This place.

The Green River Magazine

38°59'36"″N, 110°9'0"″W The Green River Magazine

i Introduction

What is Green River all about? Well, where to start... from the outside looking in, it looks like just another small town; you might even say it looks like Radiator Springs. Green River is small, and there are quite a few run-down old buildings, but it is definitely not just another small town, not to those who grew up here. Green River is so much more than that; it’s home, it’s family. The people that live here are one of the things that make Green River so great. No matter where you are in town, whether it’s the store or the gas station you’ll encounter a friendly face. We’re all family here and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are so many places and things that I will always remember and think of home—Melon Days, the beach, the geyser, the boat dock, the Chow Hound and Ray’s— those are just a few. People who come to Green River and overlook it, thinking it’s just another run-down small town, are seriously missing out on the amazing people that they can meet and the amazing experiences they could have here. In the summer it’s all about the beach and the river, cool- ing off on a hot summer’s day, making memories with friends that you will never forget; and it’s the start of melon season. The fall is all about school starting back up and Melon Days. Winter, well, winter is all about basketball, that’s a big thing here in this little town. Mostly everyone loves basketball. Spring is all about school finally coming to an end; everyone is getting ready to start the summer thing all over again and make some amazing memories. What better place to do it than Green River? —Dakota Wetherington, student at Green River High School

iii Green River Magazine Editor’s Note

Welcome to the Green River Magazine.

About Content This publication is about a town, in the of our ongoing interest in research, The Green River Magazine was made by All contents copyright individual authors. Sincerely Interested in partnership with Unattributed content is authored by desert, in the west, in the United States gathering, and translating the nuances the residents of Green River, Utah, and a the Green River Magazine. All opinions of America, in 2014. of place. selection of visitors and transplants. expressed herein are the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of the The richness of Green River’s phys- Within the magazine, we aim to Editors project’s funders, hosts, or other supporters. Sarah Baugh and Nicole Lavelle ical landscape is rivaled only by the present a multitude of perspectives © 2013–2014 richness of the human narratives that from a wide variety of contributors Design Sarah Baugh and Nicole Lavelle Thank you exist within it. We are compelled by of many ages and backgrounds. The This project was made possible by the people this place and its specific earth and contents represent contributions from Contact of Green River, Utah. We offer our sincere people. But also, for us, a closer look born-and-bred Green Riverites, more [email protected] thanks to Jo Anne Chandler for the time, energy, stories, and scans she shared with at Green River is a closer look at the recent transplants, and visiting artists us. Thank you to Burke Simmons and Craig Sincerely Interested Gowans at Green River High for integrating entire American West. Natural beauty, from urban centers for whom Green Sincerely Interested is the collaborative the magazine into their classwork. Thank team of Sarah Baugh and Nicole Lavelle. openness, resource extraction, land River has been a source of intrigue and you to all of our contributors who channeled sincerelyinterested.com their Green River love, pride, and interest and water use, and rural culture: these discovery. for this publication. In particular, thank you are some of the myths and realities Epicenter to Cyrus Smith and Ryann Savino for their Green River is complicated. We are The Green River Magazine is graciously that shape Green River and many other tireless on-the-ground assistance. Thank hosted by Epicenter, a non-profit community aware of and fascinated by the tension you, thank you. We could not have done this communities west of the hundredth design center located in Green River, Utah. on our own. between insider and outsider perspec- ruralandproud.org meridian. tives and the evolving relationships Sarah Baugh is artist and designer from Sappi Hope, Idaho. She lives in Richmond, There are many layers to this place. between guest and host. The trans- The Green River Magazine is funded by Virginia, where she is pursing an MFA in a 2013 Sappi: Ideas that Matter grant. It is beautiful and fierce, peaceful and planted creative community that we Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University. She first visited Green River as dusty; it is kaleidoscopic. This publica- are situated within adds an additional Local Support a Frontier Fellow with Epicenter in 2012. tion illuminates some of those layers. layer of complexity to this place. It is Maria Sykes sarahbaugh.com Ryann Savino We have dug into the past, examined our hope that this publication reflects Jack Forinash Nicole Lavelle is an artist, designer, and writ- the present, and wondered about a keen awareness of our role as outside Armando Rios er. She is from California and Oregon. She is possible futures. We have not surveyed Chris Lezama working towards an MFA in Fine Arts with a editors and our respect for the people focus in Social Practice at the California Col- Green River in its entirety, but between and landscapes of Green River. Spanish Translation lege of the Arts. She first visited Green River the pages of this magazine, we offer Ryann Savino as a Frontier Fellow with Epicenter in 2011. A magazine can be considered many nicolelavelle.com you a few core samples. Copy Editing things: a time capsule, a dispatch from Proofreading We are both visitors. Our work in an expedition, a snapshot, or an illus- Maria Sykes Jack Forinash Green River began in 2011, the start of trated essay. Depending on where you Ryann Savino repeat experiences as visiting artists. are located, this may be a celebration of Charlie Macquarie Our shared interest in the intersection your hometown or a glimpse into the

Printing of natural, built, and social environ- life of a distant site. Whatever it is, we Printed in Grand Junction, Colorado, by ments led us to collaborate in 2013 hope this publication provides a multi- CPC Solutions on Sappi Flo 80# Interior Sincerely Interested and Sappi Flo 100# Cover. on the predecessor to this magazine, dimensional narrative of this place. called the Green River Newspaper. Cover This publication is a continuation Sarah Baugh and Nicole Lavelle Photo Miles Mattison Editors, Green River Magazine

iv v The Green River Magazine The Green River Magazine

v Editor’s Note Piles Visions Another way to say it is layers. Ways of knowing the desert. 1 Contributors Layers that are gathered, stacked, Looking, walking, truthing, collecting... and kept safe for later. Setting 105 Cartoons in the Desert 51 Jo Anne Chandler The scene, a survey of space and place. by GRHS students The sky, the dust, the lights of the interstate, 55 Olive Hunt the psychedelic sunsets. The trees in the 109 Notes on Floy winter, the river in the summer. 59 Pearl Baker by Brooke Williams 3 Mayor’s Letter by Pat Brady 115 Brown’s Hole to Green River The River 5 Seasonal by Miles Mattison by J. Vernal Dilworth The river is the center. 19 Melon Days 117 Green River Rocks 67 Tributaries by Mary Rothlisberger by Ryann Savino The People 119 Flashback to Monument Hill Melon farmer, uranium miner, retired 71 Separation Canyon by Charlotte X.C. Sullivan construction worker. Veteran, immigrant, by Phil Nelson waitress, park ranger. New and old, here photos by Katherine Brown Contexts is home. Extrapolations upon this publication’s situatedness. 25 A Few People in Green River 79 Green River Redux 123 Art, America, West by Cyrus Smith by Ian McCluskey by Maria Sykes, Jack Forinash, Photo Sarah Burnett with Ryann Savino Futures and Chris Lezama 31 Interview with Glenn Baxter Probablies, potentials, possibilities. photos by Carson Davis Brown Speculation and plans. by Cyrus Smith and Ryan Greaves 83 What does Green River 35 Interview with Tracey Siaperas 127 The Arid States Adventure look like in 100 years? by Cyrus Smith Library by Charlie Macquarie by GRHS students 39 C.J. Vetere: Code Enforcer 133 Index 89 Visioning by Bennett Williamson by Epicenter 42 Fix It First: An Interview 91 Green River General Plan with Armando Rios 95 Glossary for a Multitude 43 Adventure Diary of Possible Futures by Sarah Siefken 99 Mancos Hills Industrial Park 45 Dawna’s Mules PowerPoint 47 Richard’s Petroglyphs 49 Judith’s Quinciñera

vi vii The Green River Magazine The Green River Magazine

Contributors

Allycia Anderton Carson Davis Brown by the absurd, unique and shamelessly astonished by both Phil Nelson Armando Rios Sarah Siefken New York City. She co-founded Green River, UT Grand Rapids, MI weird. Reason and rationale the sunset and the moon. Green River, UT Green River, UT Green River, UT the Frontier Fellowship with Allycia was born in Price and Carson Davis Brown is a guide him in his work, but Phil Nelson moved to Green Armando Rios is an Ameri- Seven years ago, Sarah fled Epicenter, and currently serves she grew up in Green River. She photographer and filmmaker nothing’s perfect. Ian McClusky River in 1997 to be closer to Corps VISTA at Epicenter and the Illinois cornfields and has on their Board of Directors. likes to write and draw. She is with a background in design. Portland, OR the desert rivers he loved. He currently administers the Fix been living out west ever since. writing a story right now and When he’s not working from Jack Forinash Ian spent most of his twenties worked as a carpenter and paint- It First program. In his time During the week, she and her Dakota Wetherington she is always typing on it, she home, he’s traveling with Green River, UT rattling around the West in an er to make ends meet. Before in Green River, Armando has husband work as park rangers Green River, UT is almost done with the second friends, meeting new people, Jack serves as Principal of old pickup. He now makes doc- passing away in 2009 he com- helped build one house and in the deserts of Utah. On the I am a junior at Green River chapter of the story. Allycia and making eggs. Housing at Epicenter, a commu- umentaries and teaches others pleted Desert River Stories. He worked on over 18 homes. weekends they hit the road to High, I am 17. I like to play loves to write. When she isn’t nity development not-for-profit to tell their own stories through was a true River Rat, preferring When Armando is not swinging find their next big adventure. basketball and go swimming in writing she is drawing or think- Sarah Burnett organization he co-founded documentary. He looks forward the company of the canyons and a hammer, he enjoys spending Check out their travel blog at the river. After graduating high ing about what to write or draw. Green River, UT with fellow graduates of to returning to Green River to rivers to city life. time at the local river beach. redrockrangers.com school I plan to go to college Sarah Burnett is a local photog- Auburn University’s School share Les Voyageurs, and enjoy and go into either journalism or Lizbeth Anguiano Avila rapher with a passion for desert of Architecture. An Alabama again the delicious watermelons. Duston Ogden Mary Rothlisberger Cyrus Smith psychology. Green River, UT landscapes. She graduated from native, Jack moved to Green Green River, UT Green River, UT Greensboro, NC Lizbeth Anguiano Avila goes to Green River High School in River in 2008 and now calls Lindsey McFarlane Duston Ogden is 14 years old. Mary is a thinker, writer, con- Cyrus is an artist and musician Brooke Williams Green River High School. She 1999, and Snow College with this place home. Green River, UT He likes to fish, camp, and just versationalist, and relationalist from Portland, Oregon. He Wyoming is in the 8th grade. She likes an Associates Degree in 2001. In her spare time, Lindsey likes hang out with his family. Some situated in the hinterland of came to Green River first in the Brooke Williams is a freelance to hang out with friends a lot, Sarah is often found in a pair of Tyson Giles to play the piano and ride her other things he likes to do is North America. She hails from summer of 2013 for an artist journalist with four books and she loves her family. She well-worn sandals and a dusty Green River, UT horse Prudence. Lindsey also play his Xbox. He loves to be the border town of Palouse, residency with Cabin-Time, and including Halflives: Reconciling loves Justin Bieber and she likes camera bag, always ready for likes to play volleyball, soccer, outdoors. He loves to farm. His Washington, and spends most again in January 2014 as a Fron- Work and Wildness, and dozens to hear his songs. She likes to the next photo-op. and participate in Quiz Bowl. two favorite sports are football of her days taking the long way tier Fellow with Epicenter. He Lauren Hert of articles. Lately he’s writ- watch funny or scary movies and basketball. home back and forth across currently lives in Greensboro, Green River, UT ing about the psychological with family and friends. She is Chris Cordingley Zack Mecham America. She loves small towns, North Carolina, where he works necessity of wilderness. He has a very loving young lady. Green River, UT Chance Pfander long winters, optimists, parades, for Elsewhere, a living museum an MBA in sustainable business Chris Lezama Green River, UT Chris Cordingley is 13. He likes and the United States Postal set inside a three-story former Green River, UT My name is Zack. I live in Green River, UT and when not wandering around Mindy Bastian rafting, fishing, and camping Service. thrift store. southern Utah, lives near Originally from Northern Green River. I go to Green River My name is Chance Pfander and Green River, UT outdoors. His favorite foods Grand Teton National Park in California, Chris has learned High School. I like biking, girls, I play three sports: basketball, My name is Mindy Bastian, I are pizza, mac and cheese, and Wyoming. to appreciate rural Utah living, and food. baseball, and golf. My favorite Ryann Savino Katelynn Sweat am 17. I go to Green River High cheese fries. His favorite sports but wishes winters didn’t get sport is basketball, and I would Green River, UT Green River, UT School. I like to go hiking and are baseball, football, and so cold. Chris graduated with a Roman Medina like to go to college for basket- Originally from the granite-clad Trey Vetere swimming and go on interest- basketball. His favorite video Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology Green River, UT ball when I graduate. My next foothills of Northern California, Maria Sykes Green River, UT ing adventures with my friends. games are Grand Theft Auto 4 and Modern Literature from Roman goes to Green River favorite sport is golf, and then Ryann first came to Green River Green River, UT After high school I plan to go to and 5, and any Call of Duty. His the University of California High. He likes to play basket- baseball. My best friend is Nick in 2012 via canoe. A recent Maria has spent most of her Bennett Williamson college and get my MBA. favorite game is pool. Santa Cruz. ball. Also, he likes to hang out Corrigan ;) graduate of Whitman College, life in Alabama and is a true Santa Cruz, CA with friends after school or in she wrote her Environmental southerner. She graduated from Bennett Williamson was born Pat Brady J. Vernal Dilworth Humanities Senior Thesis on Charlie Macquarie his free time. He was born in Justin Pinneo Auburn University with a Bach- in Boston and lives in Santa Green River, UT Fredonia, NY the Green River watershed and Oakland, CA El Paso, Texas. His favorite Green River, UT elor of Architecture. Following a Cruz, California. As an artist, Pat Brady is a math teacher and Jason Dilworth is an assistant her family history held within Charlie Macquarie is a librarian, classes in school are history, Justin Pinneo was born in Price, visit to the town of Green River, DJ, and project manager, he librarian at Green River High. professor at the State University its silty flow. Ryann currently archivist, Nevadan Californian math, and P.E. Utah and was raised in Green she moved here to co-found produces work in galleries, on He is also the mayor. of New York at Fredonia, a 2014 serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA Nevadan, and generally adven- River his whole life. He goes Epicenter. Maria enjoys going to the radio, and online. Interests Marion Fellow, and co-founder with Epicenter. turesome person. He works Prisma Mendez to GRHS. Justin likes to ride loud concerts and taking long include vernacular media, signs, of Designers and Forests. His Katherine Brown mostly in collaboration with a Green River, UT his dirt bike and four-wheeler. road trips. and technology’s influence on Green River, UT education comes from the T100 pickup. Prisma Mendez is a twelve- His favorite subject in school is Nikolas Shaffer popular culture. He was a Fron- Katherine Brown accompanied wilderness of eastern Utah and year-old girl who attends Green math. Justin likes lots of sports. Green River, UT Charlotte X.C. Sullivan tier Fellow at Epicenter in 2013. Phil Nelson to Green River in the commonwealth of Virginia. I have lived in Green River Miles Mattison River High School. She is the Brooklyn, NY 1997. She started working at the for two amazing years. I have Oakland, CA second-oldest child out of four Jaden Richards Charlotte works at the Queens Melon Vine in 1999 and has Ryan Greaves three interesting siblings. I I go places and make things. I children. Her father’s name is Green River, UT County Farm in New York City. been there ever since. In 2012 Grand Rapids, MI am currently in 10th grade at am attracted to interactions Rodolfo Mendez and her moth- Jaden is an 11th grader at Green In operation since 1697, it is the she met a fellow widower, Rich Ryan Greaves is a graphic de- the amazing Green River High between people and land. I er’s name is Genoeva Herrera. River High School who enjoys oldest continuously farmed land Rolfe, and they share their lives signer, photographer, artist, School. I like to play sports worry about the things that music, art, dancing, acting, and in New York State and situated together between Green River collector, cat lover and forever and computer games. I always make us modern, but partic- hanging out with his friends. on the largest remaining tract of and Hanksville, UT. eagle scout. He enjoys making try to look on the bright side ipate in some anyways. I am undisturbed farm land in people smile and is inspired of everything.

1 2 A Letter From the Mayor Una Carta del Alcalde

Citizens of the Green River Area, Ciudadanos del area de Green River,

Greetings to all. I know that a few in the residences that are striving to look their have noticed them at home volleyball Saludos a todos. Yo se que algunas perso- Si está interesado en ayudar a Green Teen Center, de Lunes a Jueves, de 3 a community are having health problems, best, and put together service groups and basketball games. Through the Safe nas en la comunidad sufren de problemas River a ser tan hermosa como puede ser, 5pm. No es sólo un lugar para que los some quite severe, I wish you a quick that could help those in our community Passage program, CHEER was able to médicos, algunos muy graves, ojalá que por favor llame a la oficina de la ciudad. jóvenes en la escuela secundaria puedan recovery and if not possible, the strength that need help in cleaning/clearing up create the Pirate’s Den Teen Center, open tengan una recuperación rápida y si no, la Si usted es un ciudadano que necesita un venir a relajarse, jugar futbol, air hockey, to carry on. their properties. If you are interested in Monday–Thursday 3–5pm. It is not only fuerza para seguir adelante. poco de ayuda con sus propiedades por ping pong sino también pueden obtener It has been awhile since I have writ- helping Green River become as beautiful a place for the youth at the high school Ha pasado algún tiempo desde mi favor háganoslo saber. ayuda con las tareas escolares y partici- ten a letter so it is a bit lengthy and quite as it can be please call City offices. If you to come relax, play foosball, air hockey, última carta a nuestra comunidad, por Somos afortunados de tener tres par en una variedad de actividades. informative. I hope you read it all. are a citizen that needs some help with or ping pong, they can also get help with lo tanto, ésta es un poco larga pero muy organizaciones muy buenas en nuestra Hay un organización a la que las tien- Some changes have occurred that you your yards please let us know. school work and participate in a variety informativa. Espero que la lean a fondo. comunidad que ayudan no sólo a los das locales pueden unirse para ayudar en may not be aware of: Howard Burnett, We are fortunate to have three great of activities. Hay algunos cambios que tal vez no niños, sino también a nosotros. La may- el trabajo de mejorar Green River. Se lla- after 40 years of dedicated service, has organizations in our community to help There is a great organization that han escuchado. Howard Burnett, después oría de ustedes han oído hablar de ellas, ma “Potluck” y es un grupo de negocios decided to retire from the Fire Depart- not only our children, but ourselves as businesses can join and help make Green de 40 años de servicio, decidió a retirarse sin embargo, siento que suman mucho a muy activo. ment. I want Howard to know how much well. Most of you have heard of them, River more of a destination location. It is del Departamento de Bomberos. Quiero nuestra comunidad y quiero asegurarme Noticias en el frente económico: la we have appreciated his service to our however I feel they all add a great deal to called “Potluck” and is an active Green que Howard sepa cómo hemos apreciado de que todos sepan lo que está disponible planta de energía continúa para adelante community. our community and want to make sure River Business Group. su servicio a nuestra comunidad. en nuestra ciudad. con los estudios necesarios que tienen Next we had a change in our Council. all know what is available in our town. News on the economic front: the Tenemos un cambio en el Ayunta- La Primera, es Epicenter ubicada que hacer para solicitar un “permiso de Mike Silliman was elected to the Council First of all, there is the Epicenter lo- power plant is continuing to move ahead miento. Mike Silliman fue elegido para en Broadway. Ellos tienen programas sitio temprano.” A pesar de que Blue Cas- and I know that he will be a valuable cated on Broadway. They have programs with the required studies that they need ser parte del Ayuntamiento y yo se que que ayudan con reparaciones del hogar tle sigue avanzando, ellos siguen siendo member on the Council. That means that that are available to help with home re- to do in order to apply for an “early site él va a ser un miembro muy importante. y saben cómo encontrar programas de retrasados por​​ la presentación de mo- Kent Johnson will no longer be on board. pair and they can find assistance in local, permit.” Even though Blue Castle contin- Esto significa que Kent Johnson no va a asistencia locales, del estado, y federa- ciones de la oposición en los tribunales. His service has been invaluable and I state, and federal programs. They have ues to progress, they keep being delayed ser parte del Ayuntamiento. Su servicio les. También ellos tienen y continuarán Emery Refinería también avanza y sus thank him for his many years of commit- and will continue to sponsor various by the opposition filing motions in court. ha sido invaluable y quiero agradecerle patrocinando varios eventos, incluyendo obras de diseño e ingeniería continúan. ted service and work for our city. workshops including many that are art Emery Refinery is also progressing por sus años de dedicación al servicio y muchos relacionados al arte. Ellos y sus También están calificando exhaustiva- We have recently received approval based. They and their Frontier Fellows, forward and are continuing design por el trabajo que ha dedicado a nuestra Frontier Fellows, hombres y mujeres que mente a los diferentes contratistas que and assistance from the National Park men and women that come to Green Riv- and engineering work. They are also ciudad. vienen a Green River para compartir su llevarán a cabo la obra.

Setting Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation er to share their expertise, have worked aggressively pre-qualifying contractors to Recientemente hemos recibido la experiencia, han trabajado mucho con TESLA, una empresa estadounidense Assistance Program to allow Green River with the high school. A present project perform the work. aprobación y asistencia del Servicio de la escuela secundaria. Un proyecto en el que diseña, fabrica y vende autos eléc- to improve on existing trails and create had them working with Mr. Gowans’ TESLA, an American company that Parques Nacionales Ríos, Senderos, y el que estaban trabajando recientemente fue tricos, Está desarrollando un sistema de new ones around town and along the class to interview local Veterans. Some of designs, manufactures and sells electric Programa de Conservación para mejorar en la clase del Señor Gowan para entrev- sobrealimentación en el Museo. Se espera river. This will continue to help us be- the interviews will be submitted to the cars, is setting up a supercharging system senderos existentes y crear otros nuevos istar a veteranos locales. Algunas de estas que esto traiga muchos nuevos visitantes come more of a destination then a drive- Museum Archives. at the Museum. This will hopefully bring en la ciudad y cerca del río. Eso va a entrevistas van a quedar en los Archivos a nuestra ciudad. Para comprobarlo por through. Our Trails Committee members Next, is the Community Center in many new visitors to our town. To ayudar a nuestra ciudad a llegar a ser un de nuestro Museo. usted mismo, ingrese a teslamotors.com. are: Penney Riches, Karen Smith, Sarah located on South Long Street They check them out, go to teslamotors.com. destino en lugar de una parada. El Comi- La próxima es la Community Center Actualmente estamos en el proceso de Siefken (State Parks), Tim Glenn, Kelly sponsor the Boys and Girls Club of Green Currently, we are in the process of té de Senderos está compuesto por Penny en S. Long Street. Ellos promueven el actualizar nuestro Plan General y por eso Dunham, and Marcy DeMillion (NPS). If River and their theme is, “Providing a updating our General Plan and recently Richards, Karen Smith, Sarah Siefkan Club de niños y niñas de Green River con recientemente mandamos una encuesta. you are interested in being a part of this positive place for children to learn and sent out surveys. Thank you to those (Parques del Estado), Tim Glenn, Kelly el propósito de, “Proporcionar un lugar Gracias a aquellos que se tomaron el grand effort please contact the City office. grow.” A few of the things they do for our who took time to complete and return a Dunham, y Marcy DeMillion (NPS). Si para que los niños puedan aprender y tiempo de completar y entregar la encues- I would also like to organize a citi- elementary age youth are: have daily in- survey. These surveys will really help us está interesada/o en ser parte de este gran crecer.” Algunas de las cosas que hacen ta. Estas encuestas son muy importantes zen-run committee to set up a Veterans dividual homework help, workshops with shape the future of Green River. esfuerzo por favor contactar a la oficina para nuestros jóvenes en edad primaria ya que van a forjar el futuro de Green Memorial in town. The members would professional artists, and healthy lifestyles I would like to thank all those that go de la Ciudad. son: brindar ayuda con la tarea diaria River. begin a campaign to collect donations education. They have had a fieldtrip to about each day quietly yet helping neigh- También quiero crear un comité individual, talleres con artistas profesio- Me gustaría agradecer a todos los que and set up a bank account to hold Goblin Valley, decorated a float for the bors and others all the while making de ciudadanos para hacer una con- nales, y educación sobre estilos de vida van cada día en silencio ayudando a los the funds. They would also decide on Melon Days Parade and even made their Green River a better place to live. memoración a los Veteranos en nuestra saludables. Ellos han tenido una salida vecinos y los demás para que Green River options on where to put the memorial own movie that was written, produced, I encourage all to visit our website, ciudad. El comité primero va a colectar de campo al Goblin Valley, decorado una sea un mejor lugar para vivir. and create ideas for design. If you are and starred the Boys/Girls Club kids. www.greenriverutah.com at anytime. donaciones y abrir una cuenta bancaria, carroza para el desfile de Melon Days in- Los invito a visitar nuestra página interested in being a part of this noble Last but not least is CHEER located As the great Robert Louis Stevenson además de buscar las opciones para la cluso hicieron su propia película que fue web, www.greenriverutah.com. effort to remember and honor the brave at the corner of Main and Walnut, old said, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest ubicación y diseño de la conmemoración. escrita, producida y protagonizada por Como el gran Robert Louis Stevensen and patriotic men and women of our airport office, CHEER stands for Creating you reap but by the seeds you plant.” Si usted está interesado en ser parte los niños de Boys and Girls Club. dice, “No juzgues cada dia por la cosecha community, please contact the City office. a Healthy Environment and Encouraging de este noble esfuerzo para recordar y La última es CHEER situada en la que obtengas sino por las semillas que Another committee that I believe Respect. It is a drug and alcohol preven- Until next letter honrar a los hombres y mujeres valientes esquina de Main y Walnut, la vieja ofici- hayas plantado.” our citizens should be involved in is a tion coalition. The coalition members Sincerely, y patrióticos de nuestra comunidad, por na del aeropuerto. CHEER es sinónimo Beautification Committee. The responsi- include citizens of Green River and a Pat Brady favor comuníquese con la oficina de la de “La creación de un ambiente sano y Hasta la próxima carta, bility of the members would be to create member from the 4 Corners organization. Ciudad. estimulante de respeto.” Se trata de una Sinceramente ideas that would bring out the beauty They have worked hard to bring preven- Otro comité que creo es muy impor- coalición de prevención de drogas y alco- Pat Brady of Green River, choose businesses and tion information to our town. You may tante para que nuestros ciudadanos par- hol. A través del programa Safe Passage, ticipen es el Comité de Embellecimiento. CHEER fue capaz de crear Pirate’s Den

3 4 The GreenSetting River Magazine Setting

Seasonal Photographs by Miles Mattison

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17 18 In the morning, the town grew to be five times its regular size. Every Green River local was there, plus all of their cousins from out of town, plus the parents of the kids in the high Melon school marching band from Days Since 1906 Colorado. People lined Main Street with lawn chairs and kids

The People The perched on the open tailgates of pickup trucks backed up to the sidewalk. The sun beat down from the east. At 10am it was already too hot.

