The Ol’ Pioneer The Magazine of the Grand Canyon Historical Society

Volume 27 : Number 3 www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Summer 2016

Captain John Hance

In This Issue

Recollections ..... 3 A Few Words From Cap’n Hance ..... 4 The Voyage of the DRIFTWOOD .... 7 60th Anniversary Air Disaster ...... 20 Book Review ...... 22 President’s Letter The Ol’ Pioneer The Magazine of the Grand Canyon Historical Society Everyone has their favorite time of year at Grand Canyon and for me it is the summer, with its refreshing monsoon cloudbursts and ‘Arizona Highway Volume 27 : Number 3 Summer 2016 skies.’ Of course, I am speaking about the North and South rims at the canyon, since it is just too hot to be below the Rim this time of year (for that area, I love u all other seasons). To me, there is nothing like seeing towering cumulonimbus The Historical Society was established clouds frame the sky above the canyon or the smell of a summer rain. I first in July 1984 as a non-profit corporation saw the Grand Canyon on such a July day in 1973 and I’ve been hooked ever to develop and promote appreciation, since. There is something special about this time of year. understanding and education of the On June 30th we remembered the 128 victims of the TWA and United earlier history of the inhabitants and Airlines crash over Grand Canyon. Members of the Grand Canyon Historical important events of the Grand Canyon. Society, along with the National Park Service, and about 35 surviving family The Ol’ Pioneer is published by the members gathered at Desert View to remember the tragedy and honor the GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL dead. Beautiful wreaths were provided by the NPS and were laid at each of SOCIETY in conjunction with The the mass graves. Our oral historian, Tom Martin, collected more interviews Bulletin, an informational newsletter. from family members that will be preserved at Grand Canyon National Park. Both publications are a benefit of membership. Membership in the Society A lecture by ranger Brian Gatlin was given at Desert View during the time is open to any person interested in the that the two planes collided. It is now two years since the crash site was historical, educational, and charitable designated as a National Historic Landmark and Ian Hough (NPS), who purposes of the Society. Membership is guided the NHL nomination process, presented the evening program on June on an annual basis using the standard 30. The Grand Canyon Historical Society is a leading partner in remembering calendar; and dues of $25 are payable on the 1st of January each year, and mailed this unfortunate event and has provided comfort and closure for many family to the GCHS Treasurer, PO Box 31405 members who have nowhere else to turn. I am proud of this achievement Flagstaff, AZ 86003-1405. The Ol’ Pioneer by the GCHS and I remember the initial inspiration that was provided by magazine is copyrighted by the Grand GCHS members Helen Ranney and Richard Quartaroli, who first suggested a Canyon Historical Society, Inc. All rights commemoration event for the 50th anniversary in 2006. reserved. No part of this publication th may be reproduced or used in any form I won’t bore you with another reminder about our 4 History Symposium without permission of the publisher. to be held November 4-6 this year, except to say that early registration for all GCHS members begins on August 15. Beginning on this date, you will Editor: Mary Williams have only two weeks to get one of the very limited 250 seats before we open Submission deadlines: January 1, April registration to the general public. All of our previous symposia have been 1, July 1, and October 1. Submit photos and stories to the editor of The Ol’ oversubscribed and this one should be no different. A full program with Pioneer at: info@marywilliamsdesign. registration instructions will be up on our web site beginning on August 15 com Contact for mailing address (928) – please sign up there. And note that once you register for the symposium, 779-3377. Please submit written articles you will be able to make reservations with Xanterra for lodging as blocks of and photos electronically on CD or via rooms have been made available for all registrants. Mark you calendars to email if possible. You may mail photos for scanning if needed. take advantage of early registration for this special Symposium that marks the Centennial year of the National Park Service. Submissions to The Bulletin should be I hope you will notice the increased quality of the articles and content in sent to Karen Greig, [email protected] the Ol’ Pioneer. We are receiving more and more submissions to our journal, which is rapidly growing into a great resource for those interested in Grand GCHS Officers Wayne Ranney, President Canyon’s history. Of course, we have been lucky to call Don Lago one of our Dave Mortenson, Vice President own in years past but now more and more canyon junkies are sharing their Amy Horn, Treasurer expertise and experiences with us. We welcome your submissions as well. Tom Martin, Secretary Whether you know it or not, your experiences at Grand Canyon are part of its Ellen Brennan, Outings Chair rich history. Karen Greig, Membership Wayne Ranney, Pioneer Award Chair Tom Martin, Oral History Chair Wayne Ranney Al Richmond, Hall of Fame Award/ GCHS President Research Grants / Scholarship Chair

Board of Directors Dave Mortenson Cover: A well-dressed John Hance sits in a rocking chair by the Bright Angel Hotel. Ellen Brennan Jack Pennington The Grand Canyon is visible through the wooden fence behind him. Circa 1912? Kathy Faretta Phil Payne Credit: The Buggeln Collection, Grand Canyon National Park. Ron Brown Arnie Richards Amy Horn Frank Romaglia Donelle Huffer Wayne Ranney Tom Martin Jon Streit 2 : Grand Canyon Historical Society Recollections

Occasionally, the Ol’ Pioneer publishes the personal recollections of those willing to share their Grand Canyon experiences with a wider audience. Sometimes these recollections involve activities that, while they were reasonable and acceptable at the time, are most definitely not appropriate under current NPS regulations and management guidelines. The Grand Canyon Historical Society neither endorses nor condones any activity that is contrary to contemporary NPS policy regarding resource protection (in this case, the Cave Management Plan and associated permits). Not all aspects of the Canyon’s history will conform to present-day standards of behavior, but it is the mission of the GCHS to preserve and relate the Canyon’s history, as experienced by those who lived it first-hand. by Bryan Brown Canyon. There was no sign marking something special the next day. the trailhead, indeed there was no We woke early on Sunday morning, y Grand Canyon experience trailhead, and furthermore there was the day we were to hike out the New began in 1976 when the no trail. One would think that these Hance Trail, and packed up. Then Ken NPS research unit on the hints would have suggested to me led us to the special place which had SouthM Rim hired me as a seasonal that this might not be a normal hike as been his objective all along. We hiked biological technician. I quickly fell in I imagined it to be, but no. and scrambled up to the base of a with a diverse group of individuals, We came across the faintest of trails large alcove in the Redwall, climbed characters all, who loved to hike as our route took us over the rim and up a broken line of cliffs, and found and backpack in the Canyon. They down into Hance Canyon. Following ourselves in what was actually a large dragged me down maintained trails this, we were able to make it as far cave similar to, but smaller than, on some great hikes that left me as the Coconino Sandstone where all Redwall Cavern along the Colorado begging for more. This was all new traces of a trail disappeared. From River in Marble Canyon. and wonderful to me, as I had never this point we continued to hike, then And the cave was full of biological really gone backpacking before. slide, then scramble down the canyon treasures. Ken carefully documented My seasonal position ended that to somewhere in the Supai until it was the largely intact skeleton of a autumn, but I was re-hired in the almost dark and Ken wisely suggested Harrington’s mountain goat, an spring of 1977. Almost immediately we make camp and continue hiking extinct species whose undisturbed upon my return I was invited by the next day. remains had been preserved for Ken Cole and John (JT) Thomas to Only there was no camp. We were thousands of years inside the dry accompany them on an overnight, on a steep, borderline-desperate talus cave. And the floor in parts of the cave weekend backpack trip. Ken was slope with nowhere flat to sleep. I was covered in the dried feces of giant gathering data for his dissertation on vaguely recall thinking that Ken and ground sloths, preserved relics from the paleoecology of packrat middens John were much more experienced at thousands of years ago left by yet in the Canyon. A graduate student this than me, so their casual acceptance another extinct animal. under the direction of Professor Paul of the situation suggested things must I had just done things in the past Martin at the University of Arizona, be normal – plus it would have been few days that I had never done before Ken went on to become director of uncool for me to panic. Eventually I or even imagined doing. But now I the NPS global-change program and chose a steeply angled spot just above was seeing things that I had never seen a research ecologist with the U.S. two substantial-looking shrubs to lay before, things that few people had ever Geological Survey. John was a veteran out my sleeping bag, trusting that the seen, and little did I know that the Fun NPS river ranger at the Canyon who shrubs would effectively counteract Meter had not even topped out yet! witnessed many key events during the Law of Gravity. Ken shouldered his backpack the Colorado River flood of 1983, and We continued downcanyon the when it came time for us to return to who later became the CEO of SWCA next morning, through the remainder the rim. I knew that we would need Environmental Consultants founded of the Supai to the top of the Redwall. to retrace our steps back to the Tonto by Steve Carothers. Ken was leading If any part of the Old Hance Trail Platform, hike across Mineral Canyon the trip and had The Plan, so I was remained at this point, we had failed to Red Canyon, and then continue naively enthusiastic about Ken’s idea to find it. The going became more out on the New Hance Trail – a long to hike down the Old Hance Trail and difficult through the Redwall and day on the trail if there ever was then out the New Hance Trail. required most of the day to negotiate one. So I must have appeared a little We left Grand Canyon Village after ledges, pour-offs, and broken cliffs. bewildered when Ken pulled out his work on Friday afternoon, parked We made a late afternoon camp near headlamp and began putting it on. our car near Buggeln Hill on the a small spring just below the Redwall, John and I had headlamps of our own South Rim, and began hiking across exhausted but in good spirits partly so we could see our way around camp the rim toward the head of Hance because Ken said we would see at night, the old-style kind that had a www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 3 long wire leading from the lamp on out the lights just to show the tourists ceased to work, no hidden drop-offs your head to a large and heavy case how dark a dark cave could be. And into a bottomless abyss, no screaming, of four D-cell batteries hooked to your so I followed Ken and John into the and best of all, no this-way-or-that- belt. dark hole in the wall, mainly because way choices with one choice leading Then Ken turned to us and said it would have been uncool to panic. to sunshine and fresh air while the something like, “We don’t have The cave entrance led at first other choice led to a lonely death in a enough time to hike around Mineral through larger chambers and cold, dark place. Canyon to hook up with the New passageways which were easy We emerged at a point on top Hance Trail, so let’s take a shortcut hiking, almost always angled slightly of the Redwall several hours later. through the Redwall instead.” upward. Then things narrowed down And as Ken had promised, the New And off he goes, headlamp a bit and we had to walk through tight Hance Trail was only a few hundred glowing, to the back of the cave and corridors. My memory of the sequence feet away. We rimmed out in late into a dark hole in the wall. He assured of events becomes a little fuzzy at this afternoon and were back in the Village us that the dark hole led up and point, but we were eventually reduced well before dark. through the Redwall, emerging near to crawling along on hands and knees I never cease to be amazed when the New Hance Trail (an entire canyon through short, narrow passages. And occasionally remembering our hike, away from us!) and thereby saving inevitably, we reached that moment now so long ago. The power of many hours and miles of hiking in the when we had to take our backpacks new things done, new things seen, hot sun. John quickly followed suit, off, push them ahead of us, and the physical and/or psychological donning his headlamp and walking squeeze through. challenges – for me this hike has toward the dark hole in the wall. Much to my surprise, a sense of become a metaphor for the influence Now is the time for full disclosure. discovery replaced an initial sense of that the Grand Canyon has on most Having been raised in Louisiana, I had dread. Our journey upward through people, shaping them for the better. never been in a wild cave in my life. the cave became for me a sort of I haven’t seen Ken in decades and it My parents had taken us on a tour in Magical Mystery Tour, to use a phrase has been a long time since I spoke with Carlsbad Caverns when I was 12 years popular in the 1970s, and once again John, but I suspect they feel the same old, but I was the kind of little boy I was doing and seeing things for the way. who screamed like a little girl when, first time. The cave was dry. There were deep underground, the ranger turned no bats, no headlamps that suddenly A Few Words From Cap’n Hance by Shane Murphy old pioneer spun his yarn would need never been down, I laughed at them a Joel Chandler Harris or James Whit- and said: ‘Wall, my grandmother’s a hen did John Hance discov- comb Riley to do it justice. It was about pretty old woman, but if I was as old er Grand Canyon? Down five years ago,” indicating 1890, “that as she is, I’d go down that canyon, if I through the years there’s [Hance] told [James] the story. Said he: had to roll down.’ Wbeen plenty of talk about that, but no ‘Wall, I guess it was a right hard trip. Hull and Ruggles, said Hance, reliable information has ever come It was three days o’ the hardest work I “‘sneered at my boast, and said I to light. As it happens, Hance had ever done in my life, to get down to the hadn’t ‘sand’ enough, but I told ’em if something to say about it by offering river the fourteenth of last June. I was I wan’t back in four days, they needn’t his own version in 1895. When the then forty-one years old, and when I look for me, but just take everything world’s greatest liar tells how it hap- got back I was the proudest boy you I left. And then down I went. It was pened, it’s a remarkable tale, a real ever seen. Mr. [William F. “Bill” ] Hull, awful work, but I would have taken whopper completely in step with his and a friend of mine, Mr. [Silas “Cy”] far more desperate chances than I did ‘believable—if true!’ personality. But Ruggles, had been out here and had to show those fellows I was not the does it finally answer the persistent, brought back strange stories of the can- chicken-livered dude they thought I age old question? yon, but I couldn’t find my way there. was.’ “I gained from him the story of I’d never seen the canyon, and hooted “‘Well, Sir! it took me a little over how he reached the river from the rim at the idea of there being anything of twenty-four hours’ hard tugging to of the canyon,” wrote George Wharton the kind they described. I asked them reach that river. I bathed in it. I drank James in 1895. “But no second party’s how long the canyon was and how far myself full of it! and then I washed in narration can give the Hance flavor to down, and when they told how far it! I built a monument and although I the story. The droll way in which the they thought it was, but that they had had no knife with me, I picked up a

