▁White ' s , ▁who ▁had ▁alleg edly ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁float ▁the ▁Grand ▁C any on ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁But ▁they ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁launch ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁ra ging ▁tor rent , ▁running ▁the ▁same ▁volume ▁as ▁the ▁previous ▁year . ▁They ▁opt ed ▁instead ▁to ▁use ▁a ▁one - man ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Air ▁Cor p ▁rescue ▁ra ft ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁pack ed ▁in . ▁So ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 6 , ▁they ▁began ▁an ▁ep ic ▁journey ▁down ▁to ▁Lake ▁M ead , ▁un im agin able ▁by ▁modern ▁river ▁run ners . ▁▁ ▁White ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁row ▁the ▁full ▁length ▁of ▁Mar ble ▁and ▁Grand ▁C any ons ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁ ▁She ▁made ▁her ▁name ▁when , ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁she ▁l ashed ▁three ▁ra ft s ▁together ▁to ▁achieve ▁better ▁stability ▁in ▁big ▁rap ids ▁and ▁began ▁taking ▁pay ing ▁customers ▁to ▁" share ▁the ▁exp ense " ▁of ▁running ▁the ▁river . ▁Her ▁methods ▁were ▁controvers ial , ▁as ▁those ▁who ▁ran ▁the ▁river ▁in ▁wooden ▁row bo ats ▁such ▁as ▁d ories ▁dis d ained ▁the ▁rub ber ▁ra ft s . ▁She ▁sh ru gg ed ▁off ▁her ▁det ract ors ▁and ▁kept ▁her ▁river - gu iding ▁business ▁going ▁for ▁ 4 5 ▁years . ▁Her ▁" Ro yal ▁River ▁R ats " ▁achieved ▁some ▁fame , ▁being ▁featured ▁in