Prez Blurb • Powell Society • Farewells • Final Thoughts • Epinephrine Update Katie & Martin • Adopt-A-Boatman
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the journal of Grand Canyon River Guides, Inc volume 19 number 1 spring 2006 Prez Blurb • Powell Society • Farewells • Final Thoughts • Epinephrine Update Katie & Martin • Adopt-a-Boatman • Conservation Program • GCY Whale Foundation • Thanks • Big Waters and Desert • Oral HIstory Survey Grand Age of Rocks Part One • Grand Canyon Semester boatman’s quarterly review Presidential Blurbatum …is published more or less quarterly by and for Grand Canyon River Guides. hile we are not exactly experiencing the Grand Canyon River Guides dead of winter in the Southwest, there is a nonprofit organization dedicated to Wseems to be a good chance that the upper basin areas will continue to receive the lion’s share of Protecting Grand Canyon the basin’s snowpack. La Niña seems to be alive and Setting the highest standards for the river profession standing up for herself quite nicely against the wishes Celebrating the unique spirit of the river community of all of the would-be skiers in Northern Arizona. Let’s Providing the best possible river experience hope that the undammed rivers flow for resource and recreation use come this Spring. The 2006 forecast for General Meetings are held each Spring and Fall. Our our stretch of the Colorado seems to once again be for Board of Directors Meetings are generally held the first minimal release totals and headway is being made on Wednesday of each month. All innocent bystanders are developing drought management procedures for dam urged to attend. Call for details. operations. For basin hydrology information, check out Tom Ryan’s info at www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd Staff .html or check your email from . Lynn does a great Executive Director Lynn Hamilton gcrg job at keeping us posted of expected flow conditions Board of Directors for the Canyon run. If you are interested in a snowpack President Joe Pollock map, go to the ’s upper basin website www.usbr.gov/ Vice President Marieke Taney bqr uc/water/notice/snowpack.html. Treasurer Lynn Hamilton I hope you enjoy reading the . I had the occa- Directors Tiffany George bqr sion to leaf through some of the “News” that Sam Jansen gcrg put out over ten Bert Jones years ago. While Jon Olivera the scope and Mark Piller the format have Kate Thompson changed, the Gcrg’s amwg basic informa- Representative Andre Potochnik tion about what Gcrg’s twg concerns us as Representative Matt Kaplinski river runners and Bqr Editors Katherine Spillman lovers of all things Mary Williams Grand Canyon is still here. And, Our editorial policy, such as it is: provide an open yes, while zealous forum. We need articles, poetry, stories, drawings, intensity of young photos, opinions, suggestions, gripes, comics, etc. groups is exciting Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Grand and often eye- Canyon River Guides, Inc. catching, the Written submissions should be less than 1500 words persistent plodding and, if possible, be sent on a cd, zip disk or by email. of dedicated, if a Microsoft Word files are best but we can translate most bit staid, organiza- programs. Include postpaid return envelope if you want Garth Bundy—Go Man, Go! tions can form your disk or submission returned. the backbone Deadlines for submissions are the 1st of February, of change from May, August and November. Thanks. working within. I could not imagine getting much Our office location: 515 West Birch, Flagstaff, az 86001 done without both types. So, whatever your type, if Office Hours: 10:30–4:30 Monday through Friday something strikes your fancy and you want to share it, or something else has been giving you a dull ache and Phone 928/773-1075 you want to work on it, let us know. Fax 928/773-8523 E-mail [email protected] Joe Pollock Website www.gcrg.org page 2 grand canyon river guides The Powell Society he Powell Society was an interesting assem- the Powell Society, working with Johnson Press of blage of kindred souls: geologists, doctors, Boulder participated in the publishing of the book In Tlawyers and professionals from Boulder and the Footsteps of John Wesley Powell. In the meantime Denver, Colorado. A collection of free spirits, they the Society published their river logs: had never taken life too seriously. But one day, relaxing in the shade by the riverbank below Powell • Dinosaur National Monument and Vicinity by Point, Dave Gaskill suggested that the Powell Society Hayes and Simmons “get serious.” He and George Simmons proposed a • Desolation and Grey Canyons by Mutschler geological log and river guide of the entire Colorado • Labyrinth, Stillwater and Cataract Canyons by River from Green River to Lake Meade. At that time Mutschler the best map and information was from the river • Marble and Grand Canyon by Simmons and