This is the tenth diary installment of The Dkos Road Tour Series. Our destinations today will take us, first, to northern Utah, near Zion NP, then to southeast Utah, and from there to northern Arizona. The information in these diaries is “layered.” Meaning, the reader chooses how much or how little read, graduating from the essentials to more in-depth details. By the way, if you enjoy the series, it would be good to have a recommendation from commentators. Gracias.
GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK
Location/Geography: South-Central Utah. Emery County, in the Wild Horse Butte between Green River and Hanksville. Closet City or Town: Hanksville; Green River. Desert terrain. Lowest point (elevation) 5,098 feet (1,554 m). Area: about 5 square miles (13 km²).
Coordinates: 38º34’00”N 110º42’36”W (http://bitly/1y1k5XB)
Google images: http://bitly/1pvWSKI
Maps: http://bitly/UCnbCB
√ Spotlight: Eerie looking landscape. Goblin-shaped sandstone hoodoos and pedestals. Everyday’s Halloween in this state park. Wearing costumes on visits strictly optional! Focus: erosion, geology, and freestyle hiking.
√ Snapshot: Goblin Valley lies at the edge of the San Rafael Swell, with no town of any significance nearby. Its diminutive dimensions are about 1 mile (1.6 km) across and 2-miles-long (3.2 km). Confined to a modest-sized valley formed by a seasonal, and usually shallow, wash (Red Canyon), this erosional landscape of hoodoos is indeed a bizarre and captivating environs. Given its exotic features, imaginations run free. With its seeming playground of decorated goblin-shaped sandstone figures, the park is aptly named. Rain, wind, and time have worked in concert to create this fascinating environs, and there is no other place like it on the Colorado Plateau. To help protect the setting from vandalism, the State of Utah designated Goblin Valley a state park in 1964.
√ Guided Tour Essentials: There are thousands of balanced rocks, spires, and pedestals scattered throughout Goblin Valley, the rarer hoodoos among them. The isolation of this unique setting brings more than its fair share of solitude. On average, the 3-foot high (.9 m) mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles are caused by an erosion-resistant layer of rock on top of an erosional sandstone formation. As a unique backdrop, some movie producers find this whimsical estate of goblins an ideal outdoor set for filming. For instance, a scene from Galaxy Quest was made here mainly due to the valley’s otherworldly scenery. One of the attractive features on display is the fascinating hoodoos, which resemble spires and pinnacles but have a variable thickness, like totem pole shapes. From a geologic standpoint, hoodoos are the rarest masterpieces of erosion, and, therefore, in a special class of other natural wonders such as natural arches, bridges, and windows.
Geology: The singular shapes in Goblin Valley result from a weathering process of Entrada Sandstone, which is a principal formation in the San Rafael Group. The goblin-like effigies have large orange-brown boulders of rock placed on top of weaker sandy layers, which have eroded more quickly (an exacting process known as “differential erosion”). The Entrada sediment was deposited during the Mesozoic Era’s Jurassic Period (201.3 to 152.1 myr). The main environments accounting for this sandstone include tidal mudflats, beaches, and sand dunes. The shapely hoodoos consist of debris eroded from former highlands and redeposited on a former tidal flat of alternating layers of sandstone, siltstone, and shale. These exquisite structures show evidence that the site was near an ancient sea with a regular tidal ebb and flow. Resulting tidal channels directed currents back to the sea and helped create the coastal sand dunes. Later, joint or fracture patterns created initial zones of weakness in the Entrada Sandstone beds. The unweathered joints then intersected to form sharp edges and corners with greater surface-area-to-volume ratios compared to the rock faces. As a result, the edges weathered more quickly, producing the spherical-shaped goblins.
