A look at 4 early pioneers of Utah river running

A look at 4 early pioneers of Utah river running

(National Park Service)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

GREEN RIVER, Emery County — They are the people who inspire movies. Names that today are found only in history books. Trailblazers. People with a purpose, albeit considered extremely foolhardy at the time.

These pioneers of river rafting are Katie Lee, Elzada Clover (deceased), Lois Jotter Cutter (deceased) and Bill Belknap (deceased) and they are the newest inductees into the River Runners Hall of Fame.

By way of introductions, Lee wrote songs and authored books that had a great influence on the Colorado River; Clover and Cutter were the first women to navigate a small wooden boat the entire length of the Colorado River; and Belknap was a photographer who captured many of the early pictures of the rivers, their river runners and connecting canyons.

The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at the John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River.

The four join an exclusive membership of early river runners. There are only 18 names listed, the first being John Wesley Powell. He was inducted back in 1990, the first year for the river-running trailblazers.

Tim Glenn, executive director of the museum, said that what was once an “occasional’’ event, “has, in the last couple of years, become an important annual happening.’’

River Runners Hall of Fame:
  • John Wesley Powell (and everyone in his first and second crew) - 1990
  • Georgie White Clark - 1990
  • Nathaniel Galloway - 1990
  • Emery & Ellsworth Kolb - 1990
  • Haldane “Buzz” Holmstrom - 1990
  • Clyde Eddy - 1990
  • Norm Nevills - 1990
  • Bert Loper - 1990
  • Julius Stone - 1990
  • Denis Julien - 1990
  • William Ashley - 1990
  • William Manly - 1990
  • Dee Holladay - 1998
  • Bus Hatch - 1998
  • Joseph Ives - 1998
  • Kent Frost - 2012
  • Ken Sleight - 2012
  • Don Harris – 2015

New inductees

  • Elzada Clover – 2016
  • Lois Jotter – 2016
  • Katie Lee – 2016
  • Bill Belknap - 2016


This year, voters, made up of river runners, members of the museum's board, employees and community members, focused on the importance women played in river running.

“Until this year, only one woman (Georgie White Clark), had been inducted, and there are plenty of women who deserve it,’’ Glenn said.

Lee is recognized as an award-winning singer, author, photographer and wilderness activist for the Colorado River, the Glen Canyon and cowboy history. It is said she is especially fond of Glen Canyon and was an outspoken opponent of the Glen Canyon Dam during its construction.

She was featured in two documentaries — “DamNation’’ and “Wrenched.’’ DamNation focuses on dam removal and Wrenched focuses on activists inspired by the work of Edward Abbey.

In 1938, Clover and Jotter began a river trip out of Green River, led by river-running legend Norman Nevills, in small wooden boats crafted by Nevills. Only one other woman had tried to run the Colorado River and disappeared attempting the trip.

Clover was an academic botanist at the University of Michigan. Jotter was a graduate student in botany and biology.

As a botanist, Clover wanted to search for native plants along the river through the Grand Canyon. Originally, the plan was to take pack mules into the canyon, but in talks with Nevills she decided to go by boat instead — under Nevills’ leadership.

When asked if the Grand Canyon was really a place for women, Clover responded, “Just because the only woman who ever attempted this trip drowned is no reason women have any more to fear than men.”

Bill Belknap with his children in 1950. Photo courtesy of Bill Belknap Family.
Bill Belknap with his children in 1950. Photo courtesy of Bill Belknap Family.

The trip covered more than 600 miles and took 43 days.

Jotter was a former roommate of Clover’s at the University of Michigan. She proved to be a good choice as a river-running companion. Along with her educational background and relationship with Clover, she had outdoor experience in hiking, camping and rowing.

Because of the lack of space and the difficulty of keeping specimens dry, the two women ended up with fewer specimens than they hoped for. Still, their findings contributed greatly to the historical knowledge of the Colorado River Basin. The two women opened the basin up to science in a way that had not been seen since the Powell expeditions in the 19th century.

Belknap was a well-recognized photographer and was on hand when early river runners were completing their trips through the Grand Canyon, which included picture of Clover and Jotter. Belknap is recognized for documenting the golden age of river running with his photos.

He would later go on to run through the Grand Canyon himself several times and in 1960 was part of the first and only up-river run through the canyon in a jet boat with river historian Otis “Dock’’ Marston. His subjects over the years read like a "who’s who" of river runners, and included Bert Loper, Nevills, Don Harris, Martin Litton, Clark, the Kolb brothers, the Rigg brothers and Marston.

Katie Lee. Courtesy of Katie Lee Family
Katie Lee. Courtesy of Katie Lee Family

He would later compile a river guide book, “Belkanp’s Waterproof River Guide,’’ which included information on the geology, archaeology and history of the canyon. Belknap and his family also started a river guide company — Fastwater Expeditions.

Utah has more than 2,700 miles of flowing waters, all the way from small streams to world-class whitewater. The most recognized is Cataract Canyon, roughly a 100-mile section of the Colorado River as it flows into Lake Powell.

What flows out of Lake Powell is the beginning of the Grand Canyon, ranked among the best whitewater experiences in the world. Cataract is considered the younger brother to the Grand — shorter, but no less exciting.

Both have been described by river runners as having large ocean waves boxed in the canyon.

Another popular whitewater experience is Wastewater Canyon, located on a section of the Colorado River close to the eastern Utah border. The 17-mile section offers several exciting rapids, the most famous being Skull.

Related Stories:

Desolation Canyon, a section of the Green River, is slightly calmer, but very scenic. Then there is Split Mountain, the San Juan and the lower section of the Green River, which are all suited for smaller boats like kayaks, canoes and small rafts.

There are also a number of rivers that offer a milder floating experiences, such as the Provo, Weber and the Jordan Rivers.

Utah has a long history of river running, beginning with John Wesley Powell and carrying through into today’s recreational market. Several thousand people each year enjoy the excitement of river running, made possible by the early pioneers who risked life and limb in pursuit of their passion.

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahOutdoors

STAY IN THE KNOW

Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast