{"id":34541,"date":"2024-11-28T08:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T16:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/?p=34541"},"modified":"2024-12-03T19:10:44","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T03:10:44","slug":"the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDisorder! Disorder!\u201d Judge VanLeuven banged a cracked orange mallet on a slightly dented ammo can. Fifteen defendants sat, shifting in a chair circle somewhere in the hellscape that is the last mile above Pearce Ferry on the Grand Canyon. The Judge waited for chaos to erupt, which took exactly no time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We talked over each other; fingers wagged, and casual taunts were cast. Unwisely allowed to preside over this hurricane, Judge VanLeuven opened his briefcase, extracted a Coors Banquet, cracked it open, and took a long pull. When the talking subsided Kyle asked, \u201cDid everyone have a chance to talk to their lawyer?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s hard to remember exactly how we escalated to this: conducting a trial on Christmas Day. The 28 preceding days had unfolded with surprising drama. On a river trip with no emergencies and zero carnage, we found a mystery unsolved and evolving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It started at Badger Camp, morning one. I was about to walk away from the groover when something caught my eye. A mere few feet from the box of toilet supplies, a man-made object poked out of the sand. My timid excavation revealed a hefty, corroded, copper-color<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ed coin. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-34541 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/coin\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170548\/coin-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/2014-06-01-19-10-25\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27173234\/2014-06-01-19.10.25-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front side was illegible, pocked with holes and melt marks. But on the backside, curving along the bottom edge, it read \u201cOne Grand.\u201d Goosebumps erupted. I looked around wildly, searching for someone to share my treasure with. I rarely find treasure! And <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Grand?! <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s that all about? I pocketed the coin and sprinted to the hand wash, eager to find friends and hypothesize.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Camp echoed with a chorus of exclamation as we passed the coin around, tossing out theories. I was feeling very proud of myself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSick,\u201d Kyle said with no intonation and a slight head nod (over the top for him). It amplified my pride.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIs it an artifact?\u201d Matt wondered. My excitement plummeted. Rule-follower that I am, I didn\u2019t need Ranger Steve\u2019s pre-trip talk, still fresh in my head, to want to return the coin. Immediately. Plus, I wasn\u2019t trying to have bad luck out there. I didn\u2019t need to tempt any sort of fates. But after further discussion, we concluded it was more trash than artifact. I tucked it into the pocket of my fleece, and off we pushed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34558 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170700\/Layered-light-Erik.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170700\/Layered-light-Erik.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170700\/Layered-light-Erik-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170700\/Layered-light-Erik-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170700\/Layered-light-Erik-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170700\/Layered-light-Erik-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I didn\u2019t think about it again as both minutia and grandeur swept us downstream. We were busy mastering the comm box puzzle and ogling big canyon walls. Busy dialing in our camp chore chart and delighting in side canyon explorations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Until Kat returned from fossil hunting at Nautiloid Camp with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">another <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">coin. \u201cWhat?\u2019 \u201cNo way!\u201d Incredulity and excitement rippled through camp. That\u2019s when I learned Adam had <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">also<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found a coin at North Canyon while fishing the day before. I was beside myself. I couldn\u2019t fathom how this was happening. Scanning the circle with a huge disbelieving grin, I marveled. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I love a good story; I love not knowing the answers, love getting to wonder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My brain searched for logical explanations. I kept obsessing about the High Flow Experiment conducted earlier in the year. Had it dredged something up? It\u2019s not like there are treasure boxes out here. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there?! <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erik theorized a commercial company might have placed them for their guests to find. Guesses abounded. It wasn\u2019t until the corridor above President Harding Rapid that another option arose. Kyle abandoned his oars and boarded my boat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-34541 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/dtd24_coin-saga_claire-keegan\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170603\/DTD24_Coin-Saga_Claire-Keegan-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/tuck-up-canynon-chan\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170813\/Tuck-Up-Canynon-Chan-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Draped across the bow, without preamble, he asked, \u201cWho do you think is planting the coins?\u201d My jaw dropped. Haley and Courtney jumped right in with quick analysis and whispered accusations. I struggled to catch up<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I hadn\u2019t even <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">considered<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> an inside job. I was aghast. Everyone was a suspect. What was this? Some massive, month-long game of Assassin?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many early fingers pointed at Erik, an engineer. He arrived at Lee\u2019s Ferry with a homemade solar panel battery set up, complete with parts he designed and 3D printed. If anyone was casting aluminum and copper in their garage\u2014well, he seemed a plausible choice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accusations ran rampant as the mystery continued, unsolved. \u201cKyle seems convinced that it is me and is working hard to try to convince the rest of the group,\u201d Eric wrote in his journal. We pointed fingers and campaigned for our own innocence. We were constantly on the lookout for incriminating evidence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our eyes were always peeled for coins, which of course, led to finding all sorts of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> treasure. Unique rocks, weird insects, new scrambling routes, unmarked secret ammo cans. As I searched, I started to interact with the landscape in a new way. I noticed beauty not just on the macro level, but the micro, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-34541 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/coin-saga_1\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170509\/Coin-Saga_1-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/rock-treasure-beau-fitzke\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170715\/Rock-Treasure-Beau-Fitzke-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/rock-treasure-david-chan\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170744\/Rock-Treasure-David-Chan-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/2014-06-04-08-34-29\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27173306\/2014-06-04-08.34.29-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Derek found a coin on an evening hike at Eminence, miffing the public jury as no one had hiked up before him. Kyle found one in a small slot canyon at Papago during a group-wide dance party. Everyone was there, so the suspects weren\u2019t narrowed down at all. Haley stuck her hands in her jacket pocket at breakfast, and, much to her chagrin, found a coin. She\u2019d been wearing her jacket since she got up that morning!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not knowing was too much for us; we had to get to the bottom of it. We declared there would be a trial. If we didn\u2019t have answers before Christmas, we\u2019d solve it once and for all on the penultimate day of our trip. Because what says \u201choliday spirit\u201d like talking over each other at the proverbial dinner table? That and a bit of unsubstantiated blame?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom down brought more intrigue. Four coins were found at Tuck-Up during our layover (Who was the first to explore the canyon? Last out on evening one?). Zoli found a coin while scouting Lava (we were all standing there! How?). Kyle <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pretended<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to find one at MatKat. He denies it. Aaron and Zoli borrowed my coin, one of the most distinct for its copper color. They planted it to be found in the presence of certain accused to monitor responses. There was subterfuge. Evasion. Deception.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34562 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170755\/Santa-Hat-Beau-Fitzkejpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170755\/Santa-Hat-Beau-Fitzkejpg.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170755\/Santa-Hat-Beau-Fitzkejpg-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170755\/Santa-Hat-Beau-Fitzkejpg-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170755\/Santa-Hat-Beau-Fitzkejpg-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170755\/Santa-Hat-Beau-Fitzkejpg-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/>Insanely, my friend Riely, who was on a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> trip found one at a camp we didn\u2019t even stay at! (Ohmygosh, what if it <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">isn\u2019t<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> someone on our trip?). I looked him in the eyes and laid down the law. \u201cRiely, if you\u2019re lying to me, it is going to be very hard on our friendship.\u201d We\u2019ve literally been friends for a decade. Who had this treasure hunt made me?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wish<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I were doing it,\u201d Erik wrote in his journal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ruse remained (with varying degrees of secrecy) until we arrived at the most desolate and least inspiring part of the canyon. Camp 279.0 was a silty berm laden with cow pies and viscous pokey plants. For inexplicable reasons, we planned to lay over. We had a full day to kill on this strip of sand, trapped by towering silt banks, just one mile above the takeout. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps it was our disinclination to leave this community we\u2019d built. Or a desire to hang onto this slice of wonder before returning to technology and news and notifications and alarm clocks. Whatever the reason, we went full-in on the trial.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our Judge was obvious. He\u2019d been our river lawyer all along and would probably be the jury, too. We selected a stenographer, appointed a forensic specialist, and elected a courtroom sketch artist. I insisted on a modicum of order, and we presented our evidence in chronological order. Despite the absurdity of the situation, there was also a poignancy to recounting the trip\u2019s unfolding. Each coin, a marker of our journey through the canyon, we got to re-float 279 miles of memories.