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Pompano
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GRAND CANYON and THE ONE-ARMED MAJOR
On the Trail with John Wesley Powell.
Some Colorado River history:
On May 24th, 1869, John Wesley Powell, the "one-armed major", and a crew of 10 men, launched their four boats on the unexplored
Colorado river. And thus began their epic journey of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
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Tragically, thirteen weeks later, only 2 boats and 6 survivors emerged from the canyon.
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- A great book about Powell's exploration of the river -
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On their historic exploration of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, Powell and his men traveled through tumultuous river rapids and tranquil calms,
mountainous canyons and majestic plains in their journey, where no man had journeyed before.
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- This photo shows Powell's boat, "Emma Dean" with his armchair and life preserver -
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Powell was a relentless explorer, as well as a keen observer of the wonders of nature. His diary contains profound descriptions of what he saw
and felt. One excerpt states:
“Each wall of the canyon is a composite structure, a wall composed of many walls, but never a repetition. Every one of these almost
innumerable gorges is a world of beauty in itself. In the Grand Canyon, there are thousands of gorges like that below Niagara Falls, and there are a
thousand Yosemites.” .
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(I hope the following photos describe the Canyon for you, too.)
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This chapter of our THE ROAD TO BAJA trip ..... takes us to
THE GRAND CANYON - SOUTH RIM
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We left Four Corners Monument and taking AZ Hwy 64 west from AZ Hwy 160 led us to the entrance of Grand Canyon Natl Park, South Rim. The roadside
sign said $25 per vehicle entrance fee, which was good to go with us..and we rolled on up to the park entrance.
A very nice park official looked at me as I was getting the twenty-five bucks ready...and said "That won't be necessary for you, sir. I just
need to see your Golden Age Passport."
I said, "Well, I don't have one..and besides, I'm not NEARLY old enough to qualify for one."
He kept a straight face and said, "Driver's license, please, sir."
I handed him my ND driver's license. He looked it over, turned around, took something out of a drawer, slid it through a card encoder..handed it and
my driver's license back...and said, "Now...instead of $25 per vehicle, this card is only $10. It's your Golden Pass to all National Parks in
the USA. You're all set after you sign that..and.. you COULD have got this a little earlier, you know.".
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I drove on in...trying to ignore the churlish chuckling from my co-pilot by saying..."A-hem!...Did you know that these handsome
trees we are driving by are Ponderosa Pines? And just look at those beautiful stands of pinyon/juniper
over there.".
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I am truly amazed at what some people find funny.....aren't you?
I turn to tell her that, but she is suddenly pointing and screaming, "Look OUT!" Startled, I jump with both feet on the airbrakes,
squealing locked-up tires, spread-eagling & splat-flattening the Maltese Bros. onto the windshield...and scared the living hell out a
beautiful desert muley buck who had just managed to spurt past the grillwork and escape into the scrub.
I calmly pry the pooches off the windshield and got my camera out, saying, "I just knew we'd see some game on this
section. Nice buck, eh?"
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After taking a half-dozen shots of the buck, I drive on....as she makes a comment.
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I graciously listen and then think that her sputtering, ..."Want me..to.hee-hee..ta..haa!.to...to d-d-drive so you can be ready for the next
photo-op there, Golden Boy?" was just a little toooo sarcastic, so I pulled over close to the first canyon viewpoint edge and opened the RV
door.
"Sweetheart, step out the door and take a look at those beautiful flowers over by that bush. No, you won't need your glasses, dear...it's
about 10 feet straight ahead."
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Well okay..not really.  After a smile and a hug, we move
on...reveling in the wonder of it all.
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Beautiful imagery surrounds this exquiste place, and the sentiments it creates when viewing it are wonderful too. The breathtaking view
along the south rim presents the awesome ambiance of the Canyon, and shows that nature needs none of mans inventions.
Splendid! Bravo! Encore!..if that is possible?! .
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Ah..almost a perfect photo spot, baby....backwards a few steps..okay, almost ..just ONE little more step...START FLAPPING!
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The view over the egde at the Indian Watchtower is unbelievable and undescribable. Over one and-a-half miles straight down. It takes your
breath away.. and turns the knees to jelly.
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Looking over that sheer precipice I could feel myself being drawn down-down-down.. into the hypnotic chasm like a moth to the flame. So I
carefully walk away..hoping that going off my diet will not collapse the cliff edge.
