1901: A Canyon Odyssey

1901
There beneath the August sun
A daring survey undertaken on the fly

Colorado would request
Divert the river water west
For The Uncompahgre Valley was too dry

There'd been one attempt before
And they needed to know more
Than what Bryant saw from base camps on the rim

When the challenge whet their thirst
Two men planned to be the first
To take the canyon floor route cut from deep within

There's only one way the water flows
Through a passage no one knows
Heading down the Canyon Black
They could never turn their back
Staring down the Barrel of the Gunnison

The Journey started as they planned
With support from a third man
Who hiked the the old trail high above the river's hood