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-34541 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/coin-saga_4\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170535\/Coin-Saga_4-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/group-at-pearce-david-chan\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170640\/Group-at-Pearce-David-Chan-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the evidence presented and the reminiscing complete, the accusations commenced. Judge VanLeuven had little interest in maintaining order, opting instead to instigate pandemonium. At one point, our forensic specialist even requested handwriting samples. Each of the accused submitted a sample to be compared to the writing on the coin. And all the while, laughter was abundant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When all accused had presented their defenses, the coinmaker came clean. We settled back in our chairs to hear the backstory. Court records have been sealed, so I can\u2019t reveal their identity. But I can share that the maker didn\u2019t set out with a long con in mind. They intended to make a souvenir for each person on the trip. The treasure hunt and mystery were a happy accident that snowballed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0After the trial ended, two boats floated by. We called out, asking how their trip was. \u201cDid you find any treasure?\u201d someone shouted from shore. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To our astonishment, they\u2019d found a coin, \u201cIt said \u2018One Grand!\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s probably from Powell\u2019s expedition!\u201d Matt replied.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMust be!\u201d They shouted back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mystery was captivating, and the conspiracy thrilling. But above all, I loved the way the coin saga invited me to look around more intently. I found lovely and wild patterns in the rocks. Noticed the flora change in each new canyon corridor and saw plants I\u2019d never seen before: I had questions, hypotheses, and so much wonder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It turns out, there is treasure everywhere. All you have to do is look.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-5' class='gallery galleryid-34541 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/coin-casting\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170453\/Coin-casting-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/rock-treasure-derek-young\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170731\/Rock-Treasure-Derek-young-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/2014-06-03-16-33-48\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27173251\/2014-06-03-16.33.48-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/eminence-coin-derek-young\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27170616\/Eminence-Coin-Derek-Young-100x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Editor&#8217;s note: T<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he maker of the coins returned to collect planted coins that remained unfound. They succeeded except for two. One was miraculously found by the other group. The other accidentally fell into the abyss in the pool at North Canyon. The maker does have a snorkel and plans to retrieve it when they can. Should you find yourself in North Canyon: happy hunting!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Photography courtesy of Claire Keegan, David Chan, Erik Carlson, Derek Young and Beau Fitzke<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A mere few feet from the box of toilet supplies, a man-made object poked out of the sand. My timid excavation revealed a hefty, corroded, copper-colored coin. The front side was illegible, pocked with holes and melt marks. But on the backside, curving along the bottom edge, it read \u201cOne Grand.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48000,"featured_media":34581,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[339],"tags":[649,335,316,629,120],"class_list":["post-34541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nrs-culture","tag-christmas","tag-grand-canyon","tag-rafting","tag-whitewater-rafting","tag-women-boaters","post-grid"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy | Duct Tape Diaries | NRS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discovery abounds as a group of friends try to solve the mystery of the Great Coin Saga: A classic \u201cwho-done-it\u201d with a Grand Canyon twist.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Christmas Trial: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the discovery of treasure in the Grand Canyon, discovery abounds as a group of friends try to solve the mystery of the Great Coin Saga.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Duct Tape Diaries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nrsweb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-28T16:00:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-04T03:10:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27180303\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1012\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jasmine Wilhelm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@nrsweb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@nrsweb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jasmine Wilhelm\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jasmine Wilhelm\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5acebaa9c173e9af762aea56401e2292\"},\"headline\":\"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-28T16:00:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-04T03:10:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1647,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\\\/duct-tape\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27180303\\\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Christmas\",\"grand canyon\",\"rafting\",\"whitewater rafting\",\"women boaters\"],\"articleSection\":[\"NRS Culture\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy | Duct Tape Diaries | NRS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\\\/duct-tape\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27180303\\\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-28T16:00:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-04T03:10:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5acebaa9c173e9af762aea56401e2292\"},\"description\":\"Discovery abounds as a group of friends try to solve the mystery of the Great Coin Saga: A classic \u201cwho-done-it\u201d with a Grand Canyon twist.