Unfloating John Wesley Powell: Afloat Green River

"Years of drought and famine come and years of flood and famine come, and the climate is not changed with dance, libation or prayer." John Wesley Powell foresaw the problems that would confront the arid American West if it were to be opened to widespread Euro-American settlement.

This week-long canoe trip reexamines Powell’s conclusions and legacy in a place— the Colorado River Basin— that has seen its waters dammed, diverted, and outright stolen perhaps more than anywhere else on the continent. The course of the Green winds through some of Utah’s most breathtaking scenery, including Canyonlands National Park. Evidence of the older cultures that once inhabited this area abound. Days will be spent paddling at a moderate pace, stopping for occasional short hikes. In the evenings we’ll camp near the river, cooking together and discussing the magic and hardship that has shaped a land of rare waters.

Participants: Tanja Geis, Hannah Jickling, Susan Murrell, Helen Reed, Adrien Segal,Rick Silva, John Whitten