Nancy Dunham and Richard Seeley at the Dunham melon stand in September 2013

19 20 The People The People

The parade started with a medi-vac helicopter buzzing Main Street just bare- ly above the power lines. The crowd screamed in delight and kids slapped their palms to their ears. Three Boy Scouts with flags marched in formation from the east to begin the procession. One carried the United States, red white and blue. The other carried the State of Utah, the Beehive State, and a third carried a white and red flag for the town of Green River. And then came the melon. The melon is about twenty feet long, ten feet tall, and it is made of wood. It is a long slice of watermelon with a sort of square bottom that allows it to sit on a platform lined with shiny red mylar streamers. Its rind is painted a variegated green. It is magnificent. If you have never been to Green River, Utah, during Melon Days, you would only see the melon dormant, stowed away in the parking lot of the history museum waiting for its annual march down Main Street. You might think it is built atop a trailer, meant to be towed behind a farm truck. But you’d be wrong. The melon appeared to power itself. After the melon came the Melon Queen and her two attendants, standing on a flatbed trailer pulled by a mom on a four-wheeler. The girls waved with their elbows and their wrists and they giggled in their long dresses. Their friends yelled for them. “Judith!” “Hey!” Then there were clowns in tiny cars and rainbow socks. One of the small cars was a bathtub on wheels. The fire trucks creaked by, one engine from Green River and another from neighbor town Thompson Springs, a town that by recent count had only 39 residents. Then came a marching band, old cars, and a four-wheeler car- rying the mayor, his wife, and two of their grandkids. They were all wearing green shirts. A bald man with sporty sunglasses drove a yellow Mustang convertible carrying three ladies from the Emery County beauty pageant. They too waved with their elbows. The parade transitioned seamlessly back into regu- lar traffic as the Sherriff led a long line of highway travellers coming through town for gas, diesel, and Subway sandwiches. A Wal-Mart semi-truck was first in line behind the Sherriff’s flashing red and blue lights. After the parade was the park.

21 22 The People The People

In the park, on the southwest corner, the Vetere family cut up watermelon with machetes. “First you quarter it, and then you chop,” said the chopper, a distant Vetere cousin by marriage. Fwack fwack fwack fwack fwack. In the northeast corner, at the Dunham melon table, you could eat orange crenshaw, cantaloupe-colored canary, pink israeli, and watermelon. They were cut up into little pieces and placed into sticky tupperware with tape labels. A teenager chopped slowly with a kitchen knife. “My uncle grows all of these melons,” he said. Nearby, the Thayn melon table offered triangle watermelon and thin crescent moon slices of sweet, sweet cantaloupe. Later in the afternoon at the Dunham melon stand, melon matriarch Nancy Dunham sat in an armchair beside her friend Richard Seeley. The town may have crowned the Melon Queen the night before in the high school auditorium, but Nancy Dunham is a melon queen in her own right. Her granddaughters weighed crenshaws for people stopping off the main road through town. It was a good year for melons, Nancy said. “We had a little bit of rain that caused a little bit of trouble with the cantaloupes, but basically it’s been a good year,” she said. Richard explained how to tell if cantaloupes were ripe or not. “That’s a good ripe one.” He piled the ripe ones on top. “The trick is to look at the place where the stem was. If it looks like a clean break, it was ripe when it was picked. If there’s still some stem left, no good.” Then he’d toss it in the pig bucket. In the evening, there was a lull between melon eating and square dancing. The Trojan Melon rested quietly on Broadway at the end of the parade route, beneath the crazy beautiful desert sunset, its mylar tassels ruffling. That night the rain and wind blew in as lightning struck in the east and the square dancers wove around the pavilion in the park. The women wore those fluffy skirts and the music was a kind of slowed-down techno. At one point they danced to a square dance remix of that song “Who Let The Dogs Out.” The caller was very skilled, and sang the moves in time with the music. “Bow to your partner. Bow to your corner. Explode the wave. Slide the door. Back step, promenade. Who let the dogs out. Wheel and deal, run around the outside. Inside girl, run around the inside. Pass the ocean.” The rain descended that night, soaking the dry earth. All the next day, sheets of monsoon flooded the streets and tremendous thunder interrupted conversations. Good timing.

23 24 The People The People

Teddy “Ted” Cornelius Ekker Retired uranium miner, service station manger, construction worker Green Riverite all his life How do you envision the future of Green River? There is not a future for A Few People Green River, unless we see some industry come to town. We have a great deal of natural resources, including natural gas. in Green River We need to use these resources to generate more business.

953 people call Green River home, give or take. The town has experienced population booms and slumps throughout its history in response to shifts in industry. If first a ferry, then the railroad, and then uranium, missiles, melons, and tourists, what might be next? What brought Green River’s resi- dents here, and how does the town grow and shift to keep them? What follows is a few small stories about some of Green River’s most interesting people.

Lisa Ruby Hackett KOA Campground Employee and Artist Green Riverite for 15 years

Interviews and photographs by Ryann Savino and Cyrus Smith Best Green River Memory? The day I got my dirt bike and finally saw the most beautiful place on Earth.

25 26 The People The People

Orrin Johnson Haydee Trejo Student Head Housekeeper at Super 8 Motel Green Riverite for 13 years Green Riverite for 21 years How has Green River changed since you’ve Qué usted preven para el lived here? They built a futuro de Green River? Subway, the Melon Vine Yo pienso que la mejor added a bakery, and the ayuda para la comuni- Epicenter came to town. dad de todo Green River sería que se cumpluera la promesa de poner la Planta Nuclear sería una gran ayuda para todos y para todo.

Erick Martin Mendez Dale Ernest Richards Ace Hardware Employee Retired educator Green Riverite for 13 years Green Riverite for 34 years In what ways has Green River changed you since How has Green River you’ve lived here? I’m changed since you’ve lived an overall better person. here? Since the comple- Growing up in a small tion of the interstate we town you don’t have all have lost businesses and the temptations you do in jobs, forcing our youth to the big city. leave our community.

27 28 The People The People

Allen Burns Avran Mendoza General Manager at Senior at GRHS West Winds Truck Stop Green Riverite Green Riverite for 6 years for 46 years Share with us one of your What do you envision for most compelling Green the future of Green River? River memories. Melon With the freeway, the Days is fun I guess. railroad, and all the nat- ural resources here, the town will have to flourish again, and it will be nice to have something to depend on other than farming and tourism.

Conner Jeff Newland Freshman Boys Basketball Coach Green Riverite for 21 years I have always loved sports but could not participate. Maureen “Jo” Baxter The coaches noticed Artist that the boys listened to Green Riverite me and really showed for 49 years respect. My greatest reward is teaching the What do you envision boys and our community for the future of Green to accept and include River? More ups and everyone regardless of downs, hoping the ups their disabilities. will prevail.

29 30 The People The People Glenn Baxter

An interview with Glenn Baxter conducted by Cyrus Smith

Introduction when I was quite young. I’ve had an I was seven years old. I didn’t realize the entrepreneurial spirit from then. impact of it. Glenn Baxter Entonces. Aqui estamos. Si se puede hablar Espanol. Cyrus Seems like that’s what it takes for a My mother had a number of friends and small town like Green River? relatives in Santa Maria, so she decided Cyrus Smith Un poco, pero no me gusta. she ought to go back to Santa Maria. We Glenn Yeah. Yes. didn’t have any furniture or anything, Glenn Un poco bastante. just whatever we could pack into our old Cyrus Well, let’s start from the beginning. Buick. During that time also, one of my Cyrus Do you speak Spanish fluently? For the record, if you could give your uncles got me a job with a paper route. name, where you were born, what year. Glenn No. It’s a shame, because I really So, I had my first real job. By then I was 8 maybe 9. Delivering newspapers by kind of picked it up. I got in some trouble Glen Name is Glenn Baxter. I was born in bike was kind of a physical challenge for when I was early in my senior year of a small town in central California by the a kid that young. high school, and ended up with my name of Santa Maria, just down the road brother down in Uvalde, Texas. I worked from San Luis Obispo. In 1935, if you Cyrus So, you learned to work well for about 5 or 6 weeks thinning lettuce, can believe it. As each day goes by I can before you were working out in the I think to teach me a lesson about how hardly believe it. Santa Maria is a very lettuce field. important it was to get smart. broad valley where the Santa Maria River dumps into the Pacific. Thousands of Glenn Yes. Then, we moved back to Cyrus That’s the hardest of the hard work acres of relatively flat irrigate-able land. Phoenix. We were able to put a down out in the fields, right? payment on a post-war tract house. Just Cyrus And that’s where you grew up and Glenn Do you know what it’s like? a slab floor, made of concrete blocks. It went to school? got pretty hot in the summer. I was able to get another paper route there, and Cyrus I’ve done a little bit of farming. Glenn No, it’s not. We stayed in Santa I could use that for my own spending Enough to know that it is hard on your Maria from the time I was born until money. There were two papers, still back. And lettuce is supposed to be the 1942. Apparently the family knew that are. The Arizona Republic comes in the worst because it is down low right? my father had some heart problems. Back mornings, the Phoenix Gazette in the in that era it was thought that living in a Glenn The problem is that the seeds are afternoons. So, I carried two routes and dry climate could be very helpful for that so tiny. When the plants were a few inch- was one of the wealthiest youngsters in kind of problem, so we moved to Phoe- es, a crew would come in and thin the my neighborhood. nix, Arizona. We were able to purchase a lettuce. Every 14 or 15 inches we would home on the north outskirts of Phoenix. leave a healthy looking plant. Very long Cyrus Alright! (laughs) It was pretty much the edge of town. rows. A city block or so. Our water jugs and our lunches were down at one end, Glenn I learned what rewards there could Cyrus Must have felt like the wild west be from working hard. so we had to chop all the way down the out there? row, turn around and come back to get Cyrus So you stayed in Phoenix through another 6 or 8 ounces of water. And this Glenn Quite a bit. But the sad part of it your senior year of high school? was the summer time in south Texas. is, in the fall of ‘42, on a Saturday night, my father was out in the yard planting Glenn My mother stayed there even Cyrus Did you think you learned what another tree... and all of a sudden my longer. But, I got in some trouble senior you were sent out there to learn? mother screamed. Turned out my father year. It was nothing horrible, but it was had suffered a fatal heart attack. An Glenn Mostly. bad enough that my mother was really ambulance did come, but in that era concerned that she was losing control of Cyrus You learned how to work anyway... there was almost nothing an ambulance me. She thought it would be appropriate crew could do. That was quite a shock to for me to go live with my older brother in Glenn I’d always done that. My dad died the family. Less of a shock to me, because

My intention in interviewing Glenn was to ask him about the town it seems to me that there is no better way to tell the story of Green of Green River and his place in it. What I received instead was a River. So, here you go. A long conversation with one of Green River’s brief telling of his life story. While it was not what I had anticipated, longest-standing citizens. —Cyrus Smith

31 32 The People The People

Texas. He and his wife agreed to Maybe 6 or 8 minutes. After we got back the town. Which I think is more likely had the documents from Convair say- rentals before we moved to our current to her, so we paid about five thousand take me in. on the ground, he gave me a compliment. than not, because there are so few ing “please report on this date,” so the home. In about the late 70’s. we started dollars for it, just to give her the money. Maybe they do that to all the kids, I don’t suitable sites around this country for a banker knew I had a job. And, just on my negotiations to buy the property where We didn’t do a thing with it. Jo thought After school was out, my brother helped know. It’s possible, just barely possible, nuclear plant. signature, he gave me maybe four or five we live now. It was a 20 acre farm. I had maybe she could make it an art gallery. me get a job with a friend who had an that I had some kind of born talent for hundred dollars. no desire to be in the farm business, but She could sell art to all of the passengers electric motor shop in Uvalde. It was just situational awareness. Cyrus Like the missile base back when. we we able to clear a place for our home, off the trains. Not that there were many. a one man operation. The whole shop That was a boom time, right? Cyrus Must have meant the world to you which is right down next to the river. was maybe 15 by 20 feet. What he mostly at the time. Quite isolated. We like it there. Then the Epicenter guys came along, and did was repair and rewinding. Just Glenn It was a boom town then. In fact, it was just common sense to sell it back worked on old motors. So, that’s what I the first year and a half that I worked at Glenn It allowed us to start our little Cyrus Did you build it yourself? to them. They did really a lot of expen- did. Rewind and repair fractional horse- This was in the the base, there were no homes that my household. That was good to get that loan. sive and solid things to improve the power electric motors. No bigger than wife or I could possibly think of living in. Glenn Partly. I was able to do it without structure and make something out of it. maybe 3 or 4 horsepower. Apparently, I days before the There were some that were big enough, Green River any big financing. Took us three or four was a quick enough learner that he was but they were just falling apart. So, we years to get it finished. We had to hire a Cyrus So, it was no longer a billiard hall Cyrus When did you arrive in Green happy and gave me things to do. ended up living in Price and I commuted contractor to do the excavation, the foun- when you purchased it? internet, so we to and from the base. River? dation, the basement, concrete work and College stuff like that, so the hard stuff was done. Glenn That was during the boom days of didn’t know too Emily It was nice to meet you. Glenn We moved here in August 1964. the uranium exploration, which would Glenn In July or August my brother start- have been the 40’s and 50’s. Cyrus Must have been hot! ed talking with me about college. I hadn’t much about this A Young Family Cyrus Before you were in town. really thought about it, but I heard adults Glenn Yeah it was real hot. This was in and my brother talk about it. He and the part of the world. Cyrus So, where were we? You were at A&M. Had your first experience flying. the days before the internet, so we didn’t It was a boom Glenn Yeah. By the time we moved here man with the motor repair shop went know too much about this part of the with me on a long automobile trip to see it was being used as a warehouse for a Glenn During the fall semester of my world. A friend who lived in Price and town then. In the facilities down at Texas A&M. supplier of bread products. Junior year, I met this young woman at was commuting here, said, “Just an old Cyrus How long did you spend at A&M? crummy desert town. Nice mountains At that time, Texas A&M was essential- the local Presbyterian church in College fact, the first year Cyrus Did I hear you also helped build around. Trout fishing if you like.” So, ly a full military school. I didn’t know Station. We clicked, and were married in the Chow Hound? Glenn I was at A&M for three and a half we had pretty much pictured the Rocky what we were seeing or why, but because January of ‘57. and a half that years before I ran out of money. I was Mountains. All of the beautiful high Glenn Yeah. We did that pretty early on, my brother thought I had a talent for lucky enough to get a job as an engineer- Cyrus What is your wife’s name, for altitude vegetation. in the early seventies. We thought the electrical things, he said, “You know I worked at the ing aide for North American Aviation the record? missile base was going to close down a you ought to do this.” I was pretty good in Downey, California. So, I dropped By that time, we had all three of our lot sooner than it did. It didn’t fully close at math, just had a natural inclination base, there were out of school, and worked for them full Glenn For the record, her real name is daughters. Our oldest daughter was quite till the late seventies. But, we made a for it I guess, so he and the shop owner time. I was a helper for an engineer that Maurine. For virtually all of her life, sick on part of that journey. We drove decision to stay here rather than go back convinced me to go and study electrical no homes that my was working on the F-108, which was she’s gone by “Jo,” which she tells me is out in a 1954 Ford sedan with a small to Southern California. Our kids were engineering. a unique fighter jet being designed by some kind of a stylish, Scottish term 239 cubic inch V-8. Had a roof top rack. all in school. So, we decided to build a North American Aviation at the time. of endearment. All of the big stuff went with the movers. wife or I could Just through pure chance I happened fast food drive-in. We talked with a lot of That’s how we got here. to be placed in an Air Force squadron. people, got some good advice. Thought I came back to A&M the next Fall and I Anyway, we got married, and I finished possibly think of we were going to go with a franchise at My father spent most of World War I as graduated in the Spring of ‘58. out my schooling requirements. And I started at the Launch Complex, as what a mechanic. That’s the business that I first, but we didn’t like the tight terms I was very lucky to have a job offer with they call a pad engineer. There were living in. that a franchise company wanted from became involved with in Utah. I had a Interlude the Astronautics division of Convair three launch pads and the one block pilot’s license, and an instructor’s license, their tenants. We payed two or three Aircraft down by the main airport in house. I was a pad engineer on pad three different people a few hundred dollars to and I was an “airframe and power plant” (Emily Ensminger, a visitor from Greens- San Diego. for a year or so. Then, for 8 or 9 years mechanic. boro, North Carolina, enters the room.) learn the business. One in Moab, one up I was the blockhouse engineer, work- But, Jo and I finished the house. I did in Salt Lake. We were really able to use I didn’t do any engineering. Really just ing under a good friend who was the all the wiring, all the plumbing, all the that advice to our benefit. Cyrus Runs in the family. Did you also Emily Green River is gorgeous, we just furthering my education. A new engineer blockhouse supervisor. We were both sheetrock, all the insulation. Jo did all learn how to fly at that point? walked around. out of college can’t do very much except electrical engineers, and between the two the mudding, taping, and painting. We We opened the week after the Fourth of what he’s told. (laughs) Glenn Well, yes and no. I didn’t learn Glenn Well, it’s got a lot of non-gorgeous of us, we knew just about anything that came up with economical ways to do a lot July, 1973. needed to be done in the blockhouse. how to fly, but between my junior and things. You look around the town, and We had a nice rental house. In fact an of things. We both worked very hard. It senior years I went to a “summer camp” look at the number of closed businesses. was probably about ‘82 that we finished it Cyrus Do you still have a stake in the interesting story is, I found the rental It was ‘64 that I started working here, but down to an air base in Laredo, Texas, and We who live here get used to it. and moved into it. We still live there. Chow Hound? house, Jo and the baby stayed back with it was ‘65 that we actually moved here had a chance to take a ride with an Air her parents in College Station. We had Emily I feel like it has a lot of potential. from Price. Cyrus You used to own the Epicenter Glenn No. We operated it, ourselves and Force pilot. some old hand-me-down furniture, but I I hope that it has another revival at building as well, right? our daughters, for about five years. Then didn’t have any money to buy appliances. Cyrus Are you still in that same house, or It was in a single engine trainer plane, set some point. it was sold to another lady, she did a nice So, I walked into a bank. I figured banks have you moved around? up for a pilot and student. And during Glenn Yeah. We purchased it from a good job of running it for a few years. She sold Glenn Well, if the nuclear plant becomes have money and loan it out sometimes... friend of ours. Her husband had died of it to others. It’s been through several that ride, he took his feet off the controls Glenn No, we were only in that house a reality, it’s going to totally transform this is before I even reported for work cancer as a fairly young guy, I guess mid owners since we had it. and he let me fly. Seemed like a lot of fun. for about two years, and then two other down at the astronautics plant. But, I to late fifties. We wanted to be helpful

33 34 The People The People An Interview with Tracey Siaperas On the subject of her service in the US Marine Corps

Interview conducted by Cyrus Smith

The following interview took place on January 16, 2014, in Craig Gowans’ 12th-grade Language Arts class as part of a class assignment on oral history. Tracey was invited to share her experience as a veteran, having served in the US Marine Corps from 1984 to 1989 and again in 1991. It has been edited for length. Scan courtesy of the Green River Archives, from the Green River Veteran’s Project

35 36 The People The People

Cyrus Smith Thanks for being here dramatically in favor of males. duty contract, and then four years of an We put them through what we called jets fly. You’ve seen the movie “Top Gun?” Cyrus That’s hilarious, you’re shooting Tracey. Would you like to introduce inactive contract. You were obligated to “28 days of hell.” And that was 28 days They filmed that down in Miramar. To machine guns, you’re driving around yourself? Also what branch of service Tracey Definitely. It still is predominant- serve the government for anything they of nothing but hardcore, non-stop... watch those fighter jets go, to this day fuel, all this stuff, but you don’t have the you were in and what years you served. ly a male field. The size of my platoon needed you for. and boy, it was bad on me too. When makes my heart jump. guts to get on a surfboard? in boot camp was 58 women. We started they were done training with us, they Tracey Siaperas Tracey Siaperas. I am out with 72, and that’s all that made My oldest daughter Brianna, some of you went overseas. In motor transport, I ended up as an Tracey Nope. the mother of Pete and Anastasia Sia- it through. know her, her father was in the Marines aircraft re-fueler. I was hauling 5,000 peras. I took my oath to join the United with me. He was a Marine Corps sniper. It was pretty exciting. I met two other gallons of jet fuel. Which was really Jill You said that your brother and States Marine Corps in 1984, during my Then I went on to Camp Geiger, North He was out a year before me. Well when women, became really good friends. I boring, because I would just sit on the your sister were both in the military. senior year of high school. I entered in Carolina, for what they call Military Desert Storm hit, that was... I guess was appointed to sergeant in the Ma- flight line, waiting for a chopper that Is that why you planned on going into under what is called a delayed entry. I Occupational School. This is where I today, January 16, the first shot fired. rines, which is very rare. You usually needed to be filled. All tactical like I the military? didn’t go to boot camp till actually Sep- found out what I was going to be in the The third of February, Federal Express have to earn your rank through different said... camouflage vehicles. tember 1985. Scariest time of my life. Marines, and I couldn’t believe it. I had is at my door with orders for me to levels of scoring and testing, but because Tracey Probably that too. My sister was 8 never driven a car in my life, had never report back to active duty. And there’s of my “exemplary service” they appoint- Cyrus I am interested in your day-to-day years older, and I spent a lot of my sum- Cyrus Boot camp you mean? had a license... They put me in motor my husband, upset he didn’t get recalled, ed me sergeant. life. What would an ordinary day would mers wherever she was stationed... which transport. The first thing I drove was and I’m in tears. Brianna was only two be like? Also, the flip side of that, how was so cool. I spent a summer in Arizo- Tracey Horrifying. You went through a 5-ton tactical truck. (Laughs) I was and a half. There are a lot of other stories in there. you would spend your down time. na, and a summer in Loring Air Force three days of what they call “forming” the first woman licensed on a Logistical And you see I get all excited when I Base, Maine. My brother in law was a before you got assigned to your company Vehicle System. They call it a “dragon My brother was already in Kuwait. My talk about it. My dress blues are at the Tracey We were up every morning at cop in the Air Force Security Police, so and met your drill instructors. And it’s wagon.” It has a windshield on the floor sister had just gotten back. Nothing I (Green River) Museum. The sergeant 4:45. We would run five miles in forma- that’s where I was going with that. just like you see in the movies. Trash board, because the percent of grade that could do. Packed up and went. And this chevrons are not on them, but they are tion, singing those lovely songs we all cans against the wall, screaming, yelling, is where it all gets really exciting for me. there. I didn’t wear my dress blues And then my brother joined. Both my you’re up out of bed at 5:45. You don’t after I got promoted. grandfathers were Navy. My dad was an have time to think. I cried myself to We went into a battle barn, it was only child, and only son, so he didn’t sleep every night thinking, what did I around midnight. They call it a battle Cyrus You’ve already answered so join. We came from a pretty military do? Do I have the guts to do this? Nothing I could barn... it is where all the computers many of my questions. I was interested The adrenaline family. are set up. Where all the... we call them in that transition. The period out of the Cyrus Why did you choose the Marines? do. Packed up “heavies...” the brass, the colonels are military and back in. Now I know that rush. Live bullets. Cyrus Are you not able to join if you are all making plans. There were about you had an open contract, so you could an only son? Tracey Well, I was going into the Air forty women Marines, and several hun- have been called back into service at any The sound. Firing Tracey You can get out of it. And they Force, security police. I didn’t know wo- and went. And dred male Marines there. We were in time, but it seems like that could derail recommend that you don’t. men Marines existed. My brother was in the bleachers. your life. To be out and building a life as the Marines at the time, and my sister this is where it a 50-caliber a civilian... Jill So you can keep the family going? was in the Air Force. I had walked out of They said “Women marines stand up.” the Air Force recruiting office, just about all gets really We all stood up. Told each one, “Sit Tracey Exactly. I’m thinking, “What machine gun on a Tracey Right. And that’s what was scary, ready to swear in when I saw a poster down, sit down, no you stand back up, are the odds.” ...there were people that when all three of us children were called in the hallway of a woman Marine. I exciting for me. sit down...” There were five women left. were in Vietnam and had never seen ring mount. back to Desert Storm, my mother was went, “Wow! If I’m going to do this why I was one of those five women and I had service, did not have contracts, that were very concerned. My bother is an only don’t I go all the way?” I walked down no idea what was going on. recalled back to active duty. Apparent- son, and he is the last of the Darr line. the hallway and gave it a shot. ly they had done something at some My mom was so fearful that she was We were told to get on a cattle car. It’s time that made a difference, and I keep hear. Every morning. And we had to be By the end of the 13-week boot camp you can take it off-road is so steep that going to lose all three of us. Thankfully like a cattle car, but it’s meant to haul knocking on wood that they don’t re- in morning formation for work by 7:45. I walked out of there completely torn your windshield is right to the sky. So I got there a week early and stayed state- troops. There are benches on the side. To member anything that I did. Because I’m So, back around 6. We’d shower, and down and re-built. My self confidence you’re looking through your floorboard side. Everybody that came a week later me, my whole military transport career, not the person I used to be anymore. then we’d have just enough time to get was through the roof. I came out of out the windshield. came through our class and we shipped I knew that a cattle car meant infantry. I to the chow hall. Eat that lovely break- there more empowered, feeling better ‘em off. She was very thankful for that. So that’s what I did for my first enlist- never hauled troops of any other kind in Cyrus But if they did call you? fast. And morning formation was where about myself. ment. I was in charge of a few missions cattle cars. What are they doing to me? you find out what your plans are for the I grew up a lot. Grew fast. Tracey Oh, I’d go. I’d go in a heartbeat, Boot camp was in Parris Island, South with the Naval Weapons Evaluation day, what assignment you had. Before I managed to report to duty the next but I don’t know if I’d last long. There is no bigger pride than the patri- Carolina. There is only one way on, and Team, where we were testing nuclear you went to lunch you’d get in formation. morning at seven o’clock, and get infor- otism you feel. In boot camp you have one way off. And there are alligators missiles, and the stress as they would Cyrus I was going to open it up to the When you came back form lunch you’d mation. I was informed that I was part to stop whatever you’re doing in the around it, so you don’t dare try to get encounter as they come off ship, hit the class. Does anyone have any questions? get in formation. Then at the end of the of a pilot program, with these other two morning when the flag runs up and in away. When I left I did not look back. beach, and go onto tactical vehicles. day, formation. women, headquartered out of Wash- the evening when the flag goes down. ington, DC, to be the first three women Jill Smith What was your favorite part of Cyrus I’m curious, were you training Cyrus And you served in California? being in the Marines? And then I was hitting the beach. I was You have to stop, face, and salute. We’d “0311’s,” which is infantry. We would at the beach all the time, body surfing. I stop in the middle of exercises. And I’d with other women? never have that title, but what we did Tracey Yes. I was stationed in Camp Tracey The adrenaline rush. Live bullets. was beach crazy, still am. I never had the find myself tearing up. “Gosh, don’t let was train the combat replacement com- Tracey Yes. There is still, so far as I know, Pendleton in Southern California. I The sound. Firing a 50-caliber ma- guts to get on a surfboard though. Best I the drill instructors see me, ‘cause they’ll panies that went to Saudi, at the Marine no co-ed boot camp. spent three and a half years there, until chine gun on a ring mount. AT4 missile could do was a body board, or body surf. really get me.” But it was tears of pride. Combat Training School of Infantry. So I was discharged in ‘89. When I joined, launchers. The artillery. Watching the Watching that flag go up and knowing Cyrus But, I’m guessing the ratio was I signed up for four years of an active we trained male marines how to fight. what I was serving this purpose for.

