|
44 THE GREEN ItIFER A. ND ITS UTILIZATION
<br />came to visit the camp, requesting that a letter be taken for hiu
<br />a place where it might be. mailed. During his stay he warned;
<br />party of a bad rapid ahead and told of the precautions necessr-,
<br />avoid an upset such as others had had who did not realize until
<br />late what was before them.
<br />The next afternoon Red Creek was reached. It enters frotri:
<br />left and drains a large area of rolling hills. Its flow- is tarreu
<br />as is shown by the d6bris and mud along its banks. The wat-
<br />red, and the high-water marks through its canyon gorge indica
<br />flood stage 20 to 30 feet deep. The channel strewn with -
<br />large boulders, and red mud. Further evidence of its force is
<br />in the veritable dam of boulders that. it. has shot out into Green Rj
<br />exte nclm almost entirely ficro?4s the river and crow dint it ag;
<br />the oppc,ite wall of its cau)on. Thr dam of r;,ur,t t up
<br />water in the river for some distance arid, fo.nis s raging rapid -V
<br />the water finally tumbles over the boulder-strewn channel.
<br />was pitched at the head of this rapid, and the rest of the da ;
<br />spent in mapping Red Creek and in studying the rapid to
<br />way through it. The nest morning five kodaks were stationed-
<br />the rapid to get pictures as the boats came down. The ch;i
<br />chosen by the boatmen proved to be a good one, for each boat w
<br />through without mishap. Two of them, however, scraped on
<br />indicating very plainly what could have happened had t e
<br />been only a few inches lower.
<br />Immediately below the rough part of the rapid at some
<br />of the river, the stream divides into two channels, with the,4_
<br />flow in the left-hand channel. Naturally a boatman goes w
<br />most water, but the randier had pointed out the danger at tM_,
<br />end of this channel and advised the party to keep in the oath
<br />if -possible. Fortunately there Eva., enough water to float- the
<br />in the right-hand channel,, and apparently trouble was avo6
<br />the lower end of the other channel is blocked by a huge b6d
<br />against which-the current dashes and makes an abrupt urri
<br />right, making it practically impossible to go through it _
<br />having the boat dashed against the rock.
<br />- Red Canyon opens into Browns Park about 3 miles Lela
<br />mouth of Red Creek. The canyon is about 31 miles l i g
<br />a total fall of 360 feet, or a gradient of 11.6 feet to the mLw
<br />its entire length the'walls are hard red sandstone grading r=aa
<br />Wild game is abundant, and where the silence of the not broken by the roar of rushing water the plea- iu;
<br />canyon wren thri.Rs the traveler's soul,
<br />Brow" Park.-in the upper part of Bruwms Fa k, L.'';
<br />Little Browns Park; is the Jarvie ranch, on the nor -Lb 1_ =
<br />- _ n
<br />n eg. among the notable irnprovemenis at ih s p'at, t=
<br />GREEN RIVER CANPO\S YJ
<br />u'rent wheel set In the, edge of the stream and designed to rake
<br />from the river for irrigation. About 2 miles bevondl this ranch
<br />the abandoned site of Bridgeport-. which was at one time a post
<br />A large log dwelling house, a blacksmith shop and other
<br />buildings mark the place, and some piles near the water :s edge
<br />on each side of the stream appear to be the piers of an old bridge.
<br />I; i= not unlikely that this was the site of the old Fort Davy Crockett
<br />Z:! n hich Dr. Adolph Wislizenus I' and others stopped in the summer
<br />r ] X39.
<br />?;:: rldow Canyon.-A few miles farther along a circuitous. course
<br />;..f h roiling hills and bottom lands brought the party to the
<br />ire;d of Swallow Canyon. The Taylor ranch is on.the south side
<br />tf c river, and from it a supply of fresh yr etiibl??z w<,s obtained.
<br />A lly rapid marks the entrance to tiwalltrn Caiivon1 but througl;
<br />c o anyon the current is hardly perceptible. All hand; at the
<br />ra,.reh came down to the river to watch the boats go through the rapid.
<br />The canyon is a short gorge connecting Little Browns Park with
<br />fix nlZiu, part. of Browns Park. The walls are solid rock rising almost
<br />rt,ticelh' for about 200 feet above the river. Hundreds of swal-
<br />nests are hung under ledges and in crevices; just as they were
<br />?%l to -
<br />a'oi
<br />J - Powell gave the canyon its name in 1369. In addition
<br />to t!le swallows, however, there are many other kinds of birds and
<br />sC%eral varieties of owls.
<br />Browns Park below Swallow Canyon is a broad, open basin,
<br />I+ith rolling 'foothills and brush-covered bottom lands. The river
<br />« through it sluggishly in a meandering course. Small groves
<br />c ttonwoods are numerous, and in many places the stream has
<br />cur awav its soft banks, causing hundreds of trees to fall into the
<br />r ; :von of Lodore.-Leaving Browns Park the river flows south-
<br />??L' in-o the Canyon of Lodore, and as the boats glided through
<br />IN- "Gate of Lodore" that same feeling of gloom which Ashley
<br />'Jou"ed on the countenances of his men -was experienced by every
<br />11;8-11 in the party. The canyon is a rock gorge with jagged walls
<br />re almost vertically many hundreds of feet. The coloring is
<br />comprising delicate tints of red, pink; and ocher, all blend-
<br />u:to a wonderful picture in the soft lightt, of the late afternoon
<br />dad evening. The rapids not only become more numerous, but
<br />^tfi_rv of them are also more violent. The fifth one in the canyon
<br />L formed by a huge boulder in midstream with other smaller ones
<br />x'attered liberally about. The etirrent swings around this boulder
<br />fine form a lade whirlpool below it. Two of the boats passed
<br />tl,e rapid without trouble, but.the V;0,- was caught in the swift
<br />c rrtnt and rammed into the boulder, crushing a hole in the stern
<br />, waxy k' he Ro ar Moii:taiM IM9, x,'.312.
|