Grand Canyon
The Grand
Canyon
More than 5
million years ago the Colorado River began carving out the canyon we now know
as the Grand Canyon. There are three
distinct layers of rock that make up the canyon walls. The softest of the layers are located at the
bottom, thus, the rapid erosion. Exposed
rocks in the canyon are between 1.7 million to 4.7 million years old making it
the oldest exposed rock on earth.
Originally the river brought sediment downstream and was red in
color. That is why it was named the
Colorado. In 1956 the Glen Canyon Dam
was built near the headwaters of the Colorado River. When completed, Lake Powell was formed. The
lake collects the sediment and now the Colorado no longer runs red. Eventually (not in our lifetime) Lake Powell
will fill with sediment and the river will again run red. It’s only a matter of time.
The Grand
Canyon extends East to West for 277 miles.
The south rim is located at about 7,000 feet and the North rim is about
8,000 feet. The only way to get from the
South rim to the North rim on land, is
to walk, or ride a mule down into the canyon and up the other side, or
drive. Although it is about 11 miles
across, the drive is over 200 miles.
There are no roads that cross the canyon. You have to go all the way to the eastern
edge of the canyon and cross the Navajo Bridge to cross the Colorado River.
With more than 4.5 million visitors a year, the Grand Canyon is one of the most popular of our National Park System. The park can be very crowded in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. The best times to visit are in the Spring after school starts and Fall. Winter can be a very beautiful time in the canyon. Crowds are light and the air is crisp. Facilities at the South rim are open year round. Although, it not uncommon to see snowfall., The snow on the formations make stunning pictures. Because the North Rims is at 8,000 feet elevation, snow forces closure of roads leading to the North rim.
The Watchtower at Desert View
 |
| Desert View |
 |
| The Watchtower |
 |
| Watchtower in Background |
More than 5
million years ago the Colorado River began carving out the canyon we now know
as the Grand Canyon. There are three
distinct layers of rock that make up the canyon walls. The softest of the layers are located at the
bottom, thus, the rapid erosion. Exposed
rocks in the canyon are between 1.7 million to 4.7 million years old making it
the oldest exposed rock on earth.
Originally the river brought sediment downstream and was red in
color. That is why it was named the
Colorado. In 1956 the Glen Canyon Dam
was built near the headwaters of the Colorado River. When completed, Lake Powell was formed. The
lake collects the sediment and now the Colorado no longer runs red. Eventually (not in our lifetime) Lake Powell
will fill with sediment and the river will again run red. It’s only a matter of time.
The Grand
Canyon extends East to West for 277 miles.
The south rim is located at about 7,000 feet and the North rim is about
8,000 feet. The only way to get from the
South rim to the North rim on land, is
to walk, or ride a mule down into the canyon and up the other side, or
drive. Although it is about 11 miles
across, the drive is over 200 miles.
There are no roads that cross the canyon. You have to go all the way to the eastern
edge of the canyon and cross the Navajo Bridge to cross the Colorado River. 
No comments:
Post a Comment