37 38 The People The People

C.J. Vetere: Code Enforcer

Story and photos by Bennett Williamson

On a sunny Thursday morning in Green River, I was squeezed 2009 and C.J. was hired March 2013 as Green River’s first full into the cab of a city-owned Chevy S-10 pickup alongside Zon- time Ordinance Manager. ing Administrator, Ordinance Manager, and Animal Control Most of C.J.’s work gets done from the cab or the truck, Officer C.J. Vetere. He was halfway through a shrub-related documenting ordinance violations related to overgrown veg- horror story—“they were, not kiddin’ you, as tall as the trail- etation, damaged or dangerous buildings, accumulated junk, er”—when a call came in from City Hall. We pulled over, C.J. and abandoned cars. He makes daily rounds, slowly driving shouldered his work phone, dug in his pocket for his other iP- the city limits from the water treatment plant to the dump and hone, and tapped through a PDF of the Green River City Code weaving every street in between. He keeps a dog crate in the as he listened. After a pause he replied, “I believe the wording back of the truck and can usually fulfill his Animal Control is basically, if you do not want to have problems with animals duties just by corralling loose dogs along his route. “Yesterday I killing them, you keep ‘em cooped up. If not, they’re fair game. caught four and I didn’t even try,” he said. But I’ll pull it up and read it right now before I go talk to them.” During pit stops and visits throughout the day, C.J. is Some days it’s dogs, some days it’s lawns and delinquent a sounding board for city residents. “That’s the time where buildings, but today, as C.J. puts it, “we’ll be chicken rustlers.” they’ll be like, ‘Hey why aren’t you doing this?’ or ‘What can Green River’s Nuisance Abatement Ordinance defines stan- we do to make this better?’ They know that I’ll be objective and dards for safety and presentation that property owners must listen to their issues,” he said, raising a hand off the wheel to maintain on their homes and businesses. The ordinance has wave at a passing driver. “I try to be out of the office as much been controversial since the original version was adopted in as possible. I try to make sure that I touch base with people, 2004, and was repealed in 2007 due to lack of enforcement and that I talk to someone every day.” the council’s belief that it was too punitive on citizens. When A city the size of Green River guarantees that he’ll run into local motel owner Keith Brady joined City Council around those who might be delinquent, too. The best option is to have that time, he was concerned that disheveled properties could residents fix their yards and houses voluntarily, so C.J. often cause a decline in tourism revenue, and he made a concerted walks the line between friend and authority figure. “I do it push to reinstate the ordinance and create a new staff position kinda back-door,” he said. “I talk to them and get them to bring to enforce it. “If we don’t look good as a city, people don’t want it up. I let them walk into making it their idea... You get them to come back,” Keith says. He met with the ordinance’s most to feel like, ‘Hey I was the one that said this, I’m not being told vocal opponents and modified certain requirements in order to do it.’ And then I help them get to the finished product.” For to “come up with something we could agree on,” and generally those unresponsive to conversational negotiations, C.J. sends made it “easier to comply.” The ordinance was reinstated in official administrative notices that tell them how to comply and

Photos Bennett Williamson

39 40 The People The People

Fix It First

An interview with Armando Rios

Armando Rios is an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to will keep your home a safe and sound place. We can do things America) at Epicenter and currently administers the Fix It First like build ramps, install handrails, install grab bars, as well as housing repair program in Green River. the usual home repairs.

What is Fix It First? How does someone in town get Why did the Epicenter choose to focus on repair versus involved with the program? building new housing? The program is a revolving micro-loan fund aimed at creat- There are multiple reasons for choosing to repair exist- ing safe and affordable homes for the residents of Green River. ing homes. First, there are lots of people in Green River who What that means is that homeowners who receive repairs, pay own their homes outright, meaning they don’t want to go out back the full cost of the project with a low interest rate (1-5% and buy a new house and pay off a 30-year loan. Also, after depending on income), creating a perpetual construction/pay- finishing the first ever Habitat for Humanity house in Green ment cycle. Essentially, homeowners who are currently making River, Epicenter staff decided that smaller projects for home- payments are paying for future repairs, creating a neigbors-help- owners are the way to go. The projects are much quicker, less ing-neighbors mentality. expensive, and volunteer groups can complete most projects in To get on the list for a home repair you just need to qualify just one workday. financially, own your home, and need a repair. If you are elder- Finally, the City of Green River’s 2013 Housing Assessment ly and own your home you do not need to meet the financial showed that 46% of houses in Green River need repairs. We’d requirements and just need to have a home repair in mind that like to improve that number.

how long they have to do so. with the landlord, who lives out of state, and local contractors After a quick stop for fresh Chow Hound donuts we re- have now completed the first stage of a three-year renovation sumed our slow roll. C.J. pointed out a house with a tidy gravel plan. driveway. “Look at this guy, he’s got a yard, he’s got trailers, In the late afternoon we returned to City Hall, where C.J. he’s got coolers, he’s got a field tank, he’s got a camp trailer— shares a small office with Mayor Brady. On the computer he but it doesn’t look that bad. You have to look to notice. He’s got cross referenced public tax roll information with plat maps it presentable enough that it’s fine.” A few houses down, it was of the city to find out who owned the disheveled lots he had a different story. “This guy’s got stuff scattered everywhere. If noted during our drive. Green River is a tight knit community, you opened the garage it’d make you cry. Why do you need and so far everyone he has worked with has complied without cardboard boxes sitting on your front lawn?” threats of lawsuits or bulldozers. “I don’t think it will ever get “I’m not the most organized person in the world either. there,” he said. I’ve got junk,” he continued. Growing up in a ranching family, For now, C.J. is focused on building up a stable of long- C.J. saw first hand how equipment and debris can pile up in term projects by “trying to get stuff going where I’m in stages the front yard. “As soon as I knew I was gonna get this job, we rather than all at once,” and studying how other cities handle said, ‘OK, I’ve gotta be just as good as I’m asking of people,’ nuisance ordinance enforcement. With C.J. on the job this so we went right to the property we owned on Main Street past year “we have seen results,” says Keith Brady. Residents and we tore all the trees out, put a new fence up, cleaned any are embracing the changes, and he notes that “City Council scrap iron or got it away.” Before the ordinance was reinstated, and the mayor have gotten comments from the city to be more Keith Brady says he felt “a bit of apathy in the town,” but now aggressive” with enforcement. hopes that the feeling of responsibility will be contagious and “A lot of people want overnight results,” C.J. said. But he “encourage people to take pride in their community.” knows that creating change takes time, and leading by example City Council has asked C.J. to focus on Broadway and Main is just as important as enforcement. Having lived in Green Riv- streets first, the parts of town most visible to travellers. One of er his entire life, C.J. is happy to have a job where his labor is C.J.’s first projects was the hotel at the corner of Long and Main, reinvested in positive changes for the city. “I have the avenues which had fallen into disrepair. “It looked bad, there were kids where I can help. Here and there you make a difference.” getting into it,” he said. He was able to negotiate an agreement

41 42 The People The People

1 2 Adventure Diary

by Sarah Siefken

The first time my best friend came to visit me in Green River, before their next destination. What these people don’t realize I could tell she was skeptical. is that Green River is the ultimate hub for some of the most Shasta and I both grew up in a big-ish city in the Midwest, amazing red rock adventures in the southwest. World-famous but I hit the road soon after college to move out West. For the canoe trips, ancient rock art, raging whitewater, killer moun- past seven years, I’d been begging her to come out and visit. I tain biking, and some of the weirdest rocks you’ve ever seen are serenaded her with tales of soaring red rock cliffs, sinuous slot just an hour drive from town. canyons, and raging rivers. “You’ll love it!” I promised, “It’s This town is full of adventures for anyone who’s willing to amazing out here. Come visit!” scratch the surface. Take another look. Shasta negotiated time off work, packed up her car, and After a week of adventures, I finally had Shasta convinced. drove 18 hours west. But when she pulled up to my driveway We spent her entire visit hiking, biking, and digging deep into last winter, it was a gray, nasty, negative-15-degree day. She the gorgeous red rock desert surrounding Green River. When spun around in a 360 and raised an eyebrow. I had some con- she loaded up her car to start the long drive back home, I think vincing to do. her initial skepticism towards this tiny town had turned into I think a lot of people have that same reaction. They see something closer to surprised amazement. She’ll be back. Green River as a utilitarian pit stop—somewhere to gas up

3 1 2 3 4 5 San Rafael Swell Westwater Labyrinth Rappelling Mountain Biking Rock Art Canyon Canyon Goblin’s Lair Klonzo Trails

Green River lies right If a flatwater trip The town of Green Goblin Valley State Everyone knows Moab on the eastern edge through Labyrinth River is the launching Park is just one hour is the mountain biking of the vast San Rafael Canyon sounds a spot for an epic canoe south of Green River, Mecca of the south- Swell—a gigantic uplift little too tame, a trip trip through Labyrinth and it’s full of the west. But honestly, I’m in the earth’s crust through Westwater Canyon. Over the weirdest rocks you’ll not a big fan of rocky, that’s filled with some will definitely crank it course of 3 days and ever see. Thousands technical trails. Luck- of the most gorgeous, up to 11. Westwater 2 nights, you’ll wind of people come ily, the smooth and intricate rock art in the is a 17-mile stretch of 68 miles past tower- every year to wander flowy Klonzo Trails are southwest. Some rock the Colorado River ing red rock cliffs to around the bizarre just an hour southeast art panels are tricky filled with gnarly Class the takeout at Mineral orange hoodoos of Green River. Like all to find (I still haven’t IV rapids. When Bottom. It’s a serious- called “goblins.” But if the best trail systems, found Ascending you’re not holding on ly gorgeous trip. The you really want a wild the Klonzo Trails Sheep!), but with a for dear life, you’ll see river snakes by bizarre experience, pack your make several concen- good map and sharp some incredible 1.7 rock art and scoots harness and rope. At tric loops, and you eyes, you can find billion year old rocks. around precipitous the eastern edge of can piece the trails 5 images painted onto Grab a permit with the bowknot bends. If you the park, the goblins together however you cliff walls thousands BLM ahead of time, forgot your canoe at come together to form want for a variety of of years ago. or book a trip with a home (it’s an honest a cave called the Gob- riding experiences. local rafting company. mistake!) you can rent lin’s Lair. Clip in, take Killer views of Arches one in town. a deep breath, and National Park and rappel 80 feet down the La Sal Mountains Sarah Siefken Sarah to the cave floor. are just the icing on the cake. Photos 4

43 44 The People The People

Dawna Dinkins is a Green River native. She is a waitress at the West Winds restaurant, and proud co-owner of a pack of mules with her husband Phillip Dinkins, who grew up in nearby Thompson Springs.

“I tried to paint one mule for each mule we have. See, we have a fat short one, we have a tall slim one, we have one with a long tail. Then we got a bony little one. The two colts are at the end. That’s me and Phillip!”

Dawna’s Mules “We play with them, we hitch them up to this wagon. We have a cover for the wagon. We’ll go out into the middle of the desert and have a day. We do the parade, the Mel- on Day’s parade. I rode, and packed the little white mule, and I had melons in the pack.” “I want to show you guys this. This is a quilt block from years ago. This is my grandpa’s mother and my grandpa’s dad. In the house next to us, there were like 100 of these quilt blocks. My mom and I, we made one of these for each of their descendents. ” —Dawna Dinkins

45 46 The People The People

Richard Seeley is a long-time resident of Green River. He was the mayor once. He is fascinated with petroglyphs in the area, and he will share his knowl- edge and enthusiasm about rock art panels, meta- physics, and celestial calendars if you just ask.

“When you first walk in there, on your right, there’s a guy that looks like he’s got a ball cap on. Well, it’s really his eyes, and according to the story his name is Eye Killer. Because he was terrible. When he’d get upset with you, he’d just kill you.”

Seeley’s Petroglyphs “In 1953, when I came back from the Korean War, the uranium thing was starting. I worked in the mines, mining uranium, driving the truck, hauling ore to the mill, and so on. But on weekends I’d go prospecting. That’s when I’d see this stuff, and I’d look at it and think, ‘This is not graffiti.’ ” “During the equinox, when the sun sets, a beam of sun hits Monster Slayer first, right there in the heart, because he’s pure of heart. Right after that, as the sun sinks, it goes right from his heart to Eye Killer, and it kills him. I think these are great stories.” —Richard Seeley

47 48 The People The People

Judith Trejo is a student at Green River High School. She is quick to smile and is a talent- ed musician. She was a 2013 Melon Queen attendant. A quinciñera is a celebration that takes place on a girl’s 15th birthday.

Julissa, Beto, and Florelissa

Bianca, Judith, Lissett, and Cecila

Judith singing “Stereo Hearts” by Gym Class Heros

Judith’s Quinciñera “A quinciñera is when a girl is becoming a young woman. You go to church and they ac- cept you as a young woman. And you dance Judith is dancing with Erick Mendez (the Chambelan de Honor), and the other Chambelanes are Jonny Mendez, Elieso Trejo, Javier with your dad and padrinos. All your family is Flores, Jaden Richards, Freddy Escalante, and Elias Trejo. accepting you as a young woman.” —Judith Trejo

Judith’s Cake

Photos Vega Video and Photography of Salt Lake City

49 50 Piles

Jo Anne Chandler

the Green River Archives Piles

If you talk to Jo Anne Chandler, you will need to take notes. Her official title isGreen River Archivist but you could argue that she almost embodies the archive. Grey board boxes on tall metal shelves, white plastic binders filled with photocopied oral histories, and black-and- white print-outs of old photograph scans—these might be the collection, but Jo Anne is the catalog.

The clippings, scans, and photographs on the following pages appear courtesy of the Green River Archives.

51 52 Piles Piles

53 54 Piles Piles

Olive Hunt

55 56 Piles Piles

57 58 Piles Piles

Pearl Baker

59 60 Piles Piles

61 62 The River The River The River

63 64 The River The River

The Green River is part of the greater Colorado River system of the Southwest. Snowmelt from the western slope of the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming, part of the Rocky Mountain Cordillera, feeds and creates its headwaters.1 However, in deep time, its source stems back ten million years ago when the river course was first established, incising the Uinta Mountains instead

From its headwaters in the Wind River Mountains, the Green Powell’s goal was to map the Colorado Plateau and, “he aimed of meandering around them, a fact that demonstrates drains forty-five thousand square miles, an area roughly sev- to fill the biggest blank still remaining between Atlantic and enty percent larger than that drained by the Colorado above Pacific shores.”11 At that time it was known that the Green did that the Green River was meandering before the moun- its confluence with the Green.4 Its volume and length make it eventually merge with the Grand River, creating the Colora- the Colorado’s largest tributary.5 It is over four hundred miles do which then curved through the Grand Canyon. However, 2 longer than the Grand and, under the rules of geographical nothing was known of the course the river took to reach the tains began to rise. From “wooded hills and green val- nomenclature is should be properly designated as the upper confluence or whether surviving the junction and lower river mainstem.6 Donald Worster writes in A River Running West: was likely. Writer William deBuys says that “the bearded, leys of the upper river” to “arid badlands and desert,” it The Life of John Wesley Powell, “In 1921 the state of Colorado, one-armed major... wanted to divine the geologic history of the with support of the U.S. Congress, perversely declared the land through which the river passed: Of what was it made, how Grand to be the mainstem, as though chauvinism could re- did it form, and what might it offer to the people of the United has long been known that “very early the river assumes peal the facts of nature.”7 However, despite the latent tension States?”12 Survive he did, arriving safely at the mouth of the 3 of its designated title, river runners have known for over a Virgin River and its Mormon settlements in Nevada on August its major role as a carver of canyons.” Beginning in the century where to put in. 30, ninety-eight days after their start. Then in 1871, Powell In 1869, John Wesley Powell, Professor of Geology at embarked on the Green yet again.13 The geological and anthro- Illinois Wesleyan University, put in at Green River, Wyoming, pological knowledge Powell gathered on his two journeys is as- state of Wyoming, it weaves its way down to northern along with his crew of ten men: George Young Bradley, Bill tounding. William deBuys writes, “Nothing in Powell’s life held Dunn, Frank Goodman, Andy Hall, Billy Hawkins, Oramel G. more consequence.”14 However, knowledge of the Colorado Utah, then east into northern Colorado, and then back Howland, Seneca Howland, Walter H. Powell, and John Colton Plateau was not his only contribution to the riverscape. He also Sumner.8 They took four boats—Emma Dean, Maid, Sister, and opened the Southwest to river explorers, exploiters, and rafting No-Name—and brought enough provisions to last them ten enthusiasts alike. —Ryann Savino again into Utah, where it continues through the state months.9 Sponsored by the Illinois Natural History Society,10 until its confluence with the Colorado in Canyonlands National Park. It is a river that crosses biomes and bor- ders, and it is a river of great proportions.

Footnotes 1. Roy Webb, If We Had A Boat: Green River Ex- 5. Ellen Meloy, Raven’s Exile: A Season on the Island Press, 2001. p. 51 plorers, Adventurers, and Runners. Salt Lake: Green River. New York: Henry Holt and 10. Wallace Stegner, Beyond the Hundredth University of Utah Press, 1986. p.7 Company, 1994. p. 7 Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second 2. John Wesley Powell River History Museum 6. Donald Worster, A River Running West: The Opening of the West. Boston: Houghton 3. Utah State Historical Society. Utah Historical Life of John Wesley Powell. New York: Oxford Mifflin Company, 1954. p. 45 Quarterly: The Colorado…River of the West. University Press, 2001. p.155 11. deBuys, p. 31 Ed. A.R. Mortenson. Vol. XXVII, No. 3. Salt 7. ibid 12. deBuys, p. 32 Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 8. John Wesley Powell River History Museum 13. deBuys, p. 51-52 July 1960, p. 251-252 9. William deBuys, Seeing Things Whole: The 14. deBuys, p. 13 Photo previous page Ryan Greaves 4. ibid Essential John Wesley Powell. Washington, DC

65 66 The River The River

Tributaries

An Exploration of Ancestry Through the Green River Watershed

by Ryann Savino

Ryann Savino first came to Green River in 2012 to learn about her late uncle, Phil Nelson, renowned river runner and former Green River resident. What follows is a series of vignetted excerpts from her written thesis for her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Humanities at Whitman College. They have been edited and arranged for publication.

Photo Ryann Savino

67 68 The River The River

I have heard and felt the river from the start of my earliest In October of 1972 Phil Nelson was twenty years old and try- days of life. I have lived the life of the river, felt its water ripple ing to hitchhike to El Paso, Texas, where his maternal grand- off my skin and sink into my eardrums. I must now take the mother lived. I do not know where he was hitchhiking from or Green riverscape for itself and begin to listen as it explains the how long he had been on the road; all I know is what he found. watershed of my ancestry, as it reveals my story to me. Years later, in an unpublished essay, he wrote, “In the early 1970’s, like a lot of us, I was adrift. Hitchhiking around the West. Looking for something that made sense.” In the middle A river is, by definition, a collection of tributaries. Small creeks of Phoenix, along Interstate 10, he was picked up by a Vietnam and pulsing waterways come together to form a larger body, a veteran named Mike. Over a lunch of cheeseburgers and fries culmination of hydraulic majesty. The Green River offers such at Dairy Queen, Mike turned to Phil in slow motion, saying majesty. From its headwaters in the Wind River Mountains it that he wasn’t quite ready to go back to see his own family in collects flow and coalesces with other streams before its own Texas just yet. “I’m going up to Hermit Creek for a while or confluence with the fabled Colorado. Its tributaries are many, so. I got some stuff in my head to sort out before I go home. some less noteworthy for their significance, but all play a role Texas can wait.”3 Then he asked Phil if he’d like to join him. I in sustaining the Green. In Wyoming, Horse Creek, New Fork imagine Phil sitting in the hard plastic chair, all his possessions River, Black’s Fork, Henry’s Fork, Sage Creek, Big Sandy River, in a pack in the back of Mike’s 1960 Chevy station wagon. He and others pulse into the main stem. The Yampa River with its scratches at the stubble on his cheeks, looks out the window, silt-heavy flow merges with the Green in northern Colorado, turns back to Mike and says, “Yes.” adding rich colors to the clear water exiting Flaming Gorge ­I saw two drafts of a particular essay Phil wrote, one titled, Dam. Then Utah contributes to the geomorphology of the wa- “The Hook is Set. Grand Canyon,” and the other, “The Start.” tershed with the liquid veins of the Duchesne River, White Riv- These two titles thoroughly describe the transformation that er, Price River, and San Rafael. All of these tributaries directly overcame Phil’s life after making that one fated trip down into impact the hydraulics of the Green, their confluences acting as the Grand Canyon. Having never backpacked before, Phil points of reference in the life of the mother flow. switched-back down into that first sandstone crack with Mike If a river is, by definition, a collection of tributaries, then and was hooked, not to be released for the rest of his days. a desert river is a miracle of hydraulics. Western desert rivers Something about the Southwest arrested his attention. Many originate in high altitudes of snow-capped peaks and curve years later Phil would write, “I returned to the Grand Canyon down through rock until they are cradled in the red rock can- whenever I could. Usually hiking by myself…I put over 2,000 yons of the Southwest. Sediment load, flow velocity, and stream miles on foot in the Grand Canyon, mostly in the 1970’s.” 4 The power are the three main characteristics which determine desert of the Southwest became a sort of refuge for Phil, and he the alluvial channel of a desert watershed and are heightened always kept a river close. during flash floods, which cut the river channel deeper.1 Their sheer presence in such arid landscapes is a miracle, leaving scars across biomes that appear to be bone dry. The land that Right now I am sitting atop a red rock boulder, my knees held wraps around their banks is thirsty, ready to drink the water’s close to my chest, and my gaze overlooking the Green River flow. Yet, they persist, their resilience a testament to their and Labyrinth Canyon in Utah. majesty. Then there is family, a mirror of the river, its system Green River, as a town, is heartbreakingly thirsty and stun- of collection reflected back from the watershed carving itself ning, which cannot help but make me wonder how interesting through the land. A family, by some definitions, is a collection a person my Uncle Phil must have been. I imagine him sitting of ancestors coming into their living descendants. An indi- atop this same red rock boulder, gazing out at this canyon, and vidual offspring, like a desert river, is a miracle. It has been feeling incredibly at peace. I wish we could sit here together, understood that the world of genetics creates an individual’s maybe pass some whiskey back and forth. He could tell me his possibility of existence as one in sixty-four trillion.2 Try and tell life. I could tell him mine. I know that cannot happen, but it is me an individual is not a miracle of genetics. Try and tell me a somewhat nice to allow myself to imagine. desert river is not a miracle of water’s survival in an arid land. This trip has been beauty. These canyons hold stories I could only dream to know. This water with its pistachio brown green tint flows as though it is refreshing my soul. I have felt ­My mind carries my line of vision back to Bobby Anderson’s a sense of connection and communion with Uncle Phil. This, kitchen. It is January 5th, 2013. My socks are cold against the in all ways, is a whole new world to me. It is dry and cracked, white-tiled floor, there is fresh cherry pie on the counter, and my saturated and content, and the colors—these desert canyon hand encircles a glass of water on the kitchen table. Bobby turns colors—are soothing my soul big time. I can see why people to me. “I just want you to know,” she says, “you are the descen- come here and get hooked. Why one might stay in Green River. dant of one of the greatest river runners there has ever been.” Why one might return. Photos Ryann Savino

Footnotes 1. Ron Cooke, Ron, Andrew Warren, and 2. Delbert Hutchison. Message to the Author. 3. Phil Nelson. “The Start.” N.d. TS. Andrew Goudie. Desert Geomorphology. 17 April 2013. Email. Collection of Katherine Brown London: University College London, 4. ibid 1993. p.151

69 70 The River The River

Separation Canyon Green River, Stillwater Canyon

by Phil Nelson

Photo courtesy of Katherine Brown

This story originally appeared in River Stories, published by Desert Water Press. © Phil Nelson 2009. Reprinted with permission.

