GTS 2003

This spring’s gts was a good one, save for one glaring shortfall…Lynn Hamilton was home sick. A slew of folks stepped in to fill the myriad voids left by her absence, including penning her recapitulation of the highlights of the weekend for the boatman’s quarterly review. We missed her and are glad to learn she’s again “right as rain.”
Waylaid, detained, and stuffed by a Navajo taco at the Cameron Trading Post, I arrived to the meeting at Marble Canyon Lodge after it was well under way. I listened in on discussions by a collection of boatmen, ranging from two generations of Thevenins led by “silverback” Paul through a wide range of ages and experiences, of the Colorado River Management Plan (crmp) and the comments collected earlier, employers, park rules and regulations, and the training trip. The discussions on employers and park regulations offered no new or earthshaking information, but certainly offered a needed chance to blow off some built-up pressures.
The uncertainties surrounding the plan’s possible changes generated the most comment and speculation. My observations from the discussion: everyone has ideas about how the plan should turn out, some more than one idea, and many of those ideas contradict each other. Superintendent Joe Alston’s ultimate decision ranks foremost in everyone’s interest. Here’s hoping he decides rather than canceling it like his predecessor.
The Training Trip discussion proved interesting and revealing. Members batted about ideas of what the trip should and could accomplish, who could or should attend, and how to promote it in the future. The list of expected trip accomplishments included reinforcing the connections between old hands and newer boatmen, between boatmen in different outfits, between boatmen and park officials, and the opportunities to learn from the “faculty” of guest specialists and old boatmen. Not surprisingly, this congregation of boatmen thought priority ought to be given to boatmen when assembling the list of attendees. Opinions varied, but not widely, on how to promote greater participation. Some hoped outfitters would actively encourage their boatmen to attend. Others opined encouraging words from former participants might prove effective. As the Training Trip discussion reached its conclusion the meeting reached its strongest consensus: talk it up folks.
About that time Matt Kaplinski arrived with his pickup bearing the weekend’s supply of beverages, so the group migrated to Hatchland, Steve, Sara, and Ted’s generously donated warehouse at Cliff Dwellers, for the Land Session. The Friday evening session was, as usual, decidedly informal; Martha Clark began her weekend-long presentation of savory food for boatfolk of all ages who renewed and established friendships into the wee hours. The windy, cold weather kept some indoors longer than others.
On Saturday morning things got serious. The first order of business for most was a generous dose of shade grown/organic Toucanet Coffee donated by Helen Yard, followed by generous breakfast from Martha’s kitchen. Once most had eaten, Michael Ghiglieri took up his post managing microphone and schedule. As usual, the Grand Canyon National Park superintendent got the first word. Joe Alston began with the stunningly honest, “I’m mighty glad to be here.” Rather than discussing the major issues the park faces and how it’s grappling with them he told of how glad he is to have survived his bypass surgery and how eagerly he anticipates his next trip on the river. Next Denny Fenn presented an organization chart explaining the dozen terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem research projects funded by the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (gcmrc). Lew Coggins followed with an explanation of one phase of the research funded by the gcmrc, the trout kill between Kwagunt and Lava Chuar to establish a sort of “clear cut” to monitor how the non-native trout and carp move back into the last possible humpback chub habitat.
Peter Huntoon and Helen Fairley then presented their divergent views on the enigmatic human-wrought structures at Deer Creek. Both arguments presented strong evidence but I will not take sides for fear of losing one or two friends. Geologists and archaeologists use different tools and techniques, yet often pursue similar questions. Peter and Helen are both good at what they do. I hope to see more such disputes aired at future Training Seminars.
