278 Days to Go - Hance



Hance Rapid


TL Report: All quiet here.

Mileage This Week: River Mile 77-79. Ok, here comes the whitewater! At River Mile 77 we enter the Upper Granite Gorge which contains the most extensive exposures of gniess and schist rock. We will be in this gorge for the next 47 miles. What does this mean to us? Well, these metamorphic rocks are harder than the sourounding rock and more resistant to erosion. Being slower to erode, they form steep, narrow inner gorges which means the rapids are now steeper, more difficult (and more fun!) than we've seen yet. So, at River Mile 77.2 we will run Hance Rapid (named after John Hance, see History below). We will be scouting this rapid. Depending on water level, it is usually considered to be the most technically difficult rapid on the river.  "Technically difficult" doesn't necessarily mean it's the most dangerous, it just means theres a lot of obstacles to avoid in the rapid.  Therefore, we scout.


Scouting Hance


As I mentioned, water level plays a big part in how diffucult Hance is. Low water (around 8,000cfs) is more difficult than higher water (10,000-14,000?), but at any level, Hance is a challenge!



Running the holes in Hance



Paddle Raft in Hance. The guide sounds a little bit panicked!



On River Right at river mile 77.9, we'll pass John Hance's asbestos mine.  Due to the obvious health hazard, this site is closed to visitation.



Downstream from Red Canyon and Hance Rapids, on the north side of the Colorado River, is the Hance asbestos mine.

 



John Hance with Darby, 1884



GC History: John Hance (1839-1919)

Known as the canyon's "most talented prevaricator," the miner, pioneer, trail builder, hotielier, postmaster and mendicant John "Cap" Hance is a beloved figure in GC lore. He arrived in GC about 1883, and became it's first white resident. He also built the first tourist accommodation in 1885 at the South Rim and worked an asbestos mine near the river. Some say he came to the canyon to escape a less than savory past. He was from originally from Tennessee and fought with the Confederacy until captured, whereupon he switched allegiance and fought for the Union! Regardless of what brought him to GC, his love affair with the region lasted throughout his life. Buckey O'Neill once said, "God made the Canyon, John Hance the trails, without the other, neither would be complete." Another early visitor said, "To see the canyon only and not to see Captain John Hance, is to miss half the show". 

After giving up asbestos mining due to the high price of transportation out of the canyon, Hance was one of the first to realize there was a profit to be made in tourism. Hance advertised his services as a guide, and a few dozen visitors a year paid $20 each for a bumpy two day stage journey from Flagstaff, and another dollar for food and lodging at Hance's tent camp. A guest from San Fran wrote in his visitor' book: "Our pleasures here have been enhanced by chivalrous, daring, entertaining, and ever obliging Captian Hance." Another noted, "Splendid guide, in spite of his economy of the truth."

Hance Homestead and Hotel, circa 1900

Hance's stories have became so much a fixture of the GC experience that the Fred Harvey company gave him room and board at the Bright Angel Lodge in exchange for telling his whoopers to tourists. Some 100 of Hance's tall tales have been recorded in interviews with those who remember him. Many involved Darby, his faithful mule. In one tale, Darby attemped to leap across the canyon with a band of desperados in hot pursuit. Halfway across, Hance realized she wasn't going to make it. When astonished tourists begged to know what happened next, it was Hance's cue to say, "Why, we turned around and jumped back, of course."

In one of his most famous confabulations, Hance told visitors how he strapped on showshoes to cross the canyon when it filled up with fog. Unfortunately, when the fog lifted, he found himself stranded on the top of Zoroaster Temple, spending three days without food or water, until the fog was thick enough to cross again!

When Hance's health declined, Harvey employees kept him at the canyon as long as possible, then moved him to Flagstaff. The hotel staff kept him comfortable until his death in 1919. Hance's body was returned to his beloved canyon, where he is buried in the Grand Canyon pioneer cemetery.

Equipment/Camp/Info Check:  Ok, the water is getting bigger, so if you get tossed from the raft, how do you swim in whitewater?

Point feet downstream

Some of the GC tribe are familiar with river trips, but there's about 1/2 of you who don't have whitewater experience. That being the case, it doesn't hurt to go over some basics.   If you come out of the raft, the best thing to do is get back in fast. If you are next to the raft, grab it. All the boats will have more than two people in them, so you should have a friend to pull you in. (Another reason to be sure there are good group dynamics and make nice!!). If you find yourself too far from the raft (or if you are between a rock and a raft) you'll need to assume the safe swimming position. My kids kayak instuctors would always say, "Nose and Toes!" which is fairly accurate. Float on your back, with your feet up. You can use your feet to push off rocks and the lifejacket protects your back. At the bottom of the rapid, turn over and AGGRESSIVELY SWIM TO EITHER SHORE OR THE RAFT. The water is cold, and hypothermia is a concern, so be proactive and get yourself out of any unsafe conditions. This isn't Disney, you really need to help yourself and not depend on anyone else. I'll be around as a safety kayak, but it's a big river, and I can't be with everyone, so while I'm happy to swoop in and save you from time to time, you can't count on it. If you have any questions about gnarly swims in multiple rapids in GC, just contact my canyon buddy and your fellow tribemate, Elaine. She has alot more experience with this than me and after a few beers, I'm sure she'll tell you all about it. :-)

Next Deadline: Next Deadline: Final trip balance is due January 15th. If your trip status changes at anytime (ie, need to do a half instead of a whole trip), please let me know as soon as possible so we can fill your ½ space. This will lower your cost.