summer 11 / 24:2 - Grand Canyon River Guides
summer 11 / 24:2 - Grand Canyon River Guides
summer 11 / 24:2 - Grand Canyon River Guides
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memorabLe points—<br />
• Classic spring winds that occasionally screamed<br />
upstream at the group and even a late season<br />
winter snow storm did not keep the group from<br />
enjoying incredible side hikes suggested and led by<br />
intrepid Trip Leader, Jay Healy.<br />
• Peter Huntoon regaled the group daily with stories<br />
of our geologic past and lead an interpretive hike<br />
from Granite Narrows to Deer Creek examining a<br />
Paleo river bed of the Colorado. From his comfortable<br />
position in distinguished retirement, Peter is<br />
able to approach theories of the <strong>Canyon</strong>’s origin<br />
from a more relaxed and objective perspective. His<br />
stories of early cave explorations as related to the<br />
group at Dutton Springs made us wonder how he<br />
ever lived to reach retirement !<br />
• Chilly spring weather found the group enjoying<br />
the sun more than seeking the shade. Folks enjoyed<br />
contrasting this trip to the hot season that lay<br />
ahead.<br />
• Despite the wet weather the guides continued to<br />
find their homes offshore each evening under the<br />
standard pyramid shelter that is so suited to rigging<br />
on an oarboat. Trip Leader, Jay Healy, demonstrated<br />
a more civilized method with a standard Tent on<br />
the palatial deck of his S-rig.<br />
• We enjoyed the living history element of spending<br />
days and stories with the “200tH” <strong>Canyon</strong> Voyager,<br />
Jorgen Visbak. He was very understated about his<br />
earlier adventures via backpack and air mattress<br />
with fellow speaker Bill Mooz. Especially memorable<br />
was a damp birthday party complete with cake,<br />
candles and song at 75-Mile camp. Jorgen turned<br />
91 years young that night. He continued to inspire<br />
the entire group with his physical prowess; prowling<br />
up the canyon washes on all the side hikes time<br />
allowed.<br />
• Trip leader, Jay Healy, was the picture of professionalism<br />
in dealing with the ongoing and varied<br />
requests for “speaker time” amid the fast paced<br />
schedule and weather delays. He made space for as<br />
much interpretive time as the schedule could allow<br />
and maintained time in camp for boatman’s hour.<br />
• Adopt-a-Beach coordinator, Zeke Lauck, would<br />
hang back daily with different volunteers getting<br />
the baseline data on the beaches for the season and<br />
confirming or upgrading information on photo<br />
points. Zeke also integrated a sand eddy geomorphology<br />
discussion at unique beach deposits such<br />
as Owl Eyes.<br />
Steve Munsell<br />
speaker, presCott CoLLeGe<br />
Photos by: Geoff Carpenter, Zeke Lauk,<br />
Joe Pollock, and Jorgen Visbak<br />
boatman’s quarterly review page 19
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