ARIZONA'S GRAND CANYON

NATIONAL PARK

by Lee Foster

Lt. Joseph Christmas Ives wins top honors in the history of American travel for the classic misjudgment of interest in a travel destination. Ives wrote, in 1857, after viewing the Grand Canyon, "Ours has been the first, and will doubtless be the last, party of whites to visit this profitless locality."

Little did Ives know that Coronado and his men gazed into these reaches earlier, but saw little profit in scenery and more in gold.

Ives could not imagine that by the 21^st century some five million annual visitors, both Americans and citizens from many other countries, would rank the Grand Canyon as one of the superb travel destinations on the planet. For spectacular vistas from dizzying heights and for technicolor transformations, especially at sunrise and sunset, the Grand Canyon is world class. A mile deep, 600 feet to 18 miles wide, and 277 miles long, the Grand Canyon offers a sublime spectacle, with a slice of geologic time visible on the vertical walls.

Not content to be completely wrong about the Canyon, Ives went on to generalize about the Colorado River.

"It seems intended by nature that the Colorado River, along the greater portion of its lonely and majestic way, shall be forever unvisited and undisturbed," said Ives.

The mighty Colorado River, eroding its way through Utah and entering Arizona from the north, cuts into the deep gorges of the Grand Canyon as it passes west. The river, moving at assured and moderate speed, pushes boulders ahead with ease. Over eons, the river created the canyon, displacing the soil a grain at a time. Ives would be surprised to see the number of nature observers, rafters, houseboaters, and fishermen who express a great fondness for the river.

A third of the visitors to the park each year are foreigners. Records kept at the park show that people from 110-120 countries seek out the park each year. The Japanese, British, Germans, Canadians, and Australians are among the most prominent groups. The park service once conducted some revealing studies of human behavior at the South Rim. For example, the average Japanese visitor spends 17 minutes gazing into the Canyon and 57 minutes in the gift shops.

The beauty of natural erosion is the major draw to this rather harsh environment, situated at 7,000 feet above sea level. Most visitors come just to see the Canyon from the South Rim.

September-October brings the dedicated photographers who seek out the most favorable light.

GETTING TO GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

The Grand Canyon is in northwest Arizona. The nearest major fly-in cities are Phoenix, 225 miles away, and Las Vegas, 278 miles away. Flagstaff is closer, but has limited commercial aircraft flights from Phoenix. The small Grand Canyon National Park Airport is served by charter flights from Salt Lake, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

Interstates 17 and 40 lead to the Canyon, with connecting routes 89 and 64, which are both good paved roads.

One way to arrive at the Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon Railroad, connecting the town of Williams to the South Rim, some 62 miles away. The experience of riding the railroad is highly recommended. You begin at the train platform in Williams in the morning. Mexican mariachi singers stroll about. Cowboy ropers show their tricks. You can peruse artifacts from the earlier rail and Arizona history era at the museum in the San Marcos Hotel. Details such as the various types of rails or the numerous cattle brands of the Babbitt Brothers are on display. A mannequin approximates one of the legendary Fred Harvey girls who ran the restaurants and hotels of the earlier rail era.

You then board the train for the leisurely three-hour ride up to the canyon, passing juniper and pinon pine forests alternating with ponderosa pine enclaves, as the altitude changes. On the train you can order a box lunch or nurse a beer in the club car. The train gets its power from a steam locomotive, as did the train from the earlier rail era, 1901-1968.

The park service is delighted because the 130,000 people carried each year on the train cut down the automobiles that would be entering the park. Historian Al Richmond has carefully covered the railroad's historical story in a book available at the gift shop in the depot at Williams.

HISTORY OF GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

The natural history of the planet is visible in a two-billion-year record on the walls of the Grand Canyon. The Vishnu schist at the bottom of the Canyon is part of the earliest earth formations. The river has been sandpapering or buzz sawing its way, depending on your preferred metaphor, through the more recently deposited sediment. Sediment that accumulated in the wink of a geologist's eye, mere millions of years ago, allowed for the possibility of a Grand Canyon.