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\\\/duct-tape\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27180303\\\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\\\/duct-tape\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/27180303\\\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg\",\"width\":1800,\"height\":1012},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/28\\\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/\",\"name\":\"Duct Tape Diaries\",\"description\":\"Duct Tape Diaries, NRS&#039;s official blog, entertains, educates, inspires and celebrates the paddling lifestyle through compelling storytelling and photography.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5acebaa9c173e9af762aea56401e2292\",\"name\":\"Jasmine Wilhelm\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/99e3319275c5932c3bc5076e0b47a0325f54c8af37418586c834983755966bb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/99e3319275c5932c3bc5076e0b47a0325f54c8af37418586c834983755966bb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/99e3319275c5932c3bc5076e0b47a0325f54c8af37418586c834983755966bb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jasmine Wilhelm\"},\"description\":\"Jasmine Wilhelm is a freelance writer and river guide. She spends her summers guiding on the Salmon River system, where she learned to boat. In the off-season, you can mostly find her voraciously reading or adventuring on foot.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/author\\\/jasminewilhelm\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy | Duct Tape Diaries | NRS","description":"Discovery abounds as a group of friends try to solve the mystery of the Great Coin Saga: A classic \u201cwho-done-it\u201d with a Grand Canyon twist.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Christmas Trial: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy","og_description":"With the discovery of treasure in the Grand Canyon, discovery abounds as a group of friends try to solve the mystery of the Great Coin Saga.","og_url":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/","og_site_name":"Duct Tape Diaries","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nrsweb","article_published_time":"2024-11-28T16:00:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-12-04T03:10:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1800,"height":1012,"url":"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27180303\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jasmine Wilhelm","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@nrsweb","twitter_site":"@nrsweb","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jasmine Wilhelm","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/"},"author":{"name":"Jasmine Wilhelm","@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/#\/schema\/person\/5acebaa9c173e9af762aea56401e2292"},"headline":"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy","datePublished":"2024-11-28T16:00:24+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-04T03:10:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/"},"wordCount":1647,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27180303\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg","keywords":["Christmas","grand canyon","rafting","whitewater rafting","women boaters"],"articleSection":["NRS Culture"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/","url":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/","name":"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy | Duct Tape Diaries | NRS","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27180303\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg","datePublished":"2024-11-28T16:00:24+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-04T03:10:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/#\/schema\/person\/5acebaa9c173e9af762aea56401e2292"},"description":"Discovery abounds as a group of friends try to solve the mystery of the Great Coin Saga: A classic \u201cwho-done-it\u201d with a Grand Canyon twist.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27180303\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/27180303\/DTD_Coin-Saga_16x9.jpg","width":1800,"height":1012},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2024\/11\/28\/the-great-coin-saga-a-grand-canyon-conspiracy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Great Coin Saga: A Grand Canyon Conspiracy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/#website","url":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/","name":"Duct Tape Diaries","description":"Duct Tape Diaries, NRS&#039;s official blog, entertains, educates, inspires and celebrates the paddling lifestyle through compelling storytelling and photography.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/#\/schema\/person\/5acebaa9c173e9af762aea56401e2292","name":"Jasmine Wilhelm","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/99e3319275c5932c3bc5076e0b47a0325f54c8af37418586c834983755966bb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/99e3319275c5932c3bc5076e0b47a0325f54c8af37418586c834983755966bb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/99e3319275c5932c3bc5076e0b47a0325f54c8af37418586c834983755966bb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jasmine Wilhelm"},"description":"Jasmine Wilhelm is a freelance writer and river guide. She spends her summers guiding on the Salmon River system, where she learned to boat. In the off-season, you can mostly find her voraciously reading or adventuring on foot.","url":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/author\/jasminewilhelm\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34541"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34674,"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34541\/revisions\/34674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}