http://www.canoekayak.com/whitewater-kayak/speed-run-grand-canyon-record-attempt/
While most of us will be hanging on the couch in a turkey coma on November 22nd, Harlan Taney will be burning calories in a bid to set a new speed record through Grand Canyon. If successful, he will raise the bar in a contest that has attracted Colorado River masochists for over half a century.
Jim and Bob Rigg made the first speed run, on a whim, during June’s high water in 1951. Rowing wooden boats, they made Bass Camp at mile 108 on their first day, passed Diamond Creek—the first standard take-out—at dusk on their second, and reached the Canyon’s end at river mile 277 by day three. Total time: 50 hours.
Three decades passed before Kenton “Factor” Grua, Rudi Petschek, and Wally Rist bested that time by two hours, rowing a dory through on 38,000 cfs. In 1983, Grua and Petschek returned with Steve Reynolds to take advantage of even higher flows. On 72,000 cfs, they launched under a full moon and rowed nonstop. They flipped at Crystal but regrouped, and pulled past the Grand Wash Cliffs 36 hours and 38 minutes after leaving Lees Ferry. The feat was considered untouchable. With high water no longer occurring, and Lake Mead dead water filling the lower Canyon, speed descents became a thing of the past.
Now over 20 years later, enter the new age of controlled high flow events, a retracted Lake Mead, and Harlan Taney. A Canyon boatman, Harlan has more than 100 trips under his belt, so like his speed run predecessors, he knows the river well. Unlike them, however, Taney will be racing down the river in a kayak, an 18-foot fiberglass EPIC X that was donated by flatwater speed icon Greg Barton himself. The speedy boat will help, providing that Harlan can keep it upright, which is a safe bet. At the Gore Canyon Race in 2008, he won the short boat division just forty-eight hours after returning from China. At Fibark, he last-minute-borrowed EJ’s slalom boat and managed third in the downriver event.
All of that was accomplished in the daylight. For his Canyon mission, Taney will be launching at 12:01 am on November 21st. Soap Creek, House Rock, and the Roaring Twenties will all be paddled in the dark. A super bright Petzl headlamp will offer some vision. The moon will not be full. He plans to reach Hance Rapid, and the crest of the sand-distributing 40,000 cfs flood, by daybreak. After running the upper and middle granite gorges in daylight, night will likely fall again as Harlan reaches Lava Falls. Below Lava, 205-Mile Rapid is a chief concern, its jagged bottom wall presenting a real hazard when fatigued, in the dark, on 40,000 cfs.
Paddler Dave Dill will join Taney at Diamond Creek, pacing him through the Canyon’s final fifty miles. A Ceiba Adventures motorized snout boat will be waiting to offer support for the final 37-miles of flatwater. Taney’s team might be encouraging him toward the finish, but the success of the record attempt remains with Harlan, the night, and the ticking watch.
Jenny
Sorry, all. I should check my facts before I post. Google God knows all. The short lived State Street River of 1983 ended at 8th south, not 4th, as I said. There are many wonderful reference to read if you have interest. Here is one referencing a fellow adventurer of the day, mayor Ted Wilson. http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/1983-Flooding-on-State-Street-A-river-ran-through/fur9H7CIzU-EuQJ0HQnQew.cspx Also, a great photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmac97slc/3146510874/in/photostream/ — In Yahoo Canyons Group, “Jenny” wrote:
> I love these stories of early adventurers! This one from you, Buzz, reminds me of a similar modern day adventure tale. In 1983, the Wasatch Mountains above Salt Lake City had a huge snowpack and a sudden warm spring. When the thaw came, the local canyons spilled out into the valley causing massive and sudden flooding. >>
Jenny
I love these stories of early adventurers! This one from you, Buzz, reminds me of a similar modern day adventure tale. In 1983, the Wasatch Mountains above Salt Lake City had a huge snowpack and a sudden warm spring. When the thaw came, the local canyons spilled out into the valley causing massive and sudden flooding. From the north, City Creek came roaring down through the heart of the city as the citizens and shop owners struggled to confine the flow within sand bag banks. It was a fast-dropping river, running through urban canyon walls of brick and glass. Anyone with a river runner’s eye couldn’t help but notice the various whitewater challenges along this short, steep section of whitewater. One could easily walk the sidewalks and scout the several city blocks of river. Cement curbs became surf-able curls, grates created troughs with “keepers”, sandbag walls acted as angled curling waves that forcefully shot out into midstream creating “V” waves where there were opposing constrictions. There were countless kayak play spots and some pretty challenging obstacles in this unrun river. So a couple of guys from our whitewater kayak circle took up the challenge, tossed their new plastic Perception boats in the flow and gave it a try. The final obstacle was a critical one. The huge man hole cover (funny name for it) at the intersection of 4th and State St. was pulled off and a temporary damn constructed down stream (down the road a bit). This did a pretty good job of forcing the flood waters beneath the city streets. This was the Big Drop. It made the run a Grade 6, considered by some as a suicidal venture! It was a massive whirlpool that fed into a hole, and disappeared beneath the streets. “Maybe, the bodies would pop up out in the great salty lake somewhere?”, we joked. Sadly, I didn’t see the actual run, I surely wish I had. I didn’t believe they would really do it. So I went home to watch the rising banks of the raging Little Cottonwood Creek as it rolled boulders around threatening the cabin where I lived. No one ran that creek that season! The guys did successfully make that critical eddy just above this swirling whirlpool, avoiding the ride into the depths of the city’s sewer and drainage system. They claimed an undeniable first ascent of a new river! But in the end, the authorities caught up with them at the “take-out” at 4th and State. Many of us were envious, in fact jealous, of the citations they got. Anyone else remember this? Any of you “knuckle-heads” (er, I mean brave first descenders of the mighty State Street River of 1983) out there to correct my failing memory of this? Anyway, thanks for the tales, Buzz. Jenny
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “Burrell, Buzz” wrote:
My recollection is the record for unsupported kayak record in the GC was still held by Fletcher Anderson, who was also the first person to solo it non-stop, in the time of 49 hours, maybe 20 years ago? He told a few friends, then just up and did it FAPAW – no Fee, no Aid, no Permit, no Award … and no Wusses (as we use to like to put it).
