John Wesley Powell River History MuseumJohn Wesley Powell River History MuseumSome people are shaped by the places they choose to call home. Others seem destined for them. “Big Linda” Wittkopf found the big space she needed among the vast canyons, open deserts, and wild rivers of the Colorado Plateau. Drawn by adventure, she built a life in Castle Valley, Utah, that defied convention. At a time when few women were welcomed into commercial river running, Big Linda earned her place through light-hearted confidence, remarkable skill, and a generosity that became as legendary as the rivers she ran and loved. In the end, it wasn’t just the landscape that defined Big Linda – it was the enormity of her heart. She loved her people deeply, laughed often, gave generously, and lived every chapter of her life with uncommon courage and joy.
Born in St. Louis on July 27, 1947, Big Linda spent her teenage years in Tucson, Arizona, graduating from Amphitheater High School in 1965. With guitar in hand and dreams of becoming a folk musician, she headed to New York City to immerse herself in the folk music scene inspired by artists like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Odetta. A decade later, a road trip through the Southwest with her brother, Mark, brought her to Castle Valley, Utah. When the siblings discovered 5-acre parcels selling for $5,000, they each bought a parcel on the spot. For the brother-sister duo, what began as a detour became home for the rest of their lives.
When Big Linda entered commercial river running in the mid-1970s, women were rarely hired as guides and almost never entrusted to lead expeditions through Cataract Canyon. She quickly proved that skill, not gender, was what mattered at the oars. Guiding for North American River Expeditions, Tex’s Riverways, Tag-A-Long, Sidewinder, and Descent River Expeditions, she became one of the few women who regularly led trips through one of the Colorado River’s most demanding canyons. National Park Service records document more than 20 Cataract Canyon expeditions led by Big Linda during the late 1970s alone.
Her most legendary accomplishments came during the historic runoff years of 1983 and 1984. On June 27, 1983, with the Colorado cresting near 105,000 ft.³ per second and Cataract Canyon closed by order of the National Park Service because of dangerous conditions, Big Linda and best friend Brian Coombs launched before dawn and completed the canyon in a single day. The remarkable descent is believed to be the fastest ever made in truly unprecedented conditions.
The following spring, the Colorado River rose even higher, peaking near 115,000 ft.³ per second. The extraordinary runoff of 1984 prompted the National Park Service to abandon its policy of closing Cataract Canyon during extreme high water. On a commercial trip for Sidewinder River Expeditions on May 27, 1984, Big Linda again successfully rowed Cataract Canyon alongside Brian Coombs, Nick Nyer, and John Franklin, surpassing the previous year’s record. Big Linda’s successful descents remain among the boldest and most significant accomplishments in the history of commercial river running.
Big Linda lived her life among the wild canyons and rivers of the Colorado Plateau, where her adventurous spirit, boundless generosity, and unwavering kindness flourished. She continued to guide on all rivers of the Colorado Plateau until her untimely death from pancreatic cancer in November 2006. She mentored and inspired countless young women to become career guides on the Colorado, Green, and San Juan Rivers. It is estimated that at the time of her death, she had led well over 100 trips in Cataract Canyon alone, to say nothing of her experience on all the other other rivers of the Plateau. Big Linda lived big, loved big, and when she left this world for the next, she left a big legacy. Rest well, legendary Big Linda, you are finally and forever below the Big Drops.
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Adults (18+)
Seniors (62+)
Children (7-17)
Family
$8
$6
$3
$25
Free admission for children under 7, museum members, and Green River residents.