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..later in the motorhome, far from the edge & and fortifying myself with a martini, I recall this great poem by cowboy poet S. Omar
Barker.
He wrote this after his first view of the Canyon:
Grand Canyon Cowboy
I'd heard of the Canyon (the old cowboy said)
And I figured I'd like to go see it.
So I rode till I sighted a rim out ahead,
And reckoned that this place might be it.
I anchored my horse to a juniper limb
And crawled to the edge for a peek.
One look was a plenty to make my head swim.
And all of my innards feel weak.
If I'd known how durned deep it was going to be,
I'd have managed, by some hook or crook,
To tie my ownself to the doggoned tree
And let my horse go take the look!
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Thank Odin I've had the good fortune to have been here many times, and the grand vista always comes ALIVE when one sees it again.
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No need to say, "We'll be back"...that adventure is certain.
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I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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David K
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We were amazed, as well... Not just a big hole in the ground... The Grand Canyon in 3-D is really worth any effort to see... We are going back.
Thank you Roger for the look back!
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Crusoe
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Thanks for those wonderful shots Roger! Without a doubt- some of the best hiking country in the WORLD!!! ++C++
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lizard lips
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NICE -- A+
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woody with a view
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one time whilst visting the in-laws in Tempe i had a great idea! let's rent a car and go see the Grand Canyon. after driving all day (it seemed) we
pulled up to the rim, got out to snap some fotos, watched the Indian dancing in full costume (which made me cry, it was so sad what has become of
those great people!) got back in the car and were back in Tempe by dark!
we need to spend a little more time, next time.
BUT, it is a wonderous place. all i could think of was riding a horse across the desert in the dark of night and coming to the edge of that canyon 150
years ago. you probably would settle in for the night and in the morning would not believe what your eyes were trying to tell you!!!!
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Cypress
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Pompano, Thanks for sharing.
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Paulina
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Thank you Golden Boy for sharing your photos. I've never been to the Grand Canyon and I don't think flying over it counts. I'd like to know more about
the Indian Watchtower so I'm going to go look it up!
P<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Bajahowodd
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Roger. I totally plead ignorance as to your background. but my gut tells me that you should be producing media that glorifies nature. Your stuff is
just overwhelmingly good.
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Woooosh
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Roger. I totally plead ignorance as to your background. but my gut tells me that you should be producing media that glorifies nature. Your stuff is
just overwhelmingly good. |
I agree and I really like the historical perspectives!
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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Bajahowodd
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And BTW, We've been to the canyon in the middle of summer when there has been an awful haze in the air. From your photos, it's obvious that the
weather is a mite unsettled, not allowing the haze to settle. Your photos are magnificent in their color and clarity. Guess we're going to have to
visit there sometime other than summer.
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Pompano
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Paulina...here's some info on the Watchtower
| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
Thank you Golden Boy for sharing your photos. I've never been to the Grand Canyon and I don't think flying over it counts. I'd like to know more about
the Indian Watchtower so I'm going to go look it up!
P<*)))>{ |
You can try magnifying this photo a bit to better read it. If you have a problem post it here and I can do a better job of posting the info on this
photo.
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Located at the eastern end of the Grand Canyon South Rim, the building's form and construction were modeled after ancient Anasazi watchtowers. It was
built in 1932.
The architect was Mary Jane Colter who spent months locating ruins and traveling overland to sketch and study the forms, construction and stonework.
This seventy-foot tower was designed to take advantage of the sweeping views of the canyons. Based on two concentric circles connected with arching
forms, the building's exterior features coursed sandstone alternating with bands of colored stone above a rubble base.
[Edited on 10-25-2009 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Paula
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This is Mary Jane Colter, designer of the tower. Probably not a well behaved woman, Paulina She selected each stone that went into it, and was on site working through the construction, ahead of her time
as a woman architect. The tower is beautiful, and the art and colors inside are incredible!
Pompano, thank you for this thread! Your photos of the canyon are great, and they take me back to fall of 2008, when we FINALLY got there. It had
always been very grand in my mind, but I had no idea!
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BigWooo
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Great photos Pompano. I've really enjoyed your posts.
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Pompano
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paula
This is Mary Jane Colter, designer of the tower. Probably not a well behaved woman, Paulina She selected each stone that went into it, and was on site working through the construction, ahead of her time
as a woman architect. The tower is beautiful, and the art and colors inside are incredible!
