with your gut." This can certainly ring true when you're planning your adventure of a lifetime--especially when there's food involved! With an impressive river chef menu designed by our chef and Culinary Institute of America trained Sarah Jane, you can trust that our Luxury River Trips are the intersection of gourmet food, incredible settings and adventure.

Spend the day exploring the secrets of the Colorado River and admiring the beauty of Canyonlands National Park. At night Indulge in five star cuisines prepared by our professional river chef, served on linen-clad tables with views of towering red rocks. Relax by the rivers edge with handpicked wines.

Enjoy toasted crostini topped with Roma Tomatoes, Fresh Basil and melted Buffalo Mozzarella, wrapped in prosciutto for appetizers. Savor grilled pork tenderloin with Honey-Dijon Sauce, Grilled Asparagus, and Couscous as the sun sets. Save room for dessert with freshly baked brownies with assorted berries and whipped cream.

Hungry Yet?

I LOVE telling people all about our rafting trips. I REALLY love telling people about our Expeditions in Luxury rafting trips.  Why?  Well first, because we are the ONLY company offering this kind of comfort on these stretches of river. Secondly, it is fun to hear some of the responses:
Here is a chart that details some of the differences between our standard rafting trips and our Expeditions in Luxury:

	Standard Rafting Trip	Luxury Rafting Trip
Pre-Trip Loding	Guest's Resposibility	Deluxe Accommodations at the Best Western Canyonlands Inn Included.
Number of Guides/Staff on Each Trip	1 Guide per Every Five Guests	1 Guide per Every Three Guests, plus Camp Staff to Set-Up and Take Down Camp.
Chairs	Comfortable Standard Camp Chairs	Deluxe "Director's Chair" Camp Chairs.
Camping Equipment	Cozy Sleeping Bag, 2" Paco Pad and Roomy Tent.  Set Up By Guests.	Area Rug, Comfortable Cot, Cozy Sleeping Bag, Sheet, Pillow, Pillowcase, Handtowel, Washcloth, Small Table, Small Light, Spacious (6'6" tall) Tent.  Set Up By Camp Crew.
Meals	Fresh and Delicious Meals Prepared by the Guides.  Served Buffet-Style	Deluxe Meals, Prepared Riverside by Our Talented River Chef.  Served at Linen Covered Tables with Matching Wine.
Beverages	Water, Juice, Gatorade, Iced Tea, Lemonade, Soda	Water, Juice, Gatorade, Iced Tea, Lemonade, Soda, Beer, Wine (with Dinner)
Group Size	8 to 25 Guests	6 to 16 Guests
Post-Trip Lodging	Guest's Resposibility	Deluxe Accommodations at the Best Western Canyonlands Inn Included.

If you would like more information about our Expeditions in Luxury, you can either click here, or you can call and talk to me (Kristl) at 800-332-2439.