71 72 The River The River

Forward Sonny was going to fish. But down canyon were some darkening clouds and he decided to get out before the People float rivers for many reasons. Some go for the roads turned to mud. It turned out to be a wise decision. So excitement of whitewater rapids. Others like to relax. Cast we say our goodbyes and he heads out. I’m loitering around a line out. the launch site. It’s around 4pm. There are folks around. I’m You’ll find stories of treacherous water. Exciting situa- kinda in the way. It’s a narrow ramp. So I decide to push off tions. Natural calamities. Some outrageous human behavior. and go down the river. And some peaceful, thoughtful moments, inside. I floated a couple of miles. Saw a nice beach on the My style of boating is a bit different than most. I tend to right and pulled in. This will do fine. get out on small streams, in small boats, for long periods. I was watching the clouds down canyon becoming ever Usually alone. darker. They seemed to be low, just over the rim. Then, the My equipment has been specialized over the years. It all rim became hazy. I knew what that meant. I put everything fits in order. I’ve tried and tested equipment and ideas over loose inside my tent. Secured the boat. decades now. What works for me may not suit you. A slight breeze came up. I watched the sand cloud Before you go, ask yourself, “What are my abilities?” pour off the rims, down the walls, and up the river bottom You may not admit them to us. But be true to yourself. Deni- towards me. I jumped in the tent. The first wind hits hard. al is a powerful thing. So are rivers. I’m spread eagle on the floor trying to keep the tent from Multi-day river trips will teach you a lot about yourself. blowing away. Then. The rain starts. Poles are bending. Big Be forewarned! It can be habit forming. drops come pouring down in torrents. And now the light- I’ve chosen these stories from many. I hope you’ll enjoy ning. It would flash a mile away. A few seconds and BOOM. them. All events, locations, names, are true. Only the rivers Boom. Boo-oo-om. Echoing throughout the canyon. have changed to protect their innocence. I can hardly see. The tent has formed around me. I can hardly find the zipper. When I do, I open the door just Separation Canyon enough to see out. There are waves a foot high moving Green River, Stillwater Canyon upstream. Orange waterfalls pouring off the rims. This went on for an eternity. Well, maybe an hour. I Below my hometown of Green River, Utah, the Green River watched this show from my peephole. When it calmed flows for 120 miles through some of the finest scenery in down some I ventured outside. The river is now an orange Utah. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been down sherbet color. It’s still too breezy to fire up the camp stove. there. I often go alone. But I nearly always meet people. Most I’m not putting the stove inside the tent. If the wind should are friendly. Others have brought their problems with them. roar through again and push the walls in, well, I’d have melt- ed nylon to deal with. September 2003 When I crawled back inside at dark, the strangest thing happened. The wind had picked up again and was flapping I planned on launching at Mineral Bottom and going on the tent. I guess it was static electricity. Sparks would light down to the Confluence. A distance of 52 miles. up and pop. The tent would light up in an eerie glow. But first. You have to figure out how to get out. You And sure enough. It starts raining again. It rained pretty can continue downstream through Cataract Canyon, “The hard for awhile. Then tapered off into a drizzle for most of Graveyard of the Colorado.” Or, get a jetboat ride back the night. I’d poke my eyes through the peephole and see up the Colorado River to Moab. You also need a Flatwater the lightning flash. And for a split second you could see the Permit from the National Park Service. orange waterfalls pouring off the walls of the canyon. My buddy, Sonny, follows me in his truck to Moab. First Hard to sleep when you’re this close to the river and stop is the jetboat operators. I make a date for the pickup. thunder cannons are going off. Pay some money, get the ticket. At sunrise, the canyon is clear and calm. Not a cloud. Then to the Post Office where I purchase a money order Birds are chirping. River is orange and hasn’t risen. for $20, because the Park Service doesn’t take cash. Across the river is the White Rim Road. It leads to the Next stop is the Park Service. At the front window I road that takes you over to the put-in. I thought I’d paddle announce my intentions, and I’m shown down the hall to an over and see how the road conditions were. I get in the office. I show my “way out” ticket. They print up a permit for empty boat and paddle over to the other side. I tie up and me. All set. Almost. walk over through some wet shrubs. The road is a mess. It’s Sonny and I have lunch. I get a few last minute things. cut through with gullies. Mud all over the place. It’s nice out Then it’s back to the outfitters yard, where I leave my car. though. So I decide to walk over to the launch site and see I jump in Sonny’s truck and we head down the highway what happened over there. towards Dead Horse point. Before the park, we leave the Just past the junction with Mineral Bottom Road, I see pavement and drive down the switchbacks before arriving at a small white pickup truck. It’s stuck in a wash with mud a Mineral Bottom. foot deep. There’s no one around. Footprints head off to the The usual unloading, inflating, packing. This time I’ve boat ramp area. brought an awning for the frame and it takes a bit longer When I arrived, I talked with the Ranger. He’s wandering to assemble. around assessing the situation. A woman is helping an older Photos courtesy of Katherine Brown

73 74 The River The River

fellow unload a cataraft. He said he’d But too soon the wind is picking up (real name), we discover the low water my favorite parts of the canyon. I want small drainages. No footprints on the and don’t see it. In the meantime, other spent a miserable night upstream and and blowing me around. Clouds are has exposed a rocky riffle. Gregg is it to pass slowly. bare rock. I was parched. All that wa- stuff is floating away. was ready to leave. His wife had come coming up from the south. And I’m worried about damaging his hull. I plan to make camp at Valentine’s ter in the river, and not a drop up here. I’m throwing what’s left into the to get him, but the truck was stuck. looking for somewhere to pull in and We solve this problem by walking Bottom. I’ll explore around there. When I got back to the boat, I tent. At least things are contained Minutes later, a black Toyota with a batten down. out into the rapid and relocating a few Some people tried to settle there in drank a quart of water. I float some in there. wooden sea kayak on the roof pulls in When you’re way down in these obstructive rocks. They squeeze into the early 1900’s. more. The canyon narrows below “Where did all this water come to the parking lot. canyons, you are unable to see out for their cockpits and make it through with When I arrived at the bottom I Turk’s Head. A mile or so below, I from?” “How’d you get around that truck?” the weather. It’s a narrow rim-to-rim just a few bumps. But all’s well. They found a nice camp right where the see a beautiful sandbar shining in the I grab the stove, but the pots have I ask them. window. Like yesterday, it can come pull into a beach below and wait for me. river starts to curve around the bottom. sunshine. When I get there, I pull over floated away. I grabbed some cans, “We just drove around it. Is that in fast. Gregg and I have a cigarette I walked around and found an old and walk around. It’s big and I can see clothes, and put them in my chair. your truck?” Nothing very promising in the way and exchange addresses and phone wooden boat and some old lumber. that others have used this beach not It’s dark. The moon hasn’t come out “No. It belongs to that couple over of campsites in this area. Better pad- numbers. I figured I wouldn’t see them Lots of cans. long ago. I see indentations of canoe yet. No clouds. The stars are out. I’m there unloading that raft. She got dle hard and make some miles in hope again, at least not on this river trip. Back at camp, I’ve got the “Doors” bows that were pulled in. Footprints all sloshing around in the middle of the stuck and walked over. I’m sure they’d of finding something flat and dry. That boat of theirs is fast. on the headphones. “Choose the day. around. And though it’s a little early, I river in the middle of the night. like to leave soon. Her husband has As I approach the first bend of Fort Half an hour later I’m approaching Couples. Naked. Race down by it’s decide to make this my camp. I saved what I could. The water spent a trying night on the river.” Bottom, I find a good enough beach a very large beach backed by the quiet side. And we laugh. Like soft, At the river’s edge, the bank rises is slowly rising. Back behind me is a “Okay. We’ll help them out, but first and head for it. I’ll have to plod through White Rim Sandstone. It must be a mad children. Shake dreams from up a couple feet over the water. 15 higher spot. Still dry. I move everything I need to get this kayak off the roof.” the mud to reach the dry part. That’ll quarter mile long. And there. In the your hair, my pretty one. A vast radiant feet away is dry sand. I’ll put the tent over there. There isn’t much of a bank So I help unload this beautiful be a small price to pay, because I can middle, are Gregg and Joy, setting beach, and a cool jeweled moon. The over there. Since I have lots of time, I’ll behind the sand bar. It rises up to mahogany sea kayak off the roof onto see that hazy cloud obscuring the rims camp. It was so nice that I told them I time has come again.” do inventory of my food and supplies. meet the canyon wall. I can gain some the ground. It’s a two-person and quite down the canyon. And here comes the was camping down at the far end. Thanks, Jim Morrison. Nearly 40 I have two gallons of drinking water height. But the bank is choked with long. I’ve never seen anything quite wind. I barely got the tent up. Throw The full moon rose over the wall. years later. But you blew it with heroin. remaining. I’ll put that back in the boat tamarisk. It’s not much use to me. I’d like it down here. some bags and myself inside. When No wind. No rain. Finally. We’re get- Shame. later. First, I drag the boat up on top have a hard time getting all this gear The couple from California drive it blows horizontally, I’m holding down ting post-card-perfect weather. That night was fairly calm. of the bank. Then I load the water jug up in that mess. myself and the other couple over to the tent, at Fort Bottom. Morning was warm and still. Gregg Day 4. Is that all it is? I’ll go a few inside. I’m worried that the wind will So. I’m sitting in my chair. Saved their truck. We all get out and try to It rained some more that night. For brought some fresh coffee over. I miles down to the Turk’s Head area blow an empty boat away. I’ve seen everything I could. And I’m pissed! push it out. The wheels just spin. We a while it poured pretty good. Can’t walked back with him to their camp. today. Where, you and I, will walk this happen. Yelling profanities into the canyon. get a rope and fasten it to the bum- sleep well when it’s like this. They need to catch up on time so around and see. I’ve got lots of food. A quart of I don’t have a pot to boil water in to pers. The Toyota spins. It’s not going In the morning, it’s all wet and they’re packing up early. Lots of life here. Spend some time homemade Kahlua. 10 packs of ciga- make coffee. Not that I need to wake anywhere. muddy. Around the bend I can see that They soon left. I’m in no hurry. It’s a looking around. Sometimes, it seems rettes in a waterproof box. up. But I’m all wet and something to Way up on the switchbacks we the sun is shining in. But it won’t get great beach. I walk around for a couple that the only way to see stuff is to see Some stinky socks and t-shirts warm me up would help. I find the hear and then see a large 4-wheel in here for another couple of hours. I of hours. A ferry used to run through it alone. “Where are we going today? get washed in the river, then hung on bottle of Kahlua and drink it straight. drive truck coming down. As it ap- elect to leave quickly and get some here. You can get on top of the When is lunch? How long is this going the awning to dry. Everything seems There’s half a pack of cigarettes I had proaches, we see that it’s an outfitter’s sun. I’ll just put the wet tent in its bag sandstone at a notch upstream. Great to take?” just fine. in the mesh pocket in the tent. Okay, rig out of Moab. When they stop, they and dry it out later. views up and down the canyon. I sit By yourself you can do anything I took out the stove from the plastic settle down some. get chains out and hook on to the rear Drifting around the bend into on the edge of the rim listening to the you want. Everything you want. And no kitchen box. I made some coffee and The river is still rising. Slowly. At its of the stuck truck and pull it right out. sweeping views. No clouds. I’m bask- “Moody Blues” on the CD player. one complains. put lots of Kahlua in. peak it was three inches deep where Everybody’s happy. So I turn and walk ing in the sunshine. I pull over and set Today the river is back to its normal There’s a story in all you see. All When darkness bored me, I I sat. I assess the situation. Maybe I down the road to my boat. Did that ap- up my lawn chair. Pull the tent out to tan color. I hadn’t gone but a mile that you hear. Feel. Feel the sun on crawled into the tent. Took off my could walk back to Turks Head? Could pear unusual to anybody? I guess not. dry, and get out a paperback book to when that darn wind blows in. It came your skin. The air moving past your shoes and placed them outside the I? I have one left shoe. There’s another I paddle my boat back to camp read for a while. out of nowhere. It blew so hard I could ears. The little critters who live here. door. My sleeping bag is draped over pair on the boat. I have half a gallon and have another cup of coffee. Load In less than an hour the tent is make no progress whatsoever. An- What do they feel? Perhaps it’s a my Paco Pad (air mattress). I laid there of drinking water. All the stuff I have up camp and soon I’m back on the dry. I’ve made some more coffee cuz I other curse of these inflatable kayaks. better life than we know. And what do for awhile and went to sleep. needs to become portable. Floatable. I orange river. didn’t get enough before running out They float right on top of the water we know? Not much, really. Later, I was awakened by a strange make a plan. I’ve gone about two miles when I of the mud camp. So I guess it’s time and get pushed like a bubble. I gave So don’t ask me what time is lunch. sound. It sounded like a log or some- First. Get the sleeping bag. Lay notice the wood kayak coming down. to float. up and headed for shore. Fighting the Eat when you’re hungry. Speaking of. thing was sliding over the sand. The it over the chair and wring out all the I’m drifting, as usual, and they’re pad- When I’d nearly completed the wind is a waste of energy. The wind al- I’m having roast beef in a can. Says kind of your boat bottom makes when water you can. Put it in the big water- dling. They reach me soon enough. long loop of Fort Bottom, here comes ways wins. Wind waves are moving up it’s from Argentina. This cow has done you grind into the shore. It went quiet. I proof bag. Put the cans and heavier “Just admiring your boat,” says the Gregg and Joy in the kayak. They’re the river. I hang out behind a collapsed some traveling. I open the can and paid it no mind. I dozed off again. But things in the “action packer” boxes. I woman in front. taking pictures. We drift together for wall out of the wind and wait. pour the chunks and gravy into a pan only for a few seconds. My right hand have two of them. They float as long “Thanks. It’s pretty comfy.” a while. Then we pulled over at the When the wind finally blew out, and warm it up. Yum. Yea, I know, you was resting on the floor of the tent, as they don’t tip over. Water will pass We talk some. I think they said beginning of the White Rim Sandstone I got back in the boat and head for vegetarians are probably retching. and suddenly it was wet. What? What! through the gap where the lid joins. I they had five days. But they would be as it emerges from the river. They tell the other side at Anderson Bottom. Eat what you want. But I gotta tell ya. I grabbed my flashlight. Water all pack them with balance in mind. I drag taking the jetboat out before I would. me they’ve had their kayak out on the I walk around and look at the history You can’t do this my way and have your over. I unzipped the door. I’m in the them out into deeper water and watch Said this was their first time here. San Francisco Bay. But this is their of the place. fresh food. There’s no room for river. It’s flowing all around me. One them float. Satisfied, I bring them back They paddle past me. I don’t first river journey. It was a last minute I push the boat out into the current a cooler. Think about it. shoe is floating outside the door. I to what’s left of the high ground. On paddle much on the Green. Later that decision. and just float. Stillwater Canyon Day 5. I’ve spent the day on the grab it and toss it in the tent. I run out the back of my chair, I have a daypack day, I see their kayak pulled up on the We float into a most enjoyable after- begins here. This long straightaway is other side of the river. Been hiking in several inches of water. No boat! It’s strapped to it. Inside is a 20-foot length left. I passed on by. Didn’t see them. noon. Arriving at Queen Anne’s Bottom, nearly three miles long, and is one of around. I nearly became lost in all the gone. I shine the light down the river of ¼ inch poly rope. I tie the two boxes

75 76 The River The River

together in the center with the bags foam, as the case may be. from the rock. I paddle with my hands surrounding them. The waterproof At last. I see a small sandy area on and retrieve the Paco Pad. Throw it in bags are filled with as much air as I can my side just ahead. But I can’t get to it the front. allow without leakage. I have a raft. in time to pull in, and it slips by. Then “Look at this! Shoes. Drinking water. And me? Am I going to get on that I see another one a bit larger and I am Sunscreen. All kinds of goodies! Oh thing? No. I know that I can float on determined to get there. Before it gets happy day!” I pulled over at the earliest the Paco Pad. I’ve floated on mine away, I come off the Paco Pad and find opportunity to break down my “raft” before. It’ll barely float me, as long as footing with my feet. Then I pull the raft and properly load the items in their I don’t move much. and the pad onto the beach. original locations. Yes! All I gotta do is wait for the sky Whew! I’m shaking pretty bad. I’ve Hand paddling is a little tricky. But to lighten. So I can see what the hell come about 2 miles. Maybe I should I manage to get through the riffle okay. I’m doing. The water hasn’t risen any just wait for someone to come by and Now, let’s pull over to that long beach more. Luck again. Lucky? Why sure. If have mercy on me. I smoke half a wet and have a proper celebration. the river had risen much more, I’d be cigarette. Drink some water. And wait The boat is covered with foam. No floating in the dark and it would be a for the sun to come shining in. When it wonder I could barely see it. Only the worse experience than this. does, I warm up fast. I decide to give it very tops of the tubes are still blue. I On the other side of the river is a another go. The foam is letting up into unload all the bags and boxes. Lay out higher beach. I can still see the top patches now. Water doesn’t feel so the wet sleeping bag. Erect the tent for above water. But with this untried rig, cold, but it is. air drying. I laid the on the Paco Pad I’m not sure I could get over there I float for another hour like this, but and dozed off. before being carried off. So for now, I just can’t take the cold anymore. I I awoke when I heard voices I’m staying put. I do not want to go can’t go all the way to the confluence coming from up the river. Upstream, swimming just yet. like this. just entering the rapids, are a couple Photo courtesy of Katherine Brown Then came the foam. Now, I get out and wait a half hour and of canoes. They move on through and wouldn’t that make a good movie title? warm up. Then go back in. This time I pull over on my beach. They bail out It was a 6-inch mass of tan-colored feel better. I’m still 15 miles from the some water. soap suds. Yuck! It’s starting to get end. Soon, I’ll come to Horse Canyon, “Hey. Do you have a map?” light. My “raft” is tied to the chair and I where there’s a riffle at low water. And “Yea. Do you have any tobacco?” think it’s time to leave. a big beach below. I decide that’s as “Sorry. We don’t smoke.” My life jacket is in the boat. Wish far as I’ll go. When I get there, I’ll dry I dig out my river guide. They I had it. It would help. Well. Here we out my gear and wait for mercy. are looking for Jasper Canyon. They go. I put the chair on top. Tie it down But wait. Did I just see something thought this might be it. But it’s the with some shoelaces I had in the box. blue? I can see over a mile down- next canyon down. No rolling papers. I thought I brought “But stay and talk to me. It’s too The jetboat shows around noon Then walk the thing out into the deeper stream and I thought I saw the same I explain what happened to me. some. Guess not. I have some loose quiet down here. My daughter’s off the next day. We all return to Moab in water. I hold the raft by the rope in my color blue as my boat. Sure. I want to They had camped at Turks Head last pipe tobacco, slightly wet. somewhere looking for Indian ruins. a few hours. The jetboat is pulled out hand, and lay myself on the Paco Pad. see it. But now it’s not there. I’m so out night and were high enough up that I’ve lost my plastic take-apart I come from Chicago. My daugh- of the river onto a trailer and towed That’s the tricky part. It wants to slip of it I’m starting to hallucinate. Depres- they didn’t notice the water had come paddle. My two stainless steel pots. ter had to share a father/daughter into town. At the office, I start my car out from under me. sion sets in. up. Just the foam. One right tennis shoe. Some socks. experience and she brought me to this and bring it over near the boat and get I’m in the river and letting the cur- But wait. There is something We chat for a while. They’ll be Two t-shirts, a carton of cigarettes in God-awful place. I could care less. I’d my gear. rent take me away. At first, I couldn’t blue. A thin blue line, and then I see taking the same jetboat that I will. They a plastic box. And a fork and coffee rather be drinking with my buddies in I visit a C-store and get two packs hold the rope and paddle with my the frame and the awning, with some loan me a spare canoe paddle. cup. Not too bad. I can replace all this the V.F.W. bar.” of cigarettes, a couple of cokes and hands. So I tied the rope to my left shirts hanging from it. HOLY NED! It is If I had waited for the mercy, these rather easily. Respect gained from the I tell him I’m a Cubs fan. some donuts. Low sugar, I guess. I shoe and this freed my hands. I keep my boat! As I get closer, I see it really people would have been my saviors. river−priceless.­ He says he likes the Bears and drive back home to Green River. an eye out for any gear that might get is. It seems to be stuck on a rock. It’s But this all worked out just fine. I dragged the boat way up. Tied couldn’t give a shit about baseball. Where I learned that it had rained over caught up in the shore vegetation. wiggling back and forth. Depression They leave me and head downriver. it to my tent. And I slept very well “Well. I gotta go. I’ve got a jetboat to two inches the afternoon before it But the foam is covering everything leaves. Joy and happiness return. As I smoke a dried out cigarette. Then that night. catch. Maybe I’ll se ya at the pick up.” caught me 100 miles below. up. All that can be seen of me is my I drift closer, I can see that it’s in the heat up a can of soup right in the can. One more day and one more night “Don’t leave yet. I want to talk to you I visited Sonny. Told him the story. toes, knees, and my head sticking up current, up against a rock, pivoting. Eat it down and wash out the can on the river. I’m going to get to the some more. Make some noise, will ya. He directed me to his backyard where above the foam. The raft is pulling me The current moves by pretty fast. Pay in the river. Boil some water in it to confluence today. So I’m off and back It’s too quiet down here.” he produced a dog screw. A big stain- down the river. The water is kinda cool. attention! I’ve got to get close by to clean it up real good. Then boil some on the water. I prefer this means over Some people. I back away and turn less steel screw with a triangle handle. I guess about 60 degrees. And after grab it. Don’t miss it. I might not get drinking water in it for a cup of coffee yesterday’s type of floating. My jetboat into the current. I’m not used to the “Just screw it into the dirt or sand. You an hour of this, I’m starting to chill. another chance. When I get close, I that I didn’t get this morning. I still have comes tomorrow. canoe paddle. But it’s far better than take this with you.” Shaking. I need to get out soon and slip the rope off my foot and hold it in a plastic cup. I always bring two. I lost At Jasper I see an old man sitting my hands. The miles go pretty fast. I’m It goes everywhere with me warm up. There isn’t much in the way my hand. I paddle near and reach out one to the river. Damn, that’s good in the stern of a canoe, facing shore. I ready to leave. now. When I tie up the boat, I remem- of a landing around here, just walls for the frame of my boat. coffee. pull alongside and ask him if he’s got At the last mile, I have a ritual I like ber you. You may never get on the and rock. It’s hard to steer my raft to Got it! The Paco Pad slips out from I walked barefoot up and down any cigarettes. to do. It’s the Doors again. I put on river with me, can’t blame you really. the side. When I stroke with my hands, under me. I let off some slack on the the beach with this wonderful cup of “No. I don’t smoke anymore.” He the headphones and play “The End.” But thanks. I move, but the raft refuses, and I tend rope and roll myself onto the boat. Tie coffee. While smoking my pipe, I find looks at me kinda weird. Glances at It starts with a helicopter sound. “No to submerge under water. Or, under the rope to the frame and push away that I have only three cigarettes left. the awning. safety or surprises, the end.”

