Show s tt J r rI I t 4 r s y THE BOWKNOT Located on the Green River not far is a popular resting point for boaters making the from Moab this stretch of river seen from the air mile trek from Green River to Moab Popular River Draws Interest for Over a Century Ed Note Noto Pearl Pear Biddlecome Biddle- Biddle come coma Baker Is truly one ona of the old timers of this area and Is considered an authority authority authority auth auth- on on local local ocal history history- She spent the fhe first thirty years roars of her life Ufe at t Robbers Roost where she became interested interest Interest- ed In preserving the colorful colorful colorful color color- ful stories of the tho Wild Bunch that she heard as a youngster from men who knew those riders of the dim trails well Mrs Mrs- Baker aker among her other writings has compiled an Interesting history of boating on the Colorado and Green rivers an excerpt from which follows follows follows fol fol- fol- fol lows Boating from Green River I to Moab Is not a new activity probably trappers boated on the Green as long ago as years but records are few If Dennis Julien Jullen hadn't stopped stopped stopped stop stop- ped to carve his name on the ledges from time to time in 1836 we would not have known he made the voyage Major John Wesley Powell made the first recorded trip tripon on the Green in 1869 and again in 1871 Prior to 1921 the Colorado river from Grand Junction to the confluence with the Green below Moab was known as the Grand river A congressional al act of 1921 declared the river to be the Colorado for its entire leng length 11 Alter After Major Powells Powell's expedition expedition expedition in 1871 the next of Importance importance importance im Im- was the Brown Sanford Sanford Sanford San- San ford survey for a railroad in 1889 The party lost most of its supplies and some boats in the Cataracts and after President Brown was drowned drown ed in a rapid below Lees Lee's Ferry Ferry Ferry Fer Fer- ry the project was abandon abandon- ed One tour was made in 1901 to investigate building a Sanitarium SanitarIum Sanitarium San San- on Spanish Bottoms nine years before Valentines had settled on Valentine Bottom Bottom Bot Bot- tom with plans to build a lodge to accommodate passengers passengers gers of pleasure boats then being built to make the trip from Green River to Moab Early Early- Early day ay pioneers took a adim adim adim dim view o of any type of travel travel travel tra tra- vel strictly for pleasure However However How How- ever a hot dusty wagon or buggy ride over rough primitive prim prim- roads was the only access ac ac- access cess from Moab to the nearest nearest near near- est railroad at Thompson 35 miles mlles away A real spurt of interest in water transportation tion between Moab and Green River from a passenger an an- gle developed about the turn of the century Several large pleasure boats were built at Green River to tomake tomake tomake make the run but the l history story of their success is discouraging ing as the rivers fought back backwith backwith backwith with a generous supply of natural natural natural na na- na- na tural weapons sand rapids rapids rapids rap rap- ids and ever moving sand sandbars sandbars sandbars bars that constantly changed channels The Major Powell a 35 foot loot boat with foot 8 beam upright boiler and two y engines and twin screws was run only to Wheelers Wheeler's ranch at the mouth of San Rafael where a broken screw crew discouraged discouraged dis dis- dis the crew Later the I wood burner was changed to toan toan toan an oil burner but after alter a trip or two it was dismantled in 1894 for lor lack of power In 1901 the ill-fated ill UnI Undine Undine Un I dine a 22 hp coal burning steam team engine tourist boat lasted from Irom February to May when it overturned in a riffle and sank above the Moab bridge the crew barely es escaping escaping escaping es- es caping with their lives The Black Eagle had a short life Ufe but a merry one Built in 1905 she was powered power power- ed with a 20 hp water tube boiler engine She left Green River with great fanfare on her maiden voyage but near Anderson Bottom her copper tubes clogged with silt the copper melted and the engine blew up The hull was left there and never used again The crew walked out of the river canyon Many other boating ventures ventures ventures ven ven- tures tried and failed The City of Moab failed to make the Slide was remodeled remodel ell elland and renamed the Cliff Dweller Dweller Dweller ler but bu t never made a full trip She was eventually sold renamed the Vista and used as a pleasure boat on the Salt Lake The WIlmont has a short career hauling drilling machinery mach nery the Marguerite hauled hauled hauled haul haul- ed mining supplies but bowed bowed bowed bow bow- ed to the railroad the Paddy Ross Colorado Navajo Ida B and Utah were were- smaller boats used for private private private vate transportation up and down the river for trappers miners prospectors and hunt hunt- ers erSt The Robbers Roosters never never never nev nev- er had a boat but they left their mark on the river banks In the they built and lavishly furnished a cabin on Cabin Bottom the cabin burned but the name still ex ex- ex- ex The historic old Moab Garage Garage Gar Gar- age Company at Moab had what was probably the most lasting successful commercial commercial commercial commer commer- cial enterprise on the Colorado Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado river during the Light freight and passengers passengers- were transported down the- the river in the during the oil boom of the the- later the company used used us us- ed d other boats and barges as commercial transportation for lor freight and passengers After 1930 there was very very- little boating on the rivers It was after World II U when boating boomed as a major major- recreational activity that the the- rivers came into use again The Friendship Cruise and Canyon Country River Marathon Marathon Marathon Mara Mara- thon water events were inaugurated In in- In Inaugurated in 1958 and have have- drawn wide nation-wide attention Tex McClatchy of Moab conquered con con- the sand bars that plagued early boaters with his jet powered jet powered passenger 65 Cliff Dweller to operate a successful commercial passenger passenger passenger ger cruise on the rivers BoatIng Boating Boat Boat- Ing is back in business again on the Colorado and Green rivers x- x II I I II j Ij I Pi f THE FINISH LINE Boater streaks across finish line after making run from Green Ri River to Moab in annual Marathon race This years year's winner made the trip in teas Jeaa than th three hours averaging 77 71 miles per hour Moab family boaters make nuke a more leisurely two day trip exploring ex ox canyons on the way |