boatman’s quarterly review Steve the journal of Grand Canyon River Guides, Inc volume 19 number 3 fall 2006 Bledsoe Prez Blurb • Ammo Cans • Oral History Project • Back of the Boat Fall Rendezvous • The Last River Voyageur • Hollywood Adopt-a-Beach Update • Contributors and Financials • Plant Guide boatman’s quarterly review An Oral History …is published more or less quarterly by and for Grand Canyon River Guides. Retraction Grand Canyon River Guides hoops. In the interest of journalistic integ- is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rity, I have to apologize to Stuart Reeder for not getting the facts straight as they Protecting Grand Canyon W were presented in the last bqr interview with Brad Setting the highest standards for the river profession Dimock. Celebrating the unique spirit of the river community On the trip that led to the famous Vaughn Short Providing the best possible river experience poem: Stuart did not sneak over and switch boats with Brad as Brad alleged, Stuart went over there and General Meetings are held each Spring and Fall. Our got on Ken Sleight’s boat because that was what Ken Board of Directors Meetings are generally held the first himself told Stuart to do, Ken not wanting to turn his Wednesday of each month. All innocent bystanders are own personal boat over to some strange kid (Brad) urged to attend. Call for details. who Ken didn’t even know yet. Further, the boat Staff Stuart had to begin with, which Stuart turned over Executive Director Lynn Hamilton to Brad there at Phantom Ranch, didn’t actually start Board of Directors leaking until after Stuart gave it to Brad. President Joe Pollock Sorry Stuart…very sincerely and nothing personal. Vice President Marieke Taney You know how these things go…and what happens Treasurer Lynn Hamilton to our memories and our fact-checking abilities as we Directors Tiffany George age. For that matter, sincere apologies to countless Sam Jansen others who’ve been wronged here in these pages much Bert Jones the same way due to late night interviews and lousy Jon Olivera fact-checking afterwards. Mark Piller Lew Steiger Kate Thompson Gcrg’s AMWG Representative Andre Potochnik Gcrg’s TWG Announcements Representative John O’Brien Bqr Editors Katherine Spillman Mary Williams Congratulations to Jon Hirsh and wife, Leslie in the birth of their daughter, Rio, in Haines, Alaska. Our editorial policy, such as it is: provide an open forum. We need articles, poetry, stories, drawings, photos, opinions, suggestions, gripes, comics, etc. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Grand Canyon River Guides, Inc. Written submissions should be less than 1500 words and, if possible, be sent on a computer disk, PC or MAC format; Microsoft Word files are best but we can trans- late most programs. Include postpaid return envelope if you want your disk or submission returned. Deadlines for submissions are the 1st of February, May, August and November. Thanks. Our office location: 515 West Birch, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Office Hours: 10:30–4:30 Monday through Friday Phone 928/773-1075 Fax 928/773-8523 E-mail [email protected] Website www.gcrg.org page 2 grand canyon river guides Presidential Blurbatum hen I stepped in as vice president for gcrg, Canyon concessionaires’ scheme of things, and like I was invited by Brad Dimock to a party to other pieces of company equipment, we need upkeep Wstand-up and shout out as if on a soapbox. and maintenance. Part of that not only includes I was also told to “have an opinion” by Tom Wolfe redoing our wfrs, guides’ licenses, and interpretive and was encouraged as president to share my opinion training, but keeping our spirit in the game by trav- by Lynn Hamilton. Although I firmly believe that eling down river with our pards and working alongside much of the time spent grousing about issues is firmly the folks who work for the Park. The accomplishments rooted in a belief that vanilla is better than chocolate, of the resource trips have been well documented by or vice-versa (Mark Piller), and that too many people Brian Hansen here in the bqr. The Park should recog- who spout off do so as means for hearing themselves nize the need for the public to have a guide popula- talk, I suppose it is incumbent upon me as president tion that is part of the resource, not just a boat driver. to give those who want it an earful of my mind about Don’t misunderstand—I’m not suggesting that the trip what is important as I’ve come to find it. should be about the guide. The trip should always be I think it’s great that so many people get to be about the place. Guides with more diverse Canyon employed in and around the Canyon. It is certainly experiences, however, are a more valuable asset due to worth the attention. Livy, a recent client, exclaimed, their ability to pull more tricks from their bags. Brian “I can’t understand it with my head, but I can feel it is right; both the outfitters and the Park should hear with my heart.” Amen. Let that sentiment carry over about the need for these trips to continue. to the work and study of the Canyon. Let our hearts Work toward the implementation of a Grand direct our actions in the Canyon as much as our heads Canyon National Park policy statement that will understand what to do. I have a couple of suggestions uphold the expedition-style trip structure we have, based on what I’ve seen and experienced. This direc- and steer us clear of scheduling. Codify it. So what if tion from the post of your president may be late in we run into 200 people at Deer Creek. Yes, it’s nice to coming, but please take it as well considered and well have it by ourselves. We know that. If it’s too much meaning. To some, it may seem better to give these of a break in your group’s solitude, however, go else- thoughts to the Board. In the name of transparency, where. It’s not a tour for folks to see Deer Creek. Or however, and in the name of the fact that board meet- give up Havasu, or Elves’ Chasm. The Canyon’s bigger ings are so sparsely attended, especially in summer I than all of them. At the end of the day, of course, the give these here. guide should throw out all of the written words from One of the things I would charge Marieke Taney inside his and her head and use the one thing that and our incoming vice president with is getting to scheduling would diminish—the use of good judg- know the players here in and around the Canyon as ment in conjunction with serendipitous occurrences soon as possible. Because of your history here, you may of spontaneous nature as met by up to three dozen have a good start already. If for some reason you cannot theretofore unknown traveling companions. Go have directly meet with an individual or organization, get to a trip. Let the folks in the office do the scheduling of know who can. Talking, face to face, is the best way. the pick-up time. Take your heart, guts and wits with Make it personal, or just about the organization, or you and run with it. about an issue, or about anything at all, so that when Work toward the decommissioning of Glen you do make a telephone call, you know who you’re Canyon Dam. I’ve told many people that one hundred talking to and can tell your replacement on the Board years of one hundred thousand people a year may who to deal with about certain issues and what their not have as large an effect on the river corridor as take on things are. Our poor interaction with Mark forty years of Dam operations has had. I’ve heard the Grisham (Executive Director, Grand Canyon River complications, social, ecological, monetary. I’ve also Outfitters Association) and some of the outfitters about seen the tail-chasing studies and experiments. Guides the attraction site monitoring may have been averted should all know what changes have been wrought with some face-to-face time before the fact. Lynn, or by the Dam on the corridor. If not, pay attention. past board of directors, or others you may know would History isn’t that far away. Matt Kaplinski once said probably be happy to make introductions. his problem with the suit by the Center for Biological Press the issue of resource trips with the outfitters Diversity against the Colorado River Management and the park. I remarked once that we guides are part Plan (crmp) and Final Environmental Impact State- of the equipment. I didn’t seem able to make the point ment (feis) was that it assumed someone actually that we fit into a fairly specific niche of the Grand knows what to do. I could get into discussions about boatman’s quarterly review page 3 tcd’s, shipping and piping sediment around the Dam, maybe it’s all about a last hurrah. Where did the time seasonally adjusted study flows to mimic natural inflow go? An old-timer once told me at a gts land session conditions, tammy and trout removal, and the ins and that when it starts to become just a job, it’s time move outs that are the work of many good, honest, hard- on and let someone else have a whack at it, someone working people concerned about the Canyon environ- with passion.