More About Grand Canyon Rafting

The First Grand Canyon Rafting Trip

Long before the advent of modern-day whitewater rafting, Major John Wesley Powell led the first successful expedition of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1869. Spanish for "Red River," the Colorado was so named for the red sediment of side tributaries flowing into the clear waters of the main river channel. A Civil War hero who lost one arm in the war, Powell was determined to explore the unknown on this first boat trip through Grand Canyon. On May 24, Powell embarked from Green River, Wyoming with nine men, four boats and ten months’ worth of food. The group continued down to the confluence of the Green River flowing west into Utah, and it is here that the two rivers merged into the mighty Colorado. Powell sought out, among other things, to prove his theory that the River predated the Canyon and actually carved the Canyon as the land elevated.

Early in the trip, Frank Goodman quit the expedition, stating that at that point, the Colorado River had shown him enough excitement for an entire lifetime. Over the next couple months, the journey through the Grand Canyon proved itself to be dangerous and quite treacherous. The group encountered numerous rapids that, according to Powell, could not be run safely. The Major was a courageous, yet cautious leader, always mindful that they could lose supplies and perhaps even their lives. In such instances, they lined the boats down the side of the rapids or carried boats and supplies through the rocks along the shoreline. There was, however, Grand Canyon whitewater that could not be evaded, and these rapids were rafted with some skill and a lot of luck. Late in the journey, Bill Dunn and the Howland brothers were convinced that they would not make it out alive if they continued on. They left the expedition the next morning, and Powell left his boat at the head of what is now called Separation Canyon should they change their minds. This all transpired ironically two days before the group reached the culmination of their journey at mouth of the Virgin River, after traversing almost 1,500 km. The three who left the group were later killed, the specifics being a subject of conjecture and speculation to this day. John Wesley Powell was successful in proving his theory and made a second expedition in 1871 to create a map and other research documents.

River Rafting in the Early Days

Several other adventurous souls braved the river after Powell's expedition, creating some momentous firsts. In 1949, Ed Hudson and Dock Marston drove the first power boat through the Grand Canyon, the Esmerelda II, setting a record run of four and a half days. Two years later Jim and Bob Rigg rafted the length in two and a half days. Jimmy Jordan and Rod Sanderson were the first to use outboard motors on the river. But it was Georgie White who, in 1947, pioneered white water river rafting as we now know it. With surplus of inflatable rafts from the war, Georgie lashed 3 bridge pontoons with an outboard motor and carried upwards of 50 people and gear down the Grand Canyon. This boat, known as the G-rig, named for Georgie White helped create the modern-day river rafting business.

Glen Canyon Dam

The Glen Canyon Dam project began construction in 1956 and began blocking the flow of the Colorado River in 1963. The purpose of the dam is to provide water storage for the southwest, and to generate electricity for the region's growing population. Glen Canyon was chosen by the Bureau of Reclamation for several reasons: the basin could hold a huge amount of water; the Canyon walls and foundation were strong and stable enough to safely support the 3,700 ft. dam; and a large source of good rock and sand was available nearby. The dam has been controversial since its inception, because it caused the flooding of beautiful Glen Canyon and its tributaries to create a man-made reservoir, Lake Powell, which took 17 years to completely fill for the first time. However, if the Colorado was not dammed here, river rafting would not be possible during the summer because of low water levels in the Grand Canyon.

Environmental and Cultural Effects

The number of thrill seekers rafting the mighty Colorado of the Grand Canyon has increased exponentially since the time of John Wesley Powell's first expedition, but all these thrills are not without cost. After the flooding of Glen Canyon, countless natural and archaeological resources were lost forever. Although the National Park Service and other entities are making an effort to preserve Grand Canyon for future generations, habitat along the Colorado River corridor is being eroded away, and some native plant and animal species are disappearing. It cannot be doubted that the Glen Canyon Dam creates the summer river flows necessary for the whitewater rafting adventure of a lifetime, but in enjoying our natural wonders, it is important to be aware of the impact we cause and make a conscious effort to tread lightly.