Early in the morning we arrived by car. It was in October 1987 we stand on historical ground. The incredible view over Grand Canyon stunned us. The sunrise lightened up the mountain peaks and colours changed continuously. We could see that this day grew to be fantastic.
Grand Canyon National Park encompasses more than 1.2 million acres, the vast majority of which are inaccessible due to the predominance of cliffs and inhospitable to all but plants and animals able to survive in the desert. The Colorado River bisects the canyon; hikers can cross the river only at Phantom Ranch. If you choose to hike from rim to river to rim, you will have to deal with an elevation differential of more than 10,000 feet from start to finish.
Photo: Grand Canyon - A spectacular and unique scenery!
This barren valley is the heart of the Navaho`s kingdom. No one know it better than they. The Indians give every plant and root a own identity. Located entirely in northern Arizona, the park encompasses 277 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. One of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world, Grand Canyon is unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers to visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site.
Its fantastic sandstone and limestone formations were not literally carved by the river, however; they're the result of erosion by wind and extreme cycles of heat and cold. These features were named - Brahma Temple, Vishnu Temple, and so on - by Clarence Dutton, a student of comparative religion who wrote the first Geological Survey report on the canyon in 1881.
After successfully collecting our permits for hiking around in the valley, we started the descending immediately. Our trip begun at a high elevation (7000 to 8000 feet). It is a real challenge hiking in a desert climate, where water and protection from the elements make the difference between life and death.
Photo: Grand Canyon.
We had to keep our balance. The path down to the ground was very bumpy and narrow. A good advice here: keep your eyes open.
Photo: Grand Canyon - an natural wonder of the world!
On they way down to the bottom, my travel mate Sigbjorn had an unpleasant encounter with a rattle snake. Silently he moved a away from it. The snake was near, but perhaps it had become too lazy to attack in the hot sun.
Hiking any of the trails that descend into the Grand Canyon offers something more than just another view of the same thing. Instead you pass through a sequence of utterly different landscapes, each with its own distinct climate, wildlife and topography.
However, while the canyon can offer a wonderful wilderness experience, it's essential to remember that it can be a hostile and very unforgiving environment, grueling even for expert hikers. The South Rim is 7000ft above sea level, an altitude that for most people is fatiguing in itself. Furthermore, all hikes start with a long, steep descent - which can come as a shock to the knees - and unless you camp overnight you'll have to climb all the way back up again when you're hotter and wearier. If you're day-hiking, the golden rule is to keep track of how much time you spend hiking down, and allow twice that much to get back up again.
Average summer temperatures inside the canyon exceed 100°F; to hike for eight hours in that sort of heat, you have to drink an incredible thirty pints of water. Always carry at least a quart per person, and much more if there are no water sources along your chosen trail. You must have food as well, as drinking large quantities without also eating can cause water intoxication.
The sun steaked extremely well. It almost turned me crazy. My mood improved on the descent when found hiding places for the sun. Totally exhausted I throw myself down to the ground. Before we moved further looking for a camp site, we took a deep breath. Food and water woke me up again after a while, and so we set off again.
Photo: We got on well with the Navaho Indian girls.
Photo: Navaho decoration.
Photo: A Navaho tower.
Arizona is a paradise for they who are interested in Indians.
Archaeologists still find interesting things in the area.
Activities
Raft the Colorado When Powell and his crew of eight floated the Colorado River in 1869, they dreaded the stretches inside Grand Canyon, where walls of schist, gneiss, and granite made portaging impossible. After barely surviving a series of thundering rapids, Powell looked forward to exiting what he called his granite prison. Today, commercial raft companies have turned Powell's prison into a 4,000-foot-deep (on average), 277-mile-long fun ride.
Ride a Mule into the Abyss Fred Harvey's immensely popular mule rides have been transporting visitors down into the depths for more than 90 years without major mishap, and are a central part of the Grand Canyon experience.
Make your dream become real. Take your time. Grand Canyon is like coming to a new world that will do an tremendous impact on you. If ever a valley deserves to be put back on the hikers map, it`s Grand Canyon; it`s a trully spellbinding nature site!
Stein Morten Lund, 15 April 2001
Additional information
Read more about exciting destinations and new explorations on our web site.
E-mail this
Print this