Hiking: From the parking area, follow any of the discernible routes down into the swarm of spectral-looking goblins. From there, it’s easy to get lost though just as easy to get eventually back to where one started. That’s a promise. There is also a bonus hike worth taking, which is located 7 miles (11 km) from the state park. Known as Little Wild Horse Canyon, which combines with Bell Canyon (both close to the San Rafael Swell sector), it’s one of those places not to be missed. Moreover, Little Wild Horse Canyon’s 8-mile (12.8 km) loop trail combination is considered one of the most scenic hikes in the region. A sign near Goblin Valley also points the other way to Wild Horse Mesa and Muddy Creek. From there, turn right on the dirt road and follow it for 5.3 miles (8.5 km), then hike and enjoy two of the prettiest and easiest slot canyons in Utah.
For A Recommendation. . .Share some ghost stories for suspenseful atmosphere while camping; also, watch the movie Galaxy Quest, and see if you can identify the backdrop in some of the scenes (Goblin Valley will stand out).
Contact Information: Goblin Valley State Park, P. O. Box 637, Green River UT 84525-0637. Phone: 435-275.4584
Here's my recommendation for a follow-up URL: http://bitly/2d4PTp2
GOOSENECKS OF THE SAN JUAN STATE PARK
Location/Geography: South-Central Utah. San Juan County. Closet City or Town: Mexican Hat. Area: 10 acres (40 km²). Elevation: 4,949 feet (1,508 m).
Coordinates: 37º10’29”N 109º55’37”W (http://bitly/1lvw2iL)
Google images: http://bitly/1ixlsTY
Maps: http://bitly/1lzmzHx
√ Spotlight: World's greatest entrenched meanders––bar none! The muddy, slow, and scenic San Juan River through this region takes the long way around via a remarkable series of so-called goosenecks that it carved over the eons. The view looking up or down is nothing less than exhilarating. Imagine a river meandering back and forth and flowing for more than 5 miles (8 km), yet only progress 1 linear mile (1.65 km)! Focus: geology, hiking, and classic, desert country scenery.
√ Snapshot: Goosenecks SP overlooks U-shaped bends of the San Juan River. These serpentine loops are considered the most classic entrenched meanders in the world. Here, downcutting by the river has uniquely dissected the crest of the Monument Uplift, which defines a broad dome that buckled during the Laramide Orogeny. This event marks a lengthy period of intense mountains building in western North America that began roughly some 70 to 8 myr (millions of years ago) and ended some 35 to 55 myr. (Note: these dates are considered disputable.) As a state park, Goosenecks of the San Juan is largely undeveloped though primitive is another way to describe it. Not too far from this locale is the boatmen’s destination of Mexican Hat. It’s also the scenic hub and tourist hamlet in this region, especially for river rats that enjoy a leisurely, muddy ride on the back of the indolent San Juan River. From the summit overlooking the meanders, clear views of Monument Valley are seen in the southeast. The Moki Dugout (sometimes spelled “Moqui”) is closer, which corkscrews its route to the summit of Cedar Mesa. The Raplee Anticline (aka the “Navajo tapestry” of colorful rocks) adds to the long, wide, and picturesque view. Muley Point and Valley of the Gods are all within 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) of the goosenecks. All these mentioned places are featured in this text.
√ Guided Tour Essentials: A major blueprint of change created this geography of diverse features. River gravels on higher ramparts, such as nearby Douglas Mesa, are geologic clues to just how much of a geophysical change occurred before and after a regional upwarp of the entire regional landmass. (An upwarp defines a broad anticline with gently sloping limbs formed as a result of differential uplift.) This crustal force thus defines the Monument Upwarp that fabricated the prominent vistas common in this sector. In the geologic scheme of things, it was some twenty million years ago when the San Juan River carved the initial outline of oxbows into the buried rock layers. These formations were later exposed, revealing the impressive site that makes this setting what it is today––engaging. Where the goosenecks were formed, rocks at their upper surface level represent the Honaker Trail Formation while the much older Pennsylvanian Hermosa Formation is exposed in the gorge where the silt-laden river lazily flows some 1,000 feet (305 m) below the summit. This is Mesozoic-Era Comb Ridge country (whose description on this world-famous monocline is also included in this text). The colorful Triassic Period (252.8 to 208.5 myr) rocks form long lines of cuestas (i.e., a ridge formed by gently tilted rock strata in a homoclinal structure) and hogbacks (i.e., ridges formed from a monocline, such as Comb Ridge's spectacular landform composed of steeply tilted strata of rock protruding from the landscape. Combined, the sculpting process is due to large-scale differential erosion and weathering of the sedimentary materials. At the crest of the ridge is the cross-bedded Navajo Sandstone––a petrified sand accumulation from the Jurassic Period (201.3 to 152.1 myr), which is similar to the environs of a Sahara-like desert. Here at the overlook, the crested top of the goosenecks reveals its unique sloping facade of marine limestone.
