Old Timers’ GTS

Oh, it’s getting so exciting! Our Guides Training Seminar plans are slowly coalescing into what may be the most dynamic and interesting program ever. In case you forgot to mark your calendar last time around, here are the relevant dates yet again. Better make note!
Friday, March 22, 2002:
10 am–2 pm—Food Handler’s Class at Old Marble Canyon Lodge, Marble Canyon, az. Call Marlene Gaither at Coconino County Heath Department (928) 226-2769 to sign up.
3 pm–??—Spring Meeting at Old Marble Canyon Lodge. Nominations for board members and the new vp/President elect, current gcrg business. Plan on coming! Afterwards, we’ll head down to Hatchland for dinner and a party.
Saturday, March 23–Sunday, March 24, 2002:
Gts Land Session: (Old Timer’s: Lessons of the Past) at Hatch River Expeditions warehouse, Marble Canyon, az
• 6:30 am—Breakfast (and 7 am on Sunday)
• 7 am—Registration on Saturday
• 8 am—?? on each day—gts main program
• 6:30 pm on Saturday—Dinner, then campfire talks & party!
GTS River Session:
Upper half—March 26–April 1 (Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch)
Lower Half—April 1–9 (Phantom Ranch to Diamond Creek)
Well, on one hand we’d like to you to be curious enough about the program to come. On the other hand, we can’t resist some shameless name-dropping (to make sure that you come!): Bob Rigg, Kent Frost, Bob Webb, Bill Mooz, Vaughn Short, Fred Burke, Steve Carothers, Gaylord Staveley, Sandy Nevills Reiff, and the list just goes on. Things were so darn different, thirty, forty and even fifty years ago. Some of you younger whippersnappers may not have been born when our eminent speakers were doing wild things like powerboating, uprunning or even air mattressing (air mattressing?) in the canyon. Or you might have been tiny energetic tykes with no idea that your penchant for water and adrenaline rushes might lead to a lifelong love affair with the Colorado. Whatever the case may be, can you really miss a chance to hear what these folks have to say about their past experiences? Loads of great historic film footage and slides. Stories that sound untrue but are completely real. Stories that sound real but have not a shred of truth. Story telling at it’s best! Can you imagine being around a flickering campfire with these folks weaving yarns?

And to top it off, in addition to historic folks we’ll have historic boats: a sweep scow, a Buzz Holmstrom replica boat, the Nevills’ boat Sandra, and even a Powell boat. Hard hulled boats from different eras with unique construction, capabilities and each with their own stories.
And, if all that weren’t enough, get ready to learn about important park issues, get the hydrological forecasts for this year, learn more about Hualapai cultural perspectives and hear about programs from our sister organizations, The Whale Foundation and Grand Canyon Youth, as well as from the Grand Canyon National Park Foundation. We’ll also go more into depth on water law and river politics with Arizona Humanities Council (ahc) scholars Bill Swan and Robert Glennon, examine tribal and non-Indian use of the river with ahc scholar Gary Hansen and Lees Ferry history with Doug Kupel.
So, that gives you an overview of the land session, open to the public. The cost is $25 for the weekend (covers food), or $20 if paid by March 1 (unless you’re sponsored by an outfitter). You can make checks payable to gts and send to gcrg, po Box 1934, Flagstaff, az 86002. For guides, the gts flyer should make its way to you shortly for sign ups (land and river sessions). Looks like old timers Bob Rigg, Kent Frost and Bill Mooz may be joining us for the river trip in addition to other great speakers, making for a fabulous opportunity for guides and trainees having work in the canyon for 2002. The cost, once again, is $135 per half of trip. If an outfitter sponsors you, they’ll pick up the tab.
Thanks again to the Arizona Humanities Council for providing a grant that assists with our gts land session and makes this Old Timer’s event possible. Teva Sport Sandals also supports this endeavor. We are also exceedingly grateful for the ongoing support of the Grand Canyon Conservation Fund, providing a grant to assist with both land and river sessions. The gccf is a non-profit grant-making program established and managed by the Grand Canyon river outfitters.
As the gts gets closer, we’ll post an agenda on the gcrg website at www.gcrg.org. So check it out! Bear in mind that it may change a bit as time goes on, but it will provide a good indication of speakers, topics and times. We’ll see you there!