The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

A geologist's dream

 It is hard to put into words or to capture with a camera the immensity of the Grand Canyon.  Stretching for 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile 6,093 feet it is easily visible from space. It has been named one of the natural wonders of the world and the National Park and Indian reservations that encompass the canyon draw millions of visitors a year.

60 Mile View

Long Shadows in the Canyon

 There are several ways to experience the canyon. Most visitors drive in to the Grand Canyon National Park and peer over the edge from the South Rim. A small fraction of these test their limits by hiking down almost a mile towards the canyon floor. This is also where some adventurous visitors start, by rafting the mighty Colorado River. Famed for its incredible view and notorious rapids, one could spend close to a month rafting through the canyon, never seeing the same place twice. Visitors coming from Vegas now has a new way to experience the canyon with the transparent "sky walk." This glass walkway leads out from a  visitor center arcing its way out over the canyon giving a unique perspective. Although for $80, 4.5 hours drive from the Grand Canyon Village, and not being allowed to bring out a camera it is not highly recommended. The better way to get a bird's eye view is to head up in a whirly-bird, or helicopter.

Rain over the Canyon

Horseshoe Bend

Geology: The Grand Canyon is a fissure in the Colorado Plateau that exposes uplifted Proterozoic and Paleozoic strata. What this means is that layers of multi-colored rocks line the canyon walls dating back millions of years. These rock layers record much of the early geologic history of the North American continent.

Desert View Lookout

  The great depth of the Grand Canyon and especially the height of its strata (most of which formed below sea level) can be attributed to 5–10 thousand feet (1,500 to 3,000 m) of uplift of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 65M years ago. This uplift has steepened the stream gradient of the Colorado River and its tributaries, which in turn has increased their speed and thus their ability to cut through rock.

Changing Mood of the Canyon

The Old Grand Canyon Train

Elk in the sun

Another Canyon Overlook

Having just spent 12days at the canyon i came to realize that even though the canyon has been forming for millions of years it is undergoing constant changes. New storms bring more erosion and visible changes while the angle of light hitting the canyon walls brings an ethereal change throughout the day and into the evening. The temperature can vary over twenty degrees from the top of the rim to bottom. And once at the bottom you can step from scorching dry heat into a raging ice cold river. Although as I sit at 30,000ft flying back to Alaska  I realize the biggest change may have been me.

Seven Natural Wonders of the World:

Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Aurora, Paricutin Volcano, Victoria Falls