Pompano, thank you for this thread! Your photos of the canyon are great, and they take me back to fall of 2008, when we FINALLY got there. It had
always been very grand in my mind, but I had no idea! |
Hola Paula, I agree with your idea of the architect, Mary Jane Colter, being a 'non-conformist' type of gal. Indeed, she most likely shocked some of
the stiffer types of her day. From what I have read of her, it seems highly likely her and Calamity Jane would have hit it off...maybe even Ma
Barker.
Thinking of women who succeeded in a man's world, she also reminds me of a great old gal I met in Coyote Bay back in the early 70's. Her name
was Magee (Ma-gee) and she was an early and rare female graduate of the Colorado School of Mines. A very outspoken lady, who brooked
no nonsense, and one who captured your heart quickly with her individualism. Being a young engineer and an explorer at heart, while employed by a
large mining company, she discovered quite a few jade mines in North America..a couple in Alaska, BC in Canada, and in California, plus a gold mine
in Mexico. She educated me on jade...and a few other fun things. She told me of finding nephrite jade Up North and jadeite in Guatemala and
California. Stupid me, I figured jade was just..jade..and only found in China.
Those were some times. She smoked long cheroots. She loved to have me bring her hassenpheffer (rabbit) from my hunts Up North and would put on a
feast for us with her husband, Jack. She also loved absolutley anything to do with extraterrestrials...ETs...spaceships..visitations..sightings.
She had a standing offer out to the shrimp boats that used to anchor in front of our Coyote Bay houses: "If you have seen any UFO's on the
Sea of Cortez, bring that story to me for some dinero and comida."
Well, I had been out on the Cortez quite a few times already by that time..and I had never seen a single UFO...BUT..the number of
shrimp boat captains who HAD seen them grew alarmingly over the course of a couple years. Magee's veranda was never quite empty..always a shrimper
here...a panga guy there..telling her about the huge glowing things that inhabit the Cortez nights. 
I know she didn't believe all of the stories..but I also knew she revelled in thier telling, and her imagination would take over from there. Good
enough and great entertainment..back then we had little communication with the outside world. I used to 'grade' the believability of the stories and
would tell Magee over coffee the next morning that the story last night was a 4..or maybe that rare 10.
Magee had a great, but slightly 'raw' sense of humor. One Christmas Up North I received a bulky card from her. Opening it I pulled out some folded
toilet paper..on which she had written in red lipstick - followed with a smooch:
"Money's scarce, Times are Hard, Here's Your F___ing Xmas Card."
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Jack, Magee, and me. 1973
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In retrospec, I think Magee and Mary Jane Colter would have become fast friends...and filled up some pages of history.
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I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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wessongroup
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Thanks for the pictures.. just great
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LancairDriver
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Fantastic pictures and presentation! I recently returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon and these pictures and presentation more than do it justice.
I am now looking forward to a trip to Mexico's Copper Canyon, said to rival the Grand Canyon in many respects.
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Mexray
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Great Pic's...
...BTW, don't waste your time going out to the Grand Canyon Skywalk that's on Tribal land...some friends went out there and they wanted about $75 per
head (BIG rip off) - there's two fees involved - one to get on the land and then an additional fee to get out on the glass Skywalk that juts out over
the edge...Also, they don't let you bring your camera onto the Skywalk!!! They won't let you bring anything that you may drop and scratch the
glass...They do, of course, offer to take your photo by their camera man - another rip off!
You can take many better pic's at the National Park outlooks, as Roger has shown above...skip the Skywalk, IMHO...
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
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Bajahowodd
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I second that, Mexray. Had it not been for the fact that the area is reservation land, it would never have been built.
LancairDriver- The Copper Canyon is magnificent. Do some homework before you make your arrangements. There are many options ranging from the class of
train, round-trip v. one way, overnight stops, Etc.
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Crusoe
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Or.....You can pack up a pack that you can handle and just head out on about any trail to nowhere and never be dissappointed. Hundreds of trails and
all of them so interseting. Or....Get your hands on a book by Colin Fletcher--The Man Who Walked Through Time--. It was published in 1963 and is
probably one of the best outdoor reads you will ever come across. It is about his (the first) through hike of the entire canyon.... He is the father
of the modern backpacking movement that started in the 50's.It was so ironic and tragic that he died in 2007 after bieng run down by a car in is own
niehborhood in Carmel, Ca., while he was close to his house on his daily walk!!! Yikes!!! ++C++
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Neal Johns
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Pompano,
Great posts! Many thanks.
Neal Johns
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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