Dear Eddy
Comments, Ideas, Rebuttals and So Forth

   I cannot agree more with Dan Dierker. If a person is at risk and is in a position of contracting Hepatitis B I hope he/she will spend the time, effort, and money to get the inoculation series.

   I make this statement from experience. I contracted the disease three years ago. The symptoms developed six weeks after returning from crewing my third Grand Canyon river trip. My doctor and two specialists have yet to determine how I got Hep B, for I came in contact with nothing “unusual” on this trip, nor have I ever had acupuncture, gotten a tattoo, or done drugs of any kind; I haven’t ever had an allergy shot!

   The point is that I’m one of the lucky ones; Hep B kills an average of 5,000 around the world annually. I was not expected to live, and my doctors prepared my family for the worst. After a period of hospitalization and three months away from work, I gradually recovered. I have also survived two years of blood tests and monitoring. In July I was told that I no longer required any sort of testing. I am considered “cured.” But I cannot donate blood, or organs after my death. People need to be educated about this potentially fatal disease and how to avoid it. Thanks for printing Dan’s column...

Amy White

   Woody Reiff takes great exception to being named as the welder in the Bob Quist story last issue—the welder of the frame that fell apart. “I’ve made some mistakes in my day; we all have. But that wasn’t one of them. That was my son Chuck. He’s made some mistakes too.” We stand corrected.

   As an out of town and out of state full time Grand Canyon river guide I am concerned when I see more requirements being placed on us. I understand the need for education, but when I see a course being offered at specific times and locations I get upset. Does this mean I will have to make another nonpaid trip to Flagstaff to take this course? Or will I have to shell out for a place to stay and meals so I can take this course?

   There are many full and part time guides that work in the Canyon and live out of the Flagstaff area. I think any course you plan on must be available on demand 5 days a week and all summer. A solution would be to video tape a course and speakers and then have a place where we can go watch the tape and take a test. If a tape is too expensive, then a written manual and a written test. Making someone come to a live course that is only offered a few times will be a major problem and headache for all parties, besides an expensive ordeal.

   There is no best place or time—we all have many varied agendas in our daily lives so your course must be flexible and able to take anytime. NPS has done this with both the guide license test [yes] and the first aid course and testing [no]. GCRG should follow their lead.

Larry Hopkins

   [editor’s note: Sounds like a great idea. Do you want to volunteer to set it up? ]

   Whatever the name, the GCRG JOURNAL (a good name!) is an outstanding publication, in style and content. A yuppie name? Why not, since the river trippers are an elitist group of upper middle-class/upper class citizens and visitors. Certainly middle America can’t support outfitters & boatmen - women - persons) (take your pick.)

   And, to the person disgruntled at the building of a new bridge at M.C. , the reason is that the old one was unsafe for heavy traffic. In fact, it is wise never to go on the bridge at the same time as an 18-wheeler, or indeed, you may be the one who discovers this fact too late.

Rona Levein
Marble Canyon