The River Knows Everything
256 pages, 8 1/2 x 11
Hardcover
Release Date:20 Apr 2009
ISBN:9780874216523
The River Knows Everything
Desolation Canyon and the Green
By James M Aton; By (photographer) Dan Miller
Utah State University Press
Desolation Canyon is one of the West's wild treasures. Visitors come to study, explore, run the river, and hike a canyon that is deeper at its deepest than the Grand Canyon, better preserved than most of the Colorado River system, and full of eye-catching geology-castellated ridges, dramatic walls, slickrock formations, and lovely beaches. Rafting the river, one may see wild horses, blue herons, bighorn sheep, and possibly a black bear. Signs of previous people include the newsworthy, well-preserved Fremont Indian ruins along Range Creek and rock art panels of Nine Mile Canyon, both Desolation Canyon tributaries. Historic Utes also pecked rock art, including images of graceful horses and lively locomotives, in the upper canyon. Remote and difficult to access, Desolation has a surprisingly lively history. Cattle and sheep herding, moonshine, prospecting, and hideaways brought a surprising number of settlers--ranchers, outlaws, and recluses--to the canyon.
Aton practices his trade at a masterful level. His writing is clear, even elegant. Scholars in various disciplines will consult the book as a summary of knowledge; the prose is equally accessible to the river guide or backpacker interested in deepening his understanding of Desolation Canyon. The scholarship is fine, the writing is superb, and the topic is unique.
—Gary Topping, author of Glen Canyon and the San Juan Country
In a word, The River Knows Everything is invaluable. Jim Aton has revealed the stories, the characters, and the long-forgotten history of the area. There are no books that even come close to the level of detail on the subject and depth of research that this one reveals. Dan Miller's beautiful color photographs make the book doubly attractive for river runners and everyone else.
--Roy Webb, author of Riverman: The Story of Bus Hatch