Following the mid-morning break Andre Potochnik opened the worthy causes segment of the program as he made the familiar pitch for the Adopt-a-Beach program, a dated re-photography series documenting the occasional coming and relentless going of sand from the riverside since the dam began impounding it in March of 1963. If you’re in the canyon, Adopt-a-Beach. If you’re in the canyon often, do like Benton White and Dave Desrosiers, adopt a few. We then made a great leap from the beaches at the bottom to the offices on the South Rim as Deborah Tuck explained how the Grand Canyon National Park Foundation acquires and distributes private funding to make up for the withering federal appropriations for the National Park Service and this jewel in its crown. The most exciting project she mentioned is the effort to find a place out of the weather for the historic boats in the park’s collection. Norm Shrewsbury for the Whale Foundation offered a do-it- yourself-help mechanism for heading off calamitous consequences such as those ending Massey’s and Whale’s lives. If you need help, call the Whale Foundation. They can help. If you don’t need help, call the Whale Foundation with a contribution. They need it. Finally, Rob Elliott proudly announced a significant step in the maturation of the Grand Canyon Youth program, introducing its excited and enthusiastic first director Emma Wharton. Grand Canyon Youth needs boatmen and can put them to good use.
After lunch Tom Ryan from the Bureau of Reclamation gave us the grim news on the 2003 season’s flows: What water? Nat White offered a guide to the night skies, one remarkably well tailored to his audience. Nat advised how to prepare for the heavens’ offerings before launch and commended Burnham’s Celestial Handbook for your river library, a cheap and thorough “observer’s guide.” Helen Yard’s talk on the riparian and low-slope bird habitat concluded the birds are busy in the early morning and hang out where they find food—in the post-dam thickets along the shore and in the rich plant community in the “Old High Water Zone.” Her insights into the changes brought by the post 1963 flow regime and the tenacity of the older communities were particularly graceful. Lori Makarick, Rachel Stanton, and Kate Watters took up the topic of the plant kingdom in the park and their unlikely combination of projects of “ethnic cleansing” operations to extirpate noxious aliens and the “Below the Rim” plant guide project they have been working on for a couple of years. The prototype guide they showed around is filled with outstanding photographs and precise line drawings. Get one when it sees print.
Archaeologist Lisa Leap summarized the park’s activities protecting, monitoring, and restoring the old stuff from all eras throughout the park. I took particular note of the boat restoration and protection project at the South Rim and the explanation of the restoration of the Beamer Cabin a short way up the Little Colorado. Bill Vernieu’s explanation of the flow and temperature dynamics in the reservoir and how those variables affect the temperature of water discharged by the dam made a complex set of processes clear. He coherently related variables as diverse as reservoir level, climate, weather, seasons, and the rational and irrational release protocols. His presentation set my mind to whirring. I’d say the dam needs an adjustable intake so release water can be skimmed off the fluctuating surface of the pool to warm up the stream to encourage the few humpback chub we have left. It might make swimming a bit less bracing, too.
Al Holland gave a talk on the invention of river running as a recreational activity, both private and commercial, that nearly cost Michael Ghiglieri his watch as the president resolutely tapped it to tell the stubborn Holland he talked too long. Fred Phillips and Ann Hadley then reported on their riparian habitat restoration project at Lees Ferry. The photographs they showed of their “young plants loving life” reminded this aging parent of young parents showing off photographs of their kids. Under Phillips and Hadley’s care those youngsters are flourishing. With their talk the day’s formal presentations wound down and the informal activities commenced.
One of the Hatch guides wheeled in a barrow full of firewood, started the big stove, and everyone warmed up to the party. Martha served the biggest supper of the weekend to warm the inner souls of a multitude of boatmen and boatmen’s friends. After supper Don Briggs showed two sets of slides, the first a set of stunning images of evocative clarity and emotional effect and the second a set of salacious images of provocative hilarity. To calm the crowd Ghiglieri held the drawing for one of Dave Haskell’s fine paintings and several other fine prizes. Once Ghiglieri had restored order Phil Smith introduced his showing of his fresh from Wild Irishman Creek in the Mackenzie Basin of New Zealand copy of the film made on the 1960 run down and back up the Grand Canyon. After a few hilarious media snafus Matt Kaplinski and Brad Dimock cobbled together a way to synchronize sound and light to show big water, big boats, some big egos, and Kiwi master boatman Jon Hamilton slithering his way up through Lava Falls. The music started after that show-stealing warm-up act. The Stone River Band boogied, rocked, and stomped indoors and a pickup acoustic string trio and quartet of Bill Vernieu on guitar and mandolin, Zeke Lauck on guitar, Justin Howe on cowboy guitar, and Joanna Joseph on string bass picked, grinned, and sang out by the blazing juniper fire. The musicians and beer held out longer than most of the revelers.

