Boatman's Quarterly Review
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boatman’s quarterly review WHEELER SURVEY the journal of the Grand Canyon River Guide’s, Inc. • voulme 28 number 2 spring 2015 the journal of Grand Canyon River Guide’s, Prez Blurb • Guide Profile • Farewell • Dear Eddy Escalade • Hybrid-Electric Motor • LTEMP • GTS Land & River Glory Days • Ted Hatch Story • Harriet Strong • Book Reviews boatman’s quarterly review Congratulations! …is published more or less quarterly by and for Grand Canyon River Guides. RION VASEY SALSIE was born on on March Grand Canyon River Guides 20TH to Gibby Siemeon and Justin Salamon is a nonprofit organization dedicated to O(both guides at CANX). His name represents a constellation, a spring and a combo! He weighed 6 Protecting Grand Canyon pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. Setting the highest standards for the river profession Celebrating the unique spirit of the river community Providing the best possible river experience General Meetings are held each Spring and Fall. Our Board of Directors Meetings are generally held the first Wednesday of each month. All innocent bystanders are urged to attend. Call for details. Staff Executive Director Lynn Hamilton Board of Directors President Katie Proctor Vice President Laura Fallon Treasurer Fred Thevenin Directors Mikenna Clokey Chelsea DeWeese Stephen Kenney Jalynda McKay Ben Reeder Justin Salamon Gcrg’s amwg Cover: Stereograph. The start from Camp Mohave, Arizona Representative Sam Jansen Territory, September 15th, 1871. Photographer, Timothy H. O’Sullivan. Library of Congress Gcrg’s twg Representative Jerry Cox Timothy H. O’Sullivan Bqr Editors Katherine Spillman is perhaps best known Mary Williams for his photos of the Our editorial policy, such as it is: provide an open Civil War, which include his famous “Harvest forum. We need articles, poetry, stories, drawings, of Death” photo. But photos, opinions, suggestions, gripes, comics, etc. after covering the war, Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Grand O’Sullivan decided to Canyon River Guides, Inc. strike out West, and Written submissions should be less than 15oo when he came back, he words and, if possible, be sent on a cd or emailed to brought with him some gcrg. Microsoft Word files are best but we can trans- of the earliest photos of the (quite literally) “wild” late most programs. Include postpaid return envelope American West. if you want your disk or submission returned. O’Sullivan’s explorations of the American West Deadlines for submissions are the 1st of February, were done as part of different US Government-funded May, August and November. Thanks! expeditions. Between 1867 and 1869, he was part of Our office location: 515 West Birch, Flagstaff, az 86001 the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel led by Office Hours: 12:00–6:00, Monday through Friday Clarence King. Afterwards, in 1870, he joined a survey team in Panama 928/773-1075 to survey for a canal across the isthmus, and then spent Phone 1871 to 1874 in the southwestern United States, surveying Fax 928/773-8523 west of the 100th meridian West under Lt. George M. E-mail [email protected] Wheeler. Website www.gcrg.org page 2 grand canyon river guides Prez Blurb HERE ARE MANY THINGS about this time of year inquire into the meaning of things and find purpose. that make me feel so fortunate. I just got off After telling guests on my last trip about the Grand Tmy first trip of the season filled with mild Canyon Escalade proposal, the proposed Tusayan de- temperatures, blooming brittlebush, and believe-it- velopment and potential uranium mining endeavors, or-not, downstream breezes. I don’t know if we just all of them were interested in learning more about the got lucky or what, but sometimes things have a way proposals and keeping an eye on how things develop. of working out just as they are supposed to. When At least five out of our fifteen asked for the Grand reading through emails I was delighted to find out that Canyon River Guides brochure and the websites for Roger Clark of Grand Canyon Trust noted that with Grand Canyon Trust and Save the Confluence. That’s the election of a new Navajo Nation president “the pretty good when you think about it. Even if only development proposal stalled in the Navajo legislature three out of those five become members, or donors, or and lacking any support from elected leaders, we are active participants, that’s three steps in the right direc- beginning to focus on long-term solutions for protect- tion for Grand Canyon. ing the eastern half of Marble Canyon from Lees Ferry So here’s to an excellent season for you and your to the confluence.” High Country News reports the new guests in Grand Canyon. Play hard, stay