4 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org piece of hard granite and scratched For the sake of discussion, let’s it could fit comfortably in the latter my name in the sandstone rock. I got say Hull was visiting Hance. That’s ’70s or early ’80s and is supported to back on the third day, pretty well used certainly possible. Hance had been some degree by Day Alley Willey who up, but as proud as ever a boy was in in the Hull family’s sphere since John studied John for an article published his life. I lived that three days on jerk- and his younger half-brother, George, in 1910. Hance, he wrote, came across ed antelope and biscuits.” emigrated to Arizona Territory and Grand Canyon “hunting for some “Doubted?” bought 640 acres of farmland on lower grazing ground in the desert for a few “‘No sir! I never once doubted my Granite Creek, twelve miles north of steers.” 8 That nests well with the Hull ability to get there.’” Prescott, in February, 1869. Back then, connection, but it’s also an interesting “And you got to the river?” Bill Hull’s father, Phillip Hull, had a twist on Canyon lore. The method of “‘Yes, siree! just sure as you are sheep dipping station in Mint Valley a discovery is usually attributed to Bill alive! I done some pretty ugly climb- few miles west of Granite Creek. Phil- Bass, a man Hance did not cotton to, ing, but I never allowed myself to get lip also owned Prescott town lots and once commenting that Grand Canyon dispirited, even when I was through land described by the Yavapai County had three liars: he was one and Bass with going over and under those falls. assessor as “stock range in Bill Wil- was the other two. 9 I got drenched to the skin several liams Mountain.” 6 Like John Hance In 1878, Hance held possessory in- times, but I kept on. I took good care reporting his age, Phillip, sometimes terest to a Camp Verde homestead on not to go where I’d be likely to fall, appearing as Philip, never seems to the Verde River near the southwest and so I pulled through all o.k. and have been on target. corner of Fort Verde’s garden tract. hunkey-dory.’” 1 In the early 1880s, Phillip’s son, 10 He had recently relocated from his Philip, occasionally presenting as Phil- homestead near today’s intersection Most of Hance’s stories don’t need lip—Phil Jr.—oversaw the family’s Co- of i-17 and Orme Road after selling verification—they were obvious tall conino Forest operations from Chal- it to his brother George for $1,000 in tales employed as deliberate, enter- lender, a small logging community 1877. Before moving to Camp Verde, taining falsehoods. But this one makes thrown-up around a sawmill named Hance had been farming and freight- a claim so significant it warrants a for a railroad man a few miles east of ing supplies for others, but by January, second look. If proven true, one of Williams. Phil arrived in Arizona after 1878 was delivering soft wood at Fort the big cracks in Grand Canyon’s hu- an Illinois birth and childhood visit Whipple 11 in Prescott, and in early man history could be filled in, and to Sacramento, California where his February offloaded 25,000 pounds of that, in turn, would dispel all manner youngest brother William—Bill—was corn, wheat and wool at Whipple. 12 of myths concerning the life of Cap’n born. Phil raised and ran cattle north His brother was also contracting to the John Hance. of Williams and by 1885 was involved military. The opportunity was made Hance indicates Hull and Ruggles with Hance in early Canyon tourism available by E. B. Grimes, soon to be- were at Grand Canyon during (or be- efforts. According to the few people come Arizona Territorial Quartermas- fore) the year he turned 41 and ‘hiked’ who knew Phil Jr. before his untimely ter. George Hance worked for Grimes to the river. That would have been sudden-death heart attack in Novem- during the Civil War, and both John 1878, 2 so it would pay to examine 1878 ber 1888, at 41 years of age, he was an and George worked under Grimes from as many perspectives as possible accommodating host. Brother Joseph, while crossing the Kansas plains en to authenticate the claim. or J.J., owned eighty acres “in San route to Arizona. 13 Hull was twenty that year,3 Ruggles Francisco mountains” which he sold That April, Hance went into busi- 43,4 and all that is good and well. But to the Territory in 1882; he then home- ness with Murray McInernay, the there’s a problem with John inserting steaded 160 acres east of Challender commissariat from Camp Date Creek Hull and Ruggles into 1878. Arizona with the same notion in mind. Joseph who came to Verde when Date Creek did not take a census that year and nei- ran sheep. Phil and Bill worked cattle was closed. While no formal agree- ther man’s name is found in the year’s and horses. All had registered brands. ment is known, the partnership’s cre- Great Register. As a result, it cannot be So far as is known, brother Frank was ation is seen in a handwritten ledger verified that Hull and Ruggles were in not involved in Hance’s affairs. book kept by C. P. Head & Co., sutlers Arizona that June. In fact, it wasn’t un- In his forward to William Wallace to Fort Verde. 14 Hance was the third til August 18, 1891, that Hull wrote in Bass’s Adventures in the Canyons of customer at Head’s counter the morn- John Hance’s Visitors’ Book, “First visit the Colorado, James reported he knew ing of April 3rd, intending to charge to the Canon February 1880.” 5 What Hance “long before he had dreamed 75¢ of tea to his account. But after the did Hull mean by that? There are only that the Canyon would help make clerk made the entry, John changed two ways to turn at this intersection. him famous; I ate venison stew with his mind and the clerk crossed it out. Either 1880 was Hull’s first visit to him when he was but a cowboy in the A few minutes later the same tea was Grand Canyon—ever—or it was his employ of the proprietor of the Hull reposted in the first listing of a new ac- first visit to see Hance who hadal- Ranch.” 7 It’s difficult to say where count titled “Hance and McI,” “McI” ready established himself there. or even when that happened, but being shorthand for McInernay. Until www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 5 May 27th, 1880, when the next led- reason—made and executed a promis- ing at Fort Verde since February, 1875, ger in the sequence is missing and sory note to Solomon Barth for $2600 when the Yavapai and Apache remov- Hance’s further economic activity in on October 20th, 1877, payable on de- al to San Carlos Reserve put Verde Verde becomes unavailable, the part- mand with two percent interest after military affairs on the back burner. By nership did business with Head & sixty days. Before the note came due, 1880 the Fort Verde had been ‘aban- Co. several times each month, usually Barth endorsed it over to Hugo Rich- doned’ more than once 21 and was es- several times a week, and occasionally ards, an early day Yavapai County sentially without business. Hance and several times a day. financier and old friend of the Hance McInernay’s income was similarly af- By consulting Head’s 1878 led- brothers. By its due date, only $200 fected. gers, the veracity of Hance’s claim of had been repaid. When Richards final- For John Hance, that was the begin- reaching the river on June 14, can be ly brought suit, the note was a year in ning of the end. The Peck decision was cross-examined by an unimpeach- arrears. The Findings of Fact, posted the coup de grâce. In an effort to keep able witness. Charges at Head’s store November 27th, 1878, declared Peck, his homestead running for five years, by “Hance & McI” that June were Graham and Hance liable for $2,937, and earn title to it, Hance entered into posted exactly when they should not including court costs and witness fees. a chattel mortgage agreement with have been posted—when John Hance 17 Today, the amount would equal al- McInernay but was unable to repay was supposedly at Grand Canyon. On most $73,000. Hance would have been any of the principal, and so the loan June 13th, “pants,” “plates,” 58 lbs of responsible for $24,333. was repurposed. In the fall of 1881 Mc- “corn” and a $1 knife were purchased, A story from the time shows John’s Inernay earned $900 in interest “mort- and on the 17th a pair of overalls and finesse at gaming the military system gaging property of John Hance.” In 40¢ worth of plug tobacco left the to great advantage, growing his in- 1882, when Hance again failed to per- store. McInernay smoked a pipe. 15 come as much as possible. Abraham form, McInernay was awarded an ad- Hance chewed tobacco—that’s him Lincoln “Lynk” Smith and his twin ditional $139 interest by the board of buying the plug. But could he have brother Ulysses Grant Smith lived in equalization. 22 returned to Verde in time to be at the Camp Verde where, in their late teens, After that, McInernay walked store that day? they cut wild hay with hoes for Hance. away. He married and started a family No. In 1878, if one knew where Grant Smith did that for two years. in Prescott. He ran the Prescott-Verde he was going, a horseback trip from The hay was loaded into one of John’s mail service, operated a shuttle busi- Camp Verde via Beaverhead Station freight wagons—on top of two tons of ness from Prescott to Alexandra (Peck to what was then called Flag Staff re- limestone boulders lining the wagon’s Mine), served as warden of Yuma Ter- quired two days. 16 Two or three addi- bed. After the hay was weighed on ritorial Prison, was Buckey O’Neill’s tional days would have been involved Fort Verde’s scales, Hance would tip undersheriff, owned a Prescott bicycle reaching what became Grandview the soldier unloading it a dollar, say- shop and, lastly, managed the Prescott Point. After adding a 72-hour death ing, “When you git down so fur in Hotel for some twenty years. march to the Colorado River, and the the wagon [motioning] you can quit. It was also the end of John Hance in return to Verde, the minimum away- I can’t get out of post tonight. I’m go- Verde Valley. Everything he’d worked from-home time would have been ing to leave some hay for my steers.” for was gone. And so was he. The around two weeks—Hance would Every ton of hay cost the army $40. last time anyone saw John in Verde not have returned until about the 21st. Lynk Smith thought that was hilari- was 1882 at his brother’s place, the Unless John Hance could easily glide ous. “Eighty dollars for boulders,” he Cienega Ranch, located at today’s in- long distances like a California con- laughed, “he sold boulders more than tersection of i-17 and State Route 169, dor—and who says he couldn’t?—it hay.” 18 Cherry Road. appears he was not at Grand Canyon A final clue indicating John’s There’s no question Hance saw on June 14th, 1878. northerly trend presents in the person Grand Canyon before he quit Verde, Indeed. The very next day, June of Murray McInernay whose first visit possibly during the winter of 1880 15th, Hance was issued a summons to “San Francisco mountains” was in when his dear friend and benefactor to appear in the 3rd District Court, April, 1881. 19 His partnership with Bill Ashurst, and Bill Hull, were both Prescott, regarding Docket Number Hance had come on hard times. Mc- on the rim, perhaps together and pos- 565, Hugo Richards, Plaintiff vs. The Inernay probably went north to visit sibly with Hance. But the definitive Peck Mining Company, J. B. Graham Hance, who was working there for answer to when he first made it to the and John Hance, Defendants. the Hulls or the A-1 Cattle Company river on Old Hance Trail, which had How and why Graham and Hance out of Fort Moroni, to run a check on been a work in progress since at least got involved with Peck in this deal John’s financial wherewithal. The re- 1882, 23 is still up for grabs. is not known; they were teamsters, port was not good. partnered-up to haul wood to, and ore In Camp Verde, before the Peck de- Endnotes from, the mine. That said, Peck Mine, cision, Hance was “considered quite 1. George Wharton James, “Hance, and Graham and Hance—for whatever wealthy.” 20 But business had been fail- the Grand Canyon,” Southwestern Em-