Following more of Helen’s coffee and Martha’s appetizing Sunday breakfast Chuck Higgins started the second day’s morning round of park service talks delivering a good-humored and rigorous presentation on the least appetizing topics, the Norovirus that wreaked such havoc on some trips last season and recommended sanitation procedures to help prevent outbreaks. Chuck’s lessons—scrupulously wash hands with clean water, filter (max 0.2 micron) and disinfect (two drops of bleach per gallon of clear water for thirty minutes) all water for drinking, and stay out of the kitchen for three days after recovery. Mike McGinnis followed, taking the heat for “the rules,” with an equally important and similarly unattractive topic discussing the changes in the Commercial Operating Requirements for this season and a report comparing last season’s “incidents” with past seasons. Ken Phillips from the park’s Search and Rescue explained that service’s operations and stridently urged prompt reporting of any incidents that might require rescue or evacuation to minimize risks to all parties involved. The ranger from Lake Mead reported on the problems arising as the stream cuts into the deltaic fans at the end of the river and at the ramps left high and dry by the dropping reservoir levels.
The morning’s “critter talks” began with Heidi Kloeppel’s crisply presented talk on the latest invader to the Colorado Drainage, the New Zealand Mud Snail, a trophic dead end that devours the algae that used to feed scuds and midges, themselves the suppers of a host of larger appetites such as fish, lizards, bats and swallows. Nikolle Brown, everyone’s favorite snake lady, showed photographs of the several snakes she knows so much about and reiterated her request for photographs, time, and location information of any snakes you see. Chad Olson’s rich talk on the California condors in the park and beyond explained much of their behavior, chronicled the successes and frustrations of the reintroduction program, and offered a simple rule for managing human-condor contacts: if curious condors come to visit your camp, immediately chase them off; keep your distance from and minimize contact with all other condors you meet.
By then it was lunchtime but we were so far behind schedule no one would stop and volunteers began discreetly circulating through the audience distributing sandwiches. Rick Erenwein, recently hired at the park as a planner for the Colorado River Management Plan’s revision, explained how the process worked. When he opened the floor to questions he was inundated by a flood of additional comments, even though the public comment period has ended. He held up well under the assault, explaining he assembled the data and others made the decisions.
Dave Haskell’s talk on the life expectancy of the reservoir behind the Glen Canyon Dam and the consequences of its filling by sediment broached the troubling question of what to do with all that sediment and when to do it. He cogently argued tending to that mountain of mud now will cost less than tending to it later but acknowledged no political will to face the daunting task yet exists. As Dave spoke, Brad Dimock and I hastily calculated removing the sediment already accumulated would require a ten-yard dump truck load every few seconds for several decades. On that bright note Brad, noting he’d do every thing possible to finish in the negative one hour and twenty-two minutes he had left, introduced and read brief excerpts from the two new Colorado River Chronicles series publications, Bill Suran’s transcription of the river journals from Emery and Ellsworth Kolb and Bert Lauzon from their 1911–12 expedition and his compilation of the journals from Buzz Holmstrom’s 1936–38 adventures.
Once again a generous group of special people have helped put on a successful Guides Training Seminar. The hospitality of Ted, Pat, Steve, Sara, and Eva of Hatch River Expeditions provided the warehouse we made into a convention center for the weekend. The commercial outfitters who operate in the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon Conservation Fund, and Mark Thatcher made generous financial contributions. The National Park Service also contributed, both financially and with loaned equipment and professional personnel. Northern Arizona University loaned the major part of the audio-visual equipment used to mount the seminar. All the speakers donated their time, travel, and expertise. Dave Haskell donated his great painting, raising more than $500 for future seminars.
