John Weisheit
commercial guide, board member of
Colorado Plateau River Guides

   It’s a typical Saturday night in July for a Marble Canyon campout. The scenario is as follows: a private at Badger, a private at North Canyon, GCE is at 19 and 22 Mile, private at Silver Grotto, Sleightly is at 30 Mile, private at South Canyon, private at WannaBe Redwall, Diamond is with Martha, Wilderness in Saddle, GCE at Little Nanko, Dories at Nankoweap, scientists at the LCR cable.

   No other river corridor in the Colorado Plateau has this kind of sleeping bag per mile ratio (San Juan comes pretty close). This may be the biggest detriment to the Grand Canyon experience outside of Glen Canyon Dam's turbinized flow. I also think: be careful what you ask for, you just might get it! Limiting trip populations in the Grand Canyon may well put a few guides out of a job, stifle the investment of the outfitter, and disappoint a few people who want that trip of a lifetime. However, it would be good for the resource and increase the pleasure of the wilderness experience. This sounds like the mission statement for both the National Park Service and Grand Canyon River Guides. A tricky situation that needs good debate to arrive into a satisfying solution. Personally, I like the idea expressed by Tom Moody in the Boatman’s Quarterly, which basically stated: increase the length of the trip, spread the crowds out a bit, and thereby lessen the contact with other river parties. I think what I am also saying is: better for the industry to clean house before the park service is compelled to push brooms.