The human story can be seen at the main Anasazi Native American site along the Canyon. This site is called Tusayan. Anasazi is a Navajo word meaning "the ancient ones." The Anasazi lived an irrigation-based farming life until drought and the stress of nomadic tribes destroyed them around the year 1450. Though the Anasazi are known to have flourished here roughly 500 AD to 1450 AD, there were also earlier tribes, about 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found wood twig figures made by these people in the shape of deer and sheep, sometimes with small arrows piercing them. Techniques such as carbon dating have determined the 4,000-year date. Between these early people and the Anasazi, a long uninhabited period ensued in the Canyon.

The Anasazi culture, which developed prominently at other Southwest sites such as Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Kayenta, found its fullest expression in the Grand Canyon at the Tusayan Ruin. The Anasazi development includes the Basketmaker culture (circa 500 AD), when tight baskets of exceptional quality were produced, and the Pueblo culture (1200 AD), when the agrarian and sedentary life of farming reached its peak. About 2,000 known Native American sites have been identified by archaeologists in the Grand Canyon. When drought forced the Anasazi to move east, they contributed to the racial stock that became the Hopi and Navajo cultures.

The next chapter of the human story occurred when Francis Vasques de Coronado entered the region. Coronado dispatched Don Lopez de Cardenas to the Grand Canyon area, where the Hopi tribe directed him to the rim. Coronado and his comrades searched restlessly for the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, which were presumed to glitter like a mirage of gold and silver somewhere out on the deserts of the Southwest.

Pueblo Native Americans of the Grand Canyon area also attracted missionaries. Father Francisco Tomas Garces, who visited the Hualapai and Havasupai lands at the Grand Canyon, is believed to be the first person to use the term Rio Colorado, meaning the river colored red by the silt.

The U.S. assumed control of the Grand Canyon from Mexico with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe. Several geological surveys of the area occurred in the next decades. The most famous of these geological explorers was the one-armed Civil War veteran, John Wesley Powell, who rode a dory through the Grand Canyon in 1869, charting the river's course. His book on the expedition is a classic of exploration. Powell and his men didn't know what lay around the next bend.

In 1916 Woodrow Wilson signed the bill making the Grand Canyon a National Park.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

The most accessible area of the Grand Canyon is the South Rim, where most of the support facilities and 95 percent of all visitors congregate. A circuitous route leads east from the Canyon and then north before dropping in to see the North Rim, but that is another world altogether and will be considered here as a Nearby Trip.

If you plan to stay at the Grand Canyon, know that there are extensive lodging at the South Rim and in the gateway town of Williams. There are also camping and RV sites at the South Rim. However, reservations should be made as far in advance as possible, especially during the busy summer season.

El Tovar is the oldest and most elegant of the lodgings at the Grand Canyon. El Tovar was built in 1905, followed by Bright Angel Lodge in 1935. The El Tovar dining room is famous for elegant dining in this rustic setting. Try their specialty, a sliced steak sandwich.

When at the Grand Canyon there are several ways to see it. The most popular method of viewing the Canyon is by driving along the east side of the South Rim. In summer, due to the plethora of cars, the Park Service restricts driving along the west side portion of the South Rim overlooks. Park shuttles provide the transportation. Other ways of encountering the Canyon include hiking it, riding a mule into the bottom, and rafting the river through it. The mule trips, which have been popular for over 75 years, are either day trips midway into the Canyon for a view or overnight trips with lodging at Phantom Ranch on the bottom of the Canyon.

One spectacular way to see the Grand Canyon is on a helicopter ride from the South Rim. Twenty-five and 45 minutes rides can be arranged with AirStar or other providers. From a helicopter the full grandeur of the canyon becomes apparent, with the river snaking along at the bottom and the geological time scale on the sides apparent. (Next to the AirStar launch site there is an elaborate Indian craft store, full of silver jewelry and other delights, managed by the respected Navajo elder James Peshlakai.)

However you see the Grand Canyon, your awareness of the forces at work will determine the quality of your experience. The power of moving water, the chisel of wind, the pull of gravity, and the contraction-expansion of rock with freezing and thawing temperatures are just some players in the concert of nature always performing here. Justifiably, the United Nations ranks the Grand Canyon as a World Heritage Site.

One of the best ways to see the Grand Canyon is to start at the far eastern point and hike or drive west, stopping at turnouts, either in your car, by shuttle bus, or on foot. See the Canyon from as many perspectives as possible and at different times of the day to fully enjoy its beauty.

