This is a video short of just one rapid of the Taos Box section of the RIo Grande River. I have to say, the route shown in this video is the classic run. There is an aerial photo of Rock Garden Rapid on our website that shows this exact route, but remember, it doesn’t always go this smoothly.
The hot weather we are now experiencing is causing the melting of the snowpack to accelerate, and we have just seen the river hit a new season high of 4500 cfs at the Del Norte CO gauge. It’s bound to get quite a bit higher in succeeding days, perhaps surpassing 1000 cfs on the Taos Box. The Box is today at 700 cfs. Why the difference? Because of huge irrigation diversions in the San Luis Valley.
Britt Huggins, in Powerline Falls, 2010
Mike, Joe, Troop 18 and myself spent May 21, 2011 in the Taos Box. Watch the action!
This is a video short of Dead Car Rapid, a Class 3, on May 21, 2011, at 375 cfs.
An article in today’s NY Times discusses the possibility of big floods throughout the West, as cold and snowy Spring conditions have added to snowpacks that have yet to begin their summer melt. This situation may reverse the earlier predictions of a poor run-off in the Rio Grande river. Consulting the “Snotel” info available online, we see the following figures: Upper Rio Grande Basin in NM is 115% of average, and in Colorado is 105% of average. The Rio Chama is at 147% of average.
This may provide the NM rafting scene with a Taos Box season of reasonable length. This season would (presumably) start shortly after it finally gets hot here and in s. Colorado, and could last well into July. The Taos Box needs over 500 cfs to be navigable for commercial raft trips, which it has yet to see. Other white water stretches on the Rio Grande are navigable at lower levels, and are available for the entirety of the summer rafting season. These stretches are the Rio Grande Gorge (aka Lower Gorge) and the very popular Racecourse rapids. As for the Rio Chama, we have been promised weekend releases for the entirety of the summer, and could also see high water during the week.
One can consult the “Weather and River Flows” link on our website Home page for the daily Rio Grande flow.
Here’s a very short video of the High Bridge Rapid in the Taos Box section of the Rio Grande River which lies 650 feet below the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Watch closely and you can see as we pass through it’s shadow. Just click on the link and please leave a comment.
