Rollin' on the river

MONTROSE — The Gunnison River rangers have enviable summer jobs.

They steward the stretch of waterway that meanders through the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. It's a landscape of ancient canyons and a river that sustains the myriad wildlife — golden eagles, beavers, mule deer, trout, the list goes on.

"It's a pretty nice place to take care of," said river ranger Rooster Barnhart, who has spent nine summers on these waters. He's one of four Gunnison River rangers who primarily care for the NCA, but also help manage the lower Gunnison and part of the San Miguel River.

This year's record weather conditions brought more outdoor enthusiasts down into the gorge. Historical water releases from dams upstream sent flows gushing down, cleansing the riverbanks and stirring up waves in the rafted stretch. The river peaked at about 7,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) this year. Lately flows have dropped down to about 900 to 1,000 cfs.

Rangers kept busy under these conditions, spreading information about the resources, and balancing the needs of commercial companies that work on the river. The busiest time happens between June and July, when fishermen descend upon the river for a taste of the Stonefly Hatch, a time when throngs of flies climb out from hiding places to the delight of trout and fishermen.

While dreams of river ranger life stoke images of leisurely floats down the river, the reality involves hard work and training for a job spent mostly on educating others.

"The value we get from having competent, knowledgeable, real solid people out there making contact with the public is so big for us," said Edd Franz, Bureau of Land Management outdoor recreation planner, speaking on the importance of river rangers. "I can't walk through a room with these guys without someone pulling them over to talk. They really are the face the public sees of the BLM."

Rangers are charged with telling people about the area's use. It's sometimes achallenging task to carry out, telling people who are accustomed to decades of the same rules that things have changed — sometimes significantly.

River patrol begins the moment rangers drive onto BLM land. They scan the NCA lands beginning at Peach Valley's adobes. They look for the out-of-place, scattered litter, recreationalists riding off path, and pull over to tell people about the rules.

Peter Dennett, an experienced river guide with five summers as a Gunnison ranger, said the top mission is visitor contact. "If you're using the resource, floating the river, hiking, fishing, we're going to approach you for a number of reasons ... We're here to answer questions about anything in the area. We also want to know where you're from, what it is you do and why you're able to make it down to this area."

The scene at the head of Chukar Trail on a summer afternoon gives a snapshot of the colorful people drawn to the river — all of whom connect with the rangers at some point in their season. There's the horse outfitters gearing up their animals for hikes up and down the trail; the shuttle drivers, guys like Buster, who for years have been providing laughs and service; the river guides, sun-soaked and enthusiastic; and the die-hard fishermen, talking catch all the way down the trail.

Dennett said the area gets many returnees, so most visitors already know the rules. Rangers forge relationships with all the people who come to the river for work. Managing the commercial river outfitters is part of the job.

Al DeGrange is owner of Gunnison River Expeditions, an outfitter since 1985. "We basically work together to keep the resource in superb shape." He said user fees have been used to make a lot of improvements to the area's roads, trails and other resources. "I have to compliment them on the tamarisk removal project. They worked hard to get that taken care of, as well as replanting cottonwood trees. Those are two projects that were incredible."

On river patrol days, rangers spend a few hours at the put-in. "Here we can make sure people understand the few rules we do have are important," said Barnhart.

Two of the biggest rules, and sometimes challenging to enforce, are that people need to have a toilet for their waste and can't have wood fires, Dennett said.

The put-in is a place for rangers to brief visitors before they head down river. It's also where the rangers gear-up the raft. They've carried down newly painted campsite markers for a Wednesday patrol. They usually stop at each of the dozens of campsites dotting the river.

Fourteen miles of exciting rafting begins where Chukar ends and stretches down to Pleasure Park. It's a technical section of water that increases in intensity as the water drops and the boulders appear. In rafting terms, the river has class II to IV rapids, depending on conditions.

These rapids have been given names like "Squeeze," marking a tight spot between big boulder and sheer cliff, and "Boulder Garden," named for all the dodging that has to take place. Through this stretch, Dennett and Barnhart both swing oars around like it's second nature. They calmly pull back the oars to breeze past tight spaces, kick off boulders to keep the raft from landing. The river rangers' ability to comfortably navigate the hairiest of these sections help create a safety net for visitors.

"If anything happens on the river, we're trained with the swift water technician and how to assist people on the river," said Dennett. "... In my eyes, it (our presence) makes people feel a little bit safer." The guys are equipped with satellite phones, radios, supplies and years of area knowledge.

Spending just one day on patrol with river rangers illustrates a small part of the many functions required of the job. It's a diverse gig that involves responsibilities as varied as the national conservation area itself.

Between their regular duties, the rangers lend their expertise and equipment to many groups who come through the area for a different reasons. Outreach has become a growing part of the BLM's mission under Colorado State Director Sally Wisely, Dennett said.

Educational values, specifically leave-no-trace ethics, are being cultivated through outreach projects. Working with youth groups, such as Delta-based Partners, river rangers lead camp trips and floats.

"We're showing what we expect from them as they grow up and do their own river trips; about how you should leave an area ... you gotta pack out everything you pack in," Dennett said. "So we're getting these ideas into this next generation of kids."

River rangers typically begin working in April or May and continue through August or September. They work in four-day, 10-hour shifts, including two days of river patrol either in one camping trip or separate day trips Franz said.

Those vying for the one river ranger slot that usually opens each summer sometimes have idealistic expectations of the job, said Franz, who hires the rangers. This summer roughly 30 people applied for one ranger opening. He looks for people with river experience, preferably with whitewater, swiftwater and wilderness first responder training. He also looks for those with solid work ethics.

Working summers on the river is hard but satisfying enough to bring back seasoned rangers. Franz said the return rate for rangers is high.

Barnhart comes back year after year for all the balance it provides in his life. "It's an opportunity to be on the water and out in the country."

Contact Lisa Huynh via email at lisah@montrosepress.com