Show t t I Y I A Letter to Midge tiger Dar Midge 1 Do 0 you we something will hl happen to me on a Ii regular schedule We Wei have hopes Too bu busy y We hive have I been down the river several times jut just to look at the high water at the scenery acen ery cry and have a n short ride Each time we have gone down tt we have seen n glyphs glYPh One not very far down end and on the north side aide of or the river look something like a adeer's adeer's adeer's deers deer's head but there are funny funny funny fun fun- ny like crab claws for legs leg Some Indian really let tet himself Jt go when he picked that one out To me the most mot fascinating event that has hu come to our attention at at- I Is While White Woman Woman Wo Woo man of ot the flyer niver She's been on TV IV Groucho Marx Show recently she's written a book about her adventures on varIous various var var- ious loua rivers she's ahoa taken hun hun- of people on bo boat t trips she hc and her husband ha have shown slides lIdes In tn many places plate but this is the first time we had heard heam about her It happened hap this thia way WilY We had friends visiting In It they wanted tl to godown go godown godown down to the river to watch the boats When we wo reached the boat dock deck we noticed the most moat curious looking deals floating at the dock Three funny look took lookIng In ing pontoon objects Closer r in inspection In- In we saw there was one huge affair and two groups of ot three boats lied together There were two people sitting nearby so O we began to ask questions One On qU question and another M and t tW W we finally got the story and literature about the boats Mr and Mrs White have been I Interested In the river for years As Georgie told us I 1 guess Interest In rivers and being lazy led ted to the adoption of army army ar ar- my surplus rubber boats for our use We can float clear down the river and dont don't have to portage Georgie takes the boats down while Mr White or Whitie takes care of ot the land operations opera takes food to the tho landIng land land- Ing tag places lute Crossing of the Fathers Page Lees Lee's Ferry and Luke Meade lIe He has the help of Sambo Samba their Seattle Scottie do dog They have special deals with which to Innate inflate and deflate the boats This Is Ls their last tast planned trip because of the var- var m. m ii i p l 5 i I q i dMM dania 8 spring g In Of all AU th the lets B they have haft tr traveled eted the Colorado and H R to be their ta favorite Going Join down the Grand Is I t the ft trill That means gel I genf h the Grand canyon The two units f of t th smaller smal amal ter ler boats invasion boats boat are am piloted by college boys beys with only ors oars to guide them The big pontoon one b huge tube In the middle with 16 air sections sec pee Lions each ch is II piloted by Geor Geor- gle and powered by an 18 horse hOre motor If It necessary ary she can cantow cantow tow the other units Georgie 9 sald ld they have never had any serious accidents she treats each trip as a new one realizing that rivers are aro al always always at- at ways full of surprises She neVer never never nev neV- er goes on a trip with a relaxed relaxed relax- relax ed cd know all attitude I want to to send for her book Woman of or orthe the Rivers If It she writes as she he talks it will be fascinating reading rea tea ding She Is medium height has alert blue eyes and Is deeply tanned Monday morning we went down to the river to see the party start their trip down clown own th the river Some leave the party at Hite Bite others start their trip there Some go all the way to Lake Mcade Meade We visited with some ot of the tho people One lady Im just justa a housewife from Santa Cruz California Ive I've been on the trip several times Last year I 1 didn't get to go I felt that a year was lost One fellow called Alcatraz lives on the Island lIe He has been down several times Umes he drove to Page Ariz and flew new here hereto to Moab One man from Mon Mon- trose California told about the reunions of River Rats all over the eo country un try One In Los Angeles Ange Ange- les had three hundred In at at- One In Chicago drew drewa a hundred Many elderly people some In their seventies were sitting on the rolling contours of the pontoons pon pon- pontoons eagerly awaiting the untying untying untying un un- un- un tying of the ropes that kept the boats from starting their leisurely float down the river Leisurely that Is until they arrive arrive arrive ar ar- rive at Cataract Canyon Then they hold on get wet and thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- enjoy themselves They are In the boats about three hours In the morning and three in the afternoon They stop to o take pictures and hike up Interesting side canyons They sleep on the beaches In sleeping bags each one helps with the camping chores The two groups of smaller boats left first As they disappeared disappeared disappeared dis dis- dis- dis appeared around the bend GeorgIe told Sambo goodbye and took her place at the front of the boat near the motor Just before they left Whitie crawl crawled d up to give his wife a kiss With See you at Rite and many waves the big boat drifted drifted drift drift- ed In the river current until It too disappeared around the rIver ri river river rI- rI ver bend Mosquitoes hot sun spray drenched thrills sleeping under under under un un- der the stars eating meals cooked over a campfire enjoying enjoy enjoy- enjoying ing good company viewing from the drifting boats awe awe- inspiring defying description scenery hiking up side canyons al 01 was before them Fifty people to enjoy a n trip like that Then we had to go back to our tedious routine of living but as we checked off orf each of our chores chortiS it would be ened MOO by thinking of people win Wh had the courage and anti daring to todo todo todo do something different nt U Us arm ann armchair armchair chair folks can enjoy thinking of them and sharing their adventures adventures ad ad- ventures via reading about their trip Love Pepita |