Many of you know of artist Jim Wagner’s passion for fly fishing. Not long ago Jim was rafting his way down the Gunnison river in Colorado through an area known as Black Canyon. The rapids got a little more tough than he’d expected and his one man raft flipped over plunging him into chilly, churning rapids. The raft landed on top of him, impeding his wrestle to the surface, nearly drowning him. After struggling out from under the raft and spending a cold, wet night on the riverbank Jim returned to tell of his experience, especially the rejuvenation he has felt about life itself since then. The event, even though several months passed, is still vibrant and Jim has begun to paint a series of paintings about that harrowing event. Parks Gallery is proud to offer the first in this series called Black Canyon: What a Ride!
Black Canyon
What a Ride!
(transcribed from a tape by Jim Wagner)
Chapter One
Last summer, a friend and I from Taos, Ron, and his son, went down the Gunnison River in single-man pontoon boats, which is usually the most terrifying fun I’ve ever had. There are rapids and clear spots and the fishing’s just out of this world. They pack you in on horseback, down Trekker Trail to the river bottom, the whole thing usually takes two to three days. We got in the river about 2 p.m. and in about three hours we decided on a camp spot. We camped that night — you bring your own food and water, and it’s just real wonderful time down there. It’s just absolutely gorgeous. But when you’re in those rapids it is SCARY. And I can’t believe this, I’ve been doing it so long.
Anyway, the second day I took off first, headed for Pleasure Park where I planned to get out. It’s a fishing lodge, supplies and a bar. So I took off and I hit this rock sideways and my pontoon boat came over the top of me, knocking me down in about 15 feet of water. And for a second there I thought, “This is it! This is really it!”
Chapter two
I bobbed back up, in a class five life vest, and my pontoon boat was — I don’t know how many feet away, but it was upside down! All my gear and everything was, of course, upside down in the water. I noticed that the boat was drifting towards the edge of the rock. It’s knocked over and it’s about to take off down this other set of rapids.
So, I scissor-kicked — the only stroke I could really use, and just caught the two end pieces of the boat and pulled myself up onto the metal bottom. Then we were off, down those rapids, I don’t know how long. It seemed forever. I broke a bone in my foot and I got a few scratches. By the time I got down to the end of the rapids, Ron and his son were there and helped me get the boat overturned and went down a little farther to a camp spot and pulled over and I said “I can’t do this.”
Where the Big Ones Live
Chapter three
We’re in the middle of a steep canyon, there’s no way a helicopter can get in to get us back, and there’s no way to walk out, or to float without getting back in these rapids.
Ron and his son stayed with me, just for a couple hours, just to make sure I didn’t have any concussion or anything, which was rather sweet. I got all my stuff dried out, they left me some water, and a little bit of food, and then they took off to get the Forrest Service or the BLM. So I had all the rest of the day, and I just fished — caught a lot of fish — and it started getting dark and I’m thinking, “When are they gonna come and get me?” Anyway, it was playing on me, being down there, watching the sun go down the Black Canyon, which is a narrow canyon, and I started thinking about, “How am I gonna get outta here? It’s gonna cost $10,000, that’s what they charge for things like this!”
Chapter four
But unbeknownst to me at the time, that extra dollar you put on your fishing license covers you for being rescued by the BLM, anywhere in the state of New Mexico or Colorado.
I had plenty of water, I also had a water purifier that takes care of Giardia, I always carry that wherever I go. So it started getting dark, I bedded down and heard the mountain lions — you see their tracks up there. Of course I had a .38 with me which kind of takes the edge off. But everything was dry and I lay in my sleeping bag, I don’t know how long until I finally fell asleep. I woke up really early, just as the light was coming o up. And then I start really wondering, “When am I gonna get outta here?”
No Place To Camp
Chapter five
So I started fishing some more and caught some more fish. And then I got a lot of thinking done, about what’s important. I remembered that as soon as I popped out of that water I was thinking about Mary, and then about getting the raft.
Then I wrote, ‘HELP! I’M STRANDED’ on my life vest with a black sharpie, for anybody going by, in case I was taking a nap or something. These two guys came by in a medium sized raft, I knew they couldn’t do anything, but they gave me some candy, which was really nice of them, and we sat around bullshitting about fishing and everything. Then they took off, and there weren’t very many people on the river. It was my third day on the river, with nobody . . . there weren’t that many people coming down, so I started thinking ahead about, okay, let’s stop gobbling everything up and think about maybe spending two or three more days here, and get used to it.
Chapter six
And so at 11:30, quarter to twelve, here comes the BLM, three guys in a big raft, pulled up and made sure I was all right and everything. One guy took my raft, and I’d fixed it up — believe me, take Gorilla Tape wherever you go, it’s great! Good stuff! We got the oars working and put my stuff in their boat and jumped in and away we went! They even let me fish all the way down.
By the end of the day we got out and I just turned around and I gave them my raft. I said “you guys can have it.” I was so thankful! And then I wrote a letter to the BLM thanking them, and naming their names, and I thanked the guys at Pleasure, Leroy and his wife.
Now every time I go down there it’s just so beautiful and I think about the close-call that I had. I was thinking about it the other day and I just started doing these paintings. So, anyway, that’s kind of my trip. I love you guys, Steve and Steve, and, oh my God! I can’t think of her name! [Laughter – he’s talking about Mary]. Well, talk to ya later, Bye!
Steve Storz
