Susitna River first descent

[michelegila]

Just finished reading Never Turn Back. Amazing to read the story that is the tale of this video.

[TechnoEngineer]

Holy shit!



[ttolmbrftttwtbopat]

what a wave at 3:38 great clean hit.

[philcanoe]

The silence was deafening.

[droan999]

28000 cfs! wtf

[dirtysteev]

thanks for sharing this film!

wow 3:08, takes a real licking.

dropping into the huge hole at 3:38 and coming through clean, amazing.

[blueduck12]

@dirtysteev

Yes, over 30 years ago, long before dry suits and modern hull shapes and sweep and fancy rolls. Freezing cold water. A subsequent trip by another party resulted in one paddler being found dead in his boat with not a mark on him.

I was impressed by the sequence leading up to 3:00 where the camera guy has no idea where the paddler is going to surface.

The 16mm version is something else on a full sized movie screen.

[kuzino35902]

@dirtysteev I had the opportunity to paddle with Dr. Blackadar on one of his only trips east in 1976 on the New River, Gauley and Nolichucky. A amazing individual. Came east to learn a surgerical procedure from a well know chest surgeonin Boone, NC and paddle a little. What many may not know today, Walt's in a 11 ft "fiberglass" boat...

[wmeininger]

I may be wrong about this, but wasn't Bo Shelby on the first descent of the Susitna?

[romandial]

My wife said Barney's Dad Dick Griffith may well have it.

[blueduck12]

Thanks you guys for chasing this down. It would be great if the original was re-discovered and a clean copy with the scary piano music and Barney's commentary was uploaded in place of my cruddy copy. I wondered also what role this film played in stopping the dam project mentioed in the original soundtrack.

[mollyhops1]

For anyone still interested, the Susitna dam mentioned in the soundtrack is not dead yet. 30 years later, the state of Alaska resurrected the project. They have submitted the pre-application for FERC licensing. It is being compared to Glen Canyon Dam and will be located just above Devils Canyon.

[mrlarrow]

This posting is actually pretty good. I think at least 2 of the boaters are Gary Galbraith and Darwon Stoneman. I'll put Darwin on it to confirm or deny.

[mrlarrow]

I have a video copy of it. Barney still lives in Alaska but I'm not sure where. He's been a miner and pilot most of his life. I think I can locate him via Jerry Dixon in Seward.

[mrlarrow]

Here is what Rob Lesser has to say about it,,, and I have a lot of belief in what the master has to say....

Yes it's Barney Griffith's student film project shot sometime in the late 70's. He got so enthused about the filming he experienced on the 1976 ABC project that he went to film school I think in the LA area and went on to produce this on 16mm.

[mrlarrow]

Here is what Rob Lesser has to say about it,,, and I have a lot of belief in what the master has to say....

[romandial]

Good history in "Fast and Cold" by Andrew Embick: Walt Blackadar (54 years old) and Barney Griffith (18 years old) in 1976. Maybe this is that trip, with Cully Erdman, John Dondero, and Billy Ward. Barney had his friend drop a note to the ABC sponsored Blackadar team that he better let Barney join them or Barney'd run it without him. Barney also, legend has it, wore a seat belt so he would't come out of his boat. Barney and Cully paddled Hollowforms. Flow was 26-28,000 cfs.

[blueduck12]

Small world. I'm in NZ and somewhere out here there is a 16mm copy, but I don't know where.

[robinrb1]

I have the video with sound

Film should be in the kupe CC archives

[blueduck12]

@robinrb1 I'll contact you directly, and if I can I'll get an HD copy posted in due course.

[mrlarrow]

By the way thanks for posting this,,,, would love to see any Alsek footage is anyone knows of any out there...

[mrlarrow]

I would love to know who the boaters are, checking with

John W......... and will check with old Silver Tip Rob L......

[LouisianaWhitewater]

I've check from time to time, hoping someone would post some footage. Incredible!

[jasonreott]

Great to find this on here, was just reading Never Turn Back, about Blackadar. The others making this first descent of Devil's Canyon should be Cully Erdman, John Dondero and then 18-year-old Barney Griffith.

[blueduck12]

Thanks. I think it was Barney that made the film. Wonder where he is today?

Somewhere there's film about the Alsek with Walt B too.....