I continue to scan many of the photos belonging to Dave and Betty Donaldson. Some of the photos are a group or series, like this one. I don’t know why, but this one stood out enough for me to do a post on it.

Dad often helps me name some of the individuals in photos, or at least he looks at them. He does not always know who people are in the photos. When skimming these photos, he made the comment, “If you looked at the sign in sheet on the top of that arch, my name is there.” He told me it was one of the stops that when he did the Boy Scout whitewater trip down the Colorado River in about 1957.

He also did the trip while the Glen Canyon Dam was under construction. They had to take their canoes out and hike around the dam construction and put back in below. When they were passing the canyon where Rainbow Bridge is located, they had to pull out and hike all the way up the canyon and then climb up on top of the bridge.

These photos show a Rainbow Bridge much more accessible by water through the still filling Lake Powell.

As you can see in the photo below, these photos were likely taken in the middle to late 1970s. The dam did not fully fill until 1980! 17 years to fill! It has not been full since that time, continuing to decline due to prolonged drought.

It is an awe inspiring site to behold.

I do not know anything more than what the photos tell. Family trip to Lake Powell? Who is the instigator? Rented boat?

Irene is the daughter of Sterlin Delaino Telford Jr and Maxine Donaldson. David and Maxine are siblings to my Grandmother, Gladys Donaldson Ross. I scanned this photo just recently of Irene and Mel Rawlinson. I believe the daughter’s name is Shelly.