Most Grand Canyon boaters know of Buzz Holmstrom’s 1937 solo journey down the Green and Colorado Rivers. Many of you may have read of his life and death in David Lavender’s River Runners of the Grand Canyon. If not, you should, as we won’t repeat most of the better known facts you’ll find there. What we’d like to present are two unique perspectives of a man who may have been both the greatest natural boatman to ever dip an oar on the Colorado, and the humblest.

   Vince Welch travelled through his own, and Buzz’s, native Northwest in search of Buzz. Brad Dimock went through Buzz’s voluminous journal of his solo trip and pulled out some of the more revealing and descriptive passages. The stories that follow will give you new insight into the legend and the man that is Buzz.

Looking for Buzz

Down the Colorado