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Show River Expeditions Thrill for Young Scout Troops Petroglyphs engraved by Indians in 9th century during the Fremont Era grace the walls of a cliff above the Green River. River rafters on recent green expedition saw the drawings which have been protected. By George S. Barrus Former Vice President The Utah National Parks Council The echos of the thundering river boiling over rocks and leaping into a shimmering spray skyward are magnified many times by the sides of sheer, jutting cliffs which rise directly from the river and gash the horizon. The lure of the river Is intensified in that ancient struggle between nature and man. The ever-accelerating forward movement of the river to the accompanying roar and the clutch of the water beneath the fragile rubber raft is the moment of truth In that , struggle which draws many adventure-seekers to the river time and time again. Utah National Parks Council, Boy Scouts of America sponsors six expeditions annually which cover 84 miles of the Green River as it slashes its way from Sand Wash Ferry site to Swasey's Rapid at the foot of towering Gunnison's Butte just 12 miles above Green River, Utah. One discovers immediately that the Green River isn't green, it's a very heavily silted brown. "Too thick to drink and too thin to plow," according to one old-timer. Leader of these forays is Rene Luthi, Council Explorer Executive, Provo. Three rafts and 24 neophyte river "rats" make the run during the summer season. I was fortunate to make the trip in early July with explorer units from Salina, Altamont, and Orem. Leaders were Harold Simon, Scott Mathes and Robert Walsh. Three and one-half days draw the adventurers over a total of 35 rapids which rate from 1 to 6 on a scale that goes to 10. This means that the rapid has waves approximately one foot high for a rating of 1. The majority of the rapids on the Green are at the lower end of the chart but there are a number in the 4 to 5 rating and one unforgettable experience at Coal Creek Rapid reaches a high of 6. Paddlers of eight young men on each raft, four to a side, maneuver the little craft along the "tongue" of the river which is the smooth, fast-moving funnel aimed directly into the foam-tossed waves towering from one to six feet above the raft. That truly is a sight to stir a heart into high gear. The raft meets the water and enters the caldron near the middle of the wave causing it to break water entirely over boat and passengers in one tremendous crash, The little boat then escapes out the other side of the wave or over the top of it, usually just in time to dash into a second and even a third drenching. Some of the those waves have rocks lurking beneath the surface which can spin a craft entirely around and deftly pluck an unwary boatman into the water though it seldom will capsize the boat. Life-jackets are an indispensible item to safe passage through some of those churning and furious sections. Some of the most challenging rapids' on the continent are located on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon gorge where at one point three 30-foot drops are placed back-to-back for one heck of a ride. Of course, the lore of the river is learned as one floats through the quiet , stretches. This area attracted hearty frontier settlers who tried their luck at cattle raising and farming alongside the river on some of the wider expanses of meadow. Old hand-hewn stones still mark the homesteads and several horse-drawn agriculture implements wait in readiness for the farmer to reappear. These sites were established in the late 1800's or early 1900's by such men as Preston Nutter, the Seamounton brothers Dan and Bill, Jim McPherson, and others of their breed. These operations continued until the early 1940. Tales of the early outlaws who sought refuge in this desolate land were also related. This was a haven for the "Wild Bunch" of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Rafters were shown where Joe Walker was shot in his bedroom Friday, May 13, 1898 and just two years later and a short distance away the "Pinkertons" shot outlaw "Flat Nose" George Curry April 12, 1900. J ustice was swift and sure in those days. Rancher Jim McPherson did some horse trading with the "Wild Bunch" and is quoted as saying, "some of the outlaws were alot nicer people than the posse chasing them." Petroglyphs 800 to 1200 years old bear record of the earliest inhabitants of the Fremont era. Other Indian ruins are pointed out along the willow and tamarisk lined river. There is evidence of bear, deer, and other wild life in the area. The sound of the chucker is heard frequently and several graceful eagles soared through their domain. Earliest explorers were General William Ashley who looked for trading sites in 1825. Most famous of the river men was Major John Wesley Powell and his maping expedition of 1869. The space-age is much in evidence as one gazes into the velvet, star-studded sky and sees the array of satellites keeping their appointments along the trackless deep. Then as twilight approached, the crews donned their life-jackets and walked along the shore back up the river where they would then jump into the river and swim-float through the last rapid once again. You want a thrilling ride! Part of each day was devoted to water warfare of the fiercest kind. Two or all three of the crafts would steer side-by-side and bailing buckets would pour a large portion out of the river and into the raft of one's enemy. There was always retaliation until either exhaustion or another rapid forced a truce. One leaves the river with a vow to "return again." |