6 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org pire, May, 1895, pp. 35–37. 11. The Weekly Arizona Miner, January 4, 19. The Weekly Arizona Miner, April 22, 2. See John Hance’s 80th birthday letter, 1878. 1881. grcama; also at nausca, ms 1065. 12. The Weekly Arizona Miner, February 8, 20. Charlie Wingfield, Typescript notes 3. Courtesy Jerome Historical Society, 1878. dated “Prescott Ariz. May 20, 1948,” personal correspondence. 13. George Hance folder, Camp Verde His- Grand Canyon National Park Museum 4. https://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/ torical Society. and Archives. azbio/bios/ruggless.pdf 14. Remnant Verde Ledgers are privately 21. Sheila Stubler, Fort Verde State Park, 5. John Hance’s Visitors’ Book, ms 0054 held by a descendent of the family that personal correspondence. (Rare), p. 9, Arizona Historical Society bought Head’s operation in 1898. The 22. 1881 and 1882 Yavapai assessor’s re- Library and Archives. ledgers were recorded in a building ports, Arizona State Library, Archives 6. Yavapai County assessor’s reports, which now houses the Sutler’s Steak- and Public Records; mortgage details Arizona State Library, Archives and house restaurant on Main Street in are found in Yavapai County Chattel Public Records. Camp Verde. Mortgages Book ii, p. 25 and p. 312. 7. George Wharton James, forward to Ad- 15. Kathie Jacobs, Murray Mcinernay’s 23. One of the waypoints listed in Hance’s ventures in the Canyons of the Colorado by great, great, granddaughter, personal Glendale Springs homestead appli- W. W. Bass, 1920, p. 5. correspondence. cation, dated on June 11, 1884, was 8. Day Allen Willey, “Hance of the Grand 16. Charles Babbitt, Oral history interview “Hance trail,” indicating the route was Canyon,” Outing Magazine, Volume lvi, with Charley Clark, June, 1952, nau. in use by then. In 1917, in his 80th birth- April–September, 1910. oh57.21. day letter to the Grand Canyon com- 9. Bert Lauzon papers, Northern Arizona 17. Arizona State Library, Archives and munity, Hance wrote that he worked University Special Collections and Ar- Public Records, Film File 50.13.23. on the trail for two years before a burro chives, 107304. 18. Lynk and Adda Smith interview, George could get down it, meaning as far as 10. While both are in the same locale, note Babbitt Collection, oh. 57. 29., nausca. Tonto Platform. Taken together, the im- the distinction between the civilian set- This account appeared in different plication is that he was working on the tlement of Camp Verde and U. S. Army form in The Journal of Arizona History, trail by June, 1882. installation of Fort Verde. Volume 56, Number 4, Winter 2015.

The Voyage Of The DRIFTWOOD by Tom Martin Aspen, Colorado, carpenter Charlee After the DRIFTWOOD run, this Bolte. Along with his service station type of river craft, a motorized bridge hile going through the Otis operator friend, Earl Eaton, the two pontoon oval with no outriggers, “Dock” Marston collection men took a four-man inflatable down was used in Grand Canyon by the at the Huntington Library, I the Roaring Fork from Aspen to the Hatches, who used the tippy design Wran across a journal I had thought had Colorado River at Glenwood Springs. for many years. In 1955, the year after disappeared long ago. It was one of There, they loaded the four-man onto the DRIFTWOOD cruise of Grand those “Oh My Heavens, Look at THIS” a motorized bridge pontoon, called Canyon, Georgie White ran her first moments. There it was, a recounting the DRIFTWOOD, and motored from motorized bridge pontoon through by Charlee Bolte of the 1954 Voyage of Glenwood Springs, clearing dams and Grand Canyon. Some of the wags of the DRIFTWOOD! Grand Junction, Westwater Canyon, the day noted this type of watercraft On hearing of the cruise in 1954, past Moab and through Cataract and was large enough to neutralize the Dock Marston contacted Bolte and Glen canyon, then on through Grand rapids. For the most part, as Bolte and asked for a copy of a journal, if one was Canyon. They rowed most but not all his friends found out, that was true. kept. On the tenth of October, 1954, of the big rapids after damaging the For the most part... Otis Marston’s wife Margaret finished motor in Westwater’s Skull Rapid. The transcript Margaret made was a very difficult transcription of Bolte’s At Lee’s Ferry, they picked up two blisteringly true to every misspelling, handwritten journal on melted paper hitchhikers, Carl Gage and LeRoy including keeping most of Bolte’s pages of smeared ink due to repeated Byers. It was fortunate for Byers that ‘a’s written as ‘o’s and curiously, his exposure to water and the elements. he was a very strong swimmer, for aversion to the letter ‘n.’ I have taken Here in 2016 was the typescript, neither he nor Gage had life jackets. the liberty to copy edit the journal tucked away in a small folder, one of Byers and Bolte were both thrown for clarity. I’m fairly sure Charlee thousands of folders in one of only 430 out of the boat in Horn Creek Rapid. wouldn’t have minded one bit. He boxes. I was simply stunned to see it. A testament to Byers swimming skill had some close calls, not just the close The journal had been written in is that he made it to the bottom of the squeak that preserved his journal. the summer of 1954 by 24-year-old rapid alive. We owe Dock and Margaret a huge www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 7 debt of gratitude for seeking out the journey. winch and the rope broke on the boat. journals they did when they did, and The first few hours were pleasant We gave up, cold and miserable, as for saving them as they found them. and warm and we were in “high many people watched. We left with The typescript is located in The spirits.” We arrived in Glenwood the boat shipwrecked in the river. Huntington Library, San Marino, Springs, Colorado, at 8 o’clock, dead I was barefoot and had to be carried California, Box 289, Folder 35, tired from the trip, cold, and terribly to the highway because of thorns in The Otis Marston Collection. The hungry. We were honored with a nice the pasture. photo of the Driftwood and crew is room by the Glenwood Spring Lodge We got a ride into town with a courtesy The Huntington Library, & Swimming Pool. Largon, the fireball spectator, rented a cabin and turned San Marino, California, and the photo promoter who was supposedly the room’s old oil heater to 95°. We of the DRIFTWOOD in Lava Falls is publicizing our trip, had it broadcasted walked the streets wet, cold, hungry, copyright LeRoy Byers Collection. from C.I. Radio. We were also to eat barefooted and terribly depressed. steaks at Gallagher’s “on the house” Still, we joked with each other. All which was a fallacy. We holed up at 10 the cafes were closed, so we ate malt The Voyage of the DRIFTWOOD o’clock and slept with aching muscles & cookies for dinner. My feet were Journal by Charles Bolte like dead timber. getting terribly sore. We took stock of our situation. During the day the That which is to follow is an Sunday, May 29, 1954 motor continued to shear pins, the attempted daily report of a river safari Here we transferred from our boat was full of water, the motor had from Aspen, Colorado, to Lake Mead 4-man to the DRIFTWOOD. We began caught on fire, and everyone was via the Colorado River, conceived immediately rigging the big boat. A skeptical--even ourselves- as to the and modified along the way by Earl large party of Aspen people, plus many longevity of this river safari. Our boat Eaton & Charlee Bolte. It will be, in other spectators, drunk beer around seemed a failure. We laughed a bit and most parts, succinct and by no means the location as we were preparing the went to sleep. complete, but a first draft made for boat. Augie launched the boat with a future publication. It is a brief record beer bottle full of river water (I drank Monday, May 30, 1954 of significant occurrences, unfortunate the beer) and a gang shoved her in the Slept in late — ate a very good or humorous as they may be. water. DRIFTWOOD was launched. It breakfast and caught a ride out to looked good as we motored in circles the boat. The farmer with the winch Saturday, May 29, 1954 up and down the river clanging our truck was just walking away. He We embarked on schedule with a bell and showing off in front of the said the boat had just dislodged itself fine crowd wishing us farewell at Burt crowd, then we headed down the river ten minutes earlier. That was a very Swartz’s pasture in Aspen. Shutter with a half dozen Aspen characters fortunate occurrence. We hauled the bugs were really flattering and we along, most half drunk. The first few boat to shore and began substantial appeared to be notorious celebrities; rapids were handled well, even with repairs. We bailed out and began but the gaiety (or solicitude) was all of our weight in the bottom, which improvising and altering things, barely apprehended by us as we were looked bad to start with. We then spending a full eight hours repairing finally pondering the realization of a ripped a huge hole in the boat and lost and making new motor mounts, 3-month dream coming true. all control. tearing down and taking out the false We left Aspen in our 4-man boat We stopped at Five Mile Bridge bottom, patching the foot-square holes at nine o’clock — the weather was and everyone left except Bill Johnson. in the bottom, etc. We took off for New clear and the water was ice cold. A It looked pretty sad — the wind Castle at 6:30 in the evening. The boat number of spectators watched us go was getting the best of us; we were responded beautifully--took water in over Red Butte Falls, and we did so crashing into the banks; and our only 4 places. The weather was warm without any serious consequence. I motor--which sat too low in the water, and clear, and our spirits lifted. We did, however, when the boat hit the was shearing pins constantly. We slept on the boat that evening--looking bottom of the falls, fly out of the boat hoped to get to New Castle, Colorado, down at the lazy river in the twilight into the icy foam. We ran into minor but three miles above town we hung sky and tried to sleep with the terrible difficulties below, but continued on. on a gravel bar in midstream. It was noise of the trains going by. We hit Basalt, Colorado, at 2 o‘clock, raining hard, the wind was miserably stopped, ate, and trembled in frigid cold and Earl & I were out in the river Tuesday, May 31, 1954 agony from the icy water. Hugging the trying to dislodge DRIFTWOOD. It We shoved off from New Castle stove and drinking blackberry brandy was to no avail. Just then a farmer about 9:45 AM, the weather cloudy but with the idea of attenuating chills, we appeared with a winch-truck to offer warm. The boat made very good time proceeded to get a light buzz. Our us assistance. In the middle of all this and we saw thousands of ducks, also clothes dried and we were off at 3:00 confusion I took a big slug of whiskey geese, deer, cranes, white flamingoes, to finish the last lap of our first day’s and forded the river. We tied to the and buzzards sitting in trees. The

