![]() J. Willard Marriott Special Collections, University of Utah Its design was based on another famous boat, the Mexican Hat, that is on display in the Powell Museum in Green River, UT. It was built by Jack Brennan for a trip down the Yampa River in 1946. Its name "The Loper" was bestowed upon it in order to honor Bert Loper, Jack's mentor who had taken him on two earlier river trips. Utah State Historical Society The Loper was used commercially as part of Harris-Brennan River Expeditions for the next several years until the availability of modern rafts and other synthetic materials changed the types of craft used for whitewater. Eventually, Brennan donated it to his friend Dr. Aaron Ross who used the boat on his private river trips. ![]() J. Willard Marriott Special Collections, University of Utah In 1984, it was given to Dinosaur in bad shape. It was restored by Bill Ott to working condition. He was unaware of its original coloration and painted it white with green trim because he had seen other cataract boats painted white and felt the green made it fit in with NPS colors. NPS/Jake Holgerson J. Willard Marriott Special Collections, University of Utah |
Last updated: July 25, 2018