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River rafting: Just a couple miles on the Spanish Fork River |
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Written by Juliana Chapman
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Wednesday, 09 July 2008 |
Thanks to the snowmelt, spring and very early summer are the best times to hop into a raft and float our local rivers. Our friend, Mark, spent his Saturday afternoon taking both my husband and me, in turns, on a 30-minute run of a 2-mile section of the Spanish Fork River.
This was my first experience with river rafting of any sort, and it was surprisingly exciting, peaceful, and just plain fun. We drove two cars, leaving one down along the road, at a turnout about 5.1 miles up the canyon, to use as a shuttle car.
Then we drove up to Spanish Fork River Park, got the kids set up in the playground with my husband watching them, and Mark and I took the first run down the river. We put in at the park bridge, which spans the river and heads to the campground. Spanish Fork River Park is located just east of the point where Diamond Fork River runs into the Spanish Fork River. This confluence is part of what makes the Spanish Fork a beautiful river to raft, as the brown water of the Spanish Fork River mixes with the clear water of the Diamond Fork River, the two holding their own for about 100 feet, turning the river brown on the left and clear on the right, until eventually the Spanish Fork River wins and the whole things goes to brown.
The river was running higher than the USGS flow chart had suggested (about 800 cfs instead of the reported 600 cfs) but that just made it a bit faster and very fun. With Mark doing most of the steering and me trying not to mess him up, we avoided overhanging trees, rocks, and islands. The best part of this section of the river is what Mark likes to call The Staircase. This is a couple hundred feet of the river the drops down in three distinct steps. Be prepared. Keep your raft pointed straight into them, and know that you will get wet (really wet if you are in the front, like Mark was when I went, and my husband when they both went). You can see it coming, as the river gets choppy with whitecaps. It was just enough rough water to build the excitement for me, but not so much that I was worried about drowning.
After The Staircase the river flows on, but a bit more tamely. I particularly enjoyed a broad, sweeping section Mark refers to as The Horseshoe, just before we pulled out. The water is silty, a smooth, pale brown, flanked by verdant green banks and a stunning sky. With a warm sun above you it is nearly impossible to withstand a sense of ease, ebbing out of the river and into you, as the raft gently rocks along.
IF YOU GO:
Spanish Fork River Park
11150 South Thistle Slide Road
A note: There is a fun playground here where kids can play as adults take turns rafting, as we did. There is also a primitive campground just over the bridge that crosses the river in the park — a decent car-camping site. Although the section of river we rafted may be longer than kids would enjoy, you can easily raft the river through the park, it is steady and easy, and short enough to give everyone a turn.
Directions from I-15:
Take exit 258, heading east. Drive through town, following Highway 6 east, into the canyon. There are signs for the park, on your right, just after you pass Diamond Fork Canyon. At the signed entrance, Thistle Slide Road, turn right and follow the lane down to the park at the river’s edge.
If you Raft the River:
Be sure to have a suitable raft. Mark uses a canvas covered inflatable raft, tough enough to not pop if it scrapes bottom or runs into rocks or trees, but also quite economical at only about $100 for raft and oars. Each rider needs a lifejacket, and two people need oars. Don’t forget the water reflects sunlight, so be sure to put on waterproof sunblock or you may be too burned for another run.
Mark recommends putting in at the park, it is just such a convenient spot and the river is pretty tame there. He generally likes to get out just past the bridge at Covered Bridge Drive, which turns right off of East Highway 6 into a residential area (a great place to leave a shuttle car or be picked up). This puts your float at about three miles. You can go all the way down to the dam (about 4.3 miles from the park), but it can be tricky to get out there, and it comes up on you fast.
In order to raft the Spanish Fork River the flow rate needs to be at least 300 cfs (cubic feet per second), much lower and you’ll be scraping bottom a lot. As we live in a desert, these conditions generally last into early summer, but that also depends on the snow-pack and current temperatures, so check the flow rates before you go.
For more information check out:
The Spanish Fork Park Web site, www.utahcountyonline.org/Dept/PubWrks/Parks/ParkDetails.asp?IDNO=7
To check river levels and flow, go to the USGS website for real-time flow rates and conditions, http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ut/nwis/current/?type=flow
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