Geology: The Goosenecks formations were some three hundred million years in the making. The Honaker Formation comprises the upper sediments, the Pennsylvanian Hermosa Formation lies somewhat in the middle, and the Paradox Formation forms the base. These distinct sedimentary deposits define the principal geology of this cleaved, wrinkled and folded topography common throughout this region. Millions of years in the past, the Monument Upwarp, which is a wide, immense north-south trending anticline, forced the river to carve a series of incised meanders that deepened over time. This event simultaneously happened as the surrounding landscape slowly rose in elevation. Hence, without uplift of the terrain, down-cutting by rivers would not have occurred. Eroded by water, wind, frost, and gravity, the famed Goosenecks of the San Juan constitute a classic location for observing incised meanders. The prominent turns in the indolent river's course through this region meander back and forth, flowing for more than 5 miles (8 km) while progressing forward for an amazing single linear mile. The resulting process (by erosion) works in tandem with the slope of the river. If the slope of a previously established meandering stream is suddenly increased, which took place in this locale, then it will resume its downward erosion. Thus, the base level of the stream is reduced. As the stream erodes downward, its established meandering pattern will remain in a deep valley. This process is known as an incised meander and sometimes called an entrenched meander.
Directions: Travel about 9 miles (14 km) north of Mexican Hat on Hwy. 163 to Utah 261 (about 5 miles/8 km), then U-316 (smaller unpaved stretch) to the overlook.
Contact Information: Goosenecks of the San Juan State Park, P. O. Box 788, Blanding UT. 84511-0788 Phone: 435-678.2238
Here's my recommendation for a follow-up URL: http://bitly/2cJXPed
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Location/Geography: North-Central Arizona. Coconino County. Closet City or Town: Flagstaff; Williams. Area: 1,217,403 acres (492.9 hectares); 1,904 square miles (4,931 km²). Colorado Plateau physiographic province. Kaibab Plateau region that was fractured millions of years ago, resulting in seven major parcels: the Marble (canyon) Platform; the North Rim's Kaibab, Kanab, Uinkaret, Shivwits; and the South Rim's Coconino and Hualapai plateaus.
Coordinates: 36º06’N 112º06’W (http://bitly/1p2viDl)
Geologic graphics/illustrations: http://bitly/1s5PoAj
Google Images: http://bitly/1y1mjq6
Maps: http://bitly/1nEQWfs
Note: This destination entails more background information for this latest diary installment because it’s the Grand Canyon (my other office for many years) with a front and backstory. Given the canyon’s many facets of information, the following presentation will be longer than other featured destinations in this text. Of course, the reader decides how much or little to peruse.
√ Spotlight: One of the seven natural wonders of the world. A nearly two-billion-year repository geologic history created in a relatively short span of time. Two opposing rims of varying elevations. A deep chasm (over 1-mile/1.6 km) like no other! Two versions of the canyon's creation story: the easier and traditionally accepted version how the Grand Canyon’s inception phase was begun and incised by the Colorado River. The second version is more entailed (read “theoretical” and “mitigated”). Hence, an intriguing scenario requiring both imagination and additional input: long before the establishment of the Colorado River’s drainage, the future physiographic landscape known as the Colorado Plateau Province was a low-lying depositional basin covered with thousands of feet of sedimentary formations. Hence, the before and after appearance wasn’t even close. Grand Canyon’s ancient landscape and fabrication are, therefore, a geologic wonderland of time and erosion. Focus: the how-what-where-when and why aspects of the canyon’s origins, geology, flora and fauna, and human history.
