The second leg of my Arizona exploration trip with Jeff. From Sedona, we packed up the trailer (wish I had a pic of it, it's a classic, decorated in high Cowboy kitsch!) and headed to Arizona. On the drive, Jeff played a historical educational CD, which I really enjoyed but kept getting tickled every time they mentioned the Spanish explorer who discovered the Grand Canyon -- Alvar Cabeza de Vaca (cabeza de vaca means literally "head of cow" in Spanish).We arrived at the south rim and drove through some fascinating foliage (mostly sage, juniper, and greasewood) until we parked and walked up to the edge. Although I've seen pictures a million times (and National Geographic specials, and so on), I have to admit I was completely overwhelmed when I first stepped to the edge and looked out and down. I even cried a little, although I didn't realize it at that moment. Sheer sensory overload.
Although we didn't have time to explore, at least I got to see it, and at a later time I was able to go back and hike some of it with Jeff and his amazing partner Rebecca. This is definitely one of those "must see before you die" places....
Grand Canyon Explorer
Educational Moment: The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles and attains a depth of over a mile (6000 feet). Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests the Colorado River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River continued to erode and form the canyon to the point we see it as today.
Before European immigration, the area was inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon ("Ongtupqa" in Hopi language) a holy site and made pilgrimages to it.
Educational Moment: The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles and attains a depth of over a mile (6000 feet). Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests the Colorado River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River continued to erode and form the canyon to the point we see it as today.
Before European immigration, the area was inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon ("Ongtupqa" in Hopi language) a holy site and made pilgrimages to it.
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