|
"The Canyon Trip Promised to Matthew Huggins" |
|---|
|
Wednesday, August 6, 1997At 6:30 p.m. the manager of the Days Inn at Flagstaff, where Dories had provided our reservations. presented us with a very nice spread of hors d'oeuvres. Following this we had a meeting in the lobby where Kenton (Factor) Grua, of Flagstaff, introduced himself as our trip leader, and predicted rain. He also gave us a lot of valuable information on how to deal with trash, (none is left in the canyon - and that includes human waste) the proper use of life preservers, and how to effectively stow gear in the waterproof bags provided, plus cautioning us to be sure that the ammo cans we would be using for cameras, film & etc. were really waterproof by testing them out in the sink. He also made sure that all of us had arranged for tents and sleeping equipment to be sure that we'd be warm and dry at night. He again predicted rain. Let me assure you that his prediction was accurate. By the way, Factor is a very famous river guide. He didn't say anything about his accomplishments, but I will. He is the one that was chosen to be the leader of the Dories trip that Seymour L. Fishbein took when he was researching material for the publication, "The Grand Canyon Country" which he wrote for the National Geographic Society. Also Factor holds the record for the fastest oar powered passage from Lees Ferry to the Grand Wash Cliffs. It is 36 hours, 38 minutes and 29 seconds. He knocked more that 10 hours off the previous record. He, and his two friends, Rudi Petschek and Steve Reynolds used the 72,000 cubic feet per second flow that was sent through the Glenn Canyon Dam during the great flood of 1983 to help speed him on his way. As I understand it, I believe read it in something that Mike Ghiglieri wrote, that the Park Service bureaucracy dragged it's feet to such an extent when Factor applied for a permit to make the run that he and his friends nearly lost the opportunity to make that record setting run. However, Factor, being the kind of guy he is, took the bull by the horns, and ramrodded the thing through, and made the run before the window of opportunity was closed. I expect that his record will last a long, long time.
I have also learned from folks on our trip that one of our passengers, Mike Meade, was the lawyer that brilliantly defended Factor when the Park Service formally charged him with running the river without a permit, and additionally with refusing to follow instructions when he was ordered to abandon the trip at Crystal Rapids. Factors defense was that he thought those guys were cheering him on when they waved at him, so he waved back. Successfully running Crystal, Factor and his buddies completed the record setting run. There a couple of stories about Factor that will give you an idea of what a dedicated Canyon enthusiast he is. A number of years ago Ken Norton, of the Grand Canyon Trust learned that Factor was going to Washington with his wife, Denise Napoletano. Thinking that he would help make Factor's trip more interesting, Ken took time to outline some of the particularly important sites of that great city for Factor to visit. Over lunch on the first day Norton, also a river skipper, asked Factor, "Did you see any of them?" "No," Factor responded, "I thought it would be nice to go down to Arlington . . . and put some flowers on the grave of the Major and Emma." Emma was Mrs. Powell, and the Major, of course was John Wesley Powell. You get the idea, don't you? |
|
|
|---|
|
|---|
