# Grand Canyon story from '83



## JHimick (May 12, 2006)

I once read a story from a compilation of river or GC stories about a guide getting thrashed in Crystal back when the GC flooded back in '83 (?). The story, if I remember correctly, was about a guide who told his clients they had to walk Crystal because the river was at something like 80,000cfs (?) and clearly far too dangerous to run with them. Well one of the clients became pretty belligerent about being denied the run and that fucked up the guide's mental state and he was pretty out of sorts by the time he convinced the client he had to walk. The guide had a bad line and a horrendous swim and barely escaped the experience with his life. Anyone know the story I'm talking about and what book it's in?


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## CWorthy (Jun 22, 2005)

If it's a short story collection, it's probably from Christa Sadler's "There's this River". It's been a while since I read it, but the story sounds familiar. Another great book about the crazy summer of 1983 is "The Emerald Mile" - it just came out a few months ago, and, it is an awsome read!


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## rivervibe (Apr 24, 2007)

I second The Emerald Mile! I just read it and didn't want it to end. Lots of great history and personalities.


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## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

*X3 on The Emerald Mile*

About 1/3 way through and savoring the read.

I've read the story you're talking about. I have two different whitewater short story compilations, and my guess is that it is in either one or both of these two:

The Liquid Locomotive

Class V Chronicles

Both can be found on Amazon and are fun books to take along on multi-day trips.


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## DocDC (Aug 18, 2010)

*Crystal*

I just perused through both Liquid Locomotive and Class Five Chronicles and did not see the story there. I may have missed it but I didn't see it. Didn't see it in The Armchair Paddler either.


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## tmacc (Sep 6, 2009)

The Emerald Mile.....Fantastic book! One of the few I'll buy. I just finished it and want to read it again.


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

I floated the river in that summer with my family. I was 15 years old. We flipped in Crystal Rapids and were hauled out by helicopter. 

We were on a boat guided by Cross Tours if I remember correctly. Our 30+ pontoon raft flipped end over end. One scary afternoon. I can elaborate if you want, I can remember a good deal of it. My mom actually made a book of it for our family about 10 years ago. Brought back some rough memories.

-Rick


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## 86304 (Apr 15, 2008)

spill!


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

_This is rather lengthy. So, I broke it up._

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Besides myself, I was with my mother, father, and sister. At 15 years of age and living in the midwest, our only white water experience was in a canoe down rivers rated a 1 or possible a 2.  

It was a 6 day trip on one of those big ugly motorized pontoon boats of 30' or so. Two guides per boat, two boats in our group. There was a warning sign at Lee's Ferry about high water. That meant nothing to us. We had never done this sort of thing before. And besides, the company would of cancelled the trip if it were unusually dangerous. Wouldn't they? (I believe they actually shut the river down not long after we started in)

The water was high. Entire beaches were gone, some rapids were washed out completely, while others were intensified. If this gives you any idea, the water was so high that Redwall Cavern was almost completely submerged.  

Even though the water was high and rapids were different, the guides rarely stopped to scout. Upon reflection, this seemed very irresponsible. I remember the guides discussing Crystal before going in. Although the left side of the river was riddled with insane waves/holes, the guides thought that as long as we stayed river right, all would be fine.

We were the second boat through. I never found out what happened, but that first boat was sucked to the left.

I remember riding through the waves and thinking this was easily the biggest water we had encountered on the trip. As a kid, I classified white water in the GC as two types. The roller coaster type where you just ride up and down huge waves, and the more rough, splashy type with a more jolting experience. This was both. The waves were enormous, and the ride was wet. The volume of water hitting us was intense. It started out fun, but quickly got scary as there were several waves that stood our boat on end then pummeled us with enough water that it was hard to hold on. Each wave seemed to get bigger. I could hear our guides yelling to each other. They were discussing something. I just didn't know what.  

What I didn't know at the time, but found out later.


continued...


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## benpetri (Jul 2, 2004)

If you haven't seen this video from already from 1983, its gives a good idea what that stuff looked like.

1983 High Water grand canyon part 1 of 2 Colorado River at 100,000 cfs - YouTube


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

...What I didn't know at the time, but found out later.

The boat ahead of us, got sucked river left and stuck in a massive wave/hole. The 32' boat was literally falling apart from the pounding. Our guides had the brilliant or completely stupid (depending on your vantage point) to ram the first boat and hope that the momentum would push us both through.

I knew nothing of this at the time. I just remember the intense waves. It wasn't a pleasant experience and I was excited, but scared at the same time. I don't remember the impact of hitting the other boat. I do remember our boat going into that hole and seeing nothing but water around us and then looking straight into the air as it seemed we were almost vertical on the face of the wave.  

I remember a huge wall of water hitting me straight in the face. I was seated next to a kid even younger than me. We were holding the same strap. In an attempt to save him, I let go of the strap so that I wouldn't rip it out of his hand. I figured I could stabilize myself with my feet.

I remember opening my eyes and seeing nothing but green. I looked up and it felt as if I was more than 10 or 15 feet below the surface. In what seemed like minutes, I finally popped up.

It was an eerily quiet moment. No waves were hitting me, I saw our boat upside down floating behind me. I saw oranges floating in the water mixed with other debris. Everything was in slow motion and before I could comprehend what was happening, I was forced under water and now getting tossed around through the waves. Getting any sort of air was a challenge and then all of a sudden. That kid that was sitting next to me was on my back. Climbing on top of me, pushing me under the water even more. My survival instincts kicked in and I no longer was the nice guy. I pulled him off and pushed him away. I never saw him again (he didn't die or anything, we just got separated).

Somehow I got into an eddy and was able to swim to a river right rock. I sat there for at least four hours. I couldn't go anywhere. I couldn't see anyone. I thought I was the only one alive. Not more than 10 minutes later a helicopter hovered about 20 feet above me and 50 yards out. They had already been in the area because of another flipped raft. I waved them off after I realized they were asking if I was injured. I was fine.

About an hour later, a guy in a wet suit swam up to me. He was a rescuer that was swimming the rapids after jumping out of the heli. I was in shock, but okay. I asked if he had seen anyone else and he said no. I was the first person out of the water. He told me to stay still and wait for a rescue boat. I literally couldn't go anywhere. I was stuck on a steep rock face and there was no way I was getting back into the water.

Hours later, another tour raft showed up and I tried to get on. Still being exhausted and probably numb from not moving for so long, I just fell into their boat. We floated out of Cystal and I was so happy to see my father about a 1/4 mile downstream.  

My sister was river left in the next rapid a ways downstream. We couldn't get to her and another boat would have to pick her up. I don't know how many miles downstream we finally saw my mom. It had to be about an hour of floating. She was with a group of people from our boat group. They were perched on rocks, crying, not knowing where their family was. Our boat and the other boat from our group was a heaping mass of rubber. They were trying to patch it the best they could. My mom saw us and was thrilled, but then freaked out when she realized my sister wasn't with us. We yelled that she is on the next boat and continued downstream as there was no where for this boat to stop.

Long story slightly shorter. My dad and I made it to a beach while my sister's boat stopped to let her out. My mom had been in the water for 15 or more minutes and had to be pulled from the water by another boat as she was about to give in from hypothermia. She just didn't have the strength to swim to shore.

My dad and I were taken out by helicopter that night. While my mom/sister left the next morning (it was getting dark). Our pilot was trying to cheer me up and was flying pretty close to the canyon walls to give me a thrill. Totally clueless that I had enough for the day. Although I do have to say, flying in the canyon at such low altitudes was pretty amazing.

Our group suffered several broken bones, sprains, etc. But no deaths. I can't say that someone else that went through Crystal before us had the same luck. It took a life. That is why the helicopters were there so quickly.

In a probable attempt to dodge lawsuits, we were given a "free" trip the next Summer. The canyon was completely different and we made all 6 days without incident. One of our guides was the same that we had the previous year. All of the others had called it quits. We stopped at Crystal to scout it out, even though it was probably not needed. We cried thinking about the moment, but went through with no problems. The much hyped Lava Falls was like a tiny speed bump compared to Crystal the previous year. I'm guessing I'll never see anything like that again.


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## ric (Apr 12, 2004)

Thanks for postin benpetri 
Great video...
83 was my first year on the Grand, picked up a canxl trip in February for a 5/11/83 launch, Moms Day!
We rode it while it was on it's why up,
Never played TL before, didn't even own a PDF, just invited Ski Patrolers for first-aid, bartenders for cocktails and all the ladys that worked there for fun, 50,000cfs at takeout, lake mead, 6 rafts all 16ft, 16 pp, 1 kayaker, first kayaker photos going off jump rock near end of canyon,21 days, no flips, 2 marriages 2 break ups, 76 cases of beer, full bar,
and all are still friends for life, it was Magical!!!
Then went home and watched the yampa climb up to 40,000+, through cross mnt!
Stopped at the dam on the way home, GC, you could feel the whole dam place, vibrations, they weren't in panic mode yet!
Thanks again for the rewind memory...


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## tmacc (Sep 6, 2009)

Awesome story, Depthcharge. Quite the experience for a 15 year old.


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## sj (Aug 13, 2004)

83 was my 2nd of 8 years guiding in the Grand did 11 trips that year. Stayed right at Crystal and never got as much as a splash all year. Sliding by that hole was amazing. I scouted every time just to sit on the rocks beside the hole and be amazed. Once you got over the difference and the speed it was really easy just the price for mistakes was much more severe. My two biggest memories are coming back from a havasu hike and all the boats in the mouth were standing on end and we rock paper scissored for who had to dive into the water and cut the lines. The water had went from the high 20s to the high 40s in a few hours. The second was scouting Lava the next day and being disappointed at seeing the 30 to 40 yard wide slick down the left side. There were 10 foot rollers but no crashing waves or holes. Nothing heroic.

We also changed up our 12 day oar schedule and would spend an extra day between deer creek and Havasu then go from national to 220 in one day. As to the original question heard lots of stories about near death experience from guides also remember pieces of the flipped boat from the above story floating by at a camp in the 140s. Sj


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

tmacc said:


> Awesome story, Depthcharge. Quite the experience for a 15 year old.


Kinda weird to think back about it. My wife is a psychologist and always said that it is likely that this experience affected me more than I originally thought. I always brushed it off as another crazy adventure. However, the older I get (now 44) I see how right she is. It probably shaped more of my life than I realize. 

Funny how there are few things I remember as a kid that vividly. Come to think of it, I can't remember anything that clearly. Weird how it has stuck.


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## QuietHunter (Jun 8, 2010)

CWorthy said:


> If it's a short story collection, it's probably from Christa Sadler's "There's this River". It's been a while since I read it, but the story sounds familiar. Another great book about the crazy summer of 1983 is "The Emerald Mile" - it just came out a few months ago, and, it is an awsome read!


Just finished "The Emerald Mile"... I wanted more! Some of the best written non-fiction I have ever read. The author has a fantastic way with words and did an awesome job of researching the entire story to paint a great picture.


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

DepthCharge said:


> Kinda weird to think back about it. My wife is a psychologist and always said that it is likely that this experience affected me more than I originally thought. I always brushed it off as another crazy adventure. However, the older I get (now 44) I see how right she is. It probably shaped more of my life than I realize.
> 
> Funny how there are few things I remember as a kid that vividly. Come to think of it, I can't remember anything that clearly. Weird how it has stuck.





So when are you going back to find out?


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## DanCan (Jul 22, 2011)

From "The Emerald Mile"

"Jiminy Christmas" translated to normal speech is "Holy Mother of God".

I read the Crystal Rapids description of the mayhem late last night... finally had to put it down and go to bed before I wet my pants.

DanCan


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## kikii875 (Oct 25, 2010)

I don't recall the OPs story being in Christa's book. Although there are several stories that do talk about '83. I had an uneventful '83 but a coworker and friend of mine was driving the boat that flipped and the gentleman died from a heart attack, or from something striking him very hard in the chest, or a combination of both.(they never determined) Christa's book has my friend's name wrong, and he is ok with that. He will talk to me about the incident if I ask, but it is not a story he tells when taking guests down the river.
Some stories bear repeating every chance you get, and some stories are better left untold I think.


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## moovin water (May 29, 2010)

I could be wrong, but I think the answer to the original question is the book "Canyon" by Mike Giglieri. Good luck.


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

DoStep said:


> So when are you going back to find out?


We did go back the following year as the tour company gave us a freebie to try and make up for it. 

My sister and I have threatened to make a trip back as adults, but have never gotten around to it. Hopefully we can do it before too long.


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## mrkyak (Jul 11, 2005)

Launching on the grand in a few weeks, the TL was a guide for Cross 83-84. I'll see which stories are repeatable and share.


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

mrkyak said:


> Launching on the grand in a few weeks, the TL was a guide for Cross 83-84. I'll see which stories are repeatable and share.


Cross was the company that took us through. The only guide names I remember were Kelly and I think Tim. When we went back the next year, I'm pretty sure Kelly was the only one that didn't quit. Although I could be mistaken.


