Kolob Creek Waterflow

[hikster11]

I would like to do Kolob Canyon this Saturday. I looked at the flow today and it looks insane and I have no idea how to judge the flow. With this video can anyone guess what the flow is because it looks higher 3 cfs. I would guess between 20 or higher. It rained a ton on Wednesday and assuming it does not rain again until Saturday, do you think the flow will drop? I called the water district and they said they are releasing 3 cfs from the damn until September 19th. This video is the water running under Kolob Terrace Road. I also hiked down to the first rappel and it looks like a death sentence with the current flow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuTQpu_d7_s

Thank you for the help.

[Slot Machine]

I would like to do Kolob Canyon this Saturday. I looked at the flow today and it looks insane and I have no idea how to judge the flow. With this video can anyone guess what the flow is because it looks higher 3 cfs. I would guess between 20 or higher. It rained a ton on Wednesday and assuming it does not rain again until Saturday, do you think the flow will drop? I called the water district and they said they are releasing 3 cfs from the damn until September 19th. This video is the water running under Kolob Terrace Road. I also hiked down to the first rappel and it looks like a death sentence with the current flow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuTQpu_d7_s

Thank you for the help.

That looks like too much water.

The imprecise way I measure low flow is this:

1 CFS ~ 7.5 gallons/second. You've filled a 5-gallon bucket from Home Depot before, right? Well, how many imaginary buckets could you fill in a one-Mississippi? Then do the math.

Another way to judge: If you envision the water tearing off your harness while you are carefully measuring with your imaginary bucket, then the flow is too high to safely descend Kolob.

:haha:

[lucach]

Hikster: I was going to do Kolob on Sunday with 3 other friends. Please let me know what you find about the water conditions. We're all experienced with high water canyons, but we've never done Kolob. We're coming from San Diego, your information would be very useful to us. We are also planning to do other canyons around Zion during the ACA Rendezvous, if you are out there maybe we can meet in person.

Thanks a lot

[Mojave Silence]

Hikster--do you have any photos from the first rappel that you hiked down to?

[hikster11]

Thanks for the replys. I measured the water coming out pipe under the road with a shovel. It was about 16 inches deep about 4 feet wide. It would fill at least 10 five gallon buckets in a second. We did Boundary today and checked the flow after. It has dropped significantly. Only about 6 inches deep in the pipe. I didn't have my phone when we hiked to the rappel but did get video of the first rappel and its on my gopro.

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[hikster11]

I think it is more like 3-5 cfs now. We are not going to do it tomorrow. My partners don't want to do the MIA again tomorrow

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[burley]

Park denied permit for tomorrow citing flow

[hikster11]

Thanks for the info

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[bhalvers2002]

Hikster, not sure if it was you we met you at top of west rim trail friday morning (you were going to boundary) and we were headed to Kolob. We hiked to the top and estimate it was flowing 10-15 cfs at the drop in point (too much for us). When we crossed the creek it looked more like a canal than an irrigation ditch. Don't have my video updated yet, but if you see the trip report from Tom (canyoneering usa kolob 2011 report) at 12-15 cfs it looked about the same. Sounds like it has gone down some.

[hikster11]

Yes that was us. We were wondering if you guys had done it because you car was gone when we got back. We were guessing not or you guys were super fast beating us back to the trailhead

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[bhalvers2002]

How was the flow in boundary?

[hikster11]

How was the flow in boundary?

There was no flow

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[Rick M]

Would you recommend a wetsuit in boundry?

[hikster11]

Would you recommend a wetsuit in boundry?

Definitely not. We carried them and wished we had not.

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[lucach]

But wetsuits should be needed in Kolob right? (maybe even drysuits)

[Bootboy]

But wetsuits should be needed in Kolob right? (maybe even drysuits)

Always at least a full wetsuit in Kolob. I did Kolob last year at the end of September. My 5/4mm wetsuit was just enough. Any less and I'd have been uncomfortable. Your hands and feet will get cold faster than the rest of you in an adequate wetsuit. A minimum of 3mm neo socks are needed in Kolob just about any time.

Right now, personally, I'd do Kolob with my 3mm socks, 5/4 wetsuit, and sealskin gloves.

Dry suits are much easier to walk in which would be nice for Kolob this time of year since the last couple swims are going to be cold enough to want something on but are a ways down canyon from the last rap.

[Jolly Green]

FWIW, I drove past Kolob Reservoir Saturday morning at 7:30 and checked out the flow in Kolob Creek on the way. It was non-existent at the road. Based on the doppler radar I saw on the news that night, it was probably a good thing you didn't go.

[hikster11]

I meant to post this awhile ago. This was the first rappel into Kolob Canyon on Sept 12.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MySfU2uDw5M

[ratagonia]

I meant to post this awhile ago. This was the first rappel into Kolob Canyon on Sept 12.



Yeah, that's pretty high.

Tom

[TommyBoy]

Just out of curiosity, is it it possible to do it that high if you have the skills and its just dangerous or is it certain death no matter who you are? I ask because I have almost no experience with C class canyons and judging when its safe to enter. The one and only time I've been in Kolob the flow was probably <0.5 CFS.

[Bootboy]

Just out of curiosity, is it it possible to do it that high if you have the skills and its just dangerous or is it certain death no matter who you are? I ask because I have almost no experience with C class canyons and judging when its safe to enter. The one and only time I've been in Kolob the flow was probably <0.5 CFS.

Having done Kolob a few times, I'd say its suicidal to do it when flowing that high. There are a few places with either log jams or narrow spots where you could get pinned by all that water in a hurry. There are a few anchors that would be unapproachable with the water that high as well. You'd flushed over the edge just trying to get to them.

[TommyBoy]

So how much would it have to drop before it became "safe" to do? Half that, more, less, I wanna do it in high flow, but I also wanna survive the experience.

[bhalvers2002]

I can't speak from experience, but from some guys I know who have done it at 5 cfs that is the high end of comfortable. One of my friends, a very experienced canyoneer has done it around 9 and that seemed to be the upper limit for him and that was pushing it. From my video and my estimation, it would need to be at least 1/2 this or lower before I would consider it. Others on the blog have more experience measuring actual cfs, so you have to get that right first.

I think Bootboy's point on unapproachable anchors is a significant issue at higher water levels. I would start with the rule that if the creek leading in looks like an irrigation ditch, worth considering; if it looks more like a canal, go find something else to do.

[ratagonia]

So how much would it have to drop before it became "safe" to do? Half that, more, less, I wanna do it in high flow, but I also wanna survive the experience.

In a couple places, the entire flow funnels through a V, and you would need to be there too, on rope. Therefore, to survive the experience, you would need to be about to stand and rappel with the entire flow pushing against you.

One would also want considerable Class C experience before dropping in with considerable water flowing.

Tom

[TommyBoy]

In a couple places, the entire flow funnels through a V, and you would need to be there too, on rope. Therefore, to survive the experience, you would need to be about to stand and rappel with the entire flow pushing against you.

One would also want considerable Class C experience before dropping in with considerable water flowing.

Tom

I do have a little exp, not considerable but a start. I've done two in Ouray, with plans for more, one of them had a flow at least as high as in that video maybe even a little higher, but in the few spots where it really slotted up there were no log jams to work around. Special care was needed on approach to the rappels as well as on the rope though. My point is that what constitutes a dangerous flow in one canyon can be "safe" in another, and I'm just trying to get an idea of where the "safe" threshold is for Kolob. Most important, I'm not planning to do it right away, I do understand the need for experience first, but I want to ask the questions now so that when I do have the opportunity to do it I'm not scrambling for info that I might not get in time.