The V Wave Podcast

Welcome to The V Wave Podcast!

GEM enters the V Wave. Courtesy Duwain Whitis

Herb Hirst (left) and Jim Algar on the radio to the South Rim, 1959. Photo courtesy The Huntington Library and the Robert Malott family.

In Meander Canyon headed for Cataract Canyon. Courtesy Tom Martin

The MARBLE held up by block and tackle at Lava Falls during a 98,500 cfs flood September 19, 1923. Courtesy USGS

Gates of Lodore Ramp on a busy summer day 2023. Courtesy Tom Martin

Lees Ferry, 1937. Photo courtesy The Huntington Library.

June 17, 1960, first concrete in the foundation of Glan Canyon Dam. Courtesy National Archives

Storm clouds build at Blacktail Canyon. Courtesy Tom Martin

This podcast is created by a cast of river lovers who understand the river resource comes first.

On the shoulders of a healthy river do we recreate ourselves.

What comes second is river access, a VERY thorny V Wave all in itself. The V Wave discusses these things AND river ecology, recent river trips, river history, river management, and new changes on rivers. Have a topic you'd like to hear more about or help discuss? Get in touch with Tommartin@rrfw.org The V Wave is brought to you by River Runners For Wilderness. Special THANKS to Char and Trev for the idea behind this!

Podcast #1 August 21, 2023: The Case of the Steamboat Sting, Dinosaur National Park, 1957-1959. Join Tom Martin as he recounts a sting operation conducted on some do-it-yourself river runners at Dinosaur National Monument in 1957.

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Podcast #2 August 23, 2023: Stocking fish above a dam and poisoning them below. John Weisheit and Tom Martin discuss killing smallmouth bass and green sunfish at the Colorado River Slough just below Glen Canyon Dam in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

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Podcast #3 August 24, 2023: Recent Grand Canyon River Trip Report. Dr. Mathew Arnold and Tom Martin discuss Dr. Arnold's July 2023 18 day Lees to Pearce river trip through the Grand Canyon. They discuss the trip orientation, trip safety, boating on 17-19,000 cfs, and surviving a flip, also known as getting back on the horse after you are bucked off.

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Podcast #4 August 27, 2023: Colorado River Source To Sea In Sections. Wayne Belcher and Tom Martin discuss Wayne's journey to go from the Wind River Range to the Gulf of Califocnia on the Colorado River in sections. Wayne is now 7 years into this project and only has 10% of the distance to complete.

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Podcast #5 August 28, 2023: There Is Work To Be Done: Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni. Jeff Ingram has been advocating for a unified Greater Grand Canyon for over 60 years. Jeff and host Tom Martin discusses the amazing potential to unify the interpretation of, and protection for, the greater Grand Canyon with the creation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument.

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Podcast #6 September 1, 2023: ABC section of the Green River Goes RecDOTGov Part 1 Murry, UT, plumber, family man, and river runner Aaron Olsen talks about his experiences with the ABC Section of the Green River and his concerns about RecDOTGov taking over campsite reservations.

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Podcast #7 September 3, 2023: RecDOTGov with Dennis Willis: This is going to get worse Part 2 Retired BLM Recreation Planner Dennis Willis recounts the history and pitfalls of RecDOTGov.

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Podcast #8 September 7, 2023: BLM Vision Statement with Dennis Willis: Partnering With Commercialization Part 3 Retired BLM Recreation Planner Dennis Willis explores the Bureau of Land Managements latest Vision Statement. The BLM Vision Statement is here: ⁠https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2023-08/Blueprint%20for%2021st%20Century%20Outdoor%20Recreation508.pdf⁠ Written comments can be sent to blm_recreation_feedback@blm.gov

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Podcast #9 September 15, 2023: Shelly Martin: I Did It Myself Shelly Martin recounts purchasing a 16 foot cataraft and rowing it through Grand Canyon from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek in August, 2023. The cat was new to her and she had never rowed Grand Canyon before.

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Podcast #10 September 21, 2023: Rain Moves Rocks In May of 2023, I received an invitation from the USGS to review a proposal focusing on campsites and debris/flows flood hazard in the Grand Canyon. That lead to a meeting in Flagstaff on September 20, 2023. USGS Hyrologist Paul Grams joins this podcast to review yesterday's meeting and speak about a flood/debris flow/rain on cliffs warning system.

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Podcast #11 October 2, 2023: Low Water Grand Canyon in September 2023: Family, Flips, and Motors V Oars in Hance! River runner Bob Woodward just completed a 21 day Grand Canyon river trip with his wife, children, and grandchild. Bob recounts the difficulties they had with low water, two boats flipping at Horn Creek, arranging a helivac for a hiker, and dealing with a motorized tour boat running into one of their rafts in Hance Rapid.

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Podcast #12 November 6, 2023: Talking With A Dam John Weisheit, Co-founder of Living Rivers, speaks about scoping comments prepared for the Bureau of Reclamation Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Operations at Glen Canyon Dam.

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Podcast #13 February 8, 2024: Self-Support Rafting Adam Hopkins and James Tansey discuss their January to February, 2024, 14 day long Grand Canyon river trip. Even with 14 days, they hiked a lot. One trick they used was to not bring ice in their coolers.

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Podcast #14 March 26, 2024: Shelly Martin: I Did It Myself PART 2 Shelly Martin recounts her February 2024 Grand Canyon river trip rowing a 16 foot cataraft from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry.

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Podcast #15 August 1, 2024: 10 and 8 Year-olds Set Record in Grand Canyon Amanda Burnham-Marusich and her husband Macy recount their Grand Canyon kayaking trip with their daughter Azalea (age 10) and son Wylie (age 8). Both childeren paddled the entire distance themselves, setting a new record as the youngest girl and boy to kayak the entire length of Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

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We at River Runners for Wilderness (RRFW) are working hard to make sure do-it-yourself river runners have a seat at the resource protection and river access table. You can join RRFW (Membership is Free!) by clicking here. Did you find this all volunteer-built WIKI helpful? You can express your appreciation with a donation to the non-profit River Runners for Wilderness here! Thank you! (September 2023)

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