History came alive at SaddleRidge in Beaver Creek on June 17. One hundred fifty years after he explored the Colorado and Green Rivers, John Wesley Powell, as interpreted by historian Clay Jenkinson, regaled a sold-out Vail Symposium audience with anecdotes of grit, close-calls, exploration and survival.
With primitive equipment by today’s standards and very little experience in navigating turbulent rivers, Powell and his team persevered after the loss of critical supplies and the defection of three of their party. One detail about Powell that especially stood out was the thought process in naming what he discovered. Rather than name geological features for people, he instead selected descriptive titles such as Flaming Gorge, Glen Canyon and the Grand Canyon.
The Vail Symposium’s next history program focuses closer to home. An Evening of Colorado Ranching–History and Art will be held on Monday, September 9, 2019 at the Edwards campus of Colorado Mountain College.
–Claire Noble
