photos by David Halterman

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.

 

In this week's issue...

August 22, 2024
Rethinking 'big grid'

Increasingly, microgrids seen as way to combat climate, geographic vulnerabilities
 

August 22, 2024
The bee's knees

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are now classified as wildlife in Colorado
 

August 15, 2024
Pucker up

Mother Nature turns riffle into a ripper on Cataract Canyon