77 78 The River The River

Green River Redux

by Ian McCluskey

Although residents of Green River had seen a handful of boats from the Utah Department of Fish and Game. boaters float down to the old railroad bridge and pull up, More than 50 years after the brief encounter with the the three who arrived one windy afternoon in October French trio, river historian Roy Webb of the University 1938 were different. News spread fast. of Utah was interviewing one of the men. Roy tells the “Back then, why, nothing happened in Green River story: “As he started talking about Genevieve, he got that the entire town didn’t know all about,” recalls Rey very animated and very excited about it. His wife came Lloyd Hat. “And so it was quite a lot of excitement that walking by from the kitchen and said, ‘Are you talking some people were coming down the river in kayaks. about that French girl again?’ And then she just shook And I heard about it from a fella who took pictures. And her head and walked on.” that was quite a novelty back then—anyone who had When the French arrived in Green River, they were a camera. And he was headed down to the river to get getting a window into the Wild West; when the resi- some pictures of Frenchmen in kayaks.” dents of Green River met the French, they were getting The strangers had traveled halfway around the world a glimpse of the future—a new generation of outdoor to reach the tiny Utah town. recreationalists. They arrived in Green River in small, narrow boats “They were far ahead of contemporary American made of canvas stretched over light-weight wooden river runners, who usually had a wooden boat, engineer frames. The watercraft seemed far too fragile to have boots, a campfire, a gun, a fishing pole, and a jug of just emerged from Desolation Canyon, just up river. moonshine,” explains Roy. In contrast, the French wore No one in town had seen a kayak before, because inflatable life jackets, padded helmets, and packed pup no one had ever taken a kayak down the river before. tents and down sleeping bags into dry bags—the van- But even more unusual of a sight: one of the boaters was guard of today’s river runners. One could say the first of a woman—young, beautiful, vivacious. She wore a silk an REI generation. scarf over her strawberry blonde hair, a khaki shirt, The French trio represented a pivot point between and canvas shorts with a coyote tail hooked into a back a new and old way of exploring the river. In the old tra- belt loop. dition, they were on a long expedition, setting off from Genevieve had arrived with her newlywed husband, Wyoming, and following the path of the river as far as trip leader Bernard, and their best friend, Antoine. they could (eventually making it all the way to Arizona). The three French kayakers pulled up to what is They stuffed their kayaks with provisions for long now the state park. A group of townsfolk had gathered, stretches of isolation in remote and rugged canyons. But watching them unpack. the French trio set out not to survey or prospect, farm “Anything new in Green River, everybody was there,” or ranch, drill or develop, but simply to run the river for recalls Waldo Wilcox. “I was in school at the time.” The the pure adventure. teacher let Waldo and the other students head to the We arrive to Green River sore, soaked, sunburned, river to see the visitors. sandy. Like the French, we have come to Green River, The French trio had stopped upriver at Waldo’s par- not only with kayaks but also with cameras. ents’ ranch, the McPherson ranch. The McPhersons had Seventy-five years after their pioneering journey put the French up for a night, and invited them to join down the river, I have gathered a small team to follow in the fall branding. In appreciation, when the French their path. With me are two other kayakers, Paul and arrived in Green River, they invited the McPherson boys, Kate. Two of the French were newlyweds, and Paul and Waldo and Don, for rides in the kayaks. Kate are engaged. Together, we form our own trio. “And we was the only kids in Green River that got to But we have not come purely for historic reenact- do it,” recalls Waldo with a chuckle. “About all I remem- ment. We’re not in canvas kayaks or wool clothes. We’re ber: The woman was very pretty.” not pretending to be them, or attempting to step back- Genevieve seemed to have that effect. wards in time. Our quest is not just about the past, but She had just celebrated her 22nd birthday, deep in also about the present. the canyon of Lodore. There, the French encountered With us is a small volunteer film team. Like the another boat party—a half dozen men in two wooden French, we are documenting our trip. They recorded

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themselves in color 16mm film—so ahead of its time in 1938 a Green River resident but found in the garbage dump. Joanne that even Hollywood hadn’t yet released a color movie. So in counts all of these among her treasures. the same spirit, we’re working with modern equipment, from The Green River Archives also holds the town’s yearbooks. our GoreTex dry suits to our HD DSLR cameras. Including Jo Anne’s year, 1967. “That’ll tell you how old I am,” Like the French before us, and John Wesley Powell before she jokes. them, we are on an expedition into the “Great Unknown.” Our Jo Anne was runner up to Melon Days Queen. She has a quest is to uncover whatever we can about the French Trio— photo of her in the Melon Days court. Her parents had moved about who they were, where they came from, and where they from Virginia, and Joanne suddenly found herself transported went. Our plan is to stop where they stopped, meet the people from the greens of the piedmont and debutant balls to the they met, or their decedents. To uncover photos, letters, news ash-colored hills of Green River and Friday night dances in the clippings… whatever we can to fill in this lost chapter of histo- basement of the Midland. ry. And, in doing so, we hope to have an adventure ourselves. “If I had known you then, who would I have met?” I When we arrive to Green River, we head straight to—as is asked her. the custom with so many river runners—Ray’s Tavern. Then “Oh,” she says, with a twinkle in her eye. “You would have we crash at the Holiday River Expeditions bunkhouse, and had fun!” wash off river mud. She shares with us something we weren’t expecting. At dawn, two of our crew members get to fly above the can- Among her many boxes of unsorted photos, she found a few of yons with Red Tail Aviation. For days we had been deep in the the French kayakers from their time in Green River. canyons, craning our necks up. Now, we are seeing the wide We spread them out across the table. scale of the West. On the river, we were always in contact with “These were unlabeled, just clumped together,” she says. water. From the air, the most striking impression is how small Jo Anne shows us a letter written by one the French—the the river looks, how thin the ribbon of water among the vast best friend, Antoine. It’s a thank-you for sending copies of the wrinkles and ridges of redrock that stretch beyond eyesight in photos taken of the French when they stopped in Green River. every direction. The letter is his own handwriting, with his name, signed at the When the French arrived in Green River, they stopped at a bottom. There is something indescribably tangible about seeing melon stand. So, in the same spirit, we stop at a melon stand the handwriting. The pen pressed into the paper. by the side of the road, run by Nancy Dunham. This is exactly what I had come to Green River to find. A “I’ve told people everywhere in the country that they can’t trace, even if small, of the French kayakers. even stop in Green River because they get sand in their shoes I had set out on this quest because the traces had been so and they won’t leave,” says Nancy. “Green River is a little bit of few, and so elusive. I was drawn by curiosity to learn more paradise. Not a whole lot, but a little bit.” about the incredible adventure of the three French kayakers Widowed now, Nancy came with her late husband to who had made history in 1938 but had been forgotten to time. Green River from the East during the uranium boom. Their Perhaps prophetically, the three French had nicknamed kids started growing melons as a 4-H project, and when they themselves “the voyageurs without trace.” They had gotten the realized that Green River’s water, sun, and soil were the perfect idea because as they looked back, they saw the wake of their combination, Nancy got into the melon business. kayaks fading as they passed. In a town known for its booms and busts (peaches, oil, Before Green River, we’d stopped in Vernal to shoot. The uranium, missiles), melons have been a mainstay. In fact, each French had stopped there as well. They had stayed with river year the town celebrates with the Melon Days festival, and runner Bus Hatch and his family. The Hatch house, built by appoints a Melon Queen. The 2012 Melon Queen, Destiney Bus himself, still stands in Vernal. As we shot a few exteriors, Holbrook, agreed to show us around. a car slowly cruised up and rolled down the window. Two We saw the bridge where the French trio paddled and teenage girls watched us film, and then one asked: “Y’all mak- pulled up their kayaks. The Midland Hotel, where the French ing a movie?” trio had dinner with Norm Nevills of Mexican Hat, who would “A documentary,” we answered. become famous in his own right as one of Utah’s very first She popped her bubblegum as she thought this over. “You commercial river guides. Destiney showed us the fire station, mean like Ghost Hunters?” where her grandfather was Fire Chief, and her high school, “Yeah,” we said. “Kind of.” where she is one of 22 students in her graduating class. Last We had come in search of ghosts—the three French, gone. year, she says, it was just 17. Their traces mostly vanished. But our quest isn’t just to uncover Before our time in Green River is done, we meet with Jo what was, but to experience what remains. Anne Chandler in the basement of the John Wesley Powell In this search, we find what the French found: ranchers River History Museum, where she presides over the Green and melon farmers, river runners, and friendly townsfolk, kind River Archives. She stores more than 10,000 items—a number enough to offer up beds and warm meals, curious to hear of she calculates as a ballpark guess. The collection holds an our adventures and to share stories of their lives, before stand- assortment of ephemera that tells the story of town people ing on the shore, waving us bon voyage, as we round the river and their daily lives: a bottle capper, baby’s booties, a 50s-era bend and disappear from sight. Geiger counter, a wedding dress, a WWII helmet once worn by

To learn more about Ian’s project, visit ianmccluskey.com.

81 82 Futures Futures Look Like in Green River Radiation? Green River School High students from Craig Gowans’ Language Arts classes classes Arts from Language Gowans’ Craig What Will 100 Years? 100 consider for possible futures town. their Skyscrapers? Monorails? beasts? Wild 83 slowly deteriorating. The future may be bright but all good things must come to an end. an to come must things good but all bright be may future The slowly deteriorating. of core. the won’t planet but the mining long to due for years 500 that last population the last to there water, etc. clothes, food, enough is you There want. anything almost get you can there, in are of major retailers the All that’s out there. why few venture and outside, the to compared aparadise are skyscrapers The good. is life that everyone dreary. and dull so is skyscrapers the outside life because able leave be to for Very most. few high will people too is of cost fuel the cities, other to fly out to Few afford another. to can of them skyscraper one from them transport to monorails and rely people trams on The can’t skyscrapers. they the it inside afford but afew live because outside skyscrapers, the in lives together. Most of population the have moved away. will or extinct be will Most of life the there. in dumped being color.sickly yellowish power brown plant’s by materials the It polluted was radioactive a be will River Even Green the area. the in green little very be will There a tumbleweed. dodge to you having won’t without inches everywhere; be six able walk be will to weeds Tumble cracks. and potholes the in growing plants and weeds with decaying, and used 10 L.A. Gowans Mr. Shaffer Nikolas probably be skyscrapers that are very close together. All the asphalt roads will be un be will roads asphalt the close together. All very are that skyscrapers probably be will there be will that few buildings The destroyed. or demolished be will River Green Even though everything may seem perfect in the skyscrapers the world the is outside skyscrapers the in perfect seem may everything Even though convince and try to electronic, and colorful is everything of skyscrapers the Inside close lives 15,000. about be of population the All will River of Green population The In 100 years a lot of things will have changed about Green River. Most buildings in in River. Most buildings Green about have changed will alot 100 ofIn years things The Future of Green River of Green Future The 84 - - Futures Futures

Mindy Bastian Chance Pfander

Mr. Gowans Mr. Gowans

L.A. 11 L.A. 11

Green River in One Hundred Years Green River In 100 Years

What do I think that Green River will look like in one hundred years? Well I don’t Green River, in 100 years, will look like a ghost town or a bigger city with a high exactly know, but there are two possibilities. It could die off and turn into a ghost town, population just depending on the nuclear power plant. If Green River has the nuclear or the power plant could come in and this town could boom. It mostly depends on power plant go through then we will most likely have a higher population. The craziest whether or not the power plant comes in because if the power plant comes in, the town thing to happen in Green River would be if the power plant somehow blew up or had a will grow a little bit because they will need people to build it and then they will need malfunction. Then Green River would probably be a ghost town. It would be very sim- people to run it. ilar looking to Thompson Springs, other than there would probably be no people living

But on the other hand if the power plant doesn’t come in this town will most likely in Green River because of the radiation. It would be like the place up in Russia where be a ghost town. If the power pladoesn’t come then there will not be anything to help the nuclear plant had problems and it ended up sending nuclear radiation everywhere. this town grow, and if there isn’t anything to help this town grow then there will still be For up to like ten years they wouldn’t let people anywhere within the perimeter of the nothing here. So what’s the point in living here? If you have to go to another town just town because of this nuclear radiation. Now, people are allowed to go in certain areas, to do your shopping then come back to this old run down small town, why not just move people like tourists. The cool part about Green River if the nuclear power plant blew up to the town where you can actually get the stuff that you need. Don’t get me wrong I and it turned into a ghost town would be that there would probably be all of the same love this town but this town is mostly little kids and old people, once you graduate you buildings that are originally here, which would be a good childhood memory. If it got have to move away to go to school. Then when you’re done with school there aren’t a bigger population then there would probably be new buildings replacing the good old really any jobs here, If we don’t do something about this then this town will die off with memorable buildings which would be disappointing. But it would be nice to see Green the older generation. River have a change in a positive, more productive way. Basically, I think Green River will look like a ghost town or a city in the next 100 years, just depending on the way

things go.

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Jaden Richards ways too big for you or I to imagine.”

Mr. Gowans I read in total astonishment, the fact that the town is old is cool in itself, but how these people

L.A. 9 changed into these evil creatures is just unbelievable. I knew that as soon as I read this, everyone

in the group would agree that we will have to go there, I just didn’t expect them to agree so easily.

Green River In the Future “Well that sounds... interesting,” said Jack

“No, that sounds amazing,” said Jenny, I knew Jenny would say something like that, she

It’s the year 3014, my friends and I decided to go on a vacation despite the warnings everyone always did. It seemed like to me she was always looking for a way to get herself and usually us gave us. We didn’t really say what the danger was. Yes, the world is overrun by vicious beasts, in trouble. but we only get to live once, so why not take a small risk to have some fun? We did some re- “So it’s settled then, we’re going. I’m going to get the things I need, I would advise you to do search on the world and choose what we thought was the most interesting spot. the same,” I said, pushing back on the chair with the back of my knees standing up, I was taller

“Hey you guys, I found something!” I yelled over my shoulder, not wanting to take the effort than all of them, and you would think I would love to be taller than everyone else, but at this to turn around. With these Beasts around here, you have to save your energy and be alert twen- time in the world it’s better to be small. ty-four-seven. My friends came rushing over, like moths to a flame, pushing and shoving each *** other. Jenny was the first one over, her long red hair still in her face from fighting her way over About a week had passed before we finally arrived at the town, and I’m pretty sure we were here. She pulled it over to the right to show gorgeous blue eyes, her shirt was ripped from all the all stunned at what we saw. The buildings that had once stood tall and held people as they lived close calls she’s had. She was kind of like our leader. She was the one who always came up with their daily lives, were now rubble at the ground. the ideas, which is surprising considering most of her ideas almost gets us killed. ‘’Nice job Jason, this is some adventure!” Jack yelled with his sarcastic attitude as he leaned

“What do you got?” she said in her calming voice. I scanned through the article looking for on the used-to-be-building. “Don’t blame this all on me, I only came here because of what the the one or two sentences that had stolen my interest, a minute passed and I still couldn’t find article said!” I yelled back, as I walked over to him and got into his face. I wasn’t really the kind those interesting sentences. By this time everyone was huddled around my computer, trying to of person to yell at; I had a really short temper and couldn’t control my anger very well, and just nibble on the tiny piece of bait that I had found. as things were getting a little too heated, a loud growl came from behind the building rubble and

“Green River huh? That doesn’t really seem like an adventure to me.” Jack said, throwing broke the commotion Jack and I were making. Silence fell as we all turned around to see the one his opinion out into the open. Jack was the smartest out of the group. He had dark brown hair thing we hated the most creep around the rubble with its staggering four-legged walk. A chill and these big glasses that he says he needs, even though we all know he just wears them to look went down my spine and my life flashed before my eyes. I shook my head trying to stay in reality. smarter. Jack was never really afraid to speak his mind, whenever we felt something needed to The Beast jumped at me with all its force, its strong legs throwing the creature at least ten be said or done, he was usually the one to do it. feet. It pulled its arm back and swiped forward with all its strength. I flew backwards and hit the

“Yeah, here listen to this.” I replied. ground, the cuts on my cheeks ran deep into my flesh. As I lay there the pain felt like a fire was

“Green River is the oldest ghost town known to man, most of the people who lived there just made underneath my skin, all I could do was lay there in pain as my eyes slowly closed. moved when the Beasts came, but those who stayed are said to have changed, changed in evil TO BE CONTINUED

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Visioning 1

by Epicenter

1 Public Safety Building

Though the final design will likely look nothing like a facility that can be treasured and showcase treasures this, Epicenter created these drawings to assist the City like the city’s vintage ambulance. We want people to of Green River in applying for CIB (Community Impact drive into town to see the heart of Green River, not just Board) funding. The building has potential to not only stop at the gas stations and pass by. Come in to town house the necessary emergency services, but also to be and see what all we have to offer. 2

2 Green River Trails System

In collaboration with the City of Green River and the historic trail in collaboration with the Green River Ar- National Park Service, citizens of Green River have chives by the end of 2014. The Green River Trail System begun developing a trail system in Green River. Trails will connect natural, historic, and modern landmarks, in and around Green River is an idea that has existed provide recreational areas for locals and tourists, and in the community for years, but hasn’t become a reality promote Green River as a destination. The Trails Com- for reasons like logistics and liability. However, with mittee is facilitated by Epicenter and consists of Karen the help of the National Parks Service, the City is finally Smith, Penney Riches, Sarah Siefken, Marcy DeMillion, beginning the process. Trails on the ground are still a Kelly Dunham, and Tim Glenn. couple years out, but we’re hopeful to create an in-town

3 Old Motels into New Apartments

Whenever someone visits Green River, they always This exact design and project may never come to pass, mention to us how “someone should do something with but the City of Green River is working with the Ollene all of these abandoned motels.” We agree. So, we creat- Walker Housing Loan Fund to identify interested prop- ed these renderings of the Book Cliff Motel to illustrate erty owners for multifamily affordable housing projects. 3 a possible affordable housing solution for those unable Maybe one day we’ll have more apartment options and to afford an entire house (e.g. senior citizens on fixed less unused motels on Main Street. income, young couples, recent high school graduates).

To accentuate Green River’s rural pride and pioneering spirit, may look nothing like the concept rendering, but this visioning Epicenter provides housing and businesses resources and phase is a vital first step to getting community input and promotes the arts. The Epicenter staff aspired to take ideas exploring funding opportunities. As a team of designers and from the community and help make them a reality. Some of architects, Epicenter has the opportunity to help Green River these projects may never come into being, or the final product envision its future, whatever it may be.

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Green River General Plan The city looks to the future

A joint meeting between the Green River City Council and the Planning Commission, to work on the city’s General Plan with help from Ken Young of Utah Community Planners. January 2014.

Present City Council Members Gary Riches and Penny Riches; Mayor Pat Brady, City Recorder Conae Black, Plan- ning Commission members Jack Forinash, Chris Lezama, Amy Wilmarth and Kim Andrus; and citizens Kelly Dunham, Travis Bacon, and Sarah Smart. Facilitator: Ken Young. Visitors: Sarah Baugh and Nicole Lavelle.

A city is in perpetual motion. It is the sum of be preserved, and what types should be many small living and nonliving parts, parts developed? The Green River city government like people, trucks, and rivers. A city is built collected input from the public via a survey with bricks and concrete, but also with the and town hall meetings in an effort to compile experiences and emotions of the people inhab- popular opinion about the town’s future. iting it. Some liken a city to a living, breathing The results are used to shape ordinances and creature. No surprise then, it suggestions that future civic is difficult to plan a city. Is there sufficient leaders will reference in The Green River City water to meet growth guiding the city’s growth. Council and the Planning Green River’s Gener- Commission, together with demands? What al Plan was last updated input from Green River types of land should in 2006, and the recent residents, have drafted a new be preserved, and overhaul will include General Plan for the City of present-day issues that Green River. A General Plan what types should be concern the region such is the approximation of a developed? as annexation of land into town or city’s vision for its current city limits, creation future growth and improvement, comprised of economic development areas and tax in- of rules, ordinances, and suggestions for land centives for incoming industry, and the rules What follows is the survey put forth to the Green River public use, public services, and community develop- regulating the subdivision of land plots. as a means to collect visions ment. Assisting the city with the process of for a shared future. Please Should multi-family housing structures be developing the General Plan is Ken Young of note that the survey has been encouraged? Is there sufficient water to meet Utah Community Planners, a firm based in completed and is no longer growth demands? What types of land should Cedar Hills, Utah. accepting responses.

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What does the future of Green River attempting to solve potential or threatened species whose grazing or natural grasses). In infrastructure improve- risks and problems of a large- habitats may be further threat- the 2002 census there were 459 ments Improvements made Glossary look like? Who is involved? What is scale development project.BCP ened by industrial development farms in Emery County. While to public utilities and road in the San Rafael Desert or by beef, hay, corn, and oats are systems to accommodate a the future of natural resource ex- Delta, Utah A town in pulling water from the Green Emery County’s top products, population increase, often for a Multitude Millard County, Utah, that is River. These species include: The Green River’s agriculture due to an influx in workers traction? What are potential uses for home to the Intermountain San Rafael cactus (Pediocactus economy is melon-based. EC to a new industry. Improve- land and water, and who decides? Power Project. The power plant despainii), Jones’s cycladenia ments can include: new of Potential in Delta is similar in size and (Cyladenia jonesii), Maguires feasibility A determination freeway on-ramps/off-ramps, What is in those trucks, and what is scale to the project proposed for daisy (Erigeron maguirei), bo- that something can be done. expansion of sewer, gas, and Green River, and Delta can be nytail (Gila elegans), Colorado A feasibility report is required water systems, and expansion Futures on those trains? looked to as an example of the pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus in some planning processes of waste treatment plant. social, economic, environmental, lucius), humpback chub (Gila to examine the situation and land use impacts that a ma- cypha) See Fig. 4, and razorback and determine if a workable acre-foot (ac-ft) A term used BPD Barrel per day. The Rock jor energy project can have on a sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). BIO solution can be developed in measuring the volume or River Resources processing plant small desert town. See Fig. 5 and implemented. USGS amount of water needed to will process a total of 10,000 ESP Refers to the early site cover 1 acre (43,560 square BPD, converting local crudes doubling time The number permit, a permit issued by FERC The Federal Energy feet) 1 foot deep (325,851 gal- and condensates into naptha, of years required for the the Nuclear Regulatory Com- Regulatory Commission lons or 1,233.5 cubic meters). fuel oil, diesel, and jet fuel. RRR population of an area to mission to parties invested in is an independent agency USBR double its present size, given constructing nuclear reactors. that regulates the interstate Blue Castle The name of a the current rate of population This permit is the first step transmission of natural gas, proposed nuclear power plant growth. PRB towards completing a new oil, and electricity. FERC also that would sit about four reactor, and the application regulates natural gas and Fig. 5 | Intermountain Power Project in miles northwest of Green Riv- economic development Delta, Utah. Source: Wikimedia Com- for the permit requires hydropower projects nation- mons, Phil Konstantin er City, between Highway 6 The sustained, concerted extensive research into the wide. USGS and the Book Cliffs. Current actions of policy makers and environmental, safety, social, Intermountain Power design proposes two reactors, communities that promote greenfield A site of undevel- Fig. 2 | Dry cask storage for spent nuclear fuel. and infrastructural impacts Project A coal-fired power a water pond, and would Source: Nuclear Regulatory Commission the standard of living and oped land in a city or rural on the proposed site, as well plant in Delta, Utah, operated generate 3,000 megawatts. economic health of a specific area. The Blue Castle Project is Fig. 1 | Rendering of the proposed plant as plans for emergency pre- by the Los Angeles Depart- The name refers to a geographic ceramic pellets Nuclear a new nuclear reactor. This area. wiki “Emery County’s currently the only project pro- near Green River Source: bluecastle- paredness. As of January 2014, ment of Water and Power. project.com feature, a colloquial name for a fuel such as uranium nitride permit allows the appropriate future belongs to those individ- posing a nuclear reactor on according to Blue Castle Hold- WIKI + See Fig. 5, See also Delta, Utah jutting Book Cliff also known as and uranium carbide can be technologies to be paired BCP uals that desire a rural, natural ings CEO Aaron Chilton, the a greenfield site. appropriation doctrine The “The Submarine.” See Fig.1 processed into small ceramic with the site, planned, and setting in which to live and Blue Castle Project was working Mancos Hills Industrial system for allocating water pellets that fit inside of metal built. It also permits the HEAL Utah Healthy Envi- raise a family, but who are towards their ESP and expected Park A proposed develop- to private individuals used Blue Castle Holdings The rods. Once the fuel is spent, plant to operate. According ronment Alliance of Utah. also resourceful and innovative to submit it to the NRC by early ment project north of Green in most Western states. The name of the company that is it maintains its form as small to Blue Castle Holdings CEO enough to produce goods and “HEAL has established itself 2016. NRC + BCP, See also COL River. See page 99-104. doctrine of prior appropri- undergoing the permitting ceramic pellets. The Blue Cas- Aaron Tilton, the Blue Castle services for the worldwide as a leader in the struggle to ation was in common use process for the Blue Castle tle Project uses ceramic pellets Project expects their earliest marketplace.” EMC make Utah’s environment man-camp The colloquial throughout the arid west Project. They are headquar- as an example of the type of fuel permitting date to be 2019. healthy and safe for all.”—HEAL name for the standardized, as early settlers and miners tered in Orem, Utah. their plant will use. BCP + NRC, See also ESP emergency prepared- HEAL Utah is an opponent of modular, and often tempo- began to develop the land. WIKI + BCP, See Fig. 3 ness Refers to planning for the Blue Castle Project. rary housing placed near a carrying capacity The max- crude oil (Also referred to The prior appropriation doc- potential large-scale emer- construction or production imum sustainable size of a as “petroleum”) A naturally industrial park An area trine is based on the concept gencies relating to industry site to accommodate an in- resident population in a given occurring, yellow-to-black zoned and planned for the of “First in Time, First in malfunction, accident, or flux of mostly male workers. ecosystem. PRB liquid found in geologic for- purpose of industrial devel- Right.” The first person to natural occurrences. Includes See Fig. 6, page 97 take a quantity of water and mations beneath the Earth’s upgrading transportation opment. Often includes heavy cask Containers designed put it to beneficial use has a surface, which is commonly and hospital infrastructure, industry such as mining, McCandless, Mike Emery to safely store and ship spent higher priority of right than refined into various types of and developing protocol for refining, and power produc- County’s Economic Devel- nuclear waste. Spent nuclear Fig. 4 | Humpback Chub a subsequent user. Under fuels. A fossil fuel, petro- crisis mediation and disaster tion. Usually situated near opment Director. Works to- waste casks are designed, ac- Source: National Park Service drought conditions, higher leum is formed when large relief. The Blue Castle Project’s the intersection of transit wards appropriate economic cording to federal standards, quantities of dead organisms, modes such as highways, priority users are satisfied NRC early site permit requires farmland Denotes land suit- growth in the county. Has to store waste for thousands usually zooplankton and railroads, airports, and ports. before junior users receive a component of emergency able for agricultural products, held this position since 2004. of years. The spent waste algae, are buried under- There are a number of existing water. Appropriative rights Fig. 3 | ceramic pellet preparedness to assure the site is both crops and livestock. from the Blue Castle Project is Source: bluecastleproject.com neath sedimentary rock and and proposed industrial sites in megawatt A unit of power can be lost through non-use; prepared for the potential. BCP Three common classifications projected to be initially stored subjected to intense heat and the Green River area, including equal to one million watts. they can also be sold or trans- include arable land (annual in wet storage within the reactor COL Refers to the Construc- pressure. wiki endangered A species of the Green River Industrial Park, The Blue Castle Project nuclear ferred apart from the land. crops), permanent crops buildings, and then in dry casks tion Operating License, the animal or plant that is at seri- the Green River Industrial Site, power plant anticipates gener- Contrasts with riparian water (orchards and vineyards) on site at the plant. WIKI +BCP, second step in the permitting de-risking The process of ous risk of becoming extinct. and the Mancos Hills Industrial ating 3,000 megawatts annually. rights. USGS and permanent pastures (for See Fig. 2 process towards constructing identifying, researching, and There are number of endangered Park. WIKI + EC For perspective, the two coal-