√ Snapshot: Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), which is entirely within the State of Arizona, is designated both a Natural Wonder and World Heritage Site. Nearly 300 miles (482 km) long and averaging 10 miles (16 km) wide, Marble Canyon, in the eastern sector, was not initially included in the park's acreage. However, its 60-mile (96.5 km) annex was eventually added to the park’s acreage. Located at mile 60 downstream from historic Lee’s Ferry (which itself is not too far below Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam), this lovely locale is where the Little Colorado River merges with the Colorado River (lovely because the LC, as it’s commonly called, turns a beguiling turquoise color due to travertine in the water). It is also the only major tributary feeding into the Grand Canyon. President Theodore Roosevelt first visited the canyon in 1903 and eventually sought its federal protection. However, he achieved only Congressional approval for a Game Preserve status, which happened on November 28, 1906. Later, on January 1, 1908, the protection extended to national forest lands along the rim and changed the preserve status to a national monument. Although he tried for many years for the coveted protection of a national park, on February 26, 1919, it was President Woodrow Wilson who finally made it official: Grand Canyon became a national park. The combined area is 1,218 acres, which translates to 1,902 square miles (4,926 km2).
√ Guided Tour Essentials: To introduce the Grand Canyon’s creation story to the reader, the following questions are meant only to stir the imagination and intellect and discover what the reader knows (or doesn’t know) about the Grand Canyon’s creation story (as a series of processes). Specifically, how it even became a grand canyon given key events (i.e., natural processes) that had to happen in a certain order. The exercise begins with eight true or false statements. These eight queries are also among the most popular about what happened here and why:
THE COLORADO RIVER INITIATED THE START OF THE FUTURE GRAND CANYON. HENCE, THE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT. (True or False?)
ALL RIVERS FLOWING WITH ENOUGH VOLUME WILL EVENTUALLY CARVE A CHASM OF NOTABLE SIZE. (True or False?)
THE COLORADO RIVER’S PATH THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON WAS ALWAYS FROM THE NORTHEAST AND HEADED ACROSS THIS REGION TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST. (True or False?)
THE GRAND CANYON IS A RELATIVELY YOUNG PROCESS OF CREATION. (True or False?)
GEOLOGISTS KNOW WHEN THE COLORADO RIVER FOUND ITS WAY TO THIS REGION AND BEGAN ITS WORK. (True or False?)
THE GRAND CANYON’S CREATION HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COLORADO PLATEAU’S CREATION. (True or False?)
GEOLOGISTS KNOW WHEN THE COLORADO PLATEAU WAS FORMED. (True or False?)
THE GRAND CANYON WAS FABRICATED OVER HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YEARS. (True or False?)
Presented with these mainstream questions, revealing answers one discovers begin by stating these queries. Thus, taking an educated guess and seeing if the answers match the following exposition of substantiated facts based on sound empirical research and evidence. Kindly remember the explanations throughout this text will solely entail an encapsulated version of the tradition version that entails the Colorado River as the primary drainage and architect that got things started, by which all else followed. However, where applicable a descriptive and theoretical perspective will be mentioned for those readers interested in a more elaborate explanation, with an emphasis on Keeping It Simple!
Geology: There are varying opinions about the geologic aspects of the Grand Canyon, which infers varying perspectives about what happened here. Indeed, everyone coming to this part of northern Arizona to see its stupendous (read “mind-boggling”) chasm wants to know what’s behind the singularly fashioned and awe-inspiring contour above and the deep, dark gash of the serpentine corridor below (where the river flows). Thus, it’s like looking at two distinct canyon profiles. Indeed, most people are surprised at the number of different explanations some people foster about such details. For example, how an exceptionally large impactor (otherwise known as a meteor) had struck this vicinity, by which all else followed over the eons. Another belief is how the initial carving was started by Ice Age glaciers some 10,000 years ago (denoting the last major ice age on the North American continent). Wow, huh? Some also believe it was an epic earthquake that rattled the region, thereby creating a gaping split between what is now the two rims. And there are some who favor and figure a Biblical flood on a global scale was the culprit. Let’s also consider a less polarized account of this region’s topographical setting was always an extensive and relatively wide cleft. In other words, a typical chasm breach in the planet’s crust, whose features were eventually exposed, then steadily honed by elements of erosion. The net result: a supersized chasm of striking dimensions and appearance.
