Bogley

[soitgos]

Thought you guys might appreciate this story.

I suppose every Grand Canyon river trip has a number of stories that deserve to be written. My most recent trip in August of last year certainly did.

This is about how my son came to be on a trip he wasn’t initially invited on. I can just imagine Bo sitting around a campfire (maybe in the GC) 20 years from now telling the story, "I quit a job once to go on the Grand Canyon."

An acquaintance invited me to take a spot that was vacated just a few weeks before the launch date. I was thrilled to be back in the canyon and readily jumped at the invitation.

Due to a number of unfortunate events, Robert Karsten became ill and had to leave the trip at Phantom Ranch. That left us with a very heavy 18-foot raft and a few people who had rowed a little, but no one who had rowed a big boat in big water. No one was comfortable about the situation. During the two days prior to Robert leaving the trip, I made it a point to tout Bo’s abilities (not to mention what a hunk he is). He first rowed the GC when he was 14 and did it again when he was 17. He has also done a few other interesting trips, like a 25-hour start to finish Cataract Canyon trip at 55k cfs (no motor), the Middle Fork of the Salmon at 8-feet, the Upper Animas . . . you get the idea.

So, I had at least put the bug in the ears of the other trip members. We were camped at Cremation (just above Phantom Ranch), with the understanding Robert would fly out the next day. I wasn’t part of a conversation between the trip leader and some of the other trip participants. One then came over to where I was about 9 p.m. and said, “Call your son.”

“Really?”

“We just talked about it and think it’s for the best.”

ALL RIGHT! Oh, wait a minute. He's in Logan, UT. We’re at Phantom Ranch. How is he going to get here? Oh well, he did row Cataract Canyon in 25 hours . . .

“Hey Bo, how ya doin’?”

“Hey Dad, how’s the GC?”

“Awesome, how else would it be?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Wish I was there.”

“Well . . .”

Okay, so I’m not always the best roll model . . .

So, that was a little after 9 p.m. Bo’s nearly 500 miles away, plus 14 miles from the North Rim to the river. At 1 p.m. the next afternoon Bo is giving me a hug at Phantom Ranch. So, in less than 16 hours he quit his job (I already admitted I’m not always the best roll model), packed for a GC river trip, drove 500 miles, slept for an hour in Kanab waiting for a gas station to open, continued to the North Rim, and hiked 14 miles to the river.

Two days later a woman on the trip paid me one of the biggest compliments of my life. On a hike she sat down beside me and said, “He’s everything you said, and more.”

If you get lucky in any of the river lotteries and need a couple of boatmen . . .

Steve

[tanya]

Great Father - Son Story!

I love your photos! I was told that during the rapids its hard to impossible to take photos since people are clinging to the boat for their lives. How is it done? You seem to have the answer.

I am taking my underwater casing for my digital. and it does attach to my wrist. I have a lot of trouble with quck motion too. Is that a problem when trying to photograph rapids?

[Alex]

Tanya, a lot of cool pics are taken from the shore or a kayak parked in a eddie.

I think I came up with a pretty decent setup to take pics WHILE going through the rapid with my helm camera. Have you seen the setup? It worked quite nice on the few trips I have taken late last year. One including Steve down West Water. I plan on testing and making it better this year though.

Back to the topic, Steve your story about Bo is very famous among white water junkies in Utah. That's one great story to tell to your kids! I sure will tell my kid once he is ready for some rapids.

[tanya]

Kazak wrote: Tanya, a lot of cool pics are taken from the shore or a kayak parked in a eddie.

I think I came up with a pretty decent setup to take pics WHILE going through the rapid with my helm camera. Have you seen the setup? It worked quite nice on the few trips I have taken late last year. One including Steve down West Water. I plan on testing and making it better this year though.

Back to the topic, Steve your story about Bo is very famous among white water junkies in Utah. That's one great story to tell to your kids! I sure will tell my kid once he is ready for some rapids.

I refuse to wear a helmet cam. :lol8:

Is that photo from this trip? Is that Bo rowing?

[Iceaxe]

Bad Dad :lol8:

Great Story :2thumbs:

[Alex]

tanya wrote:

I refuse to wear a helmet cam. :lol8:


Well ya you look like a dork with a helmet cam.... but then all the memories of almost going over and the big waves splashing ya....FUN!

[soitgos]

Yes, it is Bo rowing and Alex is right, most good river photos come from the shore. Often we will run in two groups. One shoots photos and video while the first group goes through. Then the first group eddies out at the bottom and walks back up to photograph the second group. If you do that, someone always has to run safety. There are hundreds of good photos on the Utahrafters website: groups.yahoo.com/group/utahrafters

[tanya]

I now see why someone would quit their job to row the Grand Canyon! I would love to go again ....soon!

[soitgos]

It's pretty addicting. I'm fortunate to have an August launch. Unfortunately, Bo won't be going. Although, I didn't think he was going last year, either . . .

But before that trip there's Desolation Canyon, the Middle Fork of the Salmon, the Gates of Lodore, and probably six or Westwater trips . . .

Life is good.

[tanya]

soitgos wrote: It's pretty addicting. I'm fortunate to have an August launch. Unfortunately, Bo won't be going. Although, I didn't think he was going last year, either . . .

But before that trip there's Desolation Canyon, the Middle Fork of the Salmon, the Gates of Lodore, and probably six or Westwater trips . . .

Life is good.


I am soooooooooooooooooooooooo JEALOUS!!!!!!! :ne_nau:

[denaliguide]

glad to see you have your priorities straight!! :2thumbs: :2thumbs: