Rapid 6
Historical site of an early Powell-era Cataract boat-wrecking incident per Webb/Belnap/Weisheit.
Rapid 6 is one of the upper Cataract rapids, sitting between Rapid 5 (mile 210.7 upstream from Lees Ferry) and Rapid 7 / North Sea (mile 209.5). At moderate flows it is a read-and-run Class III drop; at high water it feeds directly into Rapid 7's Toreva Block boulder field, extending the approach to North Sea into a sustained wave train. Historically significant as the site of one of the early boat-wrecking incidents documented in Webb/Belnap/Weisheit's history of the canyon — a story that earned it a local reputation in the commercial-guide era, though modern guides and private parties rarely use that reference today.
Difficulty
Class III at moderate flows. Sets up Rapid 7 immediately downstream — line through Rapid 6 affects the entry angle into the Toreva Blocks.
The water
Character: pool-drop.
Features: wave train through main channel; transition into Rapid 7 approach; lateral waves off right wall.
Hazards: off-line entry pushes craft toward Rapid 7's Toreva Blocks without time to reset.
How it changes with flow
Low water: Rocky and technical; Rapid 6 runs as a distinct drop with clear lines.
Medium: Classic read-and-run wave train; pool below gives recovery time before Rapid 7.
High water: Pool below Rapid 6 flushes out; Rapids 6 and 7 merge into a sustained sequence through the Toreva Blocks.
Scouting
Generally read-and-run. Parties scouting North Sea (Rapid 7) usually observe Rapid 6 from the same scouting perch.