Gaskill survey. • Yampa Supplement They selected the name “Powell Society” on their application to participate in the Bureau of Reclama- The Yampa supplement was eventually incorporated tion’s 1958 river trip to commemorate the Ninetieth into the Dinosaur publication. Most of these river Anniversary of John Wesley Powell’s passing through guides are out of print. Mackay Marine and Outdoor what is now the site of Flaming Gorge Dam. The Supply of Murray, Utah have recently republished commemoration was the idea of well-known Denver the Desolation and Grey Volume. Although the river attorney Jerry Hart. The trip couldn’t be conducted maps are small, one can follow the progress down the on the Hundredth Anniversary because of the dam river through detailed descriptions. The guides locate construction at Flaming Gorge. It was probably the and rate all of the rapids, rating them on the one to last transit of Flaming Gorge before the coffer dam ten Colorado River Rating System. Thus the ratings materials, piled along the sides of the river canyon, are open to some individual interpretation, but they were pushed together to close the channel. provide historic insight on the old silt-laden Colorado Society members George Simmons and Dave and the present day river. Gaskill became aware of Gene Shoemaker’s plan to The authors, now retired, are well-known geolo- repeat Powell’s trip of 1868 and replicate all of Hiller’s gists. David Gaskill lives west of Denver, Colorado. photographs of the Powell trip. The usgs, Smithso- Since his retirement from the usgs George Simmons nian Institution and the National Geographic Society has served as a nps volunteer in Big Bend, Cataract sponsored the trip. Gene Shoemaker was a famous and the Uinta Mountains. Felix Mutschler, recently astro-geologist who combined his knowledge deceased, was a Professor of Geology at Eastern Wash- of geology and river running. (The publication “In ington University. Phil Hayes lives near Grand Junc- the Footsteps of John Wesley Powell,” was published tion, Colorado. Non-geologists who have contributed in 1987, and began photo matching work that to the work of the Powell Society include Parkman T. continues.) Brooks of Ketchum, Idaho; Bob Gaskill of Winona, Simmons and Gaskill proposed to Gene that Kansas; Dr. George Ogura of Denver, Colorado; they join the trip and create geological river logs Marvis Ogura who organized the lecture programs, for six segments of the Colorado River. The Soci- and Dr. Henry W. Toll Jr., of Denver, who is still ety’s proposal was accepted and Gene Shoemaker, in contact with this “interesting assemblage of free Dave Gaskill, Phil Hayes and Felix Mutschler spent spirits!” the entire summer running the Colorado River in ten-man rafts from Green River to Lake Meade. Herm Hoops Several other members of the Powell Society joined in various segments of the trip. The Society marked the References: Hundredth Anniversary of the parting at Separation Personal interview with Dr. Henry W. Toll Jr., Powell Rapid in the Grand Canyon, with commemorative, Society; 1982; Herm Hoops postmarked letters. Letters from Dr. Henry W. Toll Jr., Powell Society 1986; 2005; Herm Hoops U funds were originally budgeted to publish sgs U.S.Geological Service, Old Timers Collection #100.11- the comparison photographs as a professional paper. 12; Gene Shoemaker Interview Ultimately the money budgeted was not available and Powell Society River Guide Books boatman’s quarterly review page 3 Farewells Mary Kay Allen up horsemanship and took pride in training her horse, November 29, 1956–January 31, 2006 Dakota, to play basketball and do other tricks. Mary’s experience and longevity as a professional he spirit of Mary Allen, river guide extraor- river guide was remarkable. She ran paddle rafts, row dinaire, was dancing with the pictographs in boats, and motor rigs. She was a great trip leader, not THorseshoe Canyon when her body succumbed only because of her boating skills, which were exem- to colon cancer on January 31, 2006. Losing Mary is plary; or her knowledge, which was substantial; or her cause for deep sadness to all who knew her, but we unquestioned leadership abilities; but because of her also rejoice in a life well lived! genuine affection for people—passengers, crew, and Mary had a great love for the Colorado River and peers. She made everybody feel good. According to her the Grand Canyon that only a fellow guide could co-workers, she was “fun” and “funny,” and her enthu- understand. The hard work, long days, worries and siasm was contagious. On one occasion, she was running responsibilities were nothing compared to the joy and with Walker Mackay as the contentment she found second boatman. They had on the river. She often decided they wanted to get remarked that it was a breakfast over quickly, so privilege to be able to they could do a long hike spend so much of her time that morning.