My heart is a bit blue today as I open my laptop and my calendar glaringly alerts to me the already, well- known fact that today is launch day. Today is the day we would have pushed off from shore, with a heap of food and gear, a battalion of boats, with 15 days and 226 river miles ahead of us. This is the place we call home, this is where we shine, this is where our hearts sing, with the wind in our hair and sun on our skin, we feel alive and free. To my river crew, and to all of our passengers who would have become fast friends and family, we are all Each Other’s Legends.

This painting titled “Legends”, is in honor of Hance Rapids and all of my river mentors who’ve come before me. Named after Captain John Hance, this is the first, class 10 rapid you’ll find yourself having to navigate in Grand Canyon. A rapid so strewn with boulders, tricky currents and pour-overs, it’s enough to make even the most seasoned river guide want to throw up. This rapid also marks the start of the Upper Granite Gorge, a 40 mile stretch of river that holds a good portion of Grand Canyon’s major rapids. Here, the walls are steep, the river is fast, it’s heart-pounding, fueled by adrenaline and you best be on your game. I have always thought, if only these walls could talk! How many times have these stoic rock layers witnessed a crazy, wild run through Hance? Certainly too many times to count. And, almost no matter what happens on Gorge Day, you’re going to be in camp, later that evening, beer in hand, listening to your crew share a side-splitting, play by play recap of their runs, no doubt using all the local river vernacular, dramatization, leaving out no detail with silly gestures and sound effects.

And, so there I was! Dropping the Mini-Tongue, with a good down-stream ferry angle.
Already, the river is taking me right, but my heavy boat, I mange to wrangle.

I think, “We’re NOT going into the Land of the Giants, not today, NO way!”
So without even looking, head down, I’m just pulling and praying for the Green Highway!

We spilt the Duck Pond Rocks, hey, that wasn’t so bad, but the current’s really cruising now,
Maybe with just a few more strokes, we’ll be good and we can bring the bow around.

Oh No! Not yet! Hang on! We’re soaked! OMG! It’s happening so fast!
Whew! There’s Whale’s Rock, just off my left oar, relieved as it goes swooshing past.

But, it’s not over, no high-fivin’ yet, we got the 2 big holes at the bottom.
I shout to my passengers, “3 good hand holds!” They hunker and say “we got ‘em!”

Push left? Push right? I better just square up, hold on and take my licks.
Wow, that was a big hit, and I wink at my drenched peeps, “how’s about that for kicks!?”

I put my hand in the river, give her thanks for safe passage, elated but humbled once more,
So grateful for this Grand Old Place, and to play just a tiny part of its timeless Legends and Lore.

This image was also used for the 2019 Phantom Ranch t-shirt designs for Grand Canyon National Park. (The best selling Phantom Ranch t-shirt to date.)

Original in private collection.

Signed and numbered archival prints available. Matted for standard frame sizes:20×30, 16×24 11×17″ or 5×7 art card with envelope

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