The Grand Canyon seems to collect passionate characters and intense curmudgeons in its depths, and Martin Litton fit that description well. Litton was a river runner, conservationist, and writer, without whom water skiers might today be zooming between the rims. He was one of the first 300 people to head down the Colorado in 1955, and he was hooked. He eventually founded Grand Canyon Dories in 1971, challenging the roaring rapids with these elegant, wooden boats.

Now, National Geographic filmmaker Pete McBride has produced an homage to Litton, in the form of the film, "Martin's Boat," which follows the newest dory down the river. Litton thought the best advocate for conservation and preservation was the canyon itself, and river trips often produced life-changing moments to many who dared.

McBride says, "Having grown up on the Colorado River and following its water challenges from the headwaters in Colorado to its dry delta in Mexico, the defeat of the Marble Canyon Dam was the quintessential David and Goliath story. Last spring, I was invited to meet the spirit of Martin via some of the people who knew him best—his friends and river family—the boatmen and women who worked with him, grew up in his boathouse and carry his passion for the Grand Canyon forward."

Martin Litton rows a dory down the Colorado River

You can catch this amazing film January 14-18 at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, California; January 29-31 at the Lookout Wild Film Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and February 11-14 at the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival in Flagstaff, Arizona.