Experiencing Echo Park: Recreation’s Forgotten History

Sara Porterfield University of Colorado, Boulder Colorado River Upper Basin Forum 2 November 2017 The Grand Overhang on the Yampa River

Lodore Canyon, Green River Source: Harvey, A Symbol of Wilderness Echo Park Confluence of the Green & Yampa Rivers Hetch Hetchy Valley, pre-dam Source: SFGate Hetch Hetchy Valley, pre-dam Source: SFGate

Source: Sierra Club Hetch Hetchy Valley, pre-dam Source: SFGate

Source: Sierra Club

David Brower, Source: Sierra Club Hetch Hetchy Valley, pre-dam Source: SFGate

Source: Sierra Club

Glen Canyon Dam Source: Bureau of Reclamation

David Brower, Source: Sierra Club

“A pastime long considered escapism was actually intensely engaged with the broader world.”

(Joseph Taylor, Pilgrims of the Vertical, 3) Source: University of Utah Marriott Library Special Collections

Don (left) & Bus Hatch Source: Webb, Riverman

Source: Sierra Club, This is Dinosaur Bus Hatch Source: Hatch River Expeditions

Sierra Club on the Yampa with Hatch, c. 1953 Hatch River Expeditions & Sierra Club on the Yampa River Source: Sierra Club, Wilderness River Trail Source: Sierra Club, This Is Dinosaur Source: University of Utah Marriott Library Special Collections “Hope I’m not taking up too much of your valuable time with my flood of letters, but feel you may run across something in them that will help our cause.” Don Hatch to David Brower, 6 February 1954

“I wish I could make it clear to you how important your letters are so that you would never write such a paragraph as the one in which you say you hope you are not taking too much of my time with your letters.” David Brower to Don Hatch, 15 February 1954 “The amount of water let down the river from the upper dams can make or spoil Dinosaur.” ~Bus Hatch to Horace Albright, 26 January 1956

Flaming Gorge Dam Source: Bureau of Reclamation Signing the Wilderness Act A Commercial Trip with Georgie White Source: Wikipedia Source: Arizona State University

Map of Proposed Bridge Canyon & Marble Canyon Dams Source: Wikipedia “Conservation is the ultimate most important topic when we consider the future of our sport.” Bill Prime, American Whitewater Journal, November 1966

Photo Credit: Andy Rotherham