safe and keep changes this way, “A new president and a new tribal on allowing Grand Canyon to work it’s magic. That’s council for Navajo Nation are basically the equivalent the heart of true transformation. See you on the water. of a new Congress for the U.S., and any legislation from the previous session that didn’t become law will have Katie Proctor to be reintroduced. The Escalade project will have to start from scratch.” Certainly, Grand Canyon isn’t exactly in the clear yet, but these are just the boosts that organizations like Grand Canyon Trust and Save the Confluence need Begaye Formally Opposes to continue to persist and gain momentum in their quests to preserve the integrity of Grand Canyon. Escalade Project That’s not the only good thing being carried in with the current. As I rowed through the Canyon, EWLY SWORN-IN Navajo Nation President Russell we relished the sight of the river banks covered with Begaye has reasserted his opposition to the broad, steep sand banks the result of last fall’s high NGrand Canyon Escalade. Here is his adminis- flow experiment. New sediment in Grand Canyon as a tration’s formal statement, released May 13, 2015: result of these flows means better opportunities for the “The agreement signed yesterday during the Inau- native flora and fauna of the riparian corridor to not guration between President Russell Begaye and outgo- only survive but perhaps flourish. It also proves that ing Ben Shelly was historic and a symbolic gesture of even the feds sometimes allow the scales to tip towards Ahil na’ anish, a smooth transition and an agreement ecological preservation over financial gain. This is the in principle as a new administration takes office. The result of many hardworking and persistent scientists listing of projects on the agreement are those of the whose work has influenced those in power. Shelly-Jim administration. The Begaye-Nez adminis- There are so many reasons to feel hopeful for not tration will vet and evaluate each project and deter- only Grand Canyon’s future but the future of our mine whether the project will be in the best interest of natural environment and resources. Martin Litton set the Navajo Nation and our people. As for the project, a brilliant example, and just look at how many indi- Grand Canyon Escalade, this Administration has viduals and organizations have worked tirelessly to already stated it does not support the Grand Canyon uphold the highest standard of resource preservation. Escalade project and that position has not changed, Take note of all the gains made from their endeavors. as Mr. Begaye has stated it is not in the best interest of Let’s keep up this momentum. The breeze is at our the Navajo Nation and the Navajo people.” back. We can and will influence the decisions made ~ Russell Begaye, President of the Navajo Nation about Grand Canyon. I believe one of the best things about our profession as river guides is that we get Save the Confluence to watch Grand Canyon inspire our guests to play, boatman’s quarterly review page 3 Guide Profile Ben Reeder, Age 33 helped me write a personal narrative about growing up disconnected to Mormon ideology and reconnect- WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Provo, UT ing to family through the Colorado River. WHO DO YOU WORK FOR? I work for Colorado River WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE? I got interested in guiding and Trail Expeditions. 2015 will be my eighth season through a group of guys I was skiing with at Snowbird. with them. I started out in Moab working for Adrift It wasn’t until I started writing my thesis that I began Adventures and spent my first five seasons guiding in putting together the stories of my Grandpa, uncles Cataract and Westwater, the Moab Daily and Desola- and cousins who had been guiding since the 1960s in tion Canyon. the Canyon. I got hooked on the river completely independently. My WHAT KIND OF BOATS DO YOU RUN? Mainly dad did river trips early on, but we 37-foot S-Rigs. But I also row and never went down as a family. paddle. I feel really lucky when I can do all three in a season; it keeps things WHO HAVE BEEN YOUR MENTORS/ROLE fresh. I also run a 14-foot sportboat that MODELS? Early on it was Brad Gale, I rebuilt—whenever I get the chance for Josh Strain, Jake Skeen, Nate Hal- a private trip. I have it set up to motor deman and Jeremy Swindlehurst at or row. Adrift. It was my cousin Zak Reeder that convinced me to come work WHAT OTHER RIVERS HAVE YOU WORKED ON? for Colorado River and Trail Expe- I really enjoy the variety of rivers that ditions. On my first Grand Canyon CRATE runs. I have been on the Tatshen- trip, Walker Mackay taught me shini in Alaska, and have worked all the how to drive an S-Rig, and Mindy sections around Moab.