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fired steam electric generators stiffener), cosmetics (softens which revenue could be and development projects to such plants, including the Inter- is based in natural resource at the Hunter Power Plant in skin and makes products generated to support state obtain water rights (among moutain Power Project in Delta, extraction. Industries located Huntington Utah generate a creamy and shiny) and institutions like hospitals, other responsibilities). The the Hunter Power Plant near there include: petroleum, combined 944 megawatts. pharmaceuticals (covers pills public schools, and universi- Utah State Engineer is Kent Castle Dale, and the Huntington natural gas, phosphate, and BCP + EC and tablets to give them an ties. About 6% of the state’s Jones. MOAB Power Plant near the mouth of uintaite (Gilsonite). WIKI easy-to-swallow finish). lands are set aside in this Huntington Canyon, all of which mining The extraction of RRR, See also: Rock River Resources fashion, and are adminis- storage and logistics Re- are coal-fired. BCP + USBR + EC water “In the Western U.S., valuable minerals or other tered much like private lands. fers to infrastructure to hold no matter what you’re doing, geological materials from peak construction The Revenue is generated through and transport goods. The first Tilton, Aaron Former Re- water is an issue.” —Aaron the earth. Ores extracted time during which the most oil, gas, and mineral leases, phase of the Rock River Resourc- publican Utah State House Tilton. BCP The Blue Castle by mining include metals, construction activity takes rent, and royalties, and real es development in Green River Representative, 2004-2008. Project will require water to be coal, oil shale, gemstones, place on a construction estate development and sales. will include the construction of Served as the Vice Chair of pulled from the Green River to Fig. 6 | Example of “man camp” housing unit. Source: falconcontainers.com limestones, rock salt, potash, project. Increases population In Emery County, there is an a spur off the Union Pacific rail the House Public Utilities cool the reactors. Once used, the and clay. Mining in a wider due to workers, their families, exert a positive attraction or of priority of use is not appli- ongoing process underway to line and a subsequent storage and Technology Committee. water will evaporate as steam. sense include extraction of and service industries to pull (such as a high standard cable. Riparian rights cannot trade public lands for SITLA and logistics rail loading facility. Currently CEO of Blue Castle The amount of water needed any non-renewable natural support them. During the 5-7 of living or job opportuni- be sold or transferred for use lands in an effort to maintain a Crude is expected to truck in Holdings. Graciously offered his for the project varies by source: resource such as petroleum, year construction period for the from other locations in Utah time in an interview to contex- 50,000 acre feet HEAL, 29,600 ties). PRB on nonriparian land. USGS contiguous wilderness area on natural gas, or even water. two proposed nuclear reactors, SITLA lands that have yet to be and be loaded onto trains for tualize the Blue Castle Project acre feet PNP, 53,600 acre feet Green River lies within a region the population of Green River radioactive waste Wastes Rock River Resources The used for energy production or further transport. RRR for this magazine. BCP MOAB, and 24,000 acre feet BIO. rich with valuable extractable could grow by as many as 4,000 that contain radioactive name of the company that resource extraction. SITLA The allotment of water rights resources such as uranium ore, people. This would more than material. Radioactive wastes plans to design, construct, SUWA (Southern Utah Vernal, Utah A town located to the Blue Castle Project has coal, and petroleum. Construc- quadruple the 2014 population are usually by-products of and operate a crude oil spur Refers to a secondary Wilderness Alliance) A group in the Uinta Basin in north- been contested in state courts by tion sand and gravel are also of Green River. The Rock River nuclear power generation. processing plant and a hub rail line that connects to a dedicated to conserving the eastern Utah whose economy H.E.A.L. Utah, Living Rivers, extracted from the area. There Resources crude processing The waste from the Blue Castle for rail-based oil distribution main rail line. Rock River canyons of Southern Utah.wiki Uranium Watch, Utah Rivers are a number of abandoned plant expects to employ approx- Project nuclear power plant is in the proposed Mancos Hills Resources is proposing the future Council and local water users. thermal-electric power surface, underground, and pit imately 300 workers at peak expected to be stored on-site Industrial Park. They are a development of a railroad spur STL plant A generating plant mines in the area. Mining per- construction. RRR +BCP for 60-80 years, and then be division of Emery Refining, off the main Union Pacific rail which uses heat to create mits are granted for claims on transported to be reprocessed or LLC, and are headquartered line into the Mancos Hills Indus- xeriscaping A method of steam-driven electricity. Such public and SITLA land in Utah. permanent jobs Refers stored at an off-site repository in Houston, Texas. The refin- trial Park, northwest of Green landscaping that uses plants to jobs that remain at a site plants may burn coal, gas, oil, that are well adapted to the WIKI, See Fig. 7 facility. WIKI + BCP ery will be the first of its kind River city limits. WIKI + EC wood, waste; or use nuclear, once construction of the site constructed in the United States local area and are drought-re- solar, and geothermal energy NRC (Nuclear Regulatory has been completed. Upon recreational facilities in nearly four decades. It will State Engineer The public sistant. Xeriscaping is becom- to produce thermal energy. Commission) The federal projected completion in 2016, Amenities planned and built process crude oil into products official who grants approval Fig. 8 | An example of xeriscaping ing more popular as a way of Utah currently has a number of Source: Wikimedia Commons commission responsible for the Rock River Resources crude for off-duty employees and like naptha, diesel, jet fuel, and for large-scale industrial saving water at home. USGS regulating all nuclear activity processing plant and storage and their families. Facilities are paraffin wax. Rock River Re- within the United States. The logistics rail facility expects to often built or funded by sources is a proud sponsor of the NRC regulates existing and create 125 permanent jobs. RRR employers as a means to im- annual Green River Melon Days proposed nuclear reactors, ra- Once peak construction has prove the community. Could Source Guide MOAB Moab Times Independent http://www. Referenced celebration. RRR + UTB moabtimes.com/view/full_story/24171445/article- dioactive waste, and nuclear ended, the Blue Castle nuclear This glossary was compiled by the editors of the “How Vernal, Utah, Learned to Love Big Oil” by Da- include bowling alley, public District-judge-affirms-water-rights-for-proposed- Green River Magazine from a variety of primary vid Gessner for OnEarth http://www.onearth.org/ security. NRC plant expects to create 800- swimming pool, roller rink, service sector Refers to the Green-River-nuclear-plant? 1000 permanent positions, 25% and secondary sources. article/how-vernal-utah-learned-to-love-big-oil golf course, and a shopping part of the population not di- BIO Center for Biological Diversity http://www. EC Emery County http://www.emerycounty.com/ “Writing Water in the West: Reclaiming the of which will be nuclear-specific mall. BCP rectly engaged in manufactur- biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/ economicdevelopment/ Language of Reclamation” by Nancy Cook, in and 75% of which will employ rivers/pdfs/Protest_Green_River.pdf ing, agriculture, or extraction. The Bureau of Reclamation: History Essays from the BCP Blue Castle Project http://www.bluecas- the general labor force. BCP riparian water rights The With new jobs coming into PRB Population Reference Bureau http://www.prb. Centennial Symposium, Ed. Brit Stroey, Denver: U.S. tleproject.com and interview with Blue Castle rights of an owner whose Green River, an approximate org/Publications/Lesson-Plans/Glossary.aspx Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Holdings CEO Aaron Tilton conducted via tele- public water use Water land abuts water. These 2008. 5-10 persons are required within phone by Nicole Lavelle on January 27, 2014. (Full SITLA Trust Lands Administration http://trust- supplied from a public rights differ from state to the service sector to support transcription available) lands.utah.gov/ San Rafael Country website http://www.sanrafael- water supply and used for state and often depend on each new job (examples: teach- country.com/ such purposes as drinking, NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission http://www. STL Salt Lake Tribune http://www.sltrib.com/ the nature of the water. The ers, doctors, customer service, nrc.gov sltrib/politics/57159234-90/blue-castle-judge-nu- Multiple attempts were made to contact Union firefighting, street washing, doctrine of riparian rights clear.html.csp Pacific Railroad and Rock River Resources, retail, etc.) WIKI + BCP RRR Rock River Resources www.rockriverres- and municipal parks and is an old one, having its but at press time neither had responded to queries Fig. 7 | An abandoned uranium dugout ources.gov USGS United States Geological Survey Water USGS for information. mine in the San Rafael Swell. Source: swimming pools. origins in English common SITLA (State of Utah School Science Glossary of Terms http://water.usgs.gov/ HEAL Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah sanrafaelcountry.com edu/dictionary.html Colloquial terms and common knowledge were law. Specifically, persons and Insitutional Trust Lands http://www.healutah.org/nuclearutah/energy/ “push-pull” hypothesis garnered from conversations with Green River who own land adjacent to a Administration) Admin- greenriverreactors USBR United States Department of the Interior A migration theory that residents. paraffin wax A type of stream have the right to make isters trust lands within Bureau of Reclamation Glossary http://www.usbr. PNP Project No Project, an initiative from the U.S. hydrocarbon that has many suggests that circumstances gov/library/glossary/index.html reasonable use of the stream. Utah for the benefit of state Chamber of Commerce http://www.projectnoproj- at the place of origin (such as uses in a variety of products, Riparian users of a stream institutions. At the time of ect.com/2010/12/blue-castle-nuclear-project-em- UTB Utah Business http://www.utahbusiness. including candles, adhesives, poverty and unemployment) share the streamflow among statehood, Congress granted ery-county-utah/ com/articles/view/energy_boom/?pg=2 repel or push people out of food (as a preservative and themselves, and the concept parcels of land to Utah from WIKI Wikipedia entries for general defenitions of that place to other places that industry terms

97 98 Futures Futures

A presentation from Emery County’s Office of Economic Development

Source: http://www.emerycounty.com/economicdevelopment/

99 100 Futures Futures

101 102 Futures Futures Contact Information: Mike McCandless, Economic Development Director, [email protected] County,

103 104 Beavis and Butt-Head in the Chow Hound Visions

Green River Junior High students from Burke Simmons’ Visual Arts class envisioned a Green River full of cartoon characters.

105 106 Visions Visions Student artists: Duston Ogden, Trey Vetere, Chris Cordingley, Zach Mecham, Lindsey McFarlane, Allycia Anderton, Anderton, Allycia McFarlane, Lindsey Mecham, Zach Cordingley, Chris Vetere, Trey Ogden, artists: Duston Student Lizbeth Avilia, Katelynn Sweat, Lauren Hert, Roman Medina, Tyson Giles, and Prisma Mendez Burger King, Chow Hound, Holiday Inn Express, Pepsi, The Simpsons,Toons, Beavis Sponge and Butt-Head, Bob Square Pants, Adventure The Grim Time, Adventures Hey Arnold, of Billy Looney and Mandy, Despicableother things Me, Home are Movies, registered and Tom Jerry, trademarks and all the of someone else. They are used here without permission. This is art.

107 108 Visions Visions

You wondered about the logic behind the official maps and dis- covered that when the BLM began working on their current travel Notes on Floy plan, Grand County’s political elite presented them with a map by Brooke Williams of all the “routes” the BLM was to “designate” as open to motorized Routes are officially “open” (for mo- travel. That map had nearly 23,000 tor travel) or “closed” according to route segments. To do their job the Travel Plans. The Travel Plans protecting land belonging to all You call this “Floy Notes,” not are part of the latest Resource Man- Americans, they couldn’t auto- because it’s only about Floy, that agement Plans, which six of Utah’s matically officially designate all I-70 freeway exit to nowhere, but District Offices completed in 2008. 23,000 segments. Doing so would because you like how the word You and anyone who cares about incite SUWA, the Grand Canyon “Floy” sounds. You like how at the the wildness remaining in America Trust, Living Rivers, or any of a end of saying it out loud, you feel support efforts to overturn these dozen other groups to collectively open to anything. On an early plans in court. jump down their throats. After trip “ground-truthing” routes in scratching their heads, the BLM potential Wilderness Areas, you decided that having no incentive took that exit into the Book Cliffs. to physically check each of the Which is really what this is about: 23,000 routes that they would use routes in the Book Cliffs. a statistical test. Based on formulas, they learned that if they looked at 585 of those 23,000 routes and found them to be legitimate— maintained, often used, with a destination, etc.—they could be 95% sure that all 23,000 were legitimate. Having neither the incentive to physically check even 585 routes, the BLM found aerial photographs taken in 2001, which they used for confirmation. The “Routes” and “roads” are different. On your way to Moab from meet- result was a travel plan with nearly “Roads” for your purposes are main- ings in SLC, you and your wife, 23,000 routes designated as open tained, purposeful, legal means of Terry plan to take a quick detour to motorized travel. getting from one place to another. Your first trip... you and your into the Book Cliffs for a few pho- A “route” on the other hand is but co-worker and friend Ray discov- tos and be back on your way. She is one possibility of getting from one ered that off-roaders had “opened” tired of travel and too many people. place to another. Opinions vary an officially closed “route” high You have unfinished work. You on specific “routes”—“are they in the Book Cliffs by knocking leave your truck where the “route” roads or not?” This is only possible down the sign with their Jeep. You into a wash branches from the because official Wilderness has no and Ray made a video while you “road.” (You need to know where “roads.” If a “road” exists in an area, re-installed the sign, and put it on this “route” ends.) She wants only that area cannot be designated SUWA’s website. People believing to sit on a rock. In that hour alone, officially as wilderness. that motorized travel should be wild and free for the first time in allowed on any and every “route” nearly a month, she writes a poem. inundated you with hatred. While A small stream moves beside her Ode To Sanity you and Ray thought it was funny, like a liquid mirror. You lay down the BLM didn’t. After thinking next to her. She reads her poem out Here is the stillness about it they wrote you a nice letter loud while you stare up at the cliff of a sanity restored – about your officially volunteering walls as they move silently together, A slit of light torn in the cliff to build barriers on “closed” routes. squeezing off the remaining light. is just enough to remind me Which you did. You built barriers There is no such thing as despair on “closed routes” in the San Ra- except in the world we create. fael Swell. Motor-heads tore those Remote is the human world down too. not wilderness –

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Years ago, the Vernal BLM request- ed comments on improvements of the Seep Ridge Road, which runs Attaching the Nikon GP-1 unit On November 6, 2013, you read through the east side of the Book to a D-90 digital camera embeds that “a district court judge in Utah Cliffs approximately from I-70 al- specific location longitude and lat- Monday overturned a Bush-era most to Vernal. You wondered why, itude into the metadata of photos resource management plan (RMP) since the paving project began near you take. With ViewNX software that opened more than 4,200 Vernal, it stopped halfway at the You show samples of your work to combined with a program called miles of dirt roads and trails in Grand County line. Was this just the director of Utah’s BLM. You HoudoGeo, you “fly” photos taken part of the state to off-road vehi- the first phase of “The Book Cliffs can tell that he understands, that at ground level into your Google cles.” This was in reference to the Highway,” an idea you thought he knew prior to your presentation Earth files. In many cases, while Richfield RMP. Five other Resource had died decades ago? A closer that many “designated routes” no Google Earth’s aerial view shows Management Plans are likely to look at the map revealed that the longer exist, that time and the heal- what appears to be a legitimate suffer the same fate. You thank all proposed improvements would ing power of nature has re-claimed route, the actual ground level pho- of your gods. end at a piece of land owned by to is of something few would call a them. You sense something you’ve the State Institutional Trust Land “route,” let alone a “road.” In other often thought of before: Wilderness Administration (SITLA) known as cases, the photo shows nothing, designation is about routes and PR Springs. Driving that road last that best kind of nothing—wild resource development, but it is summer, you saw huge machines nothing. also about more. Once again you turning the Seep Ridge Road into a are reminded that the gap between massive highway and realized that the idea of Wilderness as valuable this new “road” had one purpose: and important and Wilderness as to haul raw and dirty energy from an obstacle to be overcome, like a mine near PR Springs—the first many issues we face today, may be Tar sands project in America. insurmountable.

You cannot fail to mention that what happens next is not entirely Rio’s fault, which is unusual. The pronghorn appear to have been aware of Rio for some time, sensing a upcoming challenge. They move October. Cloudy. North of Cisco slowly closer as Rio races toward in the Book Cliff foothills. You them. At the perfect moment they park your truck at the edge of a stop and bolt north, having lured You read this from Climate and You’ve named your truck, “Ford” major “road” and with Rio, start Rio into their game. Effortlessly Capitalism: Tar sands contain more for obvious reasons. For ten years, walking along an alleged “route” like water flowing across the vast greenhouse gas than has been Ford has gotten you into and out of leading east toward the Wilder- landscape, the pronghorn lead Rio emitted by all the oil in all the many precarious situations. Ford ness boundary. Ageing tire marks, in circles of increasing diameter. world in all of history to date.” And waits where your path leaves the barely obvious at first, fade with As he tires, they slow, his gasping then, what developing tar sands road, while you wander. Without distance, overcome, once again by and panting seems to satisfy them. means, according to noted clima- Ford, you would have missed plac- the wild desert. You cannot hear the pronghorn tologist James Hansen: “game over es that changed your life. You keep going, using both sets chuckling. Rested, he resumes for the climate.” of eyes: your hard eyes looking his chase, his mind (“I can’t keep ahead, following the faint path this up.”) is no match for his and wondering where it will end. little hunter body. (“Eventually, I Your soft eyes scanning the broad will find and kill them all.”) The horizon clueless as to what might antelope and Rio disappear for ten happen next. Then pronghorn minutes. After nine minutes, you antelope appear softly in the dis- are convinced you will never see tance. You reach for Rio but he has Rio again and turn back toward the caught scent of the pronghorn— truck. He appears in the distance, The most ardent off-road vehicle you count six. walking slowly, tongue dangling enthusiasts would like the world to from his mouth. You kneel and rub believe that you want all dirt roads his back with both hands. closed. You don’t.

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A new friend of yours, an environ- You know reasonable people on mental attorney from Washington both sides of the “wild versus D.C. meets you for coffee one motors” debate, who if given time morning. You say, “Why are you together could come up with a trav- spending so much time in Utah?” el plan that would work for most “Don’t you know,” she says. “Ev- everyone. Why don’t they? Because erything bad starts in Utah.” And unreasonable people on both sides you know that in Utah, everything of this issue would make those who bad starts with SITLA. Extractive are reasonable suffer. energy developers use SITLA lands to test project feasibility where they’re not scrutinized for social or environmental impacts the way they would be on National Forest or Bureau of Land Management lands. Lately, when you say SIT-LA, it gets stuck in your throat.

You wonder how “routes in the wilderness,” and tar sands devel- opment are related. Obviously, because for you and those with you in your box, motorized routes What you call the Rim Road runs and tar sands threaten (diminish, west and east along the flat top of destroy, negate) wilderness. You the first rise the Book Cliffs make sense that this issue goes deeper. from the desert below. This road You believe that experience in wil- makes wildness accessible. For derness (solitude working on your much of its length it serves as imagination, the natural system— the boundary separating places life force—whirring all around meeting the criteria for Wilderness you and vibrating inside you) is the source of your knowing what’s designation from those that don’t. You sense that most of those who, right with the world. Tar sands like you, are pro-wild are also an- development, your body tells you, ti-Tar Sands, and vice versa. Does is not right with the world. You’ve worked with SITLA before this simplify our problems or make and know that they view the tens them more complicated? of thousands of acres deeded to them at statehood to fund schools, as wasteland to be exploited by the Keeping names straight is not possi- highest bidder. ble. Failing to attach each one to an image in your mind, they become poetry:

Sego Nash Thompson Canyon More simple, you think, because Crescent Canyon Danish Wash this way, people can be put in one Horse and Middle Horse of just two (rather than many) box- Windy Mesa Road es. You once thought that “to think Blaze (Blaze!) outside the box” was “to think Tusher inside that other box.” But now you (both hands, Left and Right) know that true change lies in that Trough Springs Ridge vast area beyond all boxes. Death Valley the Grassies You understand that “believe” by Strychnine and Bear. definition includes an element of doubt. Without doubt, you remem- And once again Floy. ber, boxes disappear.

113 114 Visions Visions

Mile 40. Year 1919–1932 you will find the ruins of cabins, pit- houses, and old bootlegger stills. These From atop Hardscrabble Mountain are the last testaments to pre-industry. you’ll see the river break apart into several It was in these canyons that Flat-Nose sediment-clogged channels before heading George Curry spent his last days as an straight into the remarkable anticline outlaw. It was here that he was killed, Thru-hikers known as Split Mountain. You have made gunned down by Sheriff Tyler’s deputy. In it to Island and Rainbow Parks. Keep to his final gunfight no one really knew who river right so you can make your way up was who? Tyler and his deputy thought Horse Trail Canyon. There you’ll find easy they were tracking a shoemaker turned walking and good potholes for watere- murderer. However, once the smoke Guide* specially in winter and early spring. Once cleared it became to clear to them that through Split Mountain every thru-hiker they had, by mistake, killed someone for should stop and visit the world famous whom there was a much bigger reward. Dinosaur National Quarry. From there Brown’s Park, Colorado to Green River, Utah A $3,000 dollar reward. leave the river and follow Brush or Ashley Creek to Vernal where you can begin your by J. Vernal Dilworth Mile 201. Year 1858 shortcut across the desert. Avoid roads. If the thru-hiker wants to take a Mile 50. Year 1985 detour to Price and Helper, and why wouldn’t they, I recommend they stop by The local banks in Vernal used to one of the town’s watering holes and buy organize reenactments of shootouts and Matt Warner a glass of milk. Warner is bank robberies. Outlaws were always the the last of the Wild Bunch. He gave up heroes. Today, they are more guarded. outlawing 1858 and since then he has The thru-hiker will want to walk to been holed up in Helper drinking milk— where there is water. This means that alcohol irritates an ulcer in his stomach— some days will be longer than others. and telling stories. From Price follow the Backpackers will worry about distances river to its confluence with the Green in and campsites. Thru-hikers need not Gray Canyon. The THRU-HIKER, an introduction. You will need the life jacket at some point in the future on your worry about such matters. walk, maybe. You have seen the men and women known as thru-hikers Mile 0. Year 1990 Mile 261. Year 1900 before. You probably do not remember them. I guarantee you Mile 138. Year 1850, 1970, 2006 George Sutherland Curry (Wild have passed them on the highway. You in your car, on the Brown’s Park was once called Brown’s Hole. It is now a Once you’ve left Vernal the next stop Bunch) has a side canyon named for crown of the road. Them beyond the shoulder walking with the take-out for fishermen with round beer bellies and luxu- is Sand Wash, a dusty outpost for rafters him. The canyon is rather unremark- debris and flotsam of interstate travel. Thru-hikers are different ry SUVs. The men there now speak in a strange jargonny and oil field truck drivers. In 2012 a com- able in a rather remarkable land. The from adventurers. They are walking for different reasons. Some language. “Fish On!” they will declare. Then, “WD40, SCUD, pressor station blew up in this region. Stay walls of the canyon are tan and speckled could be walking to evade the law, others could be between BWO!” as if their words clearly mean something to one another clear of any industry. There is good water with sagebrush, rabbit brush, and some lovers or jobs, and still others could be walking simply because but remain distant from the English roots. These men fish for and plenty of beer at the Camp Ground. bunch grasses. The hills of the canyon they enjoy the act. No matter what their reason, all thru-hikers sport. They need to catch fish for their existence, not to eat but By name there are two canyons left, are scarred from grazing. There could be share one bond. They all choose to take a longer, slower, harder to catch. For once they catch a fish they will release the fish Desolation and Gray. However these two water there if it rained hard enough. The way between two points. and declare no harm. These men are all from Hollywood; keep canyons are made up of hundreds of canyon could flood if there was enough clear, they can be very aggressive. You need a permit to paddle ridges, gullies, and washes. Remember rain. Maybe if the timing was just right Brown’s Park to Green River the river. And if you are a backpacker you will need a permit there are no trails or established routes for to hike into the canyon of Lodore. Thru-hikers do not need George Curry could again kill. Hope it The walk that I am recommending begins in Brown’s the remainder of the walk. In the nineteen any permits. They just need to be aware that they should avoid does not happen, but it might happen so Park—though I suppose if you are interested in doing the hike seventies—the last time anyone attempted camping near the river, be at least 1000 feet above the canyon be careful. Keep your distance. in reverse, from Green River to Brown’s Park, you simply need this walk—Mike Kelsey, a self-described rim, and never at anytime should they look like a backpacker. to read this recommendation in reverse—Brown’s Park is not master hiker, encountered long hot days, Avoid anyone you see and never ask for permission. Mile 321. Year 2014 the most northern part of what was once known as the outlaw very little fresh water, and dead ends at trail. However, it is the most important. For Brown’s Park is a every turn. Hopefully you will have read When you leave Gray Canyon the Mile 30. Year 1883 lawless middle land where geopolitical boundaries only make his account. You can find a copy of it at canyon walls disappear. This is a nice sense in atlases. Here federal, state, and private individuals all The first part of the walk begins in Pat Lynch country. the public library in Vernal. If you are place to camp for the final night. Early claim ownership. Here three geological regions crash into and Lynch is a veteran from every war the United States has been walking along the river you will have river explorers camped here too. The river stretch apart from another. Here the past, present, and future involved in. Though he is not dead, you may be lucky enough plenty of company, especially in early once again spreads out and meanders its blur into something unique only to fiction. As one begins, the to come across a marble marker commemorating his service in summer and late spring. If you are seek- way toward the city that shares its name. walk follows the river, the direction of its flow. the Revolutionary War. There are stories that describe Lynch as ing solitude stick to the canyon rim. Up If you are there in the summer I recom- One hundred days before you set out, write down a list a mercenary, a hermit, a criminal. It would be wise to believe there you will be able to avoid the peanut- mend melons. If you are there in winter I of things that you want to take with you. Look at a map of all of them and respect his solitude as you move through the butter-bear-traps known as campsites. recommend West Winds. Stay longer than the area and learn the meaning of the place names. Clip your region. Mountain lions are seen in this area. Desolation and Gray canyons run the you should. toenails. Think about who is going to lend you a life jacket. length of the Book Cliffs. In the canyon

*An excerpt from a yet to be written account of one man’s dream of walking. *File under Fiction, Folklore, Stories from Parents.

