MARTY MACDONNELL

McDonnell of Sierra Mac River trips, is the premier outfitter on the Tuolumne River, an inventor whose ideas have affected thousands, and a prominent conservationist who has inspired many to protect the state's rivers.

As a rafter, McDonnell made the first descent of the Cherry Creek/Upper Tuolumne run and began commercial rafting on the hairball ride. He was the only outfitter allowed to run the Middle Fork of the Feather River.

McDonnell has dedicated his life to getting thousands of people safely and comfortably down whitewater rivers. He invented the first self-bailing cataraft, helped develop the Sotar self-bailing raft, and invented the "boom truck" now used by all rafting companies at takeout.

He created a new way to rescue people caught at waterfalls, now the standard technique for guides.

McDonnell is a charter member of the Tuolumne River Preservation Trust and helped saved the Tuolumne River and the Clavey River from getting dammed. The only book written about The T, "Rocks and Rapids of the Tuolumne River," by W.H. Wright in 1983, is dedicated to "Mr. Tuolumne, Marty McDonnell."