In the late 1960s, the last wild, un-dammed section of Hells Canyon was under threat of flood by damming. Engineering field surveys and core sampling was underway and companies were in the courts trying to decide if the dam was to be run as a private or public corporation. During this time, photographer Boyd Norton ran the river, published photos in Audubon Magazine and took a selection of his prints to the desk of Senator Bob Packwood. The result was one of our nation's greatest successes in natural resource conservation and it was driven by art.
In May of 2017 Mr. Norton, five more outdoor photographers and poet Cam Scott ran the river once again to document its splendor. The work presented here is a collection of Mr. Scott's poetry complemented by two of the trip photographers. It is our hope that this collection of poetry will touch you in the way the canyon touches those lucky enough to enter her rugged walls.