American Spectator: February 26 marks the centenary of Grand Canyon National Park, its designation issuing from the pen of President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Coincidentally, the Grand Canyon’s great champion, ex-president Theodore Roosevelt — who had named the canyon a national monument in 1908 — had passed away only seven weeks before (January 6, 1919). The timing of Wilson’s action is interesting: Did he sign the designation as a tribute to Roosevelt’s memory as a conservationist, or withhold it so his most prominent political critic couldn’t take the credit? Maybe both.
A Spanish conquistador named Lopez de Cardenas, who was associated with Francisco de Coronado’s southwestern explorations, first saw the great canyon in 1540. Except for the local Indian inhabitants and the occasional wandering mountain man, the vast canyon went mostly unnoticed (the entire Colorado Plateau being a blank area on the map) until John Wesley Powell’s devil-may-care 1869 expedition descent of the Colorado River in dories. In his book The Explorations of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, he wrote: “You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view, as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted, but to see it you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths.” MORE HERE
If one is so inclined, I recommend Powell’s book. It is a first hand diary of his trip in ’69.
It begins with embarcation at Green River, Wy. into an unknown area. Truly one of the greatest adventures of all time.
We know it’s coming so let me be the first “contrarian expert” here to point out it can’t compare to the giant canyon on Mars or the Mariana Trench.
And how did the water run uphill to start the canyon in the first place?
Don’t plan a vacay trip to the Grand Canyon unless you have made reservations for white water rafting, or the mule ride down(and UP). It’s real marvel, no doubt, but the trip there is too long, you get there and look down at the rift, and ….that’s it.
We took visitors there twice and then…suggested others book a bus trip or rent a car.
This is such poppycock, and it starts with the Colorado did not magically flow uphill (the plateau was there already). The canyon could easily be carved out in weeks or months from flood water draining off the continent after the Genesis Flood.
Went there from Vegas.
Left at 6AM (Ugh) went to the South Rim.
Looked at the ditch.
Got back at 9PM.
Had more fun looking at the hookers on Fremont Street.
Go to the north rim 400,000 people a year versus the south rims 4,000,000.. The north rim is very wild, one hike we took to an overlook we saw no one else on the trail.
One thing though it is a 200 mile drive from the south rim to the north rim (12 miles by air) and when they say last chance for whatever on the road into the park they mean it.
Everyone should go to the Grand Canyon once it is breath taking.
Technically it’s one hundred and one years old. We had some labor disputes during its construction.
Fuggin’ lazy indians….
Naivete’ is strong in this world…
Fook Woodrow Wilson….. that stated, I finally was able to take my bride there summer before last. Only made it 1500 feet down (from the South rim). Trek back up was kinda tricky due to the lack of o2 in the air.
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
My personal theory is that what initially carved out the canyon was a spontaneous flood from the melting glaciers of the ice age as the temperatures were warming up. After that rivers and tributaries have continued eroding the landscape since then.