From a geologist’s point of view, the Grand Canyon is not only a masterful and colorful creation of nature, but more the case of entailing an efficient and timely process of regional geographic and topographic events. Moreover, if any of these events did not take place, then there would be no Grand Canyon as we know it today.
On this note, imagine this entire region as a relatively blank and featureless landscape. Call it an unfinished masterpiece waiting for time and events to follow. Namely, these processes:
- To initiate an ordinary landscape and prepare it for something wholly other, a drainage had to establish its course by incising its groove (channel) across a broad and vast plateau, whose featureless landscape would eventually be downsized into many lesser-sized plateaus.
- Coinciding with the down-cutting energy by this well-established drainage, the foundation was simultaneously uplifted, which maintained the drainage across the mostly flat frontier. Think of a rising loaf of bread with a knife consistently and slowly pushing downward.
- As the groove got deeper over time, accumulated sedimentary formations were exposed, the oldest layer at the bottom of the stack.
- With an ideal arid climate and materials to fashion, physical and chemical elements of erosion set in, thereby widening the upper superstructure of an incipient canyon forming, as well as the deepening of its chasm (by the drainage).
- In time, the drainage bored through the harder metamorphic basement rocks, denoting remnants of an ancient mountain chain.
- The fashioning of the Grand Canyon’s features was accomplished over X number of millions of years, and the process of erosion continues to the present. Faulting and gravity assist in the process and one can say this natural wonder is eroding at an amazing pace (i.e., given its youthful sculpturing compared to how old its materials are).
With this summary and essential steps in mind, the Grand Canyon gradually took shape over millions of years; that is revealing its geologic showcase and engaging profile. For now, consider the foundational materials were deposited a long, long time ago––roughly, two-billion-years in the making. It follows how the question to ask is how long did it take to create this panoramic masterpiece of Mother Nature’s artistry? Hint: far, far less time than it took to lay down its materials. That answer will soon follow. Be prepared for a shock! Oh, and please note when I guided educational tours for the Grand Canyon Field Institute. (By the way, that’s me in the photo, with the green backpack nearby. All the field institutes students on this particular tour were intensely focused on everything I said. I mean, surely this claim is verified by the discerning faces of this backpacking class lazing by the Colorado River. Right?)
Remarkable Canyon Facts And Dimensions: This segment focuses on one of the most popular questions asked about the Grand Canyon––How big is this canyon? Let’s put it this way: it’s big enough to be one of the deepest and widest chasms in the world though there are other canyons boasting larger dimensions. Still, none is conceivably more attractive than Arizona’s colossal chasm.
Length: measured from Lee’s Ferry (some 14 miles/22.5 km below the Glen Canyon Dam) to the Grand Wash Cliffs (present-day Lake Mead): 277.7 miles (446.9 km). That’s the equivalent of driving, say, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas or Chicago to St. Louis.
Width: varies anywhere from 4 to 18 miles (6.4 to 28.9 km) as the raven flies though the average distance from the South to Norm Rim, at Grand Canyon Village, is 10 miles (16 km).
Depth: averages some 6,000 feet (1,828.8 m).
Colorado River Stats: Below Grand Canyon Village, which denotes the central corridor of the canyon, this so-called Prima Donna of the Southwest flows at an elevation of 2,400 feet (731.5 m) above sea level. (I say Prima donna because it is dubbed the most important drainage in the Southwest, also the most over-tapped for its resources.) The width averages 300 feet (91.4 m), with an average depth of 35 feet (10.6 m). Sluice-like, the Colorado flowing through the canyon has the added advantage of hurrying along due to the extreme elevation drop from one end of the canyon to the other. Hence, some 2,000 feet (609.6 m). Hundreds of small, medium and large rapids line the way in this so-called pool-drop river (i.e., long stretches of calm water with intermittent drops in elevation). Depending on the volume of the river (rated in cubic feet per second), there are some 60 to 70 Class IV and V-rated rapids on the Grand Canyon scale (where Class VI is considered non-runnable). In other words, the famed whitewater segments. These are the wildest and most dangerous rapids laid down for boatmen and their thrill-seeking river rat passengers.
