“Spirit
of the Stanislaus”
On
Sunday, June 7, about 150 veterans, friends and fans of the Stanislaus
River came together in Angels Camp to celebrate the spirit of
the river and the decade-long fight to save it.
The
open picnic at Utica Park in the home of the Jumping Frog featured
live music from local band Still Bill, fresh salad and risotto
"river plates" from Lila
and Sage catering, a solar powered band stage provided by
Sol Sierra,
and a plethora of memorabilia and archival clippings of the Stanislaus
River's days as the West's best whitewater run.
Mark
Dubois and fellow FOR organizers including Alexander Gaguine
and Melinda Wright attended the gathering, sharing their
experiences and memories of the river's better days. A highlight
was the presence of Don Briggs, a river guide and filmmaker
who was involved in the grassroots efforts, and the screening
of his 1979 movie “Parrott’s Ferry is the Limit”
during the evening show. (See
the preview on YouTube.)
The
showing of historic and contemporary films included the recent
IMAX film “Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk,” on
donation from MacGillivray
Freeman. Friends of the River (FOR),
was the event’s primary sponsor, along with O.A.R.S.
and other local outdoor companies including Zephyr
Whitewater, All
Outdoors and SNAC.
Stay
tuned for a video report and images from the Spirit of the Stanislaus
gathering. Thanks to all who attended, and we hope to see you
Oct. 16 at FOR's California River Awards.
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Local
press coverage included articles in the Sonora Union Democrat
(see cover of their Weekender insert above), two articles
in the nearby Stockton Record (one on Mark
Dubois, one on the fishing
issues of the Stanislaus), and the Avery's Mountain
Chronicle among other Sierra foothills blogs, weeklies and
calendars.
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