At the far eastern point, the first stop is the Little Colorado River Overlook, a deep chasm showing you a tributary of the Colorado River known as the Little Colorado. At this overlook you will most likely find Navajo and Hopi selling their crafts, evidence that you are near the Navajo-Hopi Reservations. At this site, outside the park boundary, the tribes can sell their wares directly. Within the park, sales are controlled by the concessionaire. The Hopi and Navajo reservations are well worth exploring. The main Hopi area is within the larger Navajo domain. Both groups produce outstanding crafts in silver, ceramics, and fabrics. The Hopi tend to live in communities, but the Navajo retain their rural life, flourishing in single-family groups.

Just inside the eastern boundary of the park is the Desert View turnoff, with its Watchtower, a 1930s interpretation of Hopi architecture. A nature trail at Desert View begins to acquaint you with the park's flora and fauna. Here you can see the Colorado River stretching below you. Rafters are often visible in the distance. To the east stretches the Navajo and Hopi Reservations.

Lipan Point shows a good view of the Colorado River. The river drops 2,000 feet in some 280 river miles as it runs through the Grand Canyon. There are 160 major rapids in the park, all rated from 1-10 in terms of complexity. Below you, at Lipan point, the Unkar rapids are rated six on the scale.

Tusayan is an intriguing stop because of its Native American ruins and adjacent Tusayan Museum. Built of Kaibab limestone, the ruins include a kiva, or ceremonial room. The tribes farmed corn, beans, and squash, supplementing this agrarian diet with game, yucca shoots, pinon pine nuts, and berries. Their life required constant attention to food supply; the failure of one crop season could mean starvation. Their method of grinding grain on rocks inevitably caused pieces of sand to appear in the food, which wore down their teeth. By age 20, a typical Anasazi had substantial tooth loss. The average life span was a mere 35-40 years. Utah juniper formed the structural wood in the wood-limestone buildings. The ruin was an inhabited structure around 1185, when the Anasazi flourished here. The ruin was occupied, archaeologists estimate, by about 30 people, but for only a short time, approximately 25 years. The cause of its abandonment is not clear, but drought is a probable contributor. The museum displays some artifacts and describes natural features of the area.

From Tusayan you get a good view of the San Francisco Peaks. In the Navajo language these peaks were given a name that translates roughly to "brilliant and shining like jewels." In the Hopi language, the peaks were named with words meaning "high place of hills covered with snow." The descriptions suggest the majestic appearance of these peaks, which dominate the landscape south of the Grand Canyon.

Moran Point enjoys a celebrated distinction in the story of the Grand Canyon because it was here, in 1540, that the Spanish explorer in the Coronado expedition, Garcia de Cardenas, became the first European to see the Grand Canyon. The fallibility of human measurement is evident in his description. He perceived, correctly, that the canyon was 8-10 miles wide, but he reported that the river, 2,000 feet below him, was an estimated six feet wide. The Coronado party spent three days here and ventured a third of the way to the river before turning back. Moran Point is a sweeping panorama of the Canyon with a backdrop of pinon pine and Utah juniper trees.

Grandview Point is one of the South Rim sites where a hiking trail can take you into the Canyon. Other trails down are from Bright Angel Lodge and from Yaki Point. Such a hike down into the Canyon should be undertaken only after consultation with the excursions desk at Bright Angel Lodge. You need to be in excellent physical condition to make the hike back up, especially in warm weather. Part of the challenge of the hike is an invisible factor that many visitors fail to allow for: the altitude. At the South Rim you are at 7,000 feet, which demands that you take it slow and easy for at least a couple of days as your body adjusts. If in doubt, underestimate your capacity for strenuous hiking. If you hike, be sure to carry, and drink, sufficient water, at least two quarts per person per day. Wear a hat and prepare for summer temperatures at the bottom of the Canyon in excess of 105 degrees.

If you doubt your ability to walk down and out, consider a mule ride, with sign-up at Bright Angel Lodge. You need to be under a certain weight and capable of the physical exertion of the ride. Anyone who hikes into the Canyon and needs to be brought out must pay the increasingly expensive rescue fees. If you hike in and plan to camp or lodge overnight in the Canyon, obtain a permit or reservation from the Park Service and the concessionaire at the South Rim Visitor Center.

Yaki Point is a major turnout with some short hikes to Canyon overlooks. From Yaki Point you get a good sense of the difference between the North Rim and the South Rim. The North Rim, or Kaibab Plateau, slopes gradually down, while the South Rim rises abruptly.

Yavapi Point and Mather Point are within walking distance of Grand Canyon Village. Yavapi Point's Geology Museum helps interpret the geological story of the Canyon. In the Village area, the nine-mile Rim Trail makes a pleasant, level walk offering views between Hermit's Rest and Mather Point. There is a 3.5-mile Nature Trail starting at Yavapi Point.

When you reach the Village at the South Rim you are in the midst of the main developed area. There you'll find the Park Service interpretive center, numerous gift shops, of which the Hopi House is the most elaborate, and the lodgings or RV/camping facilities, complete with showers and laundry.

If you wish to make a river rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, write the National Park Service for a list of concessionaires allowed to take parties through the Canyon. The Park Service will send you a brochure with the addresses and phones, plus initial information, on each concessionaire. Most of the trips depart from Lee's Ferry, Arizona. Some companies offer partial trips that allow you to get on or off at Phantom Ranch, which is directly below the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Most of the trips occur between April and October, though some companies run trips all year. The kinds of floating apparatus include motorized rafts, oar-powered rafts, oar-powered boats, dory boats, and kayaks. An Imax film shown at the Village shares the historical story of adventurer John Wesley Powell, the one-armed civil war veteran, who negotiated the Grand Canyon in his dory.

West from the village, a stunning view awaits the visitor at Hopi Point, where the panorama shows 60 miles of the canyon stretching east and west.

NEARBY TRIPS FROM GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

The major nearby trip, for most visitors, would be an excursion to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is not a casual outing. Though the North Rim is only 10 air miles from the South Rim, you either must hike there, which is heroic, or drive a circuitous five-hour, 215-mile route east, north, west, and then south. The North Rim has its own lodge, Grand Canyon Lodge, and its special view points, such as Bright Angel Point. Camping is also possible at the North Rim. An adventure from the North Rim is the drive out to the Walhalla Overlook and Cape Royal Overlook to enjoy yet further meditative views of the Canyon.

Expect the North Rim to be cooler and wetter than the South Rim. The North Rim is at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, while the South Rim is at 7,000 feet. Annual rainfall is greater (26 inches vs. 15 inches). Due to the factors of elevation, rainfall, and temperature, the forest is also different (blue spruce and white fir on the North Rim vs. ponderosa pine, pinyon pine and Utah juniper on the South Rim).

The Canyon bottom, incidentally, is a desert with less than 10 inches of annual rainfall and temperatures that reach 120 degrees. Only a few life forms can survive here, such as the kangaroo rat, which can metabolize water from dry seeds it eats.

Some visitors choose to explore the Grand Canyon on a day trip by lodging south of it at Williams and then driving or taking the train into the park. Williams is a lively little town with a fun Route 66 historic feel to it. There are attractive B&Bs, such as Mike Murphy s Grand Canyon Retreat and Ski Lodge. You could spend an evening at Cruiser s restaurant, indulging in the pork barbecue, meditating over how Williams was the last of the Route 66 towns to be bypassed when Interstate 40.

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GRAND CANYON: IF YOU GO

For information on the park, contact the Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023, 928/638-7888, www.nps.gov/grca.

The overall Arizona state tourism information address is Arizona Office of Tourism, 1110 West Washington, Suite 155, Phoenix, AZ 85007, 866/275-5816, www.arizonaguide.com.

Helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon are offered by AirStar Helicopters, 800/962-3869, www.airstar.com.

An engaging lodging in Williams is Grand Canyon Retreat & Ski Lodge, 518 E Route 66, Williams, AZ 86046, 928/635-0905, www.grandcanyonretreat.com.

Information on Williams, gateway to the Grand Canyon, is presented by the Williams/Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce, 928/635-1418, www.williamschamber.com.

For personalized tours of the Grand Canyon and other parts of northern Arizona, contact Phoenix area-based Detours, 866/438-6877, www.detoursaz.com.

This article was written by Lee Foster of Foster Travel Publishing. Contact him at his website www.fostertravel.com or via email at lee@fostertravel.com. Copyright Lee Foster.

Lee Foster's most recent travel guidebooks are Northern California History Weekends (Globe Pequot), which won a Lowell Thomas Award, and Adventure Guide to Northern California (Hunter Publishing).

Lee Foster's new literary book is Travels in an American Imagination: The Spiritual Geography of Our Time.

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