8 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org river seemed to divide constantly into boat just bent up in the middle and leave G.J. about 8:00 AM tomorrow several channels. We took the wrong slid over it. What a boat! The river morning, and the T.V. and radio are one once, and it was a dead end. We got very shallow as a result from supposed to be there. Walt is taking us had to get out into the water and tug dam irrigation. We ran into a mean down to the boat. We have been well DRIFTWOOD about a quarter of a place below these dams by Fruitvale, taken care of here in G.J. Time now is mile upstream to the main channel. It Colorado. We had to go back and pull 2 AM. took all our strength to push it against the boat over a concrete base with only the shallow current. Exactly like in the two inches of water going over it. Some Sunday, June 5, 1954 African Queen movie. We laughed struggle but we made it. Ate dinner at Walt picked us up early in the like hell. Today was a very good day. Palisade, Colorado, and continued on morning and took us to the boat. Several We went about five miles beyond till almost dark and camped. people were there to see us off along Rifle, Colorado, and camped on a with a TV man with a tape recorder. small island. We hunted, fished, and Friday, June 3, 1954 I made a few nervous utterances and prepared a good meal. It was our best We started at 8:30 in the morning Squirrel did likewise. He took our day yet, and our first real campsite. and decided to go to Grand Junction pictures with DRIFTWOOD which to eat breakfast. The water was terribly hit the front page of G.J.’s daily paper, Wednesday, June 1, 1954 low and slow. When we arrived in the Sunday edition. It said under the Took off about 9:30 AM, and we hit Grand Junction we were weak and picture that “we were roughing it at De Beque at 3 and got a few supplies. hungry. I was suffering from a stomach the La Court hotel.” We took off about The evening was clear and calm, the ailment. The lack of water in such a 9 AM and bucked a terrible head water smooth and deep. Tourists were notorious river reputed to be “big” wind which was damp and cold. We curious along the road, and the scenery was very depressing. Checked in at ate lunch in Fruita, Colorado, a huge was beautiful. We floated quietly the La Court Hotel and waited to see T-Bone and all entrees for $1.25, and down the river ringing the bell and Jerry, a fellow who might travel with then continued on our way. We got a laying on the drifting boat listening to us. The press was a little slow. Picture ride into town and also out of town by fine music on the portable radio. We of DRIFTWOOD was in Thursday’s a fellow that recognized our purpose. sailed till almost dark, docked and paper. Saw Jerry and he backed out. The wind calmed in the afternoon camped on an island across from the Saw several people I knew, including somewhat and we made better time. road. Bill. We bought some drinks and got a Picked a beautiful camp spot with few supplies, drank some beer, took in high stone cliffs on one side. Ate the Thursday, June 2, 1954 a few joints and hit the sack. duck I shot with the 22, prospected This morning we saw several a bit, target practiced a bit, and sat people we knew and we conversed Saturday, June 4, 1954 around the campfire. across the river. Earl and I wondered Ran around in the morning getting about the dams that lay ahead. We extra motor equipment and supplies. Monday, June 6, 1954 took off about 9:30 AM and arrived When we returned to the hotel things We got a late start, 10:30 AM, and at Government Dam at about noon. were buzzing. The local radio station were all the time eagerly awaiting the The dam seemed much higher than & T.V. men introduced themselves, notorious bad rapids of “West Water we anticipated, about twenty feet explaining they would be there for Canyon.” Crossed the Utah border high. We took all our gear out of the tomorrow mornings take-off. I was at about 1:30 PM and went about boat and sent it over the dam empty. It to call Mancel Page and also Walt six miles into West Water Canyon. negotiated the fall beautifully, as if in Kirkendall. I took Mancel, some There was no bad water at all, only slow motion. We were amazed (!!) and hometown acquaintances, and also the a few large riffles. The customary put our gear back in the boat (that was photographer for the G. J. Sentinel out headwind came up at about eleven, quite a job) and headed for the second to the boat. They took some pictures but dissipated about 2:30. The canyon dam. This one was only ten feet high. of us which should be in tomorrow’s was narrow and deep with slow- Many spectators were around. We paper. I called Walt and he took us out moving water for the most part. Our docked, looked the dam over quickly, to diner, wined us, and had Jack Riggs campsite for the night overlooked gave our movie camera to a tourist & over to the house. He showed some beautiful desert canyon scenery. We commenced to run the dam & with Colorado River movies. They were all were in what was called “Little Hole” all equipment lashed on board. What very good pictures and did nothing on a flat grassy area about twenty a thrill! The boat took it beautifully. I but encourage us. DRIFTWOOD, I feet above the river. According to our stayed on the front end and kept an believe, is the real machine for such map we were fifty river miles from eye on the cargo. Everything stayed an operation. People are making Moab, Utah. Expecting bad rapids secure. I got tangled in some fishing a big deal of this safari but it gets the next day in the rest of West Water, line, but everything else was flawless. rather exasperating in a short time. It we planned to get an early start for a Went over a boulder broadside. The is fun for a while though. We should change. www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 9 Tuesday, June 7, 1954 continued to miss and the plugs soon sensuousness of it. The trip, thus far Westwater Rapids began to foul. We docked at 5:30 PM has been wonderful. I have never Glorying in the hot morning sun for camp, tore down the motor and experienced so much and enjoyed it so while we crawled out of our sleeping found the points somewhat burned, much. The journey adheres well to the bags, we slept soundly until 8:30. greasy and dirty. Chinese axiom, for every plus there is After having breakfast, we spent an a minus, and we’ve had our share of hour rearranging our cargo, then we Wednesday, June 8, 1954 the minuses to be sure. The minuses were off! We quickly found ourselves We camped yesterday on a are less in number, but their impact in a deep narrow gorge, the river only beautiful island where an old ghost keeps things fairly well balanced. It is about 75 yards wide at the widest establishment was, with large true adventure and I love it. area. Almost immediately we hit some cottonwood trees. There were bats fair-sized rapids, but motored through flying around and it looked like a Thursday, June 9, 1954 them flawlessly. It was great fun, and movie setting. Earl tore down the We didn’t get off until 11:15 AM, we were screaming and yodeling like motor again as it was missing like as we worked on the motor. Once kids with a new toy. At noon we hit hell. He filed the points and cleaned again, it ran well for a couple of hours the famous rapid which is reputed the plugs. We took off at about 8:00 in then started missing. We had a little to be quite bad. It narrowed in quite the morning and the motor ran fine whitewater to make things interesting sharply and the white water followed for about three hours. We stopped and & the canyon is beautiful, far close to a sheer wall. We went in it prospected at a couple of good-looking surpassing any canyon I’ve ever seen. fine, the breakers from the bottom to spots. We continued on and until 12:30 We passed a movie set at ‘’Mineral” top being about twelve feet high. We PM we made many good miles. Then and it is one scenic spot. We couldn’t were doing fine until one tremendous the motor started conking and the figure the characters in old uniforms breaker grabbed the back end of wind became very strong. At 1:30 PM on the river watching us until we saw the boat and flipped it into the wall, we stopped and ate lunch while the the rest of the set. We ate lunch at 2 breaking a large hole in the motor’s wind was getting miserable with sand o’clock and motored to Moab on one driveshaft housing. The boat floated blowing everywhere. We had sand cylinder, arriving at 5:30 PM. For a through smoothly as expected. We dunes in our sandwiches. White caps motor that’s designed to only run on broke out the oars which worked fine three feet high were blowing up the two cylinders, that thing runs better until Earl’s oar flew off the boat. We river and we could not buck the wind on one than I’ve ever seen. It defies the fortunately avoided the huge right with our sick motor. We tried and laws of mechanics. Accommodations whirlpool, however, and continued the wind pushed us backward across in Moab here are full. After many to float on without any more trouble to the other side of the river. It was failures we finally found a room in a from that rapid. We went over one miserable so we had a slug of whiskey private home. Sure good to wash the boulder fall of ten feet without trouble, and gave up. I was disgusted while sand off of us. We ate out, a big steak, then a huge explosion wave engulfed Earl fished. I finally shoved the boat and felt our arrival warranted a little me on the front and nearly threw me off and started downriver. It was a celebration. The boom town of Moab between the boat and the canyon slow process and we sometimes went is destitute of a nice place to dine & wall, which we immediately hit. I was backwards and traveled about two wine. There are only two saloons and thrown from the boat, but hung on for miles in one hour. Suddenly we saw a they are very crude. We had to stand dear life with one hand to a safety rope nice spot to camp and pulled in. It was in a small dive just to drink a beer. that I had constructed that morning. the home-site of a 75-year-old man. Newspaper men contacted us. The Only my feet dangled in the water He was a funny old character, said Grand Junction Sentinel wants our story and I quickly pulled myself back into all river expeditions stopped there, and we are to interview tomorrow the boat. DRIFTWOOD did very good and indeed, there was a table and morning at 10 o’clock. Turned in at work and made the whole operation a campsite. The old man offered us 9:30 PM after trying like hell to phone seem mild. We docked at 1:30 PM every type of assistance possible while Aspen and also home but connections in the narrow canyon, ate lunch, the miserable wind never ceased. Oh, are so poor there is a two to three-hour and inspected the wrecked motor. and I had a cold, which didn’t help wait. Finally had to send telegrams. Fortunately the water line and drive my morale any. How the wind blew This is strictly no-mans-land. shaft were not busted. We made a neat and sifted fine sand into the tent, even repair out of a tin can and bailing wire though I had it fairly tight. During the Friday, June 10, 1954 and motored on a few miles through night, the wind blew the hardest I’ve We rose fairly early, ate breakfast, mild water. We commenced having a ever seen. It was terrible! It calmed and were interviewed by a newspaper great deal of trouble with the motor, decently the next morning. We worked man. He wanted a picture of us on the and the wind blew like hell all day, as on the motor all morning, to no avail. boat and we responded joyfully since usual. Our ejaculations were the worst The campsite was in a beautiful locale, we wanted to get back to the river, a man could conceive. The motor but the wind was a detriment to our some three miles away, and pick up

10 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org the motor. We took it to an outboard than a goat. Turns out he never made and acute river reading was necessary authority and he informed us that it to Denver. All he did was manage to avoid the underwater sand bars. the lower element would never last to bum me out of 50¢ so he could buy I nailed a duck with the 22, first and the upper piston needed rings, another beer. Such damned luck. Went shot. About 20 miles out of town we thus the plug fowling. He said he to the local drugstore where they have came to an oil drilling camp right on was going to Denver this weekend on display a Johnson 25 h.p. motor and the river. The chef of the outfit was and could pick up the rings, but was investigated the terms available. We drunker than a lord. He hailed us in to uncertain of the lower element which can get it for 1/ 3 down and 6 months the dock and invited us to eat with the would cost $75.00. The remainder of to pay. I think I’ll buy it. We’ve pooled men. It was about the greatest meal the day was spent in near boredom, too much money in the trip already, we’ve ever eaten. We gave him several trying again fruitlessly to reach home and without a dependable motor, we’ll beers for the food and everyone was & Aspen on the phone. We waited in never make it. The Colorado River happy. At that camp there were about the saloon next door for our calls to on most parts leads to a deceptively seventeen men. come through. No success whatsoever easy outlook for those who intend to in our calls, but we were getting fairly run it. And rightly so. Our trip is of Wednesday, June 15, 1954 “tight.” I left Earl at the saloon and an estimated 1,200 miles, with at least We traveled till nearly 7:30 tonight picked up my laundry. Guess they like 900 miles of water slow and as lazy as since the weather was warm and then to gouge the tourist here, $2.50 for a the Mississippi. Sure, it has its rough we found a nice flat island in the river washed & dried bundle of laundry. I stretches, but Cataract is only 60 miles for camp. When we stopped for lunch had just enough beer in me to exercise long, Grand Canyon perhaps 100 we had hotdogs on a nice flat ledge at my vocabulary and spoke with utmost and there are a few other rough short the river’s edge. The air was hot and firmness and authority. I ended up stretches. The bottom line is most of we went for a swim. The water was paying $1.50 which was still twice the river is very very slow, and with perfect and DRIFTWOOD makes a too much! Returning to the saloon our rig it is impossible to negotiate good spring board. What a life! And and a fellow picked me up in a pick- against the slightest breeze without a what a beautiful setting it is here. The up truck. It was Jack Riggs. He works motor. Terribly bored today. I threw sky is a pale purple-black with tall here for a mining outfit. We drank my lazy mind in gear and wrote a short pinnacles interrupting the horizon. A many more beers with him and some synthesis on the essence of experience, full rich yellow moon sets directly on a big wigs, then went to a restaurant to knowledge, the application of psi, pinnacle with a white cap cloud above eat. It was a half-assed party and we and the mysticism of consciousness. it. The gentle breeze, the crickets’ were glad to have it to such an extent. Since I am not too tired I plunge into song, the bull frogs croak, and the something I have never yet written smooth sweet music on the radio Saturday, June 11, 1954 on, “After death?” A delicate subject make a delightful combination. How Another day of monotony. I indeed, but I doubt if it will be any wonderful life can be... and to think phoned mother and she was glad to more enigmatic than the other trash of people sit and watch television. talk to me. I also got through to a girl which I have expostulated to no avail. in Boulder. Thought maybe I could Thursday, June 16, 1954 talk the girl into coming down to see Monday, June 13, 1954 Another very pleasant day of me. She said she might, but I doubt Nothing to do and nothing done, sailing with a cool breeze blowing off it, since it is 450 miles from here. We or so it seemed. We spent half a day the river to make the sultry hot air rented a plane for an hour and flew building a new motor mount that comfortable. It was truly a pleasurable over Cataract Canyon. There are a few didn’t work. day. We stopped several times to mean devils in it, but most are long and take a dip, diving off of ledges. I straight and appear to be no test. The Tuesday, June 14, 1954 took a five-mile hike up a steep waves look tremendous in size but the Spent all morning making a very narrow side canyon. There were a general picture wasn’t as bad as we good motor mount for the new 25 few outcroppings, but no buzz on the expected. Went to a movie and then it Horse Power outboard. It worked Geiger counter. Took a trip up another was time for Saturday night in Moab!! beautifully. Bought supplies for 40 side canyon and spooked a deer out of Bought a beer in one crummy joint, days. Received a full roll of toilet the brush. He made a spectacular leap a crummy drunk bought us another, paper from the White Kitchen with a from a seventeen-foot-high ledge into and we left somewhat dejected. good luck gesture or other remark on the river. I had time to photograph every section of paper from someone him through my telephoto during his Sunday, June 12, 1954 in town. We really enjoyed it. Bought swim and his arrival at the other bank. Nothing done, nothing to do, just final supplies, loaded up with water Walked on up a ways and cornered waiting for the man to return from and beer and took off for the unknown three more big bucks in a pocket. They Denver with our parts. I was surprised at 11:30 AM. It was smooth sailing, had to jump off a ten-foot cliff to go to see him on the street today, drunker though the river was very shallow within fifteen feet around us. I was www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 11 totally unprepared with my lens on the rapids we found a 5-gal gas can, and the longevity of our river trip. We telephoto and they being too damned the back end of a CrisCraft boat and a made a fairly early start, about 9 AM, close. Earl got a good still just before 10-gallon water can. We are taking the and ran many rapids before lunch. one jumped the ledge. Saw another cans along for gas at Hite. Well, this We hit some big waves which were deer down by the river. Looks like if is it, the first big day ahead, the first great fun and thrilling, with both of we run short on supplies there will good test, and both of us have nothing us yodeling and singing with a similar be some easy alternatives. We were but cautious optimism for tomorrow. ecstasy of skiing dry powder snow. too busy playing to make many miles Immediately after lunch we hit a mean but it was great fun today. We have no Saturday June 18, 1954 rocky rapid, and found it necessary to idea as to our whereabouts. We hope Well, it’s nice to relax here at put the motor on board for protection to make the head of the Great Cataract twilight time, 8:45 PM with nice music, and make our line with paddles. We Canyon tomorrow with some luck. the rumbling of the rapids, camped in did very well and then did likewise Once we get to the junction of the fine sand after an eventful day running on another rough one. But on the third Colorado and the Green we have good half of Cataract Canyon. Thus far it very bad one, the wind caught us and maps with the river miles marked on has done a good job of conforming to we missed our line. The boat broad- them. We hit it rich with a campsite most reports. Indeed, it’s a mean one. sided dead center on a rock sticking today. A rock ledge to tie up to, the The first few were mild and by noon out of the water two feet high. We same level as the boat, and a sandy we had run about thirteen rapids. We hung there, and it was terrible water beach to sleep on. We had a fine meal were wondering if the “Ol’ man of to hang in. Neither end would swing this evening of shrimp cocktail (it the river” who was apparently full around, and soon we were washed up wouldn’t work as catfish bait), soup, of B S, was right when he said “The on the top of the rock. There was about creamed corn, delicious and tender first one is the worst, all the rest are six inches of standing space on each charcoal broiled T-Bone steaks, and nothing, and don’t let anybody tell side of the rock on which we were peaches. you different. There are no rapids in wedged. We were stranded in the the Grand Canyon.” Of course it was middle of Cataract’s worst rapid and Friday, June 17, 1954 apparent then that he didn’t know the boat wouldn’t budge. I suggested Well, here we sit in camp as the what he was talking about, but the first to Earl that we shift the weight around, bright moonlight illuminates the steep dozen were mild-but fun. But then the moving the center weight to the front canyon walls. This dramatic spot fun really began as we hit some rough end. We gave it a try and in the middle is just a few hundred yards above s.o.b.’s from there on down. The water of the swirling waters we managed to the first rapid of Cataract Canyon, is terribly low and the rocks are mean. carry the Johnson 25 and my heavy otherwise known as the Graveyard I ran the motor all day and it’s a full- photo chest to the front end of the of the Colorado. They’re a-snortin sized job approaching the rapids right, boat and lash the equipment down. down there. We looked the first two shutting the motor off, rocking it up, We were too high on the rock to hope over this evening and they really rowing, holding on, and reversing to pivot around now so we got out are not bad at all. We’ll know more the procedure. The rapids here come on its upper side and started prying about them tomorrow, after we run bang bang bang. We’ve hit some mean with our oars and poles, trying to pry a few. We are extremely happy over ones, damaged the motor mount or the center completely over the top of the fact that tomorrow will be a full the motor prop a little, but otherwise the rock. It would give very little so I day of excitement as we’ve waited everything is going very well. took a bucket and threw water on the and sailed a long time for it. The day DRIFTWOOD is doing beautifully. lower end of rock to lubricate it. Then was relatively uneventful, otherwise. If it wasn’t for the tremendous rocks we heave-hoed again. It was slow but I caught four nice catfish early this EYERYWHERE we could go through we were doing some good and were morning, which we ate this evening. with our eyes closed. We are camped just hoping that we wouldn’t get the They made a fine meal. We hit the at the head of a bad one. It seems that it boat on the highest-most point and Green River at about four and made never stops, one running immediately not be able to continue. Finally with our camp here above the rapids at into another one, over a mile long. A all the physical power we possessed, 4:30 PM. It must be at least 65-70 miles good warmer upper for tomorrow we pushed her over and excitedly from Moab to the Green by way of morning. According to the maps we jumped on board. Down through boat. The weather is quite hot and we are 30 miles from Hite and should be the rapid we bounced with flawless are drinking about a gallon and a half there day after tomorrow. boating thereafter. We rowed the boat of water per day apiece. We use river to shore at the bottom of the rapid, water and add halazone tablets. Now Sunday, June 19, 1954 had a cigarette, and we both breathed that the Green came in, the water is Today was a day of near disaster in a deep sigh of relief. We were only much dirtier. We are getting a lot of the heart of Cataract Canyon. I speak of stranded on the rock for about thirty swimming in and our hides are as dark disaster, not pertaining to our lives, but minutes but it seemed like a half a day. as Indians. Here along the shore near to the boat, our expensive equipment, We were commenting at lunch that

12 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org all the bad rapids were over with. It the river and floated with the boat. It point we heard voices from another seemed that Hell always pops up in was terribly hot and this seemed such party on the bank camped just below the afternoon. We ran a few more mild a wonderful way to travel, with the us. I got the radio out and when we rapids after our hang and found an current flowing about three miles an were dead even with them I blasted ideal camp spot at the mouth of Dark hour. It was great fun just sitting in them with loud music. I don’t know Canyon. We had rocks for a table and the water and moving down the river what they thought, as they couldn’t a tremendous sandy beach for camp. alongside our boat. We would yodel see us, just hear the loud music. We It was a real pleasure to swim in still & whistle and listen to the echoes. Ah, passed them, turned the radio down, water, lay down on the soft sandy but this rapture of idle living on the listened to music and fell sound asleep. beach and sleep for a while, then eat river was just the lull before the storm, Earl woke me with an exclamation of and retire. the plus before the minus. Shortly after “What the Hell!” We found ourselves our swim we started the motor and approaching a small rapid loaded Sunday, June 20, 1954 idled it for about an hour. Suddenly, with big rocks. We were in the back We arose early and prospected up it commenced missing and back-firing water approach, and not knowing Dark Canyon to no avail and took and finally it conked out. I was not too what was below, we tied the boat to a off at about 11:30 AM. We noticed on perturbed at first, thinking Earl had tree and slept tied up the remainder of a rocky hill the inscription of E. Kolb the carburetor fouled up, but after an the night to late morning. 1921 and some other famous river hour of tinkering and breaking down runners. We thereby assumed that we the motor without any functioning Tuesday, June 22, 1954 had conquered Cataract Canyon. The improvement, I reached the peak of We awoke to see we were above a weather has been terribly hot. If it had my potential disgust. It was sultry hot, small riffle, so we untied and drifted been much hotter it wouldn’t have we were both wet with sweat, and to a shady place for breakfast. When been necessary to cook our canned the highest possible degree of mental we were done eating we commenced food. We arrived in Hite about 2 PM contempt permeated my body and to drifting. The motor still wouldn’t and found with great surprise and mind. It is impossible to describe my run, so we placed it on top of the big pleasure that there was a boarding fury as I thought of those vultures box and tore it down as we drifted. house, a bar, grocery store and gas who manufactured outboard motors Everything seemed to be in good order. available. We loaded up on grub, home for $436, motors that wouldn’t run for We checked the plugs and they weren’t cooked food, got a good buzz on beer, two weeks. All the cursing in the world firing properly, so we put new ones in and shot the bull with the lads. They failed to fix the motor, so we stopped and the motor then ran beautifully. It sure were colorful characters. It was about 7 o’clock and while Earl broke seems like when outboards foul up, 105 in the shade at Hite and Boy, did the motor down yet again, I cooked it’s either something extremely simple that cold beer taste good. We learned supper. We then decided that with the or something totally unrepairable. that Jim & Bob Rigg had left just the good smooth current we could drift all We motored awhile, stopped at a day before by river, taking a party of night and sleep on the boat. This was few beautiful side canyons & hiked five girls to Lee’s Ferry. We intend to fun and something much different. up them, then continued. An insect start out early the next morning and The only trouble was the river turned enthusiast would be in heaven here, catch them. The lady at the Trading out to be not so smooth. It was pitch there were so many strange species of Post was very nice and loaned us an dark and we started to hear a rapid. bugs and water insects. At dead noon old dilapidated 1926 Chevy to run our It was quite a sensation listening to we came upon a huge overhanging fuel down to the river. We’ve certainly its roar miles off as we drifted upon rock with a sandy beach. We docked, met some fine people on this trip. the water, getting closer and closer, ate lunch, and took a two-hour siesta louder and louder, not knowing and in the cool sand and shade, then had a Monday, June 21, 1954 not seeing, in the still of the night. It swim. We have our bad moments but We ate a 6 o’clock breakfast at the sounded like a monstrous rapid as we the hours of relaxation are numerous boarding house and took off for the slowly approached it. We wondered and nonpareil. At 6:00 PM after a Riggs... and the girls!! We embarked if DRIFTWOOD would take the right couple of hours of motoring, I asked at 7:00 AM and just a little before channel or if there were big rocks Earl to take over while I wrote up my noon we had caught the boat party. we would hit. Soon we were in the notes a bit. I had hardly gotten the We chatted, had lunch together, and tongue of the rapid, and then in the paper out when it suddenly clouded departed. The Rigg boys certainly whitewater. It was a good sized one, up and the wind commenced to blow. know the Grand Canyon area well. with some water splashing over the The overcast cooled the air some but The women were nice, but not at bow, but we went through it flawlessly. when the wind blew over the hot all the type we had in mind. We left It was fun not knowing where we were rocks it felt like a blast from an oven. the party eating lunch and secured or what would happen. There were a Our flag began whipping pretty fast. DRIFTWOOD, letting her float while few more small waves then we were I got up to take it down when all hell we put on our life jackets, jumped in drifting in still water again. At this broke loose. Our 4-man dinghy blew www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 13 off into the water along with all my thing it would be to take a couple of be as fortunate and sensuous as we bedding. The wind was getting worse. girls down next year. The hardships are about the way of life that permits There was a mad scramble as more are much less than we anticipated, these experiences. The average width junk blew off the boat. We tied the now one becomes accustomed to eating of this canyon was about 6 feet and floating dinghy onto DRIFTWOOD, and existing out of doors, and the 2000 feet high. We stayed in it until and I grab my bedding before it sank. conditions of everyday experiences 6:15 PM which naturally made us later The wind blew so hard that it lifted the are extremely conducive to the than usual for finding a campsite. Still, dinghy out of the water and placed it desideratum of the opposite sex! I we had eaten, swam, washed, and hit right back on the boat. It was as strong intend to do my utmost in promoting the sack by 8:30 PM. a wind as I’ve ever seen in my life. You such an affair for next summer. couldn’t stand up without holding Thursday, June 24, 1954 to something, The Dinghy then blew Wednesday, June 23, 1954 The day itself was moderately off again and as I was leaning over Today was another very pleasant uneventful. At about 2:00 PM we came to grab an oar that blew off, the wind and interesting day of going down the across a party of three large rubber blew over the heavy lid on the big river. We embarked about 9:30 AM, boats, about 2/3 as large about ours box hitting me square on the rear. I and at 11:30 we passed the mouth of with twelve people on each boat. They grabbed for the nearest thing, which the San Juan River. At noon we came were all from Salt Lake City going was the flag mast. It broke off and I upon an interesting side canyon. It from Hite to Lees Ferry. We made was launched into the water. When I was about the finest thing yet we’ve many miles and camped at 6:30 PM came up I was under the boat which seen on the trip. There was a very on Wahweap Creek, just sixteen miles was drifting upstream. I swam from narrow passage which necessitated from Lee’s Ferry. I commenced fishing under it in great haste. Earl didn’t some careful climbing and there were and must say the fishing on the river know exactly what had happened. many crystal-clear pools of water in was unbelievable. In fifteen minutes The whitecaps were tremendous, like it of varying temperatures due to sun I had caught twelve catfish ranging small ocean waves, and in the chaos, exposure. It was a real beauty. We from 3/4 lb to 2 lbs. We ate fish for the wind took us to shore before we swam in different pools, and walked dinner and again this morning for could motor away. We lost the flag perhaps 3 miles up. At one place we breakfast. But due to the uneventful pole, but everything else was saved. came upon a 25-foot waterfall which day, a little after 7:00 in the evening There was some excitement for a dropped into a big pool 12 feet deep the works began. The wind blew while, just like a storm on the sea. The with cool water full of perch and like hell and it began to rain fairly wind lasted for about an hour, then we native trout. What a swimming hole!! hard. There was close lightning, and found a beautiful camp spot in heavy The entire canyon was shaded with the reverberation of the thunder in overhanging cypress-type trees, and hard bedrock to walk on except a the canyons was impressive. Rocks we were nicely protected from the few tricky places to climb. It was, began to fall down within feet of wind. We laughed about the storm and perhaps, the most beautiful area I’ve where the boat was docked, and we how unprepared we were. We’ve been ever seen. We ate lunch on our return, were eating, launched from the cliffs on the trip now for almost a month, filled up with the fresh clear water, high overhead. We immediately grew and instead of its having the aspect of and continued down the river. At 3:30 deeply concerned, threw all our gear a safari, it is becoming a way of life, PM, we come upon another narrow in the boat and moved down about and we are making a consummate canyon that we thought warranted 100 yards to a better and safer beach. acclimation to it. I do most of my investigation. What we beheld was As we were moving the boat we writing on the boat, we sleep on the impossible to adequately describe. could see thick sheets of rain moving boat, swim several times a day, and in Even a good camera was unable to down the river. Wet and cold, Earl general, live the way people think life convey a good perspective of the crawled under a tarp, while I was should be lived but don’t. Last night magnificence of the area. Therein under the large dinghy. It was the was the hottest night of our trip. We was a prodigious overhanging bowl, heaviest rainstorm I had ever seen, slept stark naked without any covers maybe 400 yards in diameter, with the and as a result of it hitting the hard and were a bit uncomfortable all night. sky barely visible. The size of the place rock country we witnessed the most I am now writing on the boat, we are was unimaginable and the acoustics impressive spectacle nature could finding clear fresh water springs in surpassing any amphitheater I’ve conceive. Up and down the river as the side canyons and are just a few ever seen. The top area rose in an far as we could see, giant waterfalls, miles from the mouth of the San Juan overhang to a height of over 1000 countless in number, poured off of the River. That puts us about 70 miles out feet, completely obscuring the sky. 400 and 500-foot-high cliffs. They were of Hite. The country so unique, the We hiked many miles up narrow not merely streams, but tremendous trip such an experience, and the life dark passages, spellbound by the amounts of beautiful water and so careless, worthless and wonderful, majesty and reiterated to each other thoroughly compensated for our we have often remarked what a fine how sad it was that all people can’t miserable conditions. Though there

