Outfitters on Brown’s Canyon of Colorado’s Arkansas River got a surprise on Sunday when they rounded a corner and saw the stretch’s marquee rapid, Seidel’s Suckhole, clogged by a massive debris flow just below. The flow blocked the stretch’s Class IV rapid with wood and other debris, forcing raft companies to portage.
We’re safely navigating around the debris jam with an approximately 20-minute portage,” said Travis Hochard of outfitter River Runners, which plans to continue operating trips through Lower Browns Canyon through Labor Day Weekend.
The debris pile will likely be there until next year’s spring runoff flushes it out — which outfitters hope will be substantially bigger than this year’s drought-ridden flows, with a Super El Nino forecast on the way.
Meanwhile, it’s still business as usual, as outfitters gear up for a busy Labor Day weekend. “While many outfitters have wrapped up operations for the season, the Royal Gorge remains open, and some outfitters are running trips through Labor Day Weekend,” said Mark Hammer, AROA board member and owner of The Adventure Company.
Info: https://arkansasriveroutfitters.org
Colorado Debris Flow Blocks Upper Colorado
A month earlier, on July 20 Colorado’s upper Colorado River, a similar debris flow blocked a stretch of river near Mile 52 between the Pinball Rapid access and the Horse Creek access, forcing the park service to issue an ad visry not to float the section.