Southwest Ferry Project Blog | The Southwest Ferry Project

Elk Maintain the Roadway to Ruple Ranch Ferry Site

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:38:12 -0600

The old roadway into the Ruple Ranch Ferry crossing, as seen on Google Earth, is a distinct route leading from the river up and over the small saddle to the south (river left). But how the route could remain so distinct was a mystery until recently. The old roadway is inaccessible by any type of vehicle, not to mention that the ferry has been out of operation for well over 50 years. The riddle became clear last week when we were floating down the Green River. We had passed the ferry crossing in Island Park and were about 150 yards downstream when we heard a loud crashing and splashing behind us. Looking back upriver, we saw that a herd of elk had just begun swimming the river at the ferry crossing (swimming from north to south). The approximately 15 elk exited the river at the old ferry landing and proceeded to run up the old ferry road until they disappeared over the saddle. Since the old ferry road is located at the only site without riverside cliffs for over a mile of shoreline, any large animals swimming the river are funnelled directly to the old ferry road. It seems as if Mother Nature has decided to maintain the old ferry road for us.

Ferry Boats Rotting Away in Utah

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:38:12 -0600

There are at least 2 historic ferry boats left in Utah that are rotting/rusting away and need to be preserved. The first is the old wooden ferry boat at the upper Alhandra Crossing on the Green River --- it is resting in the river and only the redwood internal framework of the craft remains. The other is the steel ferry boat that was in operation at the Sand Wash Ferry operation in 1952 when it was washed away by high water and deposited high on the riverbank on river right, just below the present-day launch ramp for rafts. Does anyone have any ideas about how to salvage, stabilize, and preserve these historic features?

Dr. Bryan Brown

Dr. Brown visits Island Park

Thu, 21 May 2009 08:42:27 -0600

While doing some work for the National Park Service last week at Island Park in Dinosaur National Monument, I happened to meet up with a retired gentleman named Ron Hatch. He lives in Vernal, but said he was born in Jensen. As a kid, he said he helped his father with their livestock operation near Island Park, giving him a chance to get to know the Rupert family. I asked him if he knew of the ferry in Island Park at the Rupert Ranch and he said he did. His impression of the ferry there was that it was used mainly by the Rupert family to cross the Green River with their farm equipment and harvest hay on river left (looking downstream) in the "lower meadow." The hay would be fashioned into bales and transported back across the river to the ranch where it was used to feed livestock during winter. I asked Ron if he knew how long the ferry was in operation but he said he did not know.

Dr. Bryan Brown

Quick trip to Las Cruces

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:22:01 -0600

Had a business meeting down in Las Cruces Monday. After the official part of the meeting was over, I asked the group if they knew of any ferries in the area. I already knew there had been a ferry down in Mesilla and figured there must have been one around Las Cruces. At that, David Chavez with Las Cruces MainStreet chimes in, "Oh, yeah, well there's the ferry at Picacho. Crossed the Rio Grande. I've heard about it all my life."

The ferries are coming out of the woodwork.

ca$h

Two Friends Who Believe In Ferries

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:22:01 -0600

Our interview came out in the Santa Fe New Mexican today. Written by John Knoll, it is a pretty accurate article of our interview. (Of course, being interviewed at a coffee shop resulted in me being pumped up on caffeine. I remember flailing my arms around trying to get a point across, way too excitedly.)

You can find it at this link: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Leisure/Two-friends-who-believe-in-ferries

I'm not sure how long it will be there. I am contacting the New Mexican to find out if they will let us reproduce it on our website.

A couple of minor points about the article; we didn't actually, talk to Marc Simmons, I sent him a letter and he was kind enough to write a response. (On an old typewriter, at that!) As for the "30 ferry locations" in New Mexico, it would be more accurate to say "around 30 ferry OPERATIONS" in New Mexico. Some of the same locations had different operations going on for years. An example being Fest's Ferry which earlier had been called the Black Range Ferry. Fest was a partner in the Black Range and apparently ended up being sole proprietor later on and the operation was then known as Fest's Ferry.

Bryan and Gary interviewed for the Santa Fe New Mexican

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:22:01 -0600

Bryan came into town this week from Salt Lake to do some collaborating on the ferry project. A friend of ours, Robert Evans, mentioned our project to a reporter that writes for the New Mexican, John Knolls. He called me and wanted to set up an interview with us. We met yesterday and talked with John for about an hour and a half. His article is only 600 words long so we expect to have an abbreviated message out to the public. But getting the message out is the important thing. We'll post the article whenever it comes out.

A productive weekend

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:15:21 -0600

Found a handful of new ferries between New Mexico and Colorado this past weekend. Most importantly, finally found a photo of a ferry in Colorado! Our first one from Colorado. It is Bennett's Ferry in Glenwood Springs. I'm in the process of getting a copy of the photo for our collection and possible use in our book.

On the Utah front, Dr. Brown tells me he is off to do some owl surveys for the National Park Service and then another "ferry field trip on the Green River to check out: site of Albert Snow ferry, site of Jensen ferry, and maybe site of Brown's Park ferry."

Last week, we got some tremendous help from Nancy Stotz of Desert Scribes down in Las Cruces. She alerted me to a definite ferry location at San Diego Crossing. I had seen mention of a crossing there but nothing about a ferry. After contacting her, thanks to Kevin Bixby of the Southwest Environmental Center, she took off to the local BLM office and sent me some great information. Thanks again, Nancy!

ca$h

Trip to T or C

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:49:17 -0600

This past weekend I drove down to Truth or Consequences to visit the Geronimo Springs museum. I've always wanted to stop in there but never had. I met with LaRena Miller. Nice lady. She provided me with a great photo of the Engle ferry. I'm trying to figure out if the Engle ferry was the same ferry that was started by the soldiers at Fort McRae. Or if it was just another ferry at the same site years later. Mrs. Miller also gave me a copy of a poem written by Eugene Manlove Rhodes, a well-known southwestern writer. It was called "Engle Ferry". I ended up spending so much time talking to Mrs. Miller that I did not tour the museum. I guess I'll just have to go back again! (BTW . . . great gift shop with lots of regional history, geography, Native American, old west, geology and treasure hunting books!)

ca$h