In 1916, Bert Loper and Ellsworth Kolb earned bragging
rights as the first people to run a section of the Colorado River now known
as Westwater Canyon. Nearly a century later, this 17-mile stretch of
humbling whitewater and scenic flat water has become one of the most
popular sections of river in Utah. The fall Westwater trip has become a
tradition among Durangoans looking for one last river fix before the snow
flies.
A perfect example of getting together and going
nowhere: the time-honored, post-rapids party barge.
Ben Lehman behind the oars somewhere near the Utah
state line.
Stacy Falk paddles through the Black Granite Gorge,
home to the oldest exposed rock formation in Utah, dating back an estimated
1.75 billion years.