fall 11 / 24:3 - Grand Canyon River Guides

Dear EddyIn response to the photo on the back of the last bqr,volume 24:3The boat in the photo on the back cover of thelast bqr—the Emma Dean—was later renamedMusic Temple. I rowed the Music Temple onfour trips for Martin Litton in 1971 and then he retiredthe boat from service because it was too small to bevery useful on a commercial trip. Several years later,Martin donated the boat to the Park Service and it isnow in the historic boats collection on the South Rim.The exterior of the boat has been painted, but if youopen up the hatch covers, you’ll still see my handwritinginside that identifies what was stowed in eachhatch. So, there is sentimental value to me in havingthat photo (which I’d never seen before).When I looked at the photo again, I realized thatthe other boat was later renamed the Hetch Hetchy,nicknamed the “Submarine” because it plowedthrough the waves instead of riding over them. I rowedthat boat on my very first rowing trip in 1970. It’s along story, but in a word, I broke it in half at the bottomof Unkar! You’d think Martin might have fired meon the spot, but instead he surveyed the damage andsaid: “Well, JB, these boats have been badly banged upbefore, just never all at once!” Classic Martin! Lots ofgood river stories to be told.In response to the “Fred and Margaret Eiseman OralHistory” in the last bqr, volume 24:3Just read the latest bqr edition, with the FredEiseman article. Richard reminded me that wehave one of Fred’s dories. We have repainted andrenamed her the Al Quist. Richard just took her downDesolation at 38,000 cfs. Wahoo!The boat we have was one of the original twoboats that Fred had made by Keith Steele in Oregon.He named them Maggie and just Boat, later renamedEstsan. We have the Estsan.Richard responded to a letter from Brock Tunnicliffof Phoenix, advertising two Waterman basket framesfor sale in 1991. When he went to Phoenix to buy theframes, Brock also mentioned a dory he had for sale.Brock was a student of Stan Brickler, who had boughtthe Estsan from Fred in 1974. It had been renamed theStanley B and was stored in Tucson. Richard boughtthe dory as well, and brought it to Salt Lake. It neededa lot of maintenance, which he and Clair worked onfor a couple years. It’s a wonderful boat—Richard andClair have both taken it out on several trips.Alisa QuistJohn BlausteinIn response to the photo on the back of the last bqr,volume 24:3The photo on the back page of the latest bqr, wasnot taken in Green River Utah. I have shown itto a bunch of old timers, mostly lifers, and theyall say that City Hall was never next to the bank. Theonly bank in town is a three story building on the cornerof Broadway and Main, and City Hall was nevernext to it. One car in the photo has Wyoming plateson it and for that reason I think it may be Green RiverWyoming, but it is not Green River, Utah.Randy Tucker(proud resident of Green River, ut)Richard Quist rowing the Eiseman dory in Desolation.Photo courtesy Robert Kirby.Editor’s Note:Yes indeed, the photo on the back page of the last bqrwas Green River, Wyoming, not Utah. And the dateis the 1969 Powell Centennial. Online metadata atnau Cline Library has been revised. Thank you to oursharp-eyed members!boatman’s quarterly review page 5