|
Photo by James Howells |
|
Photo by James Howells |
| River: Virgin River |
| Segment: Lower Gorge--Big 10 rapid |
| Flow: 3,000? cfs |
| Date: May 1993? |
| Class: IV |
| Paddlers: Brian Englehorn, Mark Wilder |
| Description: Big 10 is a serious rapid at most stages. Poorly-chosen lines have resulted in lost skin and a lot of black-and-blues. In this photo the drop appears washed out, but be assured it is not. After leaving the Virgin River Rest area , you encounter several rapids, the river goes under a highway bridge, then rounds a wild left-hand turn and approaches Big 10 through a III-IV boulder garden. At most levels the run is down far left near the green tami. At higher levels a right run opens up. At this level anything BUT the center is fairly open. In the early 1990's a flash flood from a hanging canyon hundreds of feet above the photographer's stance dumped car-sized boulders in the channel and created a challenging 200-yard long rapid leading to the entrance to Big 10. A longer hike from upstream of the corner on the left bank follows an old construction road to a better scout directly above the drop. |