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Show THE ZEPH YR/DECEMBER 2003-JANUARY Remembering... 2004 A LESON HARRY For Harry, Life was Heave n G Home in Glen Canyon By Ken Sleight discovered the Colorado River and began boating on Lake Mead. Soon this led to trips upstream on the Colorado into Grand Canyon. Harry sought adventure. He and Georgie White swam the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1945 for some 61 miles, and they repeated with an 81-mile swim the following year. In 1945, he also made a five-day upriver motorboat HARRY’S WEDDING AND THE BERT LOPER WHISKY The year 1962 was a momentous one. It was the last year to run the Colorado River through Glen Canyon before the waters began backing up behind the Glen Canyon dam. It was the year that Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr. orbited the earth three times and exclaimed, "Oh, that view is tremendous.” Tt was the year that Bill Wells, the Flying Bishop of Hanksville, turned upmissing over the Dirty Devil River as he was checking on his cattle grazing in the canyon below. When his prop flew off, he was forced down onto a sand bar. Tt was the year that I scheduled some run from Lee’s Ferry to Hite through Glen Canyon. He made several trips down the Yukon and the MacKenzie Rivers, and he liked to hike long distances exploring new scenic areas and archeological sites. Joining up with a partner, he called his outfit the Larabee and Aleson Western River Tours. He purchased old surplus navy neoprene rafts, a couple of motors 16 trips in Glen Canyon. When My brochures read, "Soon this Glen Canyon region will be covered with water and the and the depression years, supplies, and he was in by his scholarly pursuits. He liked doing research and assembling notes on the history of the canyons. In this he exchanged many letters with Otis "Dock" Marston, a noted self-appointed and maverick river historian. As is common with many river runners, his love for the river cost him his marriage. Married in 1928, he and his wife separated in 1940. larry had set up "house" alone in a tent at Quartermaster Canyon. Harry made a number of trips in the Glen and Escalante canyon area in search of Everett Ruess, a young lad who disappeared in the canyons in 1934. Through Harry, I had the privilege of coming to know the Ruess family. Harry had earlier taken Everett’s mother, Stella, into Davis Gulch. Later, I took Everett's brother, Waldo, there too. On the river, Harry would often invite me and my groups to camp with him. As we met on the river, he would often yell Harry Aleson was a_ colorful, imaginative, and remarkable individual. He was an unusual boatman, an inquisitive scholar, and pleasant to be around. He was egocentric and a showman, and he had a strange delightfulness about him. He had a varied history. In March 1918, he enlisted in the Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps and was sent to France for training. During this time, his _plane went down and the toxic fumes and gas played havoc with his stomach. Chronic and perpetual stomach problems caused the removal of much of his stomach necessitating frequent visits to veteran hospitals. He was able to secure a full disability pension. During a few business. His river career was further spurred on deep canyons shall be no more.” It was the year that Harry Aleson, Moki-Mac Ellingson, Georgie White, Kenny Ross, Don Harris, and other river runners were active in running the canyon rivers. Each guide had his or her own character. One such character was Harry Aleson. Then 63 years old, this Iowa native of Nordic heritage had accomplished much during his river lifetime. over and say “let’s camp together tonight.” he And we'd do it. I enjoyed he put up with mine. worked for various geophysical exploration his stories and firms in the southwest. During this time he LITTLE WEASEL ADS, INC. PRESENTS: CARETAKER? YOU BET! I'm going to ‘take care’ of this gobbler real soon... ‘ \y = i THE DESERT RAT COMMANDO iy i VA : 1 1 ij J « leer Sn ‘Nyy If you drive your freakin’ SUV a thousand miles so you can peddle your ass around for ten, do you STILL think it's WN ee PROPERTY SERVICES 23 SOUTH 100 WEST MOAB, UT 84532 435.259.1001 JOHN HARTLEY - NON-MOTORIZED RECREATION??? Gimme a break! you bithering MORONS! "| piss on you ALL from a considerable height." UM ateneoy fete fx-1 (0) .<-YaRY 1a [8-1 independent home inspection services | - PAGE22 ae |