Those who contributed to the creature comforts deserve special mention: Martha Clark and extended family for the fine food, Helen Yard for the fine coffee, Matt Kaplinski for selecting such a grand array of beverages, the Stone River Band and the pickup circle of players and singers for a rocking Saturday night’s music, and who ever controlled the weather for making it warmer every day.
Special kudos go to the members of the Guides Training Seminar committee who organized the entire affair and to the Grand Canyon River Guides board of directors from which it was mostly drafted. The highest praises are due the many anonymous volunteers, those who picked up every loose end throughout the weekend, doing their part to make the whole enterprise such a success, and to the mass of canyon lovers who attentively attended.

Al Holland

GTS River Trip

My name is Joe Pollock and I’ve been a guide with Arizona River Runners since 1999. I was packing for our company training trip March 10th when it came to my attention that Grand Canyon River Guides was looking for a trip leader for the on-water portion of the Guides Training Seminar (gts). I talked with Lynn, quickly shifted gears and by the same time the next day I was planning for that trip, launching on the first of April. Over the next couple of weeks it became harder and harder for me to escape the fact that I was to lead a trip launching on April Fool’s Day.
The 2003 gts river trip was, however, an unqualified success. Guides from nine different companies and the National Park Service took down boats from five companies and the Park along with more than a dozen speakers. Oar boats, a paddle raft, a couple of kayaks, a duckie, and the mother ship, Diamond’s motor boat, all made the two week seminar go by like, well, like a two week on-the-water seminar ought to go like. We all undoubtedly learned at least one thing new about the Canyon and about each other, some of which came out on the last night’s poetry slam.
Geologists Ivo Luchitta and Peter Huntoon gave us rock solid interpretations of the Canyon’s most salient features, while biologists Clay Nelson, Fred Phillips and Nikolle Brown informed us of snails, trees, and snakes, respectively. Chuck Higgins gave us the low-down on the Norovirus and from on-high, Ken McMullin and Nick Miller showed us sound level monitoring of overflights and other interesting noise makers. Mike McGinnis offered safety advice on evacs on the upper half, and on the lower half Allyson Mathis provided ways for us to interpret just what it was Ivo and Peter said about rocks and walls. Abby Sullivan took pictures for the Adopt-a-Beach program and gave us reasons to sign up for a beach of our own, and Kate Thompson showed us not only a nice collection of debris flow remnants, but that yoga in the morning can be called stretching, too. Starting the yoga movement on the upper half was Abby Spotskey, who added ethics to our understanding of showing others how to Leave No Trace. Thanks to Jen Dierker for the Hualapai history and roasting feature demo, as well as to Kelly Burke from the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council for her cameo and introduction to island and corridor ecology. We were able to become aware of other ways of being and doing with the help of Liz Sharp’s awareness of disabilities, and a big thanks goes to Brenton White, probably one of the few Rangers who would relish putting up with our lot for the entire trip.
The information dispensed by this group of speakers will no doubt become part of how we relate to, and relate others to, the Canyon. In time, we may forget some specifics of individual presentations and discussions (as happens for any trip), but one thread seemed to run through many of our speakers’ topics: relationships. Either by encouraging us to make a bond with our group of passengers or co-workers, forming a personal connection with the Canyon or the environment where ever we are, or by recognizing the interdependence of all organizations and agencies involved in the management of this, or any, park, we were shown that being down here isn’t all about running rapids or pushing a boat through the water to be at the transfer or take-out on time. As guides, we must of course learn those things (or perhaps soon be out of a job), but by placing people and the environment and personal experiences with the Canyon in high regard, we can become better guides.
By the way, has anyone seen my walkie-talkie?

Joe Pollock