boatman’s quarterly review the journal of Grand Canyon River Guides, Inc volume 16 number 2 summer 2003 pg. 24 TedTedDavid Lavender • Dear Eddy • Save HatchHatchOur Ships • Back of the Boat • Moses Tripped GTS 2003 • GTS River Trip • Doris Rapid • Adopt-a-Beach • Sand Bars in Grand Canyon Lucy Runs the Rapids • The Madness of Jack Sumner boatman’s quarterly review WingDing Success! …is published more or less quarterly by and for Grand Canyon River Guides. HE FIRST ANNUAL Whale Foundation WingDing Grand Canyon River Guides was held on Saturday, February 8th, 2003 at is a nonprofit organization dedicated to Tthe Coconino Center for the Arts. As a first time event, over 350 people attended for food, drinks, Protecting Grand Canyon music, live and silent auctions—and just to have a Setting the highest standards for the river profession great time. The Whale Foundation Board of Directors Celebrating the unique spirit of the river community cannot begin to thank all of the individuals that made Providing the best possible river experience this event happen. For fear of leaving someone out, we wish to just extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone General Meetings are held each Spring and Fall. Our who made this event so successful. Donations came Board of Directors Meetings are generally held the first pouring in for sponsorships, auction items, entertain- Wednesday of each month. All innocent bystanders are ment, food, signage, etc. The generosity we received urged to attend. Call for details. was unprecedented! When we first began talking about the WingDing, Staff we wanted to create a party where the river commu- Executive Director Lynn Hamilton nity could get together to not only celebrate our old Board of Directors friend Whale, but also catch up with one another at a President Michael Ghiglieri relaxing, fun event. We believe we accomplished what Vice President John O’Brien we set out to create and it is our intent to make this Treasurer Lynn Hamilton celebration an annual event that can continue to grow Directors Mike Caifa year after year. Whale was there in spirit—everyone Bob Dye who attended can attest to that. Many in attendance Matt Kaplinski ran into friends they hadn’t seen in ten or twenty years. Jeri Ledbetter This was exciting to experience. The success of our JP Running event will allow us to further extend the programs the Drifter Smith Whale Foundation offers to the guiding community. GCRG’S AMWG In 2002, the Whale Foundation served 34 persons for Representative Andre Potochnik a total of 273 hours. To date in 2003, we have served GCRG’S TWG six persons for a total of 23 hours. We appreciate your Representative Matt Kaplinski trust and commitment to living as fully as you can. Bqr Editors Katherine MacDonald Once again, we wish to thank everyone who Mary Williams donated and/or attended the first annual Whale Foun- dation WingDing. If you weren’t there this year—we Our editorial policy, such as it is: provide an open forum. missed you and we hope to see you in 2004. Thanks We need articles, poetry, stories, drawings, photos, opin- again! ions, suggestions, gripes, comics, etc. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Grand Canyon River Guides, The Whale Foundation 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 David Lavender ESTERN HISTORIAN David Lavender, twice researcher to delve into the more than four hundred nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, died at green file boxes of manuscripts, letters, notes, miscel- Whome on April 26 after a long illness. He lany, and poison gas. It was excruciating. After an hour was 93. Although he is known or so of reading he would stagger, as the author of more than two eyes streaming, temples throbbing, dozen Western histories—many head spinning, into the gardens to of them the definitive works recuperate. on their subjects—we riverfolk Although some river obsessives remember him best for his River have found nits to pick with a few Runners of the Grand Canyon. of Lavender’s details, those who Lavender was an avid boater and have assaulted the Marston Collec- was the logical choice when, after tion agree that Lavender’s ability Dock Marston’s death, the Grand to capture the character of the Canyon Natural History Asso- collection, single out the significant ciation wanted a writer to pen a tales from the mass of tangential popular history from Marston’s information, and tell them in such vast collection at the Huntington an entertaining, engaging, and Library. It was a daunting task. overall accurate manner, is more Although the Marston Collec- than remarkable. It is genius. Sadly, tion is unarguably the world’s the budget would not allow him to greatest treasury of Colorado create the massive history he felt the River history, Lavender found material deserved. Sadder yet, the its peculiar organization, sheer book—a bible for history-oriented magnitude, and ingrown biases guides—has long been out of print. made synopsis a formidable goal. A new edition would be a fitting Worse, the collection was riddled with mildew, and the homage for his contribution to the history of river technicians who fumigated it miscalculated the propor- running. tions of formaldehyde and other toxins. As a result the collection was billowing noxious fumes—as, to a Brad Dimock lesser extent, it does to this day. Lavender was the first Hello Plant Lovers! APPY SPRING, and indeed a splendid one it has species compiled (many with photos and drawings) by been for blooms in the Grand Canyon! We May 15th to send down the river with the various river Hhave been on the river and at the computer outfitters for field testing. screen as of late photographing plants, updating species We are very grateful for the unflinching enthusiasm lists, writing plant descriptions and grants, and of and support from this wonderful community of plant course dreaming of the day we will hold a finished field geeks and naturalists in love with the Grand Canyon. guide to plants of the Colorado River in our trembling You may contact us via email: Kristin at kristin.huis- hands. Oh, the day! The project was well received at the [email protected] or Kate at [email protected] or gts this March when Lori and Kate gave a powerpoint Lori at [email protected]. If you have a decent presentation on our progress and flashed a copy of the camera with a macro lens and an eye for beauty, draft to many an eager boatman. contact us about taking some film downriver with you. Of course, none of this would be possible without the intrepid work and research of all of you! We Kristin, Kate and Lori received and compiled the first 75 plant descriptions “THE CHARLIE’S ANGELS OF BOTANY” this winter and are now at the task of editing and contacting publishers. Our goal is to have 150 plant boatman’s quarterly review page 3 Dear Eddy IN REFERENCE TO “GRAND CANYON WILDERNESS WITH of the many problem areas deserving your attention. MOTORS—NOT A CONTRADICTION, A NECESSITY,” BY T. NPCA urges you to stand firm on these important DESTRY JARVIS IN BQR VOL 16:1. principles.” So what changed? There have been no amendments ’M NOT GOING TO MESS around much with the “yes to the Wilderness Act, no changes in the underlying for wilderness motorboats” argument of T. Destry spirit, values and principles of Wilderness. The intent IJarvis in the Spring 2003 issue. Just one thing. of Zahniser and wilderness advocates and contem- “It is ridiculous,” he writes, “to suggest that poraries Olaus Murie, Aldo Leopold, Supreme Court [outdoor novices] cannot achieve a true wilderness Justice William Douglass and Bob Marshall is clear. experience by riding on a motorized raft through the Time and again they wrote that motorized transporta- park.” tion is antithetical to Wilderness. Risking ridicule, I suggest exactly that there are If Jarvis is so sure powerboats are fine in Wilderness, people who consider Central Park a wilderness, but why is it necessary to cherry-stem the Colorado River that doesn’t make it so. It is a bit sinister to argue that out of a proposed Wilderness Bill? Why not just allow we can change the central definition of wilderness just Congress to designate the entire Grand Canyon, with because city folk won’t know the difference. the River, Wilderness? Is it possible he isn’t convinced You know the difference. A “true wilderness expe- and therefore must hedge his (or rather, gcroa’s) bets? rience” doesn’t have a motor on its tail. Now more than ever, we need the peace and solace of motor free Wilderness in Grand Canyon and else- Jim Malusa where. The meaning of Wilderness was clear in 1964, it TUCSON was clear in 1980 at the time of Mr. Jarvis’ impassioned plea to get rid of motors, and it remains clear now. If there is any place on Earth that deserves to be free of motors, it has to be Grand Canyon. Jo Johnson CO-DIRECTOR RIVER RUNNERS FOR WILDERNESS IN REFERENCE TO “GRAND CANYON WILDERNESS WITH MOTORS—NOT A CONTRADICTION, A NECESSITY,” BY T.