Apart from canyon debris where the channel is restricted (i.e., narrower), it’s the higher volume of water (c.f.s.) that determines the strength of the river. Thus, a boatman’s challenge in the guise of an aquatic obstacle course: lateral standing waves, deep holes, house-sized boulders, as well as a notable drop in elevation. (Incidentally, ocean waves move but in rivers they’re stationary. Confronted by large waves in a rapid, which are common in all whitewater stretches, is essentially like slamming into a brick wall.
Another feature about the Colorado River flowing through the Grand Canyon is that it’s dam cold drainage. The reason has to what happens to the river below Lake Powell. Thus, the Glen Canyon Dam releases its impounded water hundreds of feet below its lofty crest. Consequently, the average temperature of the water is about 46º Fahrenheit (7.7º Celsius). Moreover, two detrimental side effects (read, “collateral damage”) have happened since the ginormous dam was completed in 1963. Even though tourists revere the leviathan-sized Lake Powell that formed some 200 miles (321.8 km) behind its towering cement barrier, generally there is little or no thought given to what’s happening below the dam. For instance, Downstream ecology was altered by the cold, clear-running denuded river; and the former higher yield of sediment transported by the Colorado was reduced by some 90% (an average).
Continuing Canyon Stats: The two opposing rims of the canyon are, in a way, comparisons of two different worlds, at least, considering the climate and what lives and grows on their respective turfs. Consider these facts that confirm such a declaration:
The South Rim averages 7,000 feet (2,133.6 m) above sea level and is open year-round; the North Rim averages 8,000 feet (2,438.4 m), which reaches its highest point, 8,900 feet (2,712.7 m) across from the South Rim's Desert View (the eastern sector that also overlooks the famed Painted Desert).
While the South Rim is open year-round, the North Rim is closed from around mid-October to mid-May due to higher snowfall. However, with a prolonged drought in effect since the mid-1990s, the traditional higher snowfall on the North Rim (around 120 to 160 inches/304.8 to 406.4 cm) has been reduced, say by, at least, half the historical figure while the South Rim’s average was 60 inches/152.4 cm, also reduced. Consequently, there are rumors the North Rim may remain open through November and possibly open earlier in May.
Although the width at Grand Canyon Village from rim to rim in a mere 10 miles (16 km), which again is an average as the raven flies, by trail it’s about 24 miles (38.6 km) while the driving distance is around 225 miles (362.1 km).
The average trail distance from rim to the river on the South Rim is 10 miles (16 km) while the North Rim average is 20 miles (32.1 km). The shortest route is the South Kaibab Trail, at 7 miles (11.2 km), eventually ending at the Colorado River, then a short stroll across the so-called Black Bridge to Phantom Ranch. Notably, a hiker’s and boater’s destination.
In addition to what was already mentioned about the Colorado River, the length is 1,450 miles (2333.5 km), whose headwater source is relatively near Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes Park, Colorado). Historically, the terminus is the Gulf of California. However, the drought affecting most of the Southwest and parts of the West, along with population overuse and damming, has effectively shortchanged the river’s liquid assets, and, therefore, its mileage (i.e., the channel dries up in a vast delta many miles above the Gulf).
Flora and fauna: 373 bird species (of which some 290 to 300 live inside or on the rim year-round), 91 mammals, 17 fish species, 57 reptiles and amphibians, 37 mollusks, 33 crustaceans, 8,480 invertebrates, an infinite number of insects, 1,750 plants (at least, that many), 64 species of mosses, 195 lichens, and 167 fungi. Note: these numbers are the most current stats but are subject to change, however minimally.