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## Ole rafter (Aug 13, 2013)

Everyone needs To check out MacDaddy's photo album. He is in a lot of the footage in that video Highwater 1983. The footage of the diamond river Expedition boat in hermit rapid is his boat, he is in the yellow life jacket. He also was the swamper on Rondo Beachlers boat that hit the hole in crystal sideways. And at the very end of the video that is his boat that hits just left of the hole in crystal. MacDaddy ran crystal the morning the park service shut down the rapid 
And picked up a lot of swimmers from a couple boats that ran just after him. I would be interested to know if those on this thread remember who pulled them out ? He has amazing stories Of the Highwater year. I have been on several trips with him both down the Grand and Deso and never get tired of the high water story's


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

Ole rafter said:


> I would be interested to know if those on this thread remember who pulled them out ? He has amazing stories Of the Highwater year. I have been on several trips with him both down the Grand and Deso and never get tired of the high water story's


I sat on a rock for several hours and was eventually picked up by another commercial outfitter. Don't remember their name. I do know that no other boats went through the rapids for those 4-5 hours I sat on the rock. The river was empty. 

All of the people on our two boats, as far as I know were either picked up by the raft that picked me up, the other raft in that group, or our original two rafts that we were all on before we took the swim.


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## sj (Aug 13, 2004)

Funny how a few river miles can change everything. I worked with mcdaddy and was about 40 river miles ahead of him. We ran Crystal alone at about the same level the day before no pics no adventure no drama then the next day all hell broke loose. Sj


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## DepthCharge (Jul 6, 2012)

Ole rafter said:


> And picked up a lot of swimmers from a couple boats that ran just after him.


I just looked at MacDaddy's pictures. While it may not be the same group, I was picked up by a 5 pontoon raft- just like the photos.

However, the raft that picked me up came several hours after we took our swim. 

If MacDaddy is reading this, or if you know him, you should ask if he picked up anyone that went through *before* his boat. If so, it might of been me, and my dad. I was a blonde haired 14 or 15 year old and the first one to get out of the water (river right). My dad and (I believe) one other got on this same raft down stream a ways. 

As far as I recall, we did not pick up anyone that wasn't on one of our two rafts.


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Any one else find the Emerald Mile a historic and ethical wasteland?


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## GCPBA (Oct 22, 2009)

No. Tom, you can buy it here:

http://gcpba.org/store-2/#!/~/product/category=2410297&id=26811146


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi GCPBA (Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association), one of the many things I found truly sad in this book was the treatment of "private boaters."

You surely did not miss Fedarko’s portrayal of Dr. Charles Zemach (of the Adobe Whitewater Club) as the book's villian? Fedarko portrayed Zemach as a bad private boater as Zemach notified the NPS about the sans-permit speed runners. Missing from Fedarko’s text was any mention of the fact that Zemach, fairly certain at the time that his group was witnessing an illegal launch, was upset that someone was taking cuts ahead of other river runners in Grand Canyon. Readers most likely didn't find that odd, because the author did not care to write about that fact. 

This is but the tip of the iceberg of so many other facts that were either incorrect or left out while the author waxed on with sentences like this "'They emerged slowly, popping out one by one, and then they all came in a rush, spilling out of the ether until the narrow ribbon of sky about was no longer speckled with isolated motes but was a milky torrent, alive with the eddies and whirlpools, a millrace of planets and stars whose combined translucence defined the ragged line of the canyon's twinned rims with such clarity, such crystalline precision, that anyone looking up could not help but gasp at what had been unveiled."

While taking up so much space with obtuse vocabulary, Fedarko failed to mention that Tom Workman was not working at the Lee's Ferry Ramp the day of the illegal launch. It was Ranger Ron Dicke that notified the boaters at the ramp that the River was closed, and a few hours later, the same Ranger Dicke notified the boaters at the Ramp that the river was open again, and that Crystal was closed to passengers. Not only did Fedarko put another Ranger at the Ramp, he didn't care to inform the reader about the full account of what actually happened at the Ramp that day, nor did he care to mention the roll Dick McCallum may have played in all this as McCallum was getting ready to launch at the Ramp. 

By the by, did you know that Zemach and his folks would have a great trip, and that one of their boats was a 12 foot Hopi? I found that fact about the Hopi way more interesting than Fedarko's miss-characterization of Zemach.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

Ah, just for the heck of it, I'll throw this into the mix. 

Go to gcpba.org and check out my review at http://gcpba.org/2013/06/01/rich-phillips-reviews-the-emerald-mile/ 

It doesn't contain any nitpicking about minor details that don't really impact one bit the flow or meaning of the tale. It points people in the direction of an interesting book about how three guys rowed the Grand Canyon in a unique way, under unique circumstances. 

True, the writing style is expansive in places -- very different than Tom's work in his own books. But for a guy who favors rowing over motors and seems to appreciate little wooden boats, I'm surprised he doesn't like it.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

FWIW.

Rich Phillips


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## GoodTimes (Mar 9, 2006)

Alright....I just gotta say it....you guys crack me up, never a missed opportunity when a Grand topic is started. "How many posts and how long will the thread be before Tom and Rich get into it"?  

You both live in Flagstaff right?? OK Corral style, high noon, bring your paddle and oar of choice, duke it out and go have a beer together.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi GoodTimes,

Nice to know we provide such predictable entertainment. (grin)

Nope, I actually live in Illinois. So I have to cede to Tom without a fight the "True Western River Boater Award" -- even if his point of view on some things calls out to me to make a comment every now and then. 

And since I'm actually headed out to Lees Ferry in a few days, you can rest easy this one won't last weeks and weeks, the way some of our discourses on the CRMP have done in the past. 

Have a good one.

Rich Phillips


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Yes indeed, that's funny Good Times! So Rich, you may be coming through town? Good Times has a good idea. Maybe we should get together for dinner as you are passing through?

Yes, I just put out a few "tips of the iceberg" problems with Fedarko's book. Not even tips, just a sign post pointing toward the iceberg. What iceberg you say?

The major things left out of the book are many and include no discussion of wilderness, or allocations starting with the permit system implementation in 1955, or the commercialization of the river, including Martin Litton's formative river trips as a self-guided river runners and how Litton went from Grand Canyon conservationist in the 1960's to concessionaire against wilderness in the 1970's, or no mention of the 1957 flows up to 126,000 cfs, and no mention of Kenton's three wives. The book all but makes him a river eunuch. Finally, and most agregiously, which I am surprised Rich didn't mention at all in his review, is Fedarko's recounting of what was happening at Glen Canyon Dam as the dam spillways were slowly being destroyed in 1983. Anyone who believes Fedarko’s assertion that cavitation has been eliminated from the spillway tubes of Glen Canyon dam may want to buy into his assertion that the Grand Canyon “…is also enriched…” by the dam itself while he ignores the 1983 flood’s removal of millions of cubic feet of sand from the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, never to be resupplied. 

The nitpicking minor details include such fun things as where Cardenas saw the river (Desert View? Really?), calling the Powell men who left the 1869 trip deserters, mentioning the trans-canyon water pumps as being at Phantom Ranch (last I checked, they were still at Indian Gardens), and saying the 1951 Riggs brothers speed run was on over 60,000 cfs when they launched on 43,100 cfs and the flow dropped from there. I could go on with additional nits-to-pick, but you get my point. 

I'd agree with you Rich and encourage folks to read the book if they want a one sided sanitized factually off-base read.

Best to you both, Tom


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi Tom,

It's that old thing about, "Where you stand depends on where you sit." But for a book that celebrates human-powered travel through the Canyon, you sure are hard on it.

I don't know Fedarko, have had no contact with him before or after publication, and don't have any agenda. I'm just pointing folks to an interesting tale of three guys doing something really hard and dangerous. 

Yes, he sets the stage for the trip with lots of collateral information, including material about Litton, the dam, the weather, and so forth. And sure, there's room for amplification on any one of them, or for quibbling about how he presents them, or about minor non-critical content for that matter. Even the best-researched books wind up with Errata, or critical comment regarding arguable content. But it's not a history book, or one about river politics, the dam, or environmental issues. It's a book about the speed run -- a river tale that deserved telling in a bit of detail. No other agenda that I can see. 

I'm coming in to the Ferry from Kanab side, but I'll be in Flag for the GCPBA board meeting, arriving late that Thursday. If you want to set up a time and place, shoot me something off-list.

Have a good one.

Rich Phillips


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi Rich, thank you for the Great Laugh! I had not realize the book is "...not a history book, or one about river politics, the dam, or environmental issues." The fact that the speed run was made possible by river politics and caused by an environmental disaster of an out of control dam would have been too much truth in what turned out to be an ethical wasteland of a book. 

I'll e-mail you off list. It would be great to visit. Yours, tom


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi Tom,

Folks on the Buzz are not exactly known for being potted plants.(grin) I'm content to let them decide for themselves -- interesting river tale or ethical wasteland of a book. 

I'll get with you on my schedule in Flag. Have a good one.

Rich Phillips


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

moovin water said:


> I could be wrong, but I think the answer to the original question is the book "Canyon" by Mike Giglieri. Good luck.


Belatedly back on topic if the OP still cares - yes this is correct.


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## JHimick (May 12, 2006)

I do care, thanks so much for the answer... Been trying to figure that out for years!


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