My favorite GC speed adventure however, remains Bill Beers and his partners 1955 swim. Lots of good story’s there, but besides the burning of entire beaches of driftwood to stay warm, I was impressed with the shocking and uncanny logic of the Park Superintendent – their trip was flagrantly illegal, their progress made national news, so when they reached Phantom it was time to yank them out. But he decided to let them continue, reasoning someone would always want to be First, so might as well let them finish so be over and done with it.
BB
Burrell, Buzz
My recollection is the record for unsupported kayak record in the GC was still held by Fletcher Anderson, who was also the first person to solo it non-stop, in the time of 49 hours, maybe 20 years ago? He told a few friends, then just up and did it FAPAW – no Fee, no Aid, no Permit, no Award … and no Wusses (as we use to like to put it).
My favorite GC speed adventure however, remains Bill Beers and his partners 1955 swim. Lots of good story’s there, but besides the burning of entire beaches of driftwood to stay warm, I was impressed with the shocking and uncanny logic of the Park Superintendent – their trip was flagrantly illegal, their progress made national news, so when they reached Phantom it was time to yank them out. But he decided to let them continue, reasoning someone would always want to be First, so might as well let them finish so be over and done with it.
BB
> Messages > 1aRe: Grand Canyon Speed Run > Thu Nov 22, 2012 6:03 am (PST) . Posted by:”RAM” adkramooEnded badly
http://www.knau.org/post/river-running-record-attempt-aborted
Update Wednesday 11-21-12 10:06 am: Harlan Taney has > aborted his attempt to break the speed record for > boating down the Colorado River through the Grand > Canyon.
According to friends keeping track of his progress, > Taney’s kayak became pinned between some rocks at > Grapevine Rapids, which is about 82 miles into the > canyon, and he suffered a broken elbow.
After swimming three miles to Phantom Ranch, he is > hiking out of the canyon.
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “RAM” wrote:
http://www.canoekayak.com/whitewater-kayak/speed-run-grand-canyon-record-attempt/
>
RAM
Ended badly
http://www.knau.org/post/river-running-record-attempt-aborted Update Wednesday 11-21-12 10:06 am: Harlan Taney has aborted his attempt to break the speed record for boating down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
According to friends keeping track of his progress, Taney’s kayak became pinned between some rocks at Grapevine Rapids, which is about 82 miles into the canyon, and he suffered a broken elbow.
After swimming three miles to Phantom Ranch, he is hiking out of the canyon.
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “RAM” wrote:
http://www.canoekayak.com/whitewater-kayak/speed-run-grand-canyon-record-attempt/
> While most of us will be hanging on the couch in a turkey coma on November 22nd, Harlan Taney will be burning calories in a bid to set a new speed record through Grand Canyon. If successful, he will raise the bar in a contest that has attracted Colorado River masochists for over half a century.
Jim and Bob Rigg made the first speed run, on a whim, during June’s high water in 1951. Rowing wooden boats, they made Bass Camp at mile 108 on their first day, passed Diamond Creek—the first standard take-out—at dusk on their second, and reached the Canyon’s end at river mile 277 by day three. Total time: 50 hours.
Three decades passed before Kenton “Factor” Grua, Rudi Petschek, and Wally Rist bested that time by two hours, rowing a dory through on 38,000 cfs. In 1983, Grua and Petschek returned with Steve Reynolds to take advantage of even higher flows. On 72,000 cfs, they launched under a full moon and rowed nonstop. They flipped at Crystal but regrouped, and pulled past the Grand Wash Cliffs 36 hours and 38 minutes after leaving Lees Ferry. The feat was considered untouchable. With high water no longer occurring, and Lake Mead dead water filling the lower Canyon, speed descents became a thing of the past.
Now over 20 years later, enter the new age of controlled high flow events, a retracted Lake Mead, and Harlan Taney. A Canyon boatman, Harlan has more than 100 trips under his belt, so like his speed run predecessors, he knows the river well. Unlike them, however, Taney will be racing down the river in a kayak, an 18-foot fiberglass EPIC X that was donated by flatwater speed icon Greg Barton himself. The speedy boat will help, providing that Harlan can keep it upright, which is a safe bet. At the Gore Canyon Race in 2008, he won the short boat division just forty-eight hours after returning from China. At Fibark, he last-minute-borrowed EJ’s slalom boat and managed third in the downriver event.
All of that was accomplished in the daylight. For his Canyon mission, Taney will be launching at 12:01 am on November 21st. Soap Creek, House Rock, and the Roaring Twenties will all be paddled in the dark. A super bright Petzl headlamp will offer some vision. The moon will not be full. He plans to reach Hance Rapid, and the crest of the sand-distributing 40,000 cfs flood, by daybreak. After running the upper and middle granite gorges in daylight, night will likely fall again as Harlan reaches Lava Falls. Below Lava, 205-Mile Rapid is a chief concern, its jagged bottom wall presenting a real hazard when fatigued, in the dark, on 40,000 cfs.
Paddler Dave Dill will join Taney at Diamond Creek, pacing him through the Canyon’s final fifty miles. A Ceiba Adventures motorized snout boat will be waiting to offer support for the final 37-miles of flatwater. Taney’s team might be encouraging him toward the finish, but the success of the record attempt remains with Harlan, the night, and the ticking watch. >