Grand Canyon Gossip

Yesterday morning a dejected group of river runners was sitting at Lee's Ferry with their boats fully rigged. They were saying that they weren't going to get to launch. That morning 9 Sheriff cars had descended on their camp at the putin with drug-sniffing dogs, and gone through every drybag. Five of the men were found to have substantial amounts (over 5 ounces) of marijuana. The Park was not involved in the bust. I do not know how the Sheriff was alerted. As far as I know the Patriot Act still contains a section making one a terrorist if caught in the possession of one ounce or more.

The outfitter that had brought the group to the put-in had to come back up to Lee's Ferry, de-rig and take them back again.

Kill a Plant to Save the West

Anyone who runs rivers in the western US cannot help but to know about TAMARISK. They're pretty, feathery shrubs that crowd the riverbanks and flower in pink. In fact they are introduced from Asia. Like kudzu they were planted to prevent erosion but then took off. We call them "tammies"--or some call them "toiletwood" because they burn like shit and smell like piss. River runners aren't shy about sculpting the tammies to suit their camping needs.
( invasive species control )