14 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org was no light, and the rain obscured Slept in till 9:00 AM, ate and walked the Authorities were going to be down much of what we could have seen, it over to look at Navajo Bridge. People to Lee’s Ferry to stop us tomorrow remained a sight never to be forgotten. seemed interested in our trip. Two morning as all parties thus far this Shortly thereafter we witnessed a young California prospectors, one a year had crashed and bolted and no flash flood coming down the mouth schoolteacher and another a student, more were to go through due to low of the side canyon at which we were heard about our trip and were quite water. Such last-minute accounts docked. It roared like the rapids in impressed. One ejaculated “You want as these didn’t avail an optimistic Cataract Canyon, rising three feet a couple more?” and I replied with outlook, but we were still game and every ten minutes, filthy with mud an immediate affirmative. They were far more confident than the average and debris. It cut new channels and greatly surprised that I said yes, and easy-chair river runner. We saw Jim in a few minutes washed away the I was likewise surprised when they & Bob Rigg, but their film had not ten-foot sandbar on which we were were serious about joining us. Within come in. We picked up our additional docked. The sand banks fell into the thirty minutes we were buying gas supplies and a fine Irishman saved us flood with the noise of a landslide and and hauling it to the boat. We pulled the long hike to the boat by giving us where we were previously docked DRIFTWOOD out of the river, patched a ride. These people are wonderful. was being swept away. The lightning the bottom, put it back in the water We sacked out at 11 o’clock, concerned was blinding at times, illuminating the and re-loaded, then slept on the boat only about those who might wish to canyon and the beautiful waterfalls. for the night. It certainly looks like we halt our proposed river run. It was truly an experience. The small will have company going through the side canyon had more water in it than Grand Canyon. Monday, June 28, 1954 the Roaring Fork in high-water stages, Our first day in the famous rapids and we were soon swept into and Sunday, June 27, 1954 of the Grand Canyon. We sneaked off began floating down the Colorado. We Worked on the boat a bit, then took at the very break of dawn, went a few watched for and soon found a good off for Art Greene’s. We wanted to see miles below the bridge where no one rock to tie to that was void of rotten Jim Rigg. He was to arrive and show could reach us, and ate breakfast. The rock overhead, waterfalls, and danger a movie in the evening. The other morning was fresh and we ate just from the flooding side streams. I made boys wanted to check on a rock they above Badger Creek rapids. It was a bed under the dinghy, put on dry thought might contain uranium. I certainly not a sight of encouragement, clothes, and got a good night’s sleep. told them it was probably the radium being wide, full of rocks, with medium In the morning the river was terribly in their compasses, but they didn’t sized waves. We slipped through it muddy, full of debris, and about two believe me. We drank beer until 2:00 without trouble and in a few minutes feet higher. Six miles below our storm PM. It tasted good and we felt equally we were at the head of Soap Creek area we noticed that it hadn’t rained a well. The boys left and Earl and I slept rapids. The waters were narrower, drop. Such, I suppose, is characteristic in the shade. The boys returned tired, deeper, but with fewer surface rocks. of flashfloods in this area. disheartened, and they confessed to The waves were big and lots of fun. the veracity of my theory. They are an This was the continued conditions Friday, June 25, 1954 interesting pair. LeRoy “Roy” Byers, of the other rapids we ran today. All A slow day, indeed. We motored the one who made up his mind so quick, good water and nothing to worry into Lees Ferry at about 12:30 PM, is heavy set, nice looking and sports about. I guess we ran about twenty- and discovered it to be a seven-mile a crewcut. He is semi-impetuous, five to thirty rapids and went thirty- walk to the shopping area. We packed careless and likeminded, a nice guy two miles. It was a fun day. We are up and left for the Marble Canyon who is terribly disillusioned about camping here at a side canyon where Trading Post. In the hot sun and money and the easy acquisition of it. we stopped at 3:30 PM, prospected, extremely hungry, the seven miles He is impulsive, game to do anything, made camp and had delicious seemed to be thirty-seven with packs but at the same time can be frightened charcoal-broiled T-Bone steaks. The on our backs. It took us two full hours easily. Carl Gage is the other guy, a rapids down here, in general are great, to walk it and when we arrived, large more serious type individual, more much more fun than Cataract and hot meals were ordered. We rented reticent, reserved but seemingly easy easier thus far. The waves are about a nice modern cabin, I shaved my going whether he remains satisfied the same, a few larger, the water better growth off, showered and drank beer or not. I thought for a while, as they and the average single rapid shorter with a couple of characters. One was listened to some frightening tales thus far. We hit one short one around an old timer from Missouri, full of the of failure of this year’s expeditions Mile 28 of extreme turbulence. I was stuff, but damned nice. We turned in through the Grand Canyon that they sitting near the rear getting a black- about eleven, dead tired. might back out. I must say if one were white still picture of the bow and our to believe the stories, they would new boys when the front seemed to induce discouragement, but they explode out of the water, throwing the Saturday, June 26, 1954 stuck to their intentions. We also heard men in the air and the boat broadside. www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 15 I had never seen DRIFTWOOD get such a jolt in front as it is generally the smoothest riding area of the boat. The men hung on but needless to say they wet their pants a bit, were lacking in coherent speech, and blue with fright. I was amazed myself at the reaction of DRIFTWOOD. The boys got a few good big thrills, were scared witless a few times, but are doing fine for their first rapids. They seem to fear the big water somewhat, whereas we have never done that, just the rocks. We will doubtlessly hit some bad ones, but those today have offered us nothing but encouragement as to the rapids, the “dangerous waters” of the Grand Canyon!

Tuesday, June 29, 1954 And another day in the Grand DRIFTWOOD and crew on Lake Mead, left to right: Charles Bolte, LeRoy Byers, Carl Gage Canyon, and relatively uneventful and Earl Eaton. Photo credit: The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, Otis Marston Collection at that. We ran a few small rapids that were fun but not dangerous, and came another thirty-two miles. am unable to get back in it. I will, As we find ourselves in the center Stopped and looked at Paradise perhaps write a little tonight after the of this particular area, again we are Canyon. Climbed around and looked boys turn in if I can get in the right impressed by the beautiful attributes at some cliff dwellings but got too mood of thought. of nature. Most certainly it is not to hot. Though we haven’t considered be appreciated as a huge canyon, any of this lap dangerous yet, it is Wednesday, June 30, 1954 but more of a majestic gorge of the amazing how many boats have been It was a full day of running rapids supernatural, with towering jagged abandoned in this country. We saw of the Grand Canyon. All but two slabs of marble rising vertical in the air several today, one roped high on the were wonderfully fun long rapids, and issuing a black satin shine in the bank with a huge hole in the side with lots of water and big waves. The hot sun. It is like another world. and rear end. We passed the Little two tough ones, one of which was Colorado River, expecting clear water, Unkar and the other Hance (the later Thursday, July 1, 1954 but it was dirty. Continued on down having the greatest vertical drop of Breakfast at the Ranch was to a nice rock ledge campsite. We are any single rapid, 35 feet) were terribly followed by a swim in the pool, now only fifteen miles from Phantom full of rocks. We sweated them out and a beer in the shade, and a phone Ranch, and we joke about the girls we had no trouble. We had one very long conversation with the ranger telling will meet there but seriously expect single rapid immediately after Hance, us the water was dangerously low none. The wind blew like hell for a which was the best fun rapid of the and the river unsafe for travel. On while, but this evening is reasonably trip. It had big waves and falls, ran the voyage that followed, I soon had calm. The weather has been not straight for 1/2 mile, and was narrow the most frightening and dangerous too hot, the nights spent sleeping with no rocks. It is called Sockdolager experience of my lifetime. The sailing under a thin sheet. Here within the Rapids, but I altered it to Salty Dog was smooth for about thirty minutes, base of the spectacle of the Grand rapids for the simplification of then we came upon a place where the Canyon, with a huge campfire, clear pronunciation. We made thirty-three river seemed to drop from under us. starlit sky, the roar of the rapids and miles today, and hit Phantom Ranch at We could not see it below from about sweet music, I find it quite difficult about 3:30 PM, drank some beer, and a fifty-foot back view, so we docked to focus my thoughts on that which had the greatest home-cooked meal to look it over from a twenty-foot ordinarily dominates my mind, the conceivable at dinner. My stomach high cliff as we could not get to its seemingly solvable enigmas of time, still aches from gluttony. We swam in immediate side. It was a rough one by space, motion, consciousness and the their beautiful clear-water swimming sight with big waves, a great drop, and abstruse aspects of theology, that even pool .The other fellows are sleeping most of the water rushing to a granite theory doesn’t understand. I slipped up around the Ranch area, but I point below on the right. We hauled into a little better gear in Moab, but decided upon the boat on the river. the motor inside and attempted to row

