Etienne Provost Challenge

A challenge on the Provo River: Etienne Provost is the namesake of the city of Provo and the Provo River. The river was initially named Timpanogos River. Later, the river obtained the name Provo river which gave way for the city of  Provo to be named by Brigham Young. Provost was probably the first European to see and navigate much of this area of the country.  Brigham had a passion for bringing civilization to this untamed land. I suppose he recognised the contribution early mountain men of the western territories gave to civilization.  This challenge is about navigating a river with all the obstacles in your path. This challenge has carryouts where dams exist, whitewater, and long flat paddling to deal with. Your first challenge is to figure out what kind of watercraft to use. I would recommend a white water canoe, but then mountain men used what they had so that is what I will do. Thank you to my Costco Kayak.

Etienne Provost History (click)

Imagine these early mountain men of this area seeking a lonesome living off the land while occasionally getting a little reward for the fur they trapped and cured. They were tough and rugged and commonly dealt with the harshness of the land. Giving up often meant an early grave so it was not an option. They used wisdom at every step and rarely gave effort to foolishness. The rivers were their friends with all the stored and released energy to get their hard earned bootie to a place where it was tradable. They were expert builders and navigators of small water craft and used the rivers to move their goods.

Here are some possible reasons why nobody does this 38 mile section of river

The Provo River extends from the Uinta mountains and feeds into Utah Lake. 

Originally I wanted to start this journey at the bottom of the Jordanelle Dam. However, there is questionable use of the middle provo river for purpose of small water craft. Until that is settled I will start this journey at the bottom of the Deer Creek Dam where there is common small water craft use for recreation . Feeding into Utah Lake for the flat water section of this journey and ending at Sandy Beach where the Spanish Fork River feeds into Utah Lake. This river to river concept will give a good feel of how early river users had to wisely plan out there navigation. Often civilization was built in places that tradesmen could navigated to.

Fort Utah in the Timpanogos Valley (Before Provo was Provo): 

First Europeans to see the Spanish Fork River:

Escalante and Dominguez

The 37 mile Challenge:

small dams to deal with:

Just before this dam there is a bridge so low that you have to cross the street or go through a bike path tunnel to cross the street section just to get back to the river again.

There is a white water section of river to deal with called the Bridal Veil falls section:

Bridal Veil Falls Section

Bridal Veil Falls Section August

Of course if you decide on a whitewater kayak the flat water stretch will be miserable.

As you get closer to Utah Lake there are sections of shallow water and debris to deal with.

Winter?

The Home stretch! Yeeeee ha!

The home stretch!

I have found two other people to do this challenge with me on September 2, 2017. Safety in numbers.

Tanner Greenwood and William Pennington.

In 1849 Mormon pioneers built "Fort Utah" on a Utah Valley stream that had generally been known as the Timpanogos. Mormons dubbed the river flowing between Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake the Jordan, after the Holy Land river that connected the Sea of Galilee with the Dead Sea. Barney Ward, a mountain man who helped to guide the Utah Valley settlers, apparently told the Mormons that the Timpanogos stream was also called the "Provo." Why the names got switched is unclear, but the October 1849 LDS Conference directed the establishment of the city of "Provo" on the river. The city's namesake, meanwhile, still lived in St. Louis, unaware of the honor. Etienne Provost died there on July 3, 1850.

Just before the river crosses under the I15 freeway on the south side of the river there is a little known monument that talks about the origins of the old Timpanogos river (now the Provo river). The writing is really worn down. It can only be accessed by the river or the walking/biking trail.

Provo River Restoration Project (click)