1979, mark dubois, stanilslaus river--anyone HERE, remember?

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neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 25, 2019 - 10:18pm PT
hey there, say, all... DOES ANYONE here remember any of this...
i know some climber, either kayak, or, may have had friends that did?

i was in south texas, at this time...

well-- i just learned this from my childhood-friend's MOM:

(my friend, diane mortensen (who sadly, died from cancer, recently),
'mortensen' as she was known, before she married,
USED to be WITH some of these very folks-- to save the river) ...

she used to kayak, way back then...


well-- her mom just told me TONGIHT, that diane was one of the 'original river rats'
(as her mom called it, SAYING... my shy little daughter, ... i was so amazed...) ...



the mom told me that diane's friend? (or, perhaps, just that she know him, by name, from the others?-- mark dubois) had:
done this:

(quote is from interview by patrick mccully):
SO YOU WILL GO READ THEIR ARTICLE:

(i can take the quotes off, if this is not correct to do)

In 1979, a young river guide-c#m-activist named Mark Dubois chained himself to a boulder in the riverbed of California’s Stanislaus River. Not far away, the Army Corps of Engineers had just closed the floodgates of the hotly contested New Melones Dam, and the waters were rising behind it. The Army Corps of Engineers launched a furious – and fruitless – hunt to find Dubois before the water did.
Mark Dubois, chained to a boulder.
Mark Dubois, chained to a boulder.
Photo courtesy of Christian Kallen

Within a few days, Mark’s face would be on the front page of countless newspapers, and the Corps would halt the filling of the reservoir. It wasn’t a total victory, but Dubois’ action was heard round the world.

https://www.internationalrivers.org/node/9074


well, i was very curious WHO is any, around here, would know or remember,
any of this past history...


here is a new link to various other 'friends of the river' in those
areas...

THANK YOU, FOR ANY INFO...
or, things you remember, etc...

MARK DUBOIS:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Dubois

INTERVIEW BY MIKE MORRIS, IN THE 'chained to rock, protest'
(2006 interview)


friends of river, (i think, etc)...



https://www.uniondemocrat.com/csp/mediapool/sites/UnionDemocrat/LocalNews/story.csp?cid=3714662&sid=753&fid=151

https://www.theamericanriver.com/2019/01/friends-of-the-river/

https://www.californiawhitewater.com/conservation/



wow, i was really surprised, too, to learn this...
as, she used to be so shy, when very young...


however, when things were wrong, she was not afraid to speak her mind...
a very nice friend...

she is missed... :(
stonefly

Social climber
Alameda, California
Apr 26, 2019 - 02:05pm PT
I remember Mark and the FOR folks well. He and I were boatmen for ARTA in '72 on the Stan and I worked with him once or twice. Mostly he dedicated his time to trying to stop the river from getting turned into almonds to ship to China. Wonderful and tough guy who survived a broken neck and just carried on. Had to turn his whole body to look to the side but didn't seem to slow him down. Where he is today? No idea but I suspect there's a rafting equivalent of this forum where one could smoke him out.
hooblie

climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
Apr 26, 2019 - 02:40pm PT
i spent three weeks at the OARS outfit near angels camp that summer of '79 with my shield partner dave pettingill (post carter amnesty reverted to randy russell) waiting for beckey to emerge from deep in the elias range and call the OARS office. we rowed or paddled the stan nearly every day unless we were on the american. the reservoir was filling up that year and heartache for the loss was in the air but i wasn't familiar with the individuals in the front line of the resistance
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 26, 2019 - 07:15pm PT
hey there say, stonefly and hooblie... wow! thank you very very much, and very kindly...

so much interesting history, too, back then...

and, some, intermingled with those that climb, such as you both,
and others...

i loved the rivers... never saw them much, at all...

i moved to south texas, as i said, in 1972,
and then, before that...


well-- i only got glimpses of them, when our dad took us camping...


:)


thanks again, sure hope more folks chip in...

*neat info, too, sharing about mark's determination... :)
stonefly

Social climber
Alameda, California
Apr 26, 2019 - 08:53pm PT
Read this for a great account of Mark's attempt to save the Stanislaus River:
http://donbriggsfilms.com/images/briggs-interview-BMQ.pdf
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 26, 2019 - 10:11pm PT
hey there say, stonefly... oh my goodness, :O


yes, i sure will ... here i go... say, thanks, also, thanks a lot...

:)
skywalker1

Trad climber
co
Apr 26, 2019 - 10:26pm PT
I was too young to hear of him but nice post. When I was guide and even now we scream "Dam the Corps not the river!" I think I had bumper sticker on one of many cars I owned.

I understand dams are necessary but they cause a lot of problems.

S...
kenny morrell

Trad climber
danville,ca
Apr 27, 2019 - 05:52am PT
yes I remember this. I was living in columbia ca. at the time.We were doing alot of bouldering at columbia jr. college
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