16 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org through, taking a narrow left chute to that he was on a ledge just upriver boat on the bank where a party before avoid the consequential granite points. and only twenty five feet from me. I us gave up the trip. The combination Our line was picked beautifully and breathed more freely, knowing that of the extremely bad conditions which we were obviously going to miss when they got the motor started they we faced and the fright pervading the point when I was amazed by could come back and get me. Shortly, our minds from above, resulted in the tremendous waves in the rapid an oar came drifting around the point a decision to line our first rapid. on our right. I screamed “look” just and I grubbed it. Soon thereafter, Although I felt relatively certain as the boat semi-broadsided and Roy came swimming around. About we could make it, I was not one to dropped into a tremendous twenty- twenty-five feet away I noticed a look argue against Earl when an element foot-deep hole. A huge wall of water of terror on his face. I called to him if of chance was certainly prevailing. enveloped me as the front end flipped he was alright, and as I did he went Besides, I was plenty thankful to be to a vertical degree, hurtling me out of under for only a few seconds. When he alive and was more than willing to do the boat. Going out, I apparently took came up to the surface, he yelled with the safest thing. We waited for a few the anchor rope with me and I was a weak gasp, “Help.” I jumped after hours for an evening temperature, hung under water, under the boat and him. He was so exhausted he could then it took two hard hours of labor tangled helplessly in the large rope. I barely swim against the undertow carrying supplies from boat to below, struggled franticly in consternation for when I reached him. I told him loudly making it light enough to line through what seemed like hours, fortunately not to panic, just grab ahold of my life boulders and low water. By the time freed myself and come to the surface. vest collar and kick his feet in order we had gotten all our gear around to I had a life vest on which doubtlessly that the undertow didn’t take us both the foot of the rapid it was dark so we saved my life. Having just come to under, life vest and all. We were unable left the lining for the next morning. It the top and breathless, I gasped for a to hit our original point, but managed was difficult to accept the necessity of deep breath when another big wave to get to a ledge downstream a ways. lining when we had hoped to make the enveloped me, choking me with water! Still totally exhausted from my own entire trip without it, but life is far more Seconds later, I came up again, gasped extremely close call I was considerably important than prestige or records. But for air but my pipes were clogged. I afraid that Roy might panic and take it just seemed like our bad day, eating floated down about fifty yards, caught us both under since neither of us had at twilight and until midnight the my breath and saw DRIFTWOOD, enough energy left to do much, and he wind blew and the sand flew making to my surprise, upright and floating being much larger than I. But all was complete relaxation impossible. There toward me. She was a most beautiful well as we hit a ledge and ten minutes was sand everywhere. Why the hell sight. Having breathed and composed later they had the motor on and were must that damned wind blow too!! myself, I saw my big pack floating up to get us. We hurried downstream Old Man River was certainly giving in the water. I grabbed it and began and retrieved three of our four oars. us a supreme test. Maybe he thought to swim for DRIFTWOOD, when It was too close for comfort. I actually if we could take this we could take I became aware of the fact that the thought that this was it, and it almost anything. current was sweeping me toward a was for both of us. One life jacket, sheer rock ledge where the river swept without any doubt, had saved two Friday, July 2, 1954 under the ledge out of sight. It took lives. Preceding and succeeding And so the process of lining our me only a split second to realize that these terrible moments of danger and first rapid. Thirty minutes of hard either me or the pack must go, so I let it consternation there were some vivid work, but it panned out beautifully. go and swam for my life. I missed the and significant mystical experiences on Another hour and a half of rigging ledge by only a foot and a half where my own behalf that will warrant some the boat, a beer, and we were off. In I then drifted onto the ledge below elaboration on a different subject. We view of the wind and the sand last where there was no undercurrent. The learned a lesson. All of us were a bit night, I slept like a log. The first fellows on board were screaming for careless and over confident, especially rapid we hit only half a mile below fear DRIFTWOOD would crush me Roy, but now he holds high respect was Hermit falls!! Waves as big as a between the boat and rocks as they for the undertows in the Colorado barn. Carl offered to take pictures, had no control of her for all the oars River. I do likewise. He and Carl wear and I gladly permitted him. And so were overboard and the motor was their plastic sleeping-bags tied around we went in, huge waves, the bow still packed inside. I avoided the boat them, and I am never without my life rode on top of all of them, stretching however, pulled myself up on the vest. It was mid-afternoon when we high in the air over the crest, then ledge and breathed a deep sigh of relief came to a terrible-looking rapid, with dropping into the next hole. It was as the boat drifted by me. Only then huge waves, and all of them following great fun again, but during the worst did I realize there were only two men closely against a sheer granite wall. We section I had a hold of something on board. I was hit with the horrible looked at the rapid, deliberated and besides my paddle. It more or less thought that Roy, without a lifejacket, hesitated. It was the famous Granite restored a brighter outlook on life, must have drowned. The boys yelled Falls rapid. We noticed a good rubber more confidence in the boat and a www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 17 successful trip also. But the next a stupid trick I had pulled. The rock ice water in it. Dinner, a cold beer, and four miles were the roughest we’d was rotten and crumbled on every early in the sack am I. seen. Big drops, rapids on curves, hand and foot hold. One slip and one right after another like Cataract I was a goner straight down for 100 Sunday, July 4, 1954 Canyon. It took time to look at each yards. I trembled with fear every We spent all morning hiking up one, read them and decide the route. time I looked down and listened to and over a ledge further into Tapeats It was slow, rough going, but each the seemingly endless booming of Creek. It was a beautiful little creek one we ran with perfection, and the rocks I dislodged. Any moment it with a series of waterfalls in it. We ate this afternoon it was perfect. It was could be me. Extremely cautious, step lunch and hiked back to camp, then almost cool as the sun was behind by step, slowly I made my decent, on the boat to run rapids. We made clouds, we had the first consistent cursing at myself for ever pulling the first ten miles in short order, tailwind of the trip, and many such a stunt without a partner and looking over no rapids, and passing straight, big-waved, fun rapids with ropes. Twice I grabbed ahold of sharp a beautiful waterfall, about 300 ft good current between. We were cactus to keep from falling. Resting high, called Deer Falls. Soon after yodeling and singing through the was no good as it only availed the fear we hit a small rapid with a mean fall spray. We are now camped at about that pervaded my bones. I made it, and very bad back wash. We hit it Mile 115. It looks much like rain, each and when I hit flat bottom it felt like a dead center and what a jolt. The boat one of us with a special wind-sand- blessing. Never again I said. The boys halted abruptly and twisted violently, rain-proof-sleeping quarters. The came to the box end just as I made the throwing Carl and Roy out into the narrow escape we had didn’t help bottom. I showed them where I had water. Both had a hold of safety ropes our psychology toward the rapids, been and they shook their heads in however and were back in the boat but it has made us more careful, bewilderment. It was nice to get back in short order. It was a frightening and the later part of today, contrary on the river. The current was good, sight as I saw them go over. It looked to my first beliefs, I have quite well the air cool, and we made fast miles very much like DRIFTWOOD was conquered the fear of the water. But this morning, looking over only one about to fly. The falls are nothing I respect it! And it is interesting to rapid and running the rest nonstop. but the wash halts the boat and notice the psychological change of This afternoon we came to the famous throws the bow high side up. This Carl since our disturbing episode. Bedrock Rapid in which all the water type of water is due to the low water He is just nineteen years old, and it rushed to a large boulder in the center stage and observing all of this well is obvious that he is trying to divert and then split in two. Our only way I became cognizant of the fact that his apparent fear of the water by through was on the right side of the DRIFTWOOD isn’t invulnerable. singing, and displaying a synthetic rock. The water wasn’t necessarily Soon we came to Upset Rapids and it mood of carelessness, tiredness, and big or rough, but a wind from the took but one quick glance to say “let’s unconcern, when he is doubtlessly, right was hitting us. We had to wait line it.” It was a falls just like the one inside, extremely uneasy about the for forty-five minutes in the blowing that flipped us upriver, only about big water. He might get over it or he sand before the wind subsided and three times as big. There was no way may always fear the big waves and we could risk running it. When we in the world to miss it, the back wash turbulent white water. Just below did, it was perfect. Just below was was tremendous, and an upset would Hermit Falls we met two fellows Deubendorff Rapid, notorious for it almost be certain. We lined our who had walked down a trail from roughness and reason enough so. It second rapid in a smooth job, leaving the rim. They were quite interested was long and rough looking but there all cargo on board, and were past the in us and the boat, as one had gone seemed to be plenty of water in the mean fall in less than 30 minutes. We through the Canyon in 1951. middle. It was a rough ride never to jumped aboard and continued on. be forgotten, with tremendous waves Camp tonight is on a rock ledge at Saturday, July 3, 1954 and the boat finally broadside just a beautiful cold water creek called A mild, or almost so, day in the before we went over a turbulent eight- Havasupai where supposedly there Grand Canyon. We ate breakfast foot falls. I had a death grip on the are Indians up about ten miles which fairly late. I hiked up the side canyon safety rope and it was a good thing as we intend to visit in the morning. In by camp several mile and came to a water enveloped and threw me high the mouth here at the creek there are dead end. On one side a steep shelf in the air. We seemed to hang in the hundreds of huge (18-inch) trout, but led up to the creek about 500 feet long falls until the backend swung around we have had no success in catching on 300 feet high. I decided to climb and pulled us out. A thriller indeed, them yet. It looks like a fish hatchery. the shelf. It was a risky climb, but I but what a boat DRIFTWOOD is. It felt something of interest might await has been threatening weather but Monday, July 5, 1054 overhead. Nothing particularly did, only a short drizzle this evening. We Just as I had predicted long so I proceeded down from whence camped early at Tapeats Creek, a before we started on this trip, we, I came. It was then I realized what beautiful cold spring fed creek with or at least I, am growing tired of this

18 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org river. Perhaps not so much of the very easy, written a little on Time & later he was scared stiff. I was aware river, but of that which surrounds Space and slept in the shade. of this at the beginning and tried to it, nothing but deep canyon walls. talk him out of riding through, but Some of the side canyons are nice and Wednesday, July 7, 1954 he said if we went, he wanted to green with fresh clear water but are The boys returned mid-afternoon. also. Later I also discovered that he nothing to one who is accustomed to They claimed I had missed a good bet Earl a beer ration that we would the beautiful trout streams around deal, including a beautiful valley capsize. We sailed through in flying Aspen. I am beginning to want the tall situated between high walls with colors as I was positive we would. It green mountains, cool clean air, and waterfalls surrounding it. The was strictly a fun rapid with a terrific the variation of country side that lies Indians took good care of them and thrill on the tail end. I’m sure it left a over every hill. The Canyons, by no were “quite primitive”, reading Life fine impression on my 16 mm movie means however, are to be sold short. magazines by electrical plant light, film. We were all happy to be through Still, every day I am amazed at the selling decks of cards, and giving it especially after listening to all the grandeur of it, its spectacular forms, away tourist folders trying to induce terrible stories about it previous to and it will forever remain impressive. people to visit their Shangri La in our immediate encounter. Roy later But for a consummation of beauty, the Canyon. We got a late start, but admitted his fear and skepticism. Our peace, and natural delight, nothing moved about fifteen miles down the camping spot was ideal, the canyon can surpass the Rocky Mountains. river. We found a beautiful camp spot widening as we ran (45 miles today) In other words the Canyons are a amidst the deep walls, a very quiet and we expect to be on Lake Mead privilege to see but offer no ideal camp away from the rapids. The water by tomorrow evening. living inducements. I will still say, quarter moon is beautiful. on the other hand, that water is a Friday, July 9, 1954 wonderful way to travel. Thursday, July 8, 1954 An easy day of traveling, with a Today was a day of many miles and few small rapids. At noon we ate just Tuesday, July 6, 1954 one notorious rapid, perhaps the most above Separation Canyon. When we Nothing much happened today. famous of all, Lava Falls Rapid. We hit came to Separation Rapids, it was The boys hiked up ten miles to an Lava Falls at about 11 o’clock. It was gone and in its place was smooth deep Indian reservation. This interested me a mean looker, but seemed entirely water. It was there I clanged the bell very little. Roy maintained he read, passable. We studied it carefully. and made the formal announcement and he has great faith in everything The main tongue on the right was that we had conquered the Colorado he reads, that this particular tribe the only way through, flowing into a River and were now in the waters is quite primitive. I hold a contrary series of explosion waves, and ending of Lake Mead. It was a fine feeling. opinion. We shall see. They haven’t with a tremendously large wave. Everyone was considerably happy returned yet, so I suppose they are Carl most willingly volunteered to over the event, especially Earl and I. staying overnight. I have taken life take the pictures and Roy admitted The water was slow and muddy all afternoon. We ate supper and decided to sail on the lake during moonlight. It was beautiful, the waters placid, and the moon quite bright. We had a few beers to our successful trip, and I hauled out the wine. We drank a toast to the rapids, the river, the trip, and lastly to Earl Morris, Stan Bealmear, and Werner Kuster. Later we drifted into a huge backwater where there was tons or driftwood. We floated in the driftwood all night and everyone slept on the DRIFTWOOD surrounded by driftwood.

Saturday, July 10, 1954 In the morning we fought our way out of the driftwood and headed for the bank for breakfast. That done, we set sail on Lake Mead. In less than Motorized bridge pontoon DRIFTWOOD making first run of Lava Falls, July 8, 1954. Photo an hour the lake was crystal clear, credit: LeRoy Byers Family www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 19 doubtlessly the most beautiful blue water I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. GCHS and the NPS Sponsor 60th We made many miles, the air being hot, and about every 30 minutes the motorman would kill the motor, clang Anniversary Commemoration of the Tragic the bell, and someone would scream “Swim time.” Everyone would jump 1956 Air Collision Over Grand Canyon into the wonderful clean warm water in a mad scramble, we would cool off, and then head down the lake again.

• • •

Postscript: The boats the DRIFTWOOD crew saw in Marble Canyon included the abandoned Marble Canyon Damsite drilling barges and Bert Loper’s boat. The rubber boats they saw at Granite Rapid belonged to the Purtymun expedition and had been left there just 15 days prior. The two men at Hermit Rapid were Stan Udy and Harry “Pete” Sparkes. Morris, Bealmear and Kuster were well known in Aspen at the time. The DRIFTWOOD and her crew of four made it to the Boulder boat dock on the evening of Sunday, July 11, 1954.

Plaque denoting the National Historic Landmark designation at Desert View. Photo courtesy of Steve Owens.

20 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Wayne Ranney, President of the Grand Canyon Historical Society, addresses family members and introduces NPS ranger Brian Gatlin, who spoke at the 60th anniversary of the 1956 plane collision over Grand Canyon. Shortly after this photo, a moment of silence was observed at the exact time that the planes collided 60 years previous. Photo courtesy of Steve Owens.

Ian Hough, National Park Service ranger, addresses about 35 relatives of those lost in the tragic air collision over Grand Canyon on June 30, 1956. Photo courtesy of Steve Owens.

www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 21 Book Review

Hill, Carol, Gregg Davidson, Tim Helble, and Wayne Ranney (Edi- tors). 2016. The Grand Canyon, Monu- ment to an Ancient Earth: Can Noah’s Flood Explain Grand Canyon? Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. 240 pp., including index, references, bi- ographies, and geologic timescale; color throughout, with boxed inserts; $26.99.

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by Dr. Randy Moore, Univ. of Minnesota Deeana Jang (left), Etta Jang (center) and Dana Jang (right) at the TWA mass gravesite in Citizen’s Cemetery, Flagstaff on June 29, 2016. 91 year old Etta is flanked by two of her three children that she raised after the death of her husband, f you’ve visited the South Rim of Dr. James Joseph Jang, on June 30, 1956. Dr. Jang, a chemical engineer, was on the Grand Canyon in recent years, TWA flight. Photo courtesy of Tom Martin. you probably noticed brochures, books,I and other advertisements promoting a Bible-based, “differ- ent view” of Grand Canyon. This “different view,” which is called “flood geology” and “young-Earth creationism” (YEC), is based on the belief that a “true” reading of the Bible shows that Earth is 6,000 years old, that Earth’s geology (including Grand Canyon) was shaped by No- ah’s flood about 4,500 years ago, and that any evidence contradicting this belief is invalid. This non-scientific “view” of Grand Canyon is popular far beyond Grand Canyon National Park; indeed, exhibits promoting the YEC “view” of Grand Canyon are a mainstay of virtually all of the many “creation museums” that are spring- ing up across the United States and elsewhere. Mainstream geologists, including those at Grand Canyon National Park and elsewhere, have long rejected Memorial wreath laid on the United Airlines mass gravesite at the Pioneer Cemetery in Grand YEC’s claims, and have instead used Canyon Village. Photo courtesy of Ian Hough an overwhelming amount of scien- tific evidence to conclude that Grand Canyon is ancient (and that Earth is 4.56 billion years old). If you’re won- dering, “Who’s right?”, or “Is there anything that’s valid about young- Earth creationism or this ‘different view’?”, then this book is for you. The Grand Canyon, Monument to an Ancient Earth: Can Noah’s Flood

22 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Courtesy of Dr. Randy Moore

Explain Grand Canyon? will convince escaped from these sediments. history. The findings of geology you that neither a straightforward Parts 2 and 3 (“How Geology pioneers such as Danish physician reading of Genesis, nor an equally Works” and “Fossils: What Story Do Nicholas Steno (1638-1686; the straightforward application and un- They Tell?”) discuss Grand Canyon’s principle of superposition), British derstanding of geology, indicates that fossils, sedimentary rocks, the time- engineer William Smith (1769-1839; Grand Canyon and its rocks were cre- line of geologic history, and plate tec- the first geologic maps and the ated in recent events associated with tonics. Included in these chapters are principle of faunal succession), and Noah’s flood. The book’s 20 readable, the many inconsistencies of Grand others suggested an old Earth, and the beautifully illustrated chapters will Canyon geology with Noah’s flood. subsequent discovery of radioactivity also inform you about geology, the For example, a violent flood would enabled physicists to use radiometric validity of evidence, scientific logic, have mixed clay and limestone, dating to attribute absolute ages and Grand Canyon; and in the pro- but this mixture is rarely observed to ancient rocks. Important here cess, expose the deceptive, wrong, in sediments such as the towering are the discussions that 1) there is and often dishonest claims of YEC as Redwall. The religion-based claims no evidence that the basic laws of biased, anti-scientific, religious non- by YEC contrast sharply with geolo- physics (e.g., radioactivity and half- sense. gists’ claims that Grand Canyon’s life) have changed throughout history Part 1 (“Two Views”) discusses sediments were formed over vast (including during floods), and 2) YEC YEC, its timeframe, and its incredible periods by a succession of changes claims to the contrary are based on claims – for example, that there was in sea level. There is a reason for this deceitful, incompetent “research” no death or rain before Noah’s flood, sharp contrast: Geologists’ conclu- (e.g., improper sampling). that continents moved during Noah’s sions are based on observable events, YECs often make much of the flood, and that virtually all fossils while those of YEC require never- Great Unconformity, claiming that formed during Noah’s flood. There before-seen events and unreproduc- the absence of vast amounts of sedi- is then an excellent discussion of the ible chemical reactions. Other ques- ment between the Vishnu Schist and biblical problems with YEC, such as tions unanswered by YEC include Tapeats Sandstone were washed the rapid deposition and hardening how delicate trace-fossils such as away by Noah’s flood. What YECs of Grand Canyon’s 12,000’-thick Su- raindrops and animal tracks (present conveniently overlook are the many pergroup, and why there are no – not in the Coconino, Hermit, and Supai) unconformities above the Great Un- one -- fossils of fish, reptiles, clams, could be preserved in rapidly rising conformity that would have required snails, or mammals in the Super- floodwaters? long, repeated periods of exposure group. It also discusses obvious ques- The authors then discuss the basic in the middle of a worldwide flood. tions that YEC cannot answer, such feature distinguishing YEC from These unconformities, like many as how all but single-cell organisms geologists: the timeline of Earth’s other features of Grand Canyon, are www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Grand Canyon Historical Society : 23 Grand Canyon Historical Society PRSRT STD PO Box 31405 U.S. POSTAGE Flagstaff, AZ 86003 PAID FLAGSTAFF, AZ PERMIT 333

inconsistent with the claims of YEC. (e.g., the 600’-high cliffs of Redwall Overall, this is a fine book. My The authors then discuss how limestone) are as would be predicted only criticism is that the authors do studies of sediments, plate tecton- if they were carved from rock, not wet not explain that YEC’s claim that ics, faults, folds, and fractures are in- sediment. As the authors note, noth- Earth is 6,000 years old comes pri- consistent with YEC, and how YEC’s ing in Grand Canyon is as would be marily from James Ussher’s conclu- claims about these geological features predicted by flood geology. sion in 1650 that creation week began are often simply wrong; for example, Part 5 (“A Verdict on Flood Geol- in 4004 B.C. (YECs seldom mention no flood anywhere in the world has ogy”) summarizes the vast amount that most of Ussher’s data came from ever been observed to leave behind of scientific evidence supporting an non-Biblical sources.) However, this limestone or salt deposits. old Grand Canyon, as well as how is a small point, and does not signifi- Part 4 (“Carving the Canyon”) YEC repeatedly distort and ignore cantly change my view that this book points out yet more deceitful claims evidence. The differing conclusions is the best source of information for by YECs. For example, YEC’s claim of YEC and mainstream geologists people wanting to understand YEC that geologists do not know where do not result from equally competent claims about Grand Canyon. It is also sediments eroded from Grand Can- geologists analyzing the same evi- an indispensable resource for guides yon went is simply wrong; geologists dence from a “different view.” On the confronted with YEC’s nonsensical do know where they went, and YEC contrary, geologists begin their work claims about Grand Canyon. claims to the contrary indicate either with an open mind and base their Read this book. a stunning ignorance of the scientific conclusions on observable, repeatable literature or a shameful refusal to be evidence, whereas YECs begin their objective (or both). Mount St. Hel- work with their conclusion – namely, ens – another favorite piece of YEC that a flood that deposited the layers evidence that Grand Canyon could of Grand Canyon -- and then selec- have formed quickly – is shown to tively search for evidence that might be nothing like Grand Canyon; the be consistent with that religion-based sloping walls of Mount St. Helens are interpretation. Unlike YECs, geolo- as would be predicted if they were gists’ conclusions require no miracles NOW! Find us on Facebook. formed in soft sediment, whereas the or fantastic exceptions to the known steep vertical walls of Grand Canyon laws of physics and chemistry.

24 : Grand Canyon Historical Society www.GrandCanyonHistory.org