Grand Canyon Introduction
“Those who write about the Canyon
generally begin by saying that it is
indescribable; then they undertake to
describe it.” Joseph Wood Krutch
Grand Canyon Introduction
• 1-1150 BCE: pre-Pueblo people lived in
pit houses in area surrounding GC.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• 1-1150 BCE: pre-Pueblo people lived in
pit houses in area surrounding GC.
• 800 CE: pre-Pueblo entered building
phase, called the Pueblo period.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• 1-1150 BCE: pre-Pueblo people lived in
pit houses in area surrounding GC.
• 800 CE: pre-Pueblo entered building
phase, called the Pueblo period.
• Hopi people modern descendants of prePueblo people. Believe GC is legendary
Sipapu, or place of emergence. This is
the fourth world and they came through
the Sipapu after being forced to
abandon the third world, the one
directly below.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• 1540: First European to set eyes on GC:
Capt García López de Cárdenas. Sent by
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado to find
the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, Cíbola.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• 1540: First European to set eyes on GC:
Capt García López de Cárdenas. Sent by
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado to find
the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, Cíbola.
• 1776: Father Escalante first European
to visit North Rim.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• 1540: First European to set eyes on GC:
Capt García López de Cárdenas. Sent by
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado to find
the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, Cíbola.
• 1776: Father Escalante first European
to visit North Rim.
• 1858: Lt Joseph Christmas Ives Army
Corps of Engineers to determine
navigability of the Colorado River. From
Gulf of CA up CR for 350 miles on his
ship Explorer.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• 1869 Most famous geologist: John
Wesley Powell and nine others. Started
Colorado River trip at Green River, WY.
Goals: map the uncharted stretches of
the Green and Colorado Rivers, fill in
gaps found on maps of the Colorado
Plateau.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• Rocks hold the secrets to the history of
the earth; that is, if one knows how to
find and interpret the evidence. By the
end of the course, you will be able to
identify the evidence and come up with
ideas about what a rock is made of and
to explain how the rock was formed.
You should be able to pick up any rock
and start to answer the questions:
Grand Canyon Introduction
• What do I know about this rock?
• How did this rock form?
• Why does this rock look the way it does
today?
• How did this rock get here?
Grand Canyon Introduction
• In NW Arizona near
southern edge of
Colorado Plateau.
• Starts at Lees Ferry
below Glen Canyon Dam
and ends at Grand Wash
Cliffs, above Lake
Mead.
• Average 10 miles wide
rim to rim, with greatest
18 mi and least 5 mi.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• In NW Arizona near
southern edge of
Colorado Plateau.
• Starts at Lees Ferry
below Glen Canyon Dam
and ends at Grand Wash
Cliffs, above Lake
Mead.
• Average 10 miles wide
rim to rim, with greatest
18 mi and least 5 mi.
• Depth at N Rim 5700
feet.
• Depth at S Rim 1200
feet lower than N.
• Summer: Water temp
Glen Canyon Dam 8 ° C.
Winter: at Lake Mead
16 ° C.
• Colorado River 8-10
mph steeper rapids; 34 mph average.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• Colorado River depth in
GC: few inches to 100
feet.
• Colorado River drops
1709 feet in elevation
over 278 miles. Nearly
25 times steeper than
the Mississippi River.
• GC called one of the
seven natural wonders of
the world.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• Colorado River depth in
GC: few inches to 100
feet.
• Colorado River drops
1709 feet in elevation
over 278 miles. Nearly
25 times steeper than
the Mississippi River.
• GC called one of the
seven natural wonders of
the world.
• To hike to the bottom
takes at least one
whole day.
• A trip on CR thru GC
can be done on motorized raft in one week.
• “Crow’s Route” S Rim to
N Rim is 12 miles.
• Shortest route is over
Navajo Bridge in
Marble Canyon.
Grand Canyon Introduction
• You will view a video of the Grand
Canyon. Pay attention to what you hear
and see about John Wesley Powell and
about the natural history of the GC.
• IN YOUR JOURNAL TITLE GRAND
CANYON INTRODUCTION.
• List three historical facts about the
Powell expedition: i.e., dates.
• List three observations about the
natural environment of the GC.
Grand Canyon Introduction
The GC is a sacred place to the Native
American people who lived in the area for
hundreds of years before the first
Europeans arrived. Although Major Powell
was the 1st person to travel through the GC,
the 1st E to see the GC was Cap García López
de Cárdenas sent by Francisco Vásquez de
Coronado to find the Seven Cities of Gold,
Cíbola.
Grand Canyon Introduction
Cárdenas probably was not thrilled to
encounter the GC, which appeared to be an
impassable barrier over one mine deep. He
certainly didn’t appreciate its beauty and
grandeur at that time. Cárdenas and his
party spent 3 days trying to get down to the
river, but depleted supplies forced them to
give up their search for the Seven Cities of
Gold, Cíbola.
Grand Canyon Introduction
The Grand Canyon ranges from 3500 to 6000
feet deep. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
is 1063 feet tall. If you were to place the
Eiffel Tower at river level in the GC, it would
be dwarfed by the surrounding rock walls.
The Seattle Space Needle at 605 feet would
seem even smaller.