The variety of diverse life forms correlates with six types of vegetation formations from the rim to the river: riparian, desert scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland, ponderosa pine forest, spruce/fir forest, and montane meadows/sub-alpine. Species diversity is also enhanced by three desert environments that collide at the bottom of the canyon: the Lower Sonoran, the Mojave (encroaches from the western sector), and the Great Basin (encroaches from the east). Note how the Colorado River is the access riparian route that not only divides the North and South rims but separates the eastern and western sectors. Each desert environment also ushers in its specific native plants and animals, at least, in part.
Overlapping gradients from rim to river are called ECOZONES (aka “biotic life zones”). Each also changes quickly in a limited amount of distance. In this regard, when hiking into the canyon, it’s like walking from central Canada to central Mexico. It follows how a mere 10 miles (16 km) from the South Rim or an average 14 to 22 miles (22.5 - 35.4 km) from the North Rim features a near replication of life forms corresponding to the actual land mileage difference between the two countries. The zones are mainly determined by changes in temperature and precipitation. Thus, temperature increases while precipitation decreases, matching a noteworthy drop in elevation. At the bottom of the canyon, the proverbial proof is, therefore, in the pudding: it’s hotter and drier. Flora and fauna must also adapt to more stringent conditions. Other factors determining varying ecozones are the type of soil, lighting and slope aspect (i.e., the direction of any zone at any level).
Typically, rim temperature during the summer may be 70º Fahrenheit (21º Celsius) but some 25 to 30º higher at or near the river can be common. This marked increase is what sometimes gets hikers in trouble because excessive canyon heat can be trouble for the unprepared. The extreme temperature increase also does not include heat transfer (radiated heat) from rock facades. Consequently, a typical inner canyon temperature may be 110 to 115º (and quite often in the summer much hotter).
In the American Southwest, precipitation receives two seasons of moisture: the monsoonal rainy season from early July through mid-September, and winter to early spring snow originating in the Northwest. Both wet seasons bring diminished returns since the onset of drought in the 1990s.
Historically, the North Rim, due to its higher elevation, receives the lion's share of snowfall and rain (see previously mentioned estimates). However, at Eden-like Phantom Ranch, the average precipitation is somewhere around 7.5 inches (19 cm) though parts of the inner canyon in the western sector receive as little as 4 or 5 inches (10.1 to 12.7 cm). Contemporary precipitation is also far less in all quadrants. For instance, a likely average of rim precipitation (snow or rain) may be one-half the historical figures, and by some estimates, the actual figure is closer to the 40% mark. Even when a wet year or two returns the dry cycle soon follows.
Snowfall at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is rare. Usually, the Redwall Formation, denoting the sixth major layer below the rim, is dubbed the historical snow line. If measurable snowfall is recorded below this mark, including the bottom of the canyon, snow is ephemeral, say, lasting only for part of a day or night.
Names Of The Canyon Formations: The Grand Canyon's discernible (read “banded”) layers from the rim to the inner canyon are noteworthy to geologists and visitors. Their geologic names are as follows:
KAIBAB Limestone
TOROWEAP Sandstone and Mudstone
COCONINO Sandstone
HERMIT Shale
THE SUPAI GROUP (4 distinct ledges and slopes of mudstone and sandstone)
REDWALL Limestone
TEMPLE BUTTE Limestone.
MUAV Limestone.
BRIGHT ANGEL Shale (covers the so-called TONTO PLATFORM
TAPEATS Sandstone (first and oldest sedimentary layer)
Below these upper layers of the Paleozoic Era are two Precambrian eras of rock formations: the older VISHNU Mountain eroded remnants at the very bottom of the canyon and the GRAND CANYON SUPERGROUP formations, whose outcroppings show up here and there below Grand Canyon Village but dominate the view in the eastern sector below Desert View. Now that the essential canyon formation names are given the distinguishing and singular profile of the canyon takes center stage. In short, why does the Grand Canyon not look like a canyon? Hint: cake, anyone?
