Show s sR L F R tr a v f rYd J l a y 13 h 2 a 9 tY RUGGED tUGGED ROUTE Kyle McGrady mailman on the Ute most unusual route in the United States delivers mail in an oil drum mail box boa His Bis boat the Florence is moored to the shore of Idaho's Snake river called one of the wildest bodies of water in America Since the level of the Ule Snake varies as much as 30 feet standard mail boxes are not practical and oil drums and wooden boxes are utilized instead IN 1 THESE ESE UNITED STATES f i Lugs Letters Supplies Even Tourists Up lip Wildest River Features I LEWISTON VISTON IDA Long Long heralded as one of othe the worlds world's most famous mailmen Kyle McGrady is back on the job delivering i mail by boat on the most unusual of routes in the United United Unit Unit- ed States I His route serving approximately residents of Idaho's I Hells Hell's canyon area aea traverses the he wild and rugged reaches reach s of the Snake river Service was suspended suspended sus- sus sus-S sus and McGrady's boats were placed in dry dock temporarily during during during dur dur- ing the low water period of the Snake the level of which varies as much as 30 feet A mailman grocery boy and chamber of commerce official for forthe forthe forthe the canyon area McGrady has been beell making the trip up the Snake river since 1938 He quit a mechanics mechanic's job in Lewiston to take the post of office of- of fice contract which calls for delivery delivery ery of letters magazines and parcel parcel par par- cel eel post packages as well as for a variety of other services to residents residents residents resi resi- dents of the isolated area Mecca lecca for Tourists McGrady makes the trip up the river liver in either the Florence or Idano Ida- Ida Tio no powered diesel-powered river packets In addition to an odd assortment of supplies and mail McGrady also hauls bauls tourists To accommodate them he has constructed a lodge on onIke on the Ike lip of the most ferocious part of f the canyon from all over the U. U S. S have journeyed to Lewiston Lewiston Lewiston Lewis- Lewis ton starting point for the spectacular spectacular spectacular spec spec- voyage The round trip is miles and the current of the Snake is so swift that it requires requires re- re requires re- re quires 12 hours for the Ute trip trip up and but four hours to return The Snake is called the wildest river in America Hells Hell's canyon is the deepest gorge on the North American continent 1000 feet I deeper than the Grand canyon of the Colorado McGrady's boats on the trip up the river against the current must buck and growl over many any treacherous studded boulder-studded rapids A Tough Trip The boats ve ace e no plush showy affairs affairs affairs af af- af- af fairs but they at are Curdy and can withstand the pounding dL d. the unmerciful unmerciful un un- un- un merc merciful ul Snake And you have to lo be tough to fight the Snake and Hells Hell's canyon The only time Lewis ru and CI Clark uk turned back during their famous expedition was when they tried to find passage through the can can- yon A railroad man surveying the possibilities of a line through the Ute canyon came back and said Impossible The were sissy stuff compared to that can yon The trip up Hells Hell's canyon with McGrady is becoming one of the most unusual tourist attractions of the United States with many people journeying thousands of miles just to make the jaunt into one of the remote remote remote re re- re- re mote areas in the United States Overnight Journey McGrady makes the trip twice each week Wednesdays and Sat Sat- Sat Sat-I He leaves at 6 a a. a m m. m and arrives at the lodge in in time for a ahardy ahardy hardy supper The return is made the next day McGrady charges tourists approximately 1450 per person for the trip lodging and food Those who have Hells Hell's seen canyon canyon can- can I yon remember the awesome beauty and ruggedness that held Capt Benjamin Benjamin Ben Ben- Ben I jamin L L. L E. E Bonneville spellbound I I in in 1831 when he paused on the brink I of a chasm overlooking the canyon I and scrawled in his journal Nothing we had ever gazed upon in in any other region could for a moment compare in wild majesty and impressive stern- stern ess with the series of scenes where the Snake river is overhung over overhung overhung over over- hung by dark and stupendous rocks dominated by immense mountains rearing their distant peaks in the clouds |