Whitewater
Resume of Pete Winn
Grand
Junction, CO USA
Rivers of
USA
1967- 68 -
Worked as a professional guide on the Stanislaus and American (CA),
Rogue (OR), Main and Middle Salmon (ID) for American River
Touring Association (ARTA). Helped design and build the first
metal rowing frames for army surplus rafts.
1969-70 -
Formed American Guides Association (AGA) with friends and
relatives, ran trips on Stanislaus and American (CA), Rogue (OR),
Main and Middle Salmon and Selway (ID), Yampa (CO), Green (UT)
and Colorado in Grand Canyon (AZ). Designed and built more
rowing frames. Learned to kayak.
1971-72 -
Initiated and managed ARTA's Grand Canyon oar trips, which
expanded from 8 trips in '71 to 16 in '72. Trained new guides,
designed and built more rowing frames. First kayak trip through
Grand Canyon in '71, second in '72.
1973 -
Director of ARTA's American Whitewater School. Ran training
programs for new guides on rivers in CA, OR, ID, CO and UT.
Appointed to the board of directors of ARTA. GC operation
expanded to 28 oar trips. Company expanded from 15 guides in
1967 to 130 guides in 1973. Ran first raft descent of the
Tuolomne in CA. Ran one of first all-paddle raft trips through
Grand.
1974 - Jan -
March: designed and built rowing frames for Museum of Northern
Arizona (MNA) in Flagstaff for Ecological Survey (part of EIS)
contract with Grand Canyon National Park, trained MNA biologists
to run their own Grand trips. April - Nov: first oar boat river
ranger for Grand Canyon National Park, designed and built rowing
frames for patrol rafts. Ran a total of 10 GC trips.
1975 - Jan:
kayaked Grand with one other kayaker, without raft support. May:
solo kayak trip through Cataract Canyon of the Colorado in UT at
50,000 cfs. June - Sept: managed ARTA's California operation
(Stanislaus, S.F. American, Tuolomne).
1976 -
April: solo kayak trip on Salt River (AZ) May: Last commercial
Grand trip (50th trip, lead guide on Randy's Rock trip). June -
Aug: managed ARTA's Westwater and Cataract Canyon (UT)
operations. July: Selway private trip (kayak & paddle raft).
1977 -
present - Private boater, ran Grand trips in '78, '81, '82, '90,
'97, 2001 and 2004 plus numerous other rivers in AZ, CA, CO, ID,
NM, OR and UT.
Rivers of
China
1994 - Led
first descent of the Yangbi River in Yunnan, China - tributary
to Mekong.
1995 & 96 -
Led first and second descents of the Yong-Bao Gorge of the
Mekong in Yunnan, China. Created web site describing the geology,
geography, culture and ecology of the river canyons of the
western Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau.
1997 - Led
first descent of the Man Wan Gorge of the Mekong in Yunnan,
China. Ran a Grand private trip with my son Travis (13 at the
time) who kayaked and my daughter Carmen (8 at the time).
Expanded website to include the history of first descents in
China.
1999 - Led "first"
descent of the Mekong headwaters in Qinghai, China on the
Tibetan Plateau. Japanese team beat us by one day. Our trip
pushed the Chinese to formally identify the "true" source of the
Mekong River.
2000 - Led
first descent of the Salween headwaters in Tibet, China on the
Tibetan Plateau.
2002 - Led
an expedition on the main Yarlung Tsangopo (Bramaputra in Tibet)
from Dobe to Lhatze and a first descent of the headwaters of the
Kyi Chi (Lhasa River, a large headwaters tributary to Yarlung
Tsangpo).
2004 - Led
first descent expedition on the Mekong in Tibet, organized the
first Chinese rafting team expedition through the Grand Canyon.
2005 - Led
first descents of the Indus headwaters (north side of Mt.
Kailash in western Tibet) and Raka Tsangpo (large tributary to
the Yarlung Tsangpo in central Tibet). Completed a video about
the exploration of the rivers of western China.
2006 - 2010
- have plans for at least one first descent in Tibet or western
China per year.