Quicksand Fans

I've been in a bit of a bind lately. The weather has been extraordinarily "Utah-y" and its been both too dry and too wet for any quicksand in the usual spots I've gone too. The Paria has turned to dirt and Hite is overflowing. Lake Powell is definitely overflowing and the Colorado has been quite full in general too. Any tips, advice? I feel like I'm in an area with great potential but my timing could just be off.

Drop on down to Lake Mead and there should be mud just above South Cove where the Colorado River comes into the lake. Even if the water level at Lake Powell is up, they usually don't release it into Lake Mead. There is also a wonderful sometimes there, often not there mudpit somewhat near Lake Mead. Email me if you want to join me for an expedition there...

mudxdresser wrote:Drop on down to Lake Mead and there should be mud just above South Cove where the Colorado River comes into the lake. Even if the water level at Lake Powell is up, they usually don't release it into Lake Mead. There is also a wonderful sometimes there, often not there mudpit somewhat near Lake Mead. Email me if you want to join me for an expedition there...

I was just thinking of planning a trip to Lake Mead, would love to go with some buds in the know! Have one other bud interested....I'd drive up from San Diego no problem, stay in Vegas or near the lake depending on what the plan was.....Let me know when you are thinking would have to be a weekend, and I am away back east Aug. 19th - Sept. 5th. I can go regardless if my bud can join.

Just wondering if you guys ever met up and where?

I have a fascination with Hite because I think this is where quite a few mud videos where filmed.

Hite is on my sinking bucket list.

I ended up traveling to Hite solo but my timing was off, water levels were ridiculously high. It's probably best around July or September but that is not speaking from experience. It's an incredibly beautiful place, regardless of kinkin'

hiimawesome wrote:I ended up traveling to Hite solo but my timing was off, water levels were ridiculously high. It's probably best around July or September but that is not speaking from experience. It's an incredibly beautiful place, regardless of kinkin'

Do you track the water level before going? I'm guessing that would be the the level of Lake Powell?

I went to this site:
http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

I went to the table "Accessibility of Primitive Launches and Other Sites"

On July 5th 2019 the data is as follows:

As of Friday, July 5th, 2019 where elevation was 3615.46'

Hite Marina
3650.00 (Minimum Safe Elevation)
3645.00 (Absolute Minimum Usable Elevation)
29.54 Below (Current Level vs. Absolute Minimum) (3645.00 - 3615.46 = 29.54)
Unusable, go to main marinas (Current accessibility)

It is obviously not flooded there now. Maybe the good areas are dried out? Does anyone really know this area and the water elevations that allow for decent sinking ?

The mudflats around Hite on Lake Powell are problematic during the Spring runoff as the higher water levels from the snow melt at the upper end of the Colorado River tends to cover the mudflats with water and the levels don't usually drop enough to expose the mudflats until July or later. They had record snow in Colorado this year so the water may be high longer than usual and may also affect the Lake Mead mudflats as I think they are releasing some water into Lake Mead to try to get the levels up there.

Note also that the mudflats are no longer at Hite, they are several miles downriver and are only accessible by boat. Based on previous experience, I suspect that there is mud there currently as though the Spring runoff floods the mudflats, it also creates them and keeps them from drying out. The best mud is in tiny little bays that get cut off when the water level drops and then become your own private mud lake.

Am available for a trip to Lake Powell or Lake Mead and have had lots of tentative interest expressed but no one has be up for scheduling a date and time. A pontoon boat needs to be rented to do this so there is some lead time required.