115 116 Visions Visions Green River Rocks

by Mary Rothlisberger

(From left to right, then top to bottom) MY BATHING SUIT FROM WADING MUD FROM THE RIVER BEFORE IT DRIES INTERIOR OF THE STONE HOUSE ACROSS THE RIVER AT ABOUT MILE 12 THE COVE, BUT IN A BLACK AND AT TWILIGHT CHOW HOUND PARKING LOT, EARLY MORNING THE VIEW WHITE PHOTOGRAPH NEFERTITI ON A HOT AFTERNOON BEFORE A AT THE BEACH WHILE DOING A HANDSTAND EARLY EARLY MORN- SWIM THE SAN RAFAEL SWELL THE MILKY WAY THE STARS OF COURSE, ING ALONE AND FAR AWAY THE VIEW TO THE EAST WHILE THE SUN IS BUT PROBABLY ORION SPARKS FROM A FIRE, THE KIND THAT FLY UP SETTING WEST THE BEGINNING OF A SUNBURN THAT PARTICULAR BIT, CHARLOTTE’S ROCK WRAPPED IN SILK STRING FOUNTAIN COKE FROM DRIVING TO TOWN FROM THE SOUTH, WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGED THE MELON VINE WHILE GROCERY SHOPPING THE COLOR OF JACK’S THE RIVER GIVING WAY ICECREAM CHARLOTTE’S ROCK, A FEW DAYS EYES AT SWASEY’S BEACH WHILE PLAYING CRIBBAGE ON A VERY LATER THE GREEN RIVER BLACK PYRAMID THE RAPIDS UP CLOSE TUSHER SUNNY DAY CRYSTAL GEYSER MINI THE WRINKLED GROUND AT CRYSTAL WASH OR IS IT TUSHER CANYON THE BOOK CLIFFS AT SUNSET THE BOOK GEYSER TAMARISK BRANCHES THE WISPY BITS I SKINNED MY KNEE ON A CLIFFS AT SUNRISE WHERE THEY USED TO LIVE JUST ANOTHER MIRACLE RIVER ROCK I SKINNED MY ELBOW TOO HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN SUNSET THREE ROCKS THAT SPACE BETWEEN US

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FLASHBACK (to Monument Hill)

by Charlotte X.C. Sullivan

On Saturday, August 23, 2013, I had the pleasure of more artists working outside of a traditional studio spending the morning with Dan Harrison and his son, practice. Is installing Elements on Green River’s Monu- Bo, applying 23-carat ducate gold leaf to Andrew Roger’s ment Hill the same as installing Elements in Manhattan’s Elements on Monument Hill. Thirty-five feet in the air, Central Park? What sort of role does an artist play in we started working at around 8 in the morning, and rural revitalization? How do we define “help” in this stopped at noon, since the epoxy we were using to apply context? Is one definition of “help” more right or wrong the gold to the concrete started hardening too quickly. than another? Working with genuine gold leaf is a privilege, as it is I took one bathroom break during the four hours an incredibly exquisite and expensive material. While Bo and I worked together. Dan lowered me down to the I firmly believe that the creation and contemplation of ground in the cherry-picker and I unstrapped my har- art is essential to a healthy human existence, I share a ness. Shawnee, Dan’s wife and Bo’s mother, and I went question Dan Harrison posed about this public work of to the Chow Hound where she bought everyone cold art, which is, “If someone’s got money to spend on some- drinks: unsweetened iced tea with lemon for me and thing like that, why didn’t we do a project that would cherry Coke for Bo. really help the town?” Before we packed up for the day, I epoxy-ed my fin- His question is worth mentioning, as it brings up gernails with the excess gold leaf. Throughout the course broader questions relevant to the ethics and economics of the next week, after multiple river trips and campfire of contemporary artistry, particularly with more and builds, it began to fade away. Charlotte X.C. Sullivan Photos

119 120 Contexts Contexts

Contexts

121 122 Contexts Contexts

Maria Sykes, Jack Forinash, and Chris Lezama, staff members at Epicenter, took a moment to consider the roles of the visitor, the guest, and the host within Green Art River, and the larger mythologies and realities of the American West, topics which directly concern the context of this magazine. America Photos by Carson Davis Brown and Ryan Greaves West

What is the draw for visitors? How Chris Outside of Green River’s obvious architectural practice and strike out but how could I could say no to the self- and wildness as well as the idea of the identifying complex issues, involving not does the myth of the American beauty, many people come to Green Riv- on our own. actualizations and experiences offered “frontier” to attract artists and designers just a lack of money. Economic poverty West influence people who come er because it’s a place that’s in between by living and working on the frontier? working in an urban environment to is delineated from “poverty” as a general to Green River? other places. Green River in the context What pulled you west? come to Green River. We even call these all-encompassing term; empathetic of the “American West,” I’m sure, is a big What role does idealism play in visiting artists and designers Frontier people will see there are other entwined Jack The main draw is, without a doubt draw. The Utah landscape is certainly Jack The West was unknown and open. attracting visitors? Fellows! Fellows come here because they elements of social poverty, systematic in my mind, the romanticism of the unique and often emblematic of how It was a good place to try something that want the break from all the hustle and barriers, or circumstantial burdens, American West, first instilled by Man- many people thought of or still think needed breathing room for mess ups. Jack Often our minds perceive that bustle of the city. They want to contrib- but there is rarely, if ever, a poverty of ifest Destiny propaganda in the early of the West. I know the first time I saw “pioneers” settled the West. Perhaps ute to a cool small town, even if just for ambition. Green River, as a case study, 1800’s and cemented in American minds the Book Cliffs, I thought it was hard to Chris Green River’s possibilities, amaz- more historically-accurately the West a month. Yes, Green River is really “cool” first breaks down idealistic outlooks, but with Horace Greeley’s infamous quota- believe that something like that could ing scenery, and opportunity to work has drawn bankrupt-but-still-optimistic to outsiders. with a decision to apply duration will tion, “Go West, young man, go West and exist outside of a movie set. closely with interesting and interested entrepreneurs, scheming opportunists, encourage idealism by rebuilding it in grow up with the country.” American people brought me to Utah. But in terms persecuted evangelicals, and disillu- What are some realities that emerge a more accurate way, ready for targeted cinema, advertising campaigns, and even Maria People from all around the world of geography, I’m originally from the sioned young adults. Our perception of once the visitor arrives? How does the action based in understanding of place Saturday morning cartoons inescapably love both the idea of and visuals from California coast and about as far west as these settlers glosses over the reality that context of Green River encourage or and circumstance. imprinted the West’s ruggedness and the American West. “Escape from the our continent reaches, so to go “west” I the West continues to be the same as it discourage an idealistic outlook? vistas forever into our minds, whether city and go to the frontier. You’ll find actually had to go east. was: a place to start over, with plenty of Chris That Green River has had better we realize it or not. The exposure, in freedom, outlaws, stars, and canyons. space and less regulations. A sense of Jack A visitor that spends some time days and hopefully better days are soon every sense of the word, that the West Conquer the wilderness and it will Maria Years of watching Westerns on the possibility of a fresh start is the most here, asking questions and seeking to ahead. offers and draws pioneers here to try out make a man out of you. Reject civili- Saturday mornings with my Dad and idealistic someone can be. learn about the community, will be able ideas without repercussion. And, their zation. Be a pioneer, a homesteader.” I going on family road trips with my to better understand Green River as a Maria Idealism is kind of a coping mech- trials and errors sit forever in the desert, think this mythology still applies to extended family to the West—nostalgia Maria The same idealism that brought microcosm of America, of rural America, anism. It’s a collection of fantasies that decaying at the same immovable and places like Green River today. In the and fearlessness brought me here. I me here brings people here every day: of the American West. They’ll see it’s not help us try to make sense of a history, a timeless rate as the buttes in the photo- case of Epicenter, we came here as wanted the dusty canyons, cowboys, to Tourists come west to experience the so different as other places. A visitor will place, and its people. Upon spending genic backdrops. pioneering designers. We wanted to run rivers, and have adventures. Living Wild West, ghost towns, and canyons. In come to realize their misconceptions of some time in Green River, visitors realize get out of the city and traditional and working in the city was fun and all, terms of Epicenter, we use the openness poverty as abstractions that fall short of that this place is both very special and

Photo Ryan Greaves Photo Carson Davis Brown

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completely normal. Sure, there are still for the organization; Epicenter also projects (e.g. The Green River Newspa- amazement of the residents. Hopefully, it whoever else they work with while here. tive to people of this generation. It seems cowboys, but they’re not riding their sees Fellows as potential future staff. per) or in workshops (e.g. songwriting is building some pride of place. The Frontier Fellowship brings out the that some may be more inclined to get horses into town, blasting through the Outsiders see Fellows as artists on the and recording). These teens see the Fel- already great aspects of Green River. to know a community better than if they saloon doors, stopping the piano music, internet through an undefined and lows as friends and mentors. I think the Chris A fellow can have short term were just passing through and would and confronting the Deputy Sheriff. I imagined context. teachers at GRHS see Fellows as enthu- impacts and a lasting legacy. Short term What role does art play in all of this? Is like to learn what kind of art would be wish that sort of thing still did exist in siastic and qualified teaching assistants impacts include money he/she puts into art a specific kind of tourism? contextually or content-appropriate for Green River, but those days are long Chris I’m sure there are different interested in the future of our youth. I the local economy and the projects he/ that community. gone. Well, actually, I guess people do perspectives to the Fellowship and to view the Fellows as opportunities. We she creates. Ideally, the fellow leave a Jack Art serves a tourism draw specific ride out into the desert and shoot off Fellows. Epicenter sees it as way to bring bring Fellows to Green River to facilitate lasting legacy with the relationships he/ to the type of people who drive across Maria In general, art attracts new and their guns for fun. The adventurous spir- in energizing and exciting new projects meaningful community projects with she made and new thoughts provoked. the country as a vacation, not taking visiting populations. But, the Frontier it is alive in Green River, but in a more and ideas to town that can be shared local residents, create unique place- interstates whenever possible, talking Fellowship goes beyond tourism and modern way I suppose. with the community and added to Epi- based artworks, and to bring new energy Maria I’ll sort of echo what Chris said. to each other in the car rather than into big-picture community develop- center’s ever-expanding canon. Fellows and ideas to Epicenter. Very rarely do we We require Fellows to shop and dine watching DVDs, and packing food for ment. Art can be a powerful sponsor of Can you speak to how different people see it as a way to live in and engage with have misalignments with the community locally whenever possible (and it’s almost snacks and stopping on the side of the our local culture and economy. By bring- view the role of the Fellow? The Fellow a community that they are unfamiliar and Fellows. Fellows aren’t here to judge always possible). Every dime that goes road to make a lunch. In other words, art ing people here and truly getting them themselves, the local residents, the with and have artistic freedom to create our town or cause unwanted change. to Price or Grand Junction is a dime that draws those weirdos that are interested invested in this place, we’re bringing Epicenter, other outsiders looking projects. Residents see them as exciting That’s not the purpose. doesn’t go towards the schools, parks, in it and seek it out. The typical tourist in new resources, ideas, and money for in? Are there differences between new faces or just another “one of them.” and people of Green River. That upsets appreciates art when there is a accessible the medium-to-long term. The recogni- perspectives? Are they any rifts? Mis- I don’t think there are any real rifts or What have been the impacts of this me a lot. Beyond the literal monetary collection of it with a book telling them tion and marketing of our community’s alignments? Issues? issues (at least from my perspective) recent chapter of visitor culture? benefits, Fellows bring enthusiasm, about it. Striking art can have an inher- arts and culture assets, both local and because things are pretty straightforward Tangible, intangible, invisible, spoken, energy, knowledge, and creativity to ent impact on anyone; we all believe that. imported, is an important element of Jack Fellows see themselves as guest and everyone gets something different underlying...? E.g. What impact does/ Green River. Green River already has But it’s easily dismissed by the standard economic development. Creatively observers. Returning Fellows see them- out of it. can a Fellow have on the economy, all of those things, but Fellows facilitate American. Unless it’s art about/next to/ acknowledging and marketing commu- selves as guest doers. Local residents culture, etc. of Green River? projects that celebrate all the good stuff! on a dilapidated building. nity assets can attract a strong workforce see Fellows as artists from the coasts. Maria I think everyone experiences the Plus, Fellows are able to focus their and successful industry, as well as help Epicenter sees Fellows as people to carry Fellows in a different way. For example, Jack Fellows bring a realization of inter- time here being enthusiastic, energetic, Chris Sure, I suppose it is a specific type sustain our positive quality of life here in out tangible activities that gain a buzz teens work really closely with Fellows on est outsiders have for this place, to the and creative with our youth, teens, and of tourism that is probably more attrac- Green River.

Ford the River Part Two by Charlotte X.C. Sullivan Photo Carson Davis Brown, from Cabin-Time 5 Photo Ryan Greaves

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Book Collection, ID B2013-008 Title The American West as Living Space

Author Stegner, Wallace, 1909-1993 Dates 1986, 1987 Publisher University of Michigan (Dynamics of Scholarship/Publisher Interaction subject to continuing research) Front Cover Central Valley Project, 1935 The West Semi-desert with a Desert Heart California Might seem to be an Exception, but is not.

“Western culture and character, hard to define in The Arid States the fist place because they are only half-formed and constantly changing, are further clouded by the mythic stereotype. Why hasn’t the stereotype faded away, as real cowboys became Adventure Library less and less typical of western life? Because we can’t or won’t do without it, obviously. But also by Charlie Macquarie there is the visible, pervasive fact of western space, which acts as a preservative. Space, itself the product of incorrigible aridity and hence more or less permanent, continues to suggest The Arid States Adventure Library is a project which aims to document unrestricted freedom, unlimited opportunity and promote exploration of the physical and mental landscape of the for testings and heroisms, a continuing need for American West, at the same time investigating the changing perceptions self reliance and physical competence.” of adventure, history, and population in this region. The Library collects and makes available the materials to supplement this mission, which “In the West it is impossible to be unconscious include books, maps, artifacts, documents, and places themselves. of or indifferent to space. At every city’s edge it confronts us as federal lands kept open by aridity and the custodial bureaus; out in the boondocks it engulfs us. And it does contribute to individualism, if only because in that much emptiness people have the dignity of rareness and must do much of what they do without help, and because self-reliance becomes a social imperative, part of a code.”

“Aridity arranged all that complicated natural and human mess, too. In the view of some, it also helped to create a large, spacious, indepen- dent, sunburned, self-reliant western character, and a large, open, democratic western society. Of that, despite a wistful desire to believe, I am less than confident.”

#books #WesternUnitedStates

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Document Collection, ID Book Collection, ID B2013-052 Book Collection, ID B2013-039 Book Collection, ID B2013-055 Document Collection, ID DA2013-002.07 Book Collection, ID LB2013-010 DA2013-002.02 Title Geologic History of Utah Title The Exploration of the Colorado River Title Flowers of the Southwest Mesas Title Safe Work Permit (Union Carbide) Title Decisions of Geographic Names in the Title 132 (G. Hemrick) United States Author Hintze, Lehi F. Author(s) Powell, John Wesley, 1834-1902; Author Patraw, Pauline M. (Pauline Mead), Materials Cardstock (2|c_TYPE: Neon Color_(approximate) Canary Dates circa 1976 Stegner, Wallace, 1909-1993 1904-2001 [safe]); Ink sub_Title January through April 1963 Color_grouping_factor_1|b Outlier Figures 1-83 Years 1869, 1874, 1957 Illustrator Janish, Jeanne R. found_Location NP2013-007.02 (Tempiute) Decision_List_No. 6301 Dates various Charts 1-46 Acquired Buena Vista, Colorado Publisher Southwestern Monuments Special_Assignment Yes (possible funk) Decisions Decisive Use unknown [pronunciations incorrect, please see Association [Popular_Series_#: 3] atmospheric_note_(“Vibe”) Sage mysteries; Authority United States Board on Geographic Creator unknown “The crust is in nearly isostatic equilibrium and related regionalisms] Information_Objectives Accurate Pinyon safety; Scheelite excess; and my Names Found_location UP2013-004.01 cannot sustain large vertical or tangential loads Coffee: Yes [“Seventy or Eighty Pounds,”] and Authentic unit of Joshua marching on the next range. (Geneva Coal) without deforming‚ Eastern Utah floats higher Donation_of Edwards, Jenny “Hole-in-the-Rock: Steep defile about 0.7 mile added_Atmospheric Workshop; Tool; a than the Great Basin, which in turn floats approx- “The good people of Green River City turn out #documents #Utah #Nevada long, leading downward to the Colorado River spare bearing machining; the way rail skirts imately 5,000 feet higher than it did during most to see us start. We raise our little flag, push “This is a land with a flavor all its own: a land about 5 miles north of the confluence of the long rooms; sideways light down coal dust; of its geologic history.” the boats from shore, and the swift current of brilliant sunshine and cool breezes, where Colorado and San Juan rivers; so named because not coal dust but coal; dust settles; tons carries us down.” the fragrance of sagebrush is strong after a the Mormon mission to San Juan County, in above the pit #books #Utah rain and where the sweet odor of Pinyon 1880, chose to approach the Colorado through #books #Utah #Arizona #Wyoming smoke hangs in the air. Rainfall is light in this defile and, after considerable blasting and #documents #Utah this country. The trees are small and scrubby construction of dugways, the wagons were let as though stunted, and generally grow some down the very steep and narrow passage to the distance apart, making visible wide expanses Colorado River; the extreme ruggedness of this of land and sky.” passageway has caused the trek of the mission to be called the Hole-in-the-Rock Expedition; #books #Nevada #Utah #Colorado #Arizona Kane County; 37°15'05" N., 110°53'15" W. #NewMexico #Southwest Not: Hole in the Rock.”

#books #United States #Utah

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Book Collection, ID B2013-051 Book Collection, ID B2013-013 / T2013-001 Document Collection, ID DA2013-001.06 Book Collection, ID B2014-002 Document Collection, ID DA2013-002.03 Book Collection, ID B2013-041 Title The Geologic Story of Canyonlands (Loan Number) Title Inter-Company Reply Memo Title Flowers of the Southwest Mountains Title: Mine Data Card (Cassette_No.: 42799581) Title The Colorado River Region and John National Park Title Mormon Country Wesley Powell Author Lohman, S. W. Author Stegner, Wallace, 1909-1993 Doc_ID(Other_ID) UC-149-8 Author Arnberger, Leslie P. (Leslie Preston), Acquired_Location Geneva Coal (UP2013-004.01) Illustrated Stacy, John R. Symbols Beehive Creator Union Carbide Agricultural 1924- Associated_fieldwork extensive; various insti- Author(s) Rabbitt, Mary C. ; McKee, Dates 1974 Enlightening Very Products Co. Illustrator Janish, Jeanne R. tutions; (sub_descriptor 3b: Utah Museum of Edwin D. (Edwin Dinwiddie), 1906-1984; Geological_Survey_Bulletin 1327 Communalism Intense Use_for Union Carbide Cost_(in_U.S._Dollars) $1.00 (not up-to-date) Natural History) Hunt, Charles B. (Charles Butler), 1906- Library_of_Congress_catalog-card_No. Landscape Intricate Relationships Creator Berkshire Business Forms Inc. Published: Southwestern Monuments Counties Emery 1997 ; Leopold, Luna B. (Luna Bergere), 74-600043 Reply Requested (various triplicates) Association Physical_reflection (Documentary) “All shaft, ad- 1915-2006 Stock_No. 024-001-02498-5 “Wherever you go in the Mormon country‚ you see Scope_Note The collection includes one form, Dates 1952; 1954 its, tunnels, and etc. closed and sealed; complete Added_entry_(Director,_USGS) Pecora, Catalog_No. I 19.3:1327 the characteristic marks of Mormon settlement. Es- and various; various impressions of deep reclamation affected; unaddressed is the necessity W. T. (William Thomas), 1913-1972 pecially you see the characteristic trees, long lines red dust and oil; various tunnels at differing “Flowers and plants, like people, are much for strong lights, hung far out along coal belts as a Dates: 1969 “The birth of Canyonlands National Park was of them along ditches, along streets, as boundaries degrees of blackness; various carbons used, more interesting when we know their names beacon or burning seal” Published United States Government Print- not without labor pains” between fields and farms. These are the ‘Mormon unused, and partly used; various piles of desert and a little bit about them. Very few technical ing Office (Washington) trees,’ Lombardy poplars. Wherever they went radiating out into various nights. terms have been used, so if you don’t know a #documents #Utah USGS_Professional_Paper_# 669 #places #Utah #Canyonlands the Mormons planted them. They grew boldly peduncle from a petiole, don’t worry about it. It Link_(perma?) pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0669/ and fast, without much tending, and they make #documents #Utah #Nevada is not necessary.” report.pdf the landscape of the long valleys of the Mormon Price $4.25 (cloth cover) [inflation_factor: Country something special and distinctive. There #books#Arizona#New Mexico#Nevada#Colo- None_] are Lombardy poplars elsewhere in the world; rado#SouthwesternMonumentsAssociation Stratifications cherty; cross-bedded; calcar- there are few places where there are so many, and eous; massive; (bench several miles wide); there is no place where the peculiar combination of sheer; marbled; argillaceous; to river desert valley and dark lines of trees exists as it does in this country.” “The river’s boom is associated with a pervasive uneasiness which never leaves a #books #Utah #Nevada #Idaho man while he is clamped within the cliffs of the canyon. This uneasiness is not the reflection of a queasy stomach... Rather, the uneasiness is a subdued but undeniable cold fear which never departs.”

