Norman Norvelle - In 1962 my Boy Scout troop made the trip from Farmington to Mexican Hat. We went the first or second week of June. We took giant used rubber inner tubes from tractor scrapers at Navajo Dam and cut out plywood center that we had on top and bottom of the donut hole and used long all tread bolts to keep the cutout centers in place. The tubes were 8 to 10 feet across (wide). The trip took two weeks. This was before sun block cream was invented. We had 3 boys on the giant inner tubes and 4 inter tubes. When we got to Shiprock 3 or 4 boys quit and went home. The best part of the trip was the last 4 days of the trip. It was amazing and I loved the goose necks. In 1962 the area was still sort of primitive and there weren't many people. We did not see anyone else in canoes or boats. Also, not others on inner tubes. Fishing was terrible.
What a great piece! I took a commercial raft trip years ago from Phantom Ranch to Diamond Creek, and I too experienced major depressing thoughts while returning down I17 to Phoenix. Sigh ...
Norman Norvelle - In 1962 my Boy Scout troop made the trip from Farmington to Mexican Hat. We went the first or second week of June. We took giant used rubber inner tubes from tractor scrapers at Navajo Dam and cut out plywood center that we had on top and bottom of the donut hole and used long all tread bolts to keep the cutout centers in place. The tubes were 8 to 10 feet across (wide). The trip took two weeks. This was before sun block cream was invented. We had 3 boys on the giant inner tubes and 4 inter tubes. When we got to Shiprock 3 or 4 boys quit and went home. The best part of the trip was the last 4 days of the trip. It was amazing and I loved the goose necks. In 1962 the area was still sort of primitive and there weren't many people. We did not see anyone else in canoes or boats. Also, not others on inner tubes. Fishing was terrible.
WOW Jonathan ! What a great trip. I’m looking forward to paddling the San Juan this fall. What’s it like between Navajo Dam & Farmington ?
We were on the San Juan River two weeks. Norman
What a great piece! I took a commercial raft trip years ago from Phantom Ranch to Diamond Creek, and I too experienced major depressing thoughts while returning down I17 to Phoenix. Sigh ...
GREAT read - laughed and felt sad for what was lost over all those years & the ignorance of humans and their grazing & extraction destruction.
Thank you Jonathan