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There was some question a few months ago about the history of canoes in Grand Canyon. Well, for those curious, Tom Martin, the unofficial (and oft times official) historian of GC, has done a little digging for the record. Here is what he has found:
1900 - Ten foot long stick/ canvas canoe used in the Nankoweap area. Not sure who, not sure where, but the various traders and trappers and fortune seekers of Grand Canyon left very little record of their movements.
1953 - Leslie Jones put a spray cover on a canoe, outfitted some oars on outriggers, and took a solo trip from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch. He hiked out at Phantom, returning in 1954 to oar from Phantom to Temple Bar. He portaged a number of rapids.
1956 - Grand Canyon banned canoes of any type unless accompanied by a commercial trip. (Not sure whether this is still in effect, but if it is, Rangers are ignoring it.)
1970 - Roger Parsons and Al Chase paddled C-1s with a group of kayakers from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek. Al swam Hance Rapid, but hiked his boat back up to the top and ran it again, this time successfully.
1979 - Jim Shelander paddled the first OC-1 thru Grand Canyon on a commercial trip from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek.
1980 - Nancy McCleskey becomes the first female to paddle an OC-1 from Lee's Ferry to Diamond, also on a commercial trip.
2012 - Douglas Green takes a Bell Nexus solo from Lee's Ferry to Pearce Ferry, portaging a few rapids, including Hance.
2017 - Uncle Skwid takes a Vertige X on a solo trip from Lee's Ferry to Pearce, running everything, swimming Hance.
XXXX - Paddler X will take an open canoe on a solo trip from Lee's to Pearce, run everything on a "Golden Run," swimming nothing.
Thanks to Tom Martin for his decades of tireless work documenting the history of GC.
1900 - Ten foot long stick/ canvas canoe used in the Nankoweap area. Not sure who, not sure where, but the various traders and trappers and fortune seekers of Grand Canyon left very little record of their movements.
1953 - Leslie Jones put a spray cover on a canoe, outfitted some oars on outriggers, and took a solo trip from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch. He hiked out at Phantom, returning in 1954 to oar from Phantom to Temple Bar. He portaged a number of rapids.
1956 - Grand Canyon banned canoes of any type unless accompanied by a commercial trip. (Not sure whether this is still in effect, but if it is, Rangers are ignoring it.)
1970 - Roger Parsons and Al Chase paddled C-1s with a group of kayakers from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek. Al swam Hance Rapid, but hiked his boat back up to the top and ran it again, this time successfully.
1979 - Jim Shelander paddled the first OC-1 thru Grand Canyon on a commercial trip from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek.
1980 - Nancy McCleskey becomes the first female to paddle an OC-1 from Lee's Ferry to Diamond, also on a commercial trip.
2012 - Douglas Green takes a Bell Nexus solo from Lee's Ferry to Pearce Ferry, portaging a few rapids, including Hance.
2017 - Uncle Skwid takes a Vertige X on a solo trip from Lee's Ferry to Pearce, running everything, swimming Hance.
XXXX - Paddler X will take an open canoe on a solo trip from Lee's to Pearce, run everything on a "Golden Run," swimming nothing.
Thanks to Tom Martin for his decades of tireless work documenting the history of GC.