Class II+–III+ Rapid · Cataract Canyon
Rapid 3
Fast-moving wave-train style rapid in the upper rapid corridor.
Rapid 3 is an unnamed upper Cataract rapid — a fast-moving wave-train drop in the early rapid corridor. Read-and-run Class III at moderate flows. Often used by trips to calibrate crew timing and rigging before reaching the more consequential rapids below. The wave train through Rapid 3 runs against Honaker Trail Formation walls; the gradient continues to build from Rapid 2 downstream through the coalescing upper rapid sequence.
Difficulty
Read-and-run Class III at moderate flows. Pushier at high water but remains a read-and-run feature for most crews.
Scouting
Generally run on sight.