#books #Utah #Colorado River

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Elsewhere Collaborative, 2, 33 G Separation Canyon, 72–78 I emergency preparedness, 96 gasoline, 97 Stillwater Canyon, 72–78 ice cream, 117 Index Emery County, 21, 61, 95, 96, general labor force, 97 Turk’s Head, 76, 77 idealism, 124, 128 98, 101 General Plan, 3, 91–94 Valentine’s Bottom, 76 If We Had A Boat: Green River Emery County Office of Economic survey, 91, 92–94 greenfield, 96, 101 Explorers, Adventurers, and # Battleship Butte, 1 camping, 1, 75, 115 Crescent Canyon, 113 Development, 99–104 Geneva Coal, 132 greenhouse gas, 112 Runners (Webb), 66 Baxter, Glenn, 31–34 canoe, 43–44, 67, 69, 78 cribbage, 117 Emery Refining LLC, 3–4, 97 geologic history, 66, 129, 131 Greensboro, North Carolina, Illinois Natural History Society, 28 days of hell, 38 Baxter, Jo, 30, 33 Canyonlands National Park, 65, crops, 96 Emma Dean (boat), 66 Geological Survey Bulletin, 131 2, 32 66 670 Group LLC, 104 beautification, 3, 40–41 131 crude oil, 95 employment, 97, 28, 85, 41, Gessner, David, 98 Grimm Adventures of Billy and individualsm, 128 beauty pageant, 18, 21, 81 canyons, 65, 70, 74–75, 123, 124 Crystal Geyser, 117 32, 33–34 ghost town, 85, 86, 124 Mandy, The, 107 industrial park, 3, 96, 99–104 A Beavis and Butt-Head, 105, 108 Castle Dale, Utah, 98 Curry, Flat-Nose George, 116 emptiness, 128 Giles, Tyson, 1, 106 ground-truthing, 109 industry, 25, 26, 95, 96, 98, 101, abandoned cars, 40 beehive, 21, 131 Cedar Hills, Utah, 91 endangered species, 96 glass of milk, 116 growth, 25, 85, 91, 96, 96, 97 131 Ace Hardware, 27 Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: celestial calendars, 48 D EnergyPath Corporation, 104 Glenn, Tim, 3, 89 gunfight, 116 infrastructure improvements, 96, acre-foot, 95, 98 John Wesley Powell and the Center for Biological Diversity, 98 damaged buildings, 40–41, 84, English common law, 97 Goblin Valley, 3 guns, 80, 116, 125 101, 102 Adventure Time, 108 Second Opening of the West chambelanes, 49 86, 126 Ensminger, Emily, 33 Goblin’s Lair, 43–44 Intermountain Power Project, affordable housing, 90 (Stegner), 66 Chandler, Jo Anne, iv, 51–52, 81 dancing, 2, 24, 49 environmental impacts gold leaf, 120 H 95, 96 Alabama, 1,2 bicentennial celebration, 61 Charlotte’s rock wrapped in silk Danish Wash, 113 of power plant, 96 golf course, 97 Habitat for Humanity, 42 internet, 34, 125 American West, 123–126 bicycling string, 117, 125 Darr, Tracey See: Siaperas, Tracey study of, 96, 113 Goodman, Frank, 66 Hackett, Lisa Ruby, 26 Interstate, 10, 70 adventure, 1, 127–132 dirt bike, 2, 26 CHEER, 3–4 de-risking, 95 Epicenter, vi, 1, 2, 3, 27, 34, 42, Google Earth, 111 Hall, Andy, 66 Interstate, 70, 7, 28, 29, 100, 109 culture, 128 mountain biking, 1, 43–44 cheerleaders, 23 Dead Horse Point, 56, 74 89–90, 123–126 Google map street view, 110 Hanksville, Utah, 1, 56 Iowa, 2 history, 127–132 newspaper delivery, 32 Chevy deBuys, William, 66 Escalante, Freddy, 49 Gowans, Craig, 35 Hansen, James, 112 Island Park, 116 mental landscape, 127–132 Bieber, Justin, 1 pickup, 40 Decisions of Geographic Names in The Exploration of the Colorado “Go West, young man, go West Hardscrabble Mountain, 116 mythologies, 115–116, billboard, 7 station wagon, 70 the United States, 130 River (Powell), 129 and grow up with the country,” Harrison, Bo, 120 J 123–126 black pyramid, 117 Chicago, Illinois, 78 Delta, Utah, 95 extraction, 95, 97, 98, 113 123 Harrison, Dan, 120 jam and jelly, 11, 60 physical landscape, 127–132 Black, Conae, 91 chickens, 40 DeMillion, Marcy, 3–4, 89 Grand Canyon, 70 Harrison, Shawnee, 120 Janish, Jeanne R., 130,132 population, 127–132 Blue Castle (formation), 95 Chow Hound, 9, 34, 41, 105, 107, Denver, Colorado, 100 F Grand County, Utah, 112 Hat, Rey Lloyd, 80 jeep, 109 The American West as Living Space Blue Castle Holdings, 95, 98 108, 117, 120 desert colors, 24, 70, 74, 75, 77, fabrication, 100 Grand Junction, Colorado, iv, 126 Hatch, Bus, 81 jet fuel, 38, 95 (Stegner), 128 Blue Castle Project, 3–4, 95, 96, Cisco, Utah, 111 81, 84, 117 farm labor, 24, 32 Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1 Hawkins, Billy, 66 jetboat, 75, 77 AmeriCorps VISTA, 2, 42 97, 98 City Council, 3–4, 40, 91 Desert River Stories, 2 farming, 2, 29, 32, 81, 96 Grand Teton National Park, 2 Healthy Environment Alliance jobs, 26, 28, 97 ancestry, 60, 68–70 Boise, Idaho, 100 cleaning up, 3–4, 40–41 Desert Storm, 35, 37 farmland, 96 grazing, 116 (HEAL) of Utah, 96, 98 John Wesley Powell River History Anderton, Allycia, 1, 108 Bonehead, 56 Climate and Capitalism, 112 Desert Water Press, 73 feasibility, 96, 113 Great Basin, 129 Helper State Bank, 61 Museum, 3, 66, 81 Andrus, Kim, 91 bonytail, 96 clowns, 21 design, iv, 1, 2, 3, 89–90, 95, Federal Energy Regulatory Greaves, Ryan, 1, 123–124, 126 Helper, Utah, 116 Johnson, Kent, 3 Angry Birds, 107 Book Cliff Motel, 90 coal, 96, 97, 129 123–124 Commission (FERC), 96 Greeley, Horace, 123 Henry Mountains, 56 Johnson, Orrin, 27 Animal Control Officer, 40 Book Cliffs, 61, 95, 101, 108, coal-fired power plant, 95, Despicable Me, 107 federal funds, 101 Green River (town) Hermit Creek, 70 Jones, Kent, 98 anti-tar sands, 114 109–114, 116, 117, 123 96, 98 development, 95, 98, 99–104, federal lands, 115, 128 airport, 33, 62 Hert, Lauren, 1, 107 Jones’s cycladenia, 96 arable land, 32, 96 Book Cliffs Highway, 112 Coke, 78, 117, 120 101, 113 federal programs, 3–4 Archives, 51–62, 81 Hey Arnold, 108 journalist, 2 Arches National Park, 44 books, 75, 127–132 Colorado diesel, 95 fence, 10, 41 as microcosm, v, 124 High Desert Refining, 103 junk, 40 architecture, 1, 2, 89, 123, 124 boom town, 25, 33, 34, 81, 85 state, 65–66 Dilworth, J. Vernal, 1, 115–116 ferry, 25, 75 as pit stop, 44 Highway 6, 95, 100 archives, 51–62, 81, 127–132 boot camp, 37 pikeminnow, 96 Dinkins, Dawna, 45–46 fiction, 115–116 Business Group, 3 Highway 191, 100 K aerial view, 110, 111 Camp Geiger, 37 Plateau, 66 Dinkins, Philip, 45–46 fire, 117 Chamber of Commerce, 61 hiking, 43–44, 115–116 Kanesville, Utah, 56 Arid States Adventure Library, Camp Pendleton, 37 Yampa River, 70 Dinosaur National Quarry, 116 fire department, 3, 21, 81, 97 City Code, 40 Hintze, Lehi F., 129 kayak, 75, 79–82 The, 127–132 bowling alley, 97 Colorado River, 74, 130, 132 documentary, 61, 81 fishing, 74, 115 City Hall, 41, 61 hitchhiking, 70 Kelsey, Mike, 116 aridity, 65, 70, 95, 127, 128 Boy Scouts, 21 system, 65–66 documents, 127, 129, 130 Fix It First, 42 City Park, 15, 16, 21, 23 Holbrook, Destiney, 81 Klonzo Trails, 43–44 Arnberger, Leslie P, 132 Boys and Girls Club of Green Grand River, 66 dogs, 40, 111–112 flag, 17, 21, 38 High School, 1, 2, 3, 29, 30, Hole-in-the-Rock, 130 KOA Campground, 26 art River, 3–4 proper nomenclature, 66 drinking water, 75, 76–77, 97, 116 Flaming Gorge Dam, 70 36, 62, 81, 105, 125, Holiday Inn Express, 17, 107 Korean War, 48 gallery, 34 Bradley, George Young, 66 Westwater Canyon, 43–44 drought, 95 flash floods, 65, 74 Industrial Park, 96, 102 Holiday River Expeditions, 81 Kuwait, 37 tourism, 126 Brady, Keith, 40–41 The Colorado River Region and drug and alcohol prevention, 3–4 Flores, Javier, 49 Industrial Site, 96 home repair, 2, 3, 42, 34 artist, iv, v, 1, 2, 3, 26, 30, Brady, Pat, 1, 3–4, 41 John Wesley Powell (Rabbitt et Dunham Melons, 11, 23–24, 81 flowers, 56, 57 LDS Chapel, 62 horse, 1, 5 L 55–58, 119–120, 123–126 Broadway Street, 3–4, 41 al.) 132 Dunham, Kelly, 3–4, 89, 91 Flowers of the Southwest Mesas Library, 61 Horse Trail Canyon, 116 La Sal Mountains, 44 contemporary art, 119–120 Brown, Carson Davis, 1, 123–125 community, iv, v, 1, 3–4, 28, 29, Dunham, Nancy, 19, 24, 81 (Patraw), 130 Public Safety Building hospitality industry, 13, 17, 28, 41 land lease, 98 visiting artist, v Brown, Katherine, 1, 71, 73, 78 41, 97, 89, 124–125 Dunn, Bill, 66 Flowers of the Southwest Mountains (future), 90 hotel, 17, 40 land use, 3–4, 91, 95, 96, 97, artifacts, 127–132 Brown’s Park, 115–116 Community Center, 3–4 (Patraw), 132 Trails System, 89 House Public Utilities and 109–114 Ascending Sheep, 44 Brush Creek, 116 community development, 91, 126 E Floy, Utah, 109–114 Travel Center, 61 Technology Committee landscape, 7 Ashley Creek, 116 Buena Vista, Colorado, 129 community planning, 91 Early Site Permit (ESP), 3–4, 96 Flying Diamond Cafe, 60 Green River Launch Complex, 33, (US), 98 arid landscape, 70 Athena missile, 16 Bureau of Land Management complexity, v, 109–114, 124 Eastern Utah Cattle Growers folklore, 115–116 53–54 housing, 34, 42, 89–90 desert landsape, 1 Auburn University, 1, 2 (BLM), 109, 110, 111, 113 confluence, 65–66, 74, 76, 77, Association, 61 Forinash, Jack, 1, 91, 117, Green River Newspaper, v, 125 Housing Assessment (2013), 42 Mormon, 131 aviation, 33, 38, 61–62, 81 Burger King, 108 116, 130 Ecodomaine/Red Leaf, 103 123–126 Green River (river), 63–82, 89 Houston, Texas, 97 physical and mental landscape Avila, Lizbeth Anguinao, 1, 107 Burlington Northern Santa Fe Congress, 65, 97 economic development, 91, 96, fossil fuel, 95 Anderson Bottom, 75 Howland, Oramel G., 66 of American West, 127 (BNSF), 100 Construction Operating License 99–104 four-wheeler, 1, 2, 21 Cataract Canyon, 74 Howland, Seneca, 66 richness of, v B Burnett, Howard, 3–4 (COL), 95 economic development area, freedom, 128 Desolation Canyon, 80, 116 human nature, 56 Utah landscape, 123 backpacking, 115 Burnett, Sarah, vi, 1 construction work, 26, 42, 62, 95, 91, 101 freeway on-ramp/off-ramp, Fort Bottom, 75 humpback chub, 96 vast landscape, 112 Bacon, Travis, 91 Burns, Allen, 29 96, 97, 98, 130 Edwards, Jenny, 130 96, 109 Gray Canyon, 116 Hunt, Charles B., 132 landscaping, 98 Baker, Frank James, 60 businesses, 3–4, 28, 40, 100 Convair Aircraft, 33 Ekker, Arthur, 60 French trio, 79–82 Horse Canyon, 77 Hunt, Olive, 54, 55–58 Las Vegas, Nevada, 100 Baker, Jack, 60, 62 Cook, Nancy, 98 Ekker, Barbara B., 62 frontier, 123, 124 Jasper Canyon, 77 Hunter Power Plant, 96, 98 lawns, 40 Baker, Joe, 60, 62 C Cordingly, Chris, 1, 108 Ekker, Hazel, 60 Frontier Fellowship, 2, 3, 124, Labyrinth Canyon, 43–44, 70 Huntington Leopold, Luna B., 132 Baker, Noel, 60 Cabin-Time (Art Camp), 2, cosmetics, 97 Ekker, Teddy “Ted” Cornelius, 26 125 Lodore Canyon, 80, 116 power plant, 98 Les Voyageurs, 1, 81 Baker, Pearl Biddlecone, 59–62 124–125 cowboys, 123, 125, 128 El Paso, Texas, 1, 70 future of Green River, 26, 29, Mineral Canyon, 74 (town) Utah, 96 letter of intent, 104 Bastian, Mindy, 1, 85 California, 1, 75, 123, 128 coyote, 5, 80 Elgin Cemetery, 62 30, 83–104 Queen Anne’s Bottom, 75 hydropower, 96 letter of interest, 104

133 134 Contexts Contexts

Lezama, Chris, 1, 91, 123–126 Midland Hotel, 81 P Q Rothlisberger, Mary, 2, 117–118 Sponge Bob Square Pants, 107 trucks, 20-21, 24, 37, 40, 48, Warner, Matt, 116 librarian, 1 Midwest, 44 painter, 56 Queens, New York, 2 routes, 109–114 sports 57, 74 –75 Washington, D.C., 113 lifejacket, 77, 115 military vehicles, 38 Palouse, Washington, 2 quilting, 45 closed, 109 air hockey, 3–4 truckers, 24, 57 water, 12, 15, 24, 63–82, 91, lighter fluid, 97 Millard County, Utah, 95 paraffin wax, 97 quinciñera, 49–50 open, 110 basketball, 1, 2, 3, 29 trust land, See: SITLA 95, 97 livestock, 45–46, 96 milling, 100 park ranger, 2 statistical analysis of, 110 baseball, 1, 2, 78 Tusher, 117 allocation, 95 Living Rivers, 98, 110 mining, 48, 95, 96–97, 100, 131 Parris Island, South Carolina, 37 R ruggedness, 123, 130 foosball, 3–4 (Left Hand), 113 culinary water, 101 Loa, Utah, 56 Miramar, California, 38 passenger train, 34 Rabbitt, Mary C., 132 ruins, 76, 78, 116 football, 1,2 (Right Hand), 113 irrigation, 12, 24, 95 loan, home, 90, 34, 42 Miss Emery County, 18, 21 past, present, future, 115 Radiator Springs, iii rural revitalization, 120 golf, 2, 97 transportation via, 100 local economy, 126 Moab Times Independent, 98 Patraw, Pauline M., 130 radiation, 83 role of artist, 120, 123–126 ping pong, 3–4 U water rights, 95, 97, 100 Lohman, S.W., 131 Moab, Utah, 34, 62, 74, 75 peak construction, 97 radioactive material, 84, 95, 97 Russia, 86 spur (railroad), 98 U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 98 appropriation doctrine, 95 Loper, Bert, 62 Monument Hill, 107, 120 Pecora, W. T., 132 cask, 95 square dancing, 24 Uinta Basin, 98 “first in time, first in right,” 95 Los Angeles, California, 100 Mormon Country (Stegner), 131 per-acre purchase price, 104 ceramic pellets, 95 S Stacy, John R., 131 Uinta Mountains, 65 for Blue Castle Project, 97 Department of Water Mormon settlers, 66, 130 permanent crops, 96 radioactive waste, 95, 97 safety, 3–4, 42, 66, 78, 89, stars, 117 uintaite (Gilsonite), 98 riparian, 95, 97 and Power, 96 Mormonism permanent jobs, 97 rafting, 43–44, 66, 70, 95, 96, 130 State Engineer, 98 unemployment, 97 watershed, 70 Lynch, Pat, 115 physical landscape, 131 permanent pastures, 96 72–78, 116 sagebrush, 116, 130 Stegner, Wallace, 66, 128, Union Carbide, 130, 131 Webb, Roy, 66, 80 Morrison, Jim, 76 petrified palm wood, 56 rail-served distribution, 100 Salt Lake City, Utah, 34, 49, 60, 129, 131 Union Pacific, 98, 100 West Winds Restaurant, 14, 29, M motel, 13, 28, 40 petroglyphs, See: rock art railroad, 25, 29, 97, 98, 100 100, 110 Stevenson, Robert Louis, 3–4 United States Board on 46 machine gun, 38 mother nature, 56 petroleum, 95 railroad bridge, 54, 80, 107 Salt Lake Tribune, 98 stories, iv, 1, 2, 25, 38, 47, 70, 72, Geographic Names, 130 West Winds Truck Stop, 14, 29, Macquarie, Charlie, iv, 1, motorized travel, 109, 110 Pfander, Chance, 2, 86 rain, 24, 74–75, 116, 117, San Diego, California, 33 74, 81, 115, 116 United States Department 116 127–132 mule, 45 pharmaceuticals, 97 130 San Francisco, California, iv, from parents, 115–116 of the Interior, 98 Western movies, 123 Maguires daisy, 96 multifamily housing, 90, 91 Phoenix, Arizona, 32, 70, 100 Rainbow Park, 116 1, 75 stillness, 110 United States Department of Wetherington, Dakota iii, 2 Maid (boat), 66 mythology, 47 phosphate, 98 Ramsay, Jim and Shirley, 61 San Juan River, 130 storage and logistics, 98 the Interior, Bureau of whiskey, 70 Main Street, 3–4, 18, 19–21, pigeon’s blood, 56 ranching, 41, 56, 61, 96 San Luis Obispo, California, 32 Submarine, The, 95 Reclamation, 98 White Rim Sandstone, 75 40, 90 N Pinneo, Justin, 2 Raven’s Exile: A Season on the San Rafael cactus, 96 Subway, 21, 27 United States Geological Whitman College, 2, 68 man-camp, 96, 97 naptha, 95, 97 pinyon, 129 Green River (Meloy), 66 San Rafael Swell, 43–44, 109 Sullivan, Charlotte X.C., 2, 117, Survey, 98 Who Let the Dogs Out, 24 Mancos Hills Industrial Park, 96, National Forest Land, 113 pioneers, 123, 124 Ray’s Tavern, 81 rock art, 43–44 119–120, 125 United States Postal Service, 2, 74 Wikipedia, 98 97, 99 –104 National Park Service, 3, 74, 89 place, cover, v, iii, 1, 26, 32, 86, razorback sucker, 96 Sand Wash, 116 summer, 15, 116 University of California Santa Wilcox, Waldo, 80 Mancos Resources, 104 Rivers, Trails and Conser- 97, 113, 123–126 real estate agents, 101 sanity, 110 Sumner, John Colton, 66 Cruz, 1 Wild Bunch, 60, 116 Manhattan, New York City, 120 vation names, 113, 115, 130 recreational facilities, 97 Santa Cruz, California, 1, 2 sunburn, 117, 128 uranium, 25, 34, 48, 81, 95, 117 The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost, Manifest Destiny, 123 Assistance Program, 3 place-based art, 125 red mylar streamers, 21, 22 Santa Maria, California, 32 sunset, vi, 1, 24, 117 mining industry, 26, 97 60 manufacturing, 97, 100, 131 natural beauty, 74, 123 study of, v redrock, 2, 44, 56, 70 saving water, 98 Super 8 Motel, 28 prospecting, 48 wilderness, 2, 109–114, 123 map, 102, 103, 110, 116, 127 natural gas, 26, 96 Planning Commission, 91 refining, 96, 103 Savino, Ryann, 2, 65–66, 67–70 surfing, 38 tailings, 117 psychology of, 2, 56 marching band, 20, 21 natural resources, 26, 29, 81, 98 poem, 55–58, 110, 113 See also: processing Seeing Things Whole: The Essential SUWA (Southern Utah Wilder- Uranium Watch, 98 Wilderness Areas, 109 Marsing, Mel, 60 Nefertiti, 117 population, 25, 84, 86, 95, 97 REI generation, 80 John Wesley Powell (deBuys), 66 ness Alliance), 98, 109, 110 US Air Force, 33, 37, 38 Williams, Brooke, 2, 109–114 master hiker, 116 “neighbors-helping-neighbors” Population Reference relocation, 97 Seeley, Richard, 19, 24, 47–48 Swasey’s Beach, 117 US Marine Corps, 35–38 Williamson, Bennett, 2, 39–42 Mattison, Miles, cover, iv, 1, 5–18 mentality, 3–4, 42 Bureau, 98 remoteness, 110 Seep Ridge Road, 112 Sweat, Katelynn, 2, 105 Utah Business, 98 Wind River Mountains, 65, 66 mayor, 1, 3–4, 21 Nelson, Phil, 2, 68, 70, 72–78 carrying capacity, 95 residences, 3, 9, 17, 32, 40, 42 Sego Canyon, 107 swimming, 1, 2, 63–64, 97, 117 Utah Community Planners, 91 Windy Mesa Road, 113 McCandless, Mike, 96, 104 Nevada, 1, 66 doubling time, 96 Resource Management Plans Sego Nash, 113 Sykes, Maria, vi, 2, 123–126 Utah Department of Fish and winter, 16, 116 McClusky, Ian, 1 Nevills, Norm, 81 “push-pull” hypothesis, 97 (BLM), 110, 112 self-reliance, 128 Game, 80 women in Green River, 18, 24, 26, McFarlane, Lindsay, 1, 107 Newland, Connor Jeff, 29 possibility, 123–126 retiree, 26, 28 service sector, 26, 27, 28, 29, 97 T Utah Museum of Natural History, 28, 30, 35–38, 45–46, 49–50, McKee, Edwin D., 132 No-Name (boat), 66 potash, 96 Richards, Dale Ernest, 28 sewer, 102 tamarisk, 76, 117 131 52, 55–58, 59–62 McPherson Ranch, 80 North Long Street, 61 POTLUCK, 3 Richards, Jaden, 2, 49, 87–88 Shaffer, Nikolas, 2, 84 tar sands, 112 Utah Rivers Council, 98 Women’s Club, 61 Mecham, Del, 55 nuclear missiles, 37 poverty, 97, 124 Riches, Gary, 91 shopping mall, 85, 97 Tax Entity Committee, 102 Utah State House of Worster, Donald, 66 Mecham, Zack, 1 nuclear power plant, 3–4, 28, 32, poverty, economic, 124 Riches, Penny, 3, 89 Siaperas, Anastasia, 37 tax increment financing, 102 Representative, 98 Wyoming rivers Medina, Roman, 1, 107 33, 84, 85, 86, 95 poverty, social, 124 Rim Road, 74, 113 Siaperas, Pete, 37 tax revenue, 102 Utah rivers Big Sandy River, 70 megawatt, 95, 96 See also: Blue Castle Powell, John Wesley, 66, 81, Rio (the dog), 111–112 Siaperas, Tracey, 35–38 telecom, 102 Duchesne River, 70 Black’s Fork, 70 melon, 11, 96, 116 nuclear reactor, 95, 96, 97 129, 132 Rios, Armando, 2, 42 Siefken, Sarah, 2, 3, 43–44, 89 TESLA Motors, 3 Price River, 70 Henry’s Fork, 70 canary, 23 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Powell, Walter H., 66 river runner, 62, 66, 72–78, Silliman, Mike, 3 Texas A&M, 33 San Rafael River, 70 Horse Creek, 70 canteloupe, 20, 24 (NRC), 95, 96, 97, 98 power production, 96 81, 123 Silver Eagle Gas Station, 18 Thayn Melons, 24 White River, 70 New Fork River, 70 crenshaw, 24 nuclear security, 97 PR Springs, 112 River Running West, A Simmons, Burke, iv, 105 thermal-electric power plant, 97 Uvalde, Texas, 32 Sage Creek, 70 Dunham, 11, 23–24, 81 pre-industry, 116 (Worster), 66 Simpsons, The, 106, 108 Thompson Canyon, 113 israeli, 24 O Price, Utah, 2, 33, 62, 116, 126 River Stories, 72 Sincerely Interested, iv Thompson Springs, 21, 46 V X watermelon, 1, 9, 14, 21, 24 Oakland, California, 1 pride of place, 125 rivers, power of, 74 Sister (boat), 66 Three Rocks, 117 Vernal, Utah, 81, 98, 112, xeriscaping, 98 Thayne, 24 off-road vehicles, 111 private land, 103, 115 roads, 24, 55, 84, 96, 102, SITLA, 97, 101, 104, 112, 113 thru-way, 123 115–116 Vetere, 21 Ogden, Duston, 2, 108 private/public, 99, 101 109–114, 115–116, 126 situatedness, 123 Thurston, Gaye E. 62 veterans, 3, 35, 77, 115 Y Melon Days, 19, 30, 46, 51, 97 oil, 81, 95, 96, 112, 116, 131 pro-wild, 114 road building, 96, 112 skyscrapers, 84 Tilton, Aaron, 96, 98 Veterans Memorial, 3 Yogi Bear, 105 parade, 3–4, 19–24, 46 oil and gas services, 100 processing, 100 road trip, 2, 44, 123 slow pace, 115–116, 123, 124 Top Gun, 38 Vetere Melons, 21 Young, Ken (Utah Community Melon Queen, 21, 24, 52, 54, 81 drilling, 100 barrel per day, 95 roads turned to mud, 74 small town life, 27 tourism, 13, 17, 25, 28, 29, 40, Vetere, C.J., 39–42 Planners), 91 Melon, The Big, 21, 22, 54, 108 rigs, 100 See also: Rock River Resources and Robbers Roost Ranch, 59–60 Smart, Sarah, 91 115, 124, 126 Vetere, Trey, 2, 108 youth, 28, 124 Melon Vine, 1, 27, 117 openness, 124 Emery Refining rock art, 43–44, 47–48 Smith, Cyrus, 2, 25–30, trail, 3 Virgin River, 66 Meloy, Ellen, 66 oral history, 35–38, 51 Project No Project, 98 Rock River Resources, 95, 97, 98 31–34, 35–38 Trails Committee, 3, 89 visitors, iv, v, 3–4, 33, 80, Z Mendez, Erick Martin, 27, 49 ordinance, 40 pronghorn antelope, 111–112 rocks, 44, 56, 117–118 Smith, Karen, 3, 89 Travel Plans (BLM), 109 123–125 Zoning Administrator, 40 Mendez, Johnny, 49 Ordinance Manager, 40 property tax, 102, 40–41 rockhound, 56 Smith, Muriel W., 62 Trejo, Elias, 49 Mendez, Prisma, 1, 108 Orem, Utah, 95 prospecting, 48 Rocky Mountains, 33, 65 Soccorro, New Mexico, 61 Trejo, Elieso, 49 W Mendoza, Avran, 30 outlaw trail, 115 pubic utilities, 96, 97 Rogers, Andrew, social impacts, 113 Trejo, Haydee, 28 wagon, 46, 130 metaphysics, 48 outlaws, 116 public land, 97, 115 Elements, 119–120 solitude, 76, 114, 115, 116 Trejo, Judith, 21, 49–50 Wal-Mart, 24z Mexican Hat, Utah, 81 outsiders, 124, 125 public library, 61, 116 Ratio, 107 space, 124, 128 tributaries, 65–70 walking, 115, 119–124 micro-loan fund, 42 overgrown vegetation, 40 public water use, 97 roller rink, 97 Split Mountain, 116 Trough Springs Ridge, 113 wandering around the West, 1, 70

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