Document-Based Questions - Debra J. Housel, M.S. Ed. 2008

Wild Ride Down the Colorado River
Great Adventures

The Colorado River carved out the Grand Canyon over millions of years. The rushing water carried sand, pebbles, and even boulders. They ground away at the rock walls and formed a gorge one mile deep.

The Colorado River is one of the wildest on Earth. It has many waterfalls and major rapids. Rapids are class 1 to 6. In Class 5 rapids, jutting rocks and huge waves are deadly. The Colorado River has a lot of Class 5 rapids.

Most Class 6 cannot be run. Rapids increase in speed where the river narrows. Boaters must steer around rocks, sometimes against a strong current. If a person falls out of the boat, he or she might get dashed against rocks or drown.

A group of ten men, led by Major John Wesley Powell, decided to face the risks and travel the length of this river. Powell had lost his lower right arm in the Civil War. But he had already explored the Green River. The team set out in four wooden boats on May 24, 1869. They started on the Green River, which merges with the Grand River to form the Colorado.

The men took 10 months of food and supplies. They had no idea what lay ahead. Their trip would take them 1,000 miles through uncharted wilderness and one of the deepest canyons on Earth. Each night they pulled the boats onto shore and made camp. Powell was careful. He did not want to endanger the men or supplies. When they heard the roar of upcoming rapids, he had the men get out and portage—or carry—the heavy boats and supplies along the rocky shore. But sometimes the river took charge. It swept the boats through raging rapids while the men hung on.

One month into the trip, the group had lost one boat and much of their supplies. One man said, “I’ve had more excitement than a man deserves in a lifetime. I’m leaving.” He climbed out of the Grand Canyon and walked to a settlement.

Later, at Separation Canyon, three men told Powell that they felt like they were about to die. They begged him to stop the trip. When he refused, they left the camp. Their fears came true. They were killed by Shivwit Native Americans who thought that they had killed a tribe member.

Three months after they had started, Powell and his men emerged at the mouth of the Virgin River. During the journey, Powell kept a log about the plants, animals, and Native American tribes they saw. He gave speeches to earn the money for a second trip down the Colorado in 1871. That time he made a map.

Wild Ride Down the Colorado River

These are excerpts from Major John Wesley Powell’s journal about the trip:

*guess

Powell, John Wesley. The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons.

New York: Dover, 1895; reprint 1961.

Wild Ride Down the Colorado River

1. Which class of rapids is the least dangerous?

a. Class 1

b. Class 3

c. Class 5

d. Class 6

2. When John Wesley Powell told the men to portage, they had to

a. make camp for the night.

b. get out of the boat and float feet-first down the river.

c. be very careful in a particular set of rapids.

d. carry their boats along the shore.

3. When did the men complete their trip down the Colorado River?

a. in June 1869

b. in August 1869

c. in September 1869

d. in May 1871

4. The team ended their journey with three boats. True or False? Explain.

5. Why does Powell sound a little worried in his journal entry?

6. Would you have liked to have gone on Powell’s first trip down the Colorado River? Why or why not?