Bonus Details––Which Drainage Was There First? The canyon creation processes denote a formula that makes the Grand Canyon what it is today. Namely, a step-by-step series of events. Here is an easy way to remember these crucial events that had to happen in sequence:
Uplift + Downcutting of exposed materials, followed by relentless Erosion over Time
And that’s it: U + D + E + T. Gravity and faulting and an arid climate also worked in concert given these fundamental processes. Consequently, Mother Nature bequeathed us with a canyon like no other! The factor of time about the Grand Canyon’s foundational materials also entails some 2 billion years in the making, yet a relatively youthful fabrication process. How young is this process?
Given the fabrication of its materials, most Colorado Plateau geologists peg the canyon’s age anywhere from a mere 5 to 6 million years to as much as 80 million years. The smaller figure is more likely the case while the larger figure represents the last major marine event that once covered the entire region, the Mancos Sea. The age factor is also contingent on timing the river’s entry and exit from the Grand Canyon; that is by correlating select depositional material that either was or was not in place when the Colorado River presumably funneled through the chasm. This statement and inference beg a theoretical point of view, which is briefly explained.
First, a caveat to the reader: This other canyon creation story, the one that is plainly not akin to the easier traditional version, is entailed, though, nonetheless, straightforward. Then again, some of the details require a more concentrated effort to grasp what most geologists regard as the truth of the matter. Thus, taking most of everything outlined in this primer as reliable and verifiable, except how and where the Grand Canyon got its inceptive start. Explaining this part of the story is not so much tricky as it embraces a seeming conundrum. So the reader has a choice: either to find out or be satisfied with the facts thus far revealed in the easier fairytale account.
How Drainages Typically Flow: An illustration to support the above claim begins with imagination, as well as the reader changing into a river. And YOU are just that––a river that had wandered across a relatively low-lying platform of easily eroded material now called the Marble Platform east of Desert View. From your origins, and to this next geographical setting, the task has been relatively straightforward. Namely, incising a channel into a relatively level pavement, and getting deeper as time passes. But now you approach an elevated bulwark made from the usual sedimentary rocks defining a locale that will one day be named after you (because your headwaters begin in a state that later changed your original name to match its name––an interesting historical account, by the way). It follows that you are the designated Colorado River, formerly having the name of the Grand River (which was changed back to the original after the politico machination was discovered behind the felonious name change intended to benefit only the State of Colorado).
Even if the adjoining tract of land you flowed into was a foot or two higher, rivers don’t climb in elevation. Incidentally, the uncut region ahead of you is quite high, say, thousands of feet. Now you have one of two choices: back up and eventually pool your reserves somewhere else or detour around the impediment. The question is: What did you do? Simply put: you took the latter option. This choice and vector also entails demonstration and is precisely what the challenging theories of the 20th-century are all about. In short, relatively contemporary notions that started to emerge and show cause why the Colorado River plainly did not, and could not, continue flowing from the northeast and through the high, broad, and featureless Kaibab Plateau, starting at its most eastern frontier. And here’s why. . .
Getting back to the fact rivers cannot climb elevation or flow backward, there is a formidable anticline with gently dipping limbs due to differential uplift in the eastern sector. The official geologic name is the Kaibab Upwarp. At the highest point, it measures 8,900 feet (2,712.7 m). East of the upwarp is the much lower Marble Platform laid out between the now-named Echo and Vermilion Cliffs. (By now, you should think if the Colorado River didn’t manage the feat, then what drainage did?) True, today we see that the Colorado is coursing through the Grand Canyon, entering from the northeast, and then making a turn to the south, then another adjustment that puts its drainage heading south-southwest. Remember: rivers don’t flow uphill! And so, the Colorado obviously didn’t breach the upwarp from the east. Assuming the argument now makes more sense why the Colorado River did not do the job 19th, and early 20th-century geologists claim, this is precisely where the story gets interesting (read “theoretical and engaging”).
Being on the trail for many years, and after thousands of miles of backpacking, this was the usual tincture of my skin, verifiable by the fact the sun shines often in this canyon abode. Typically, the months from early April to late October the temperature is hot to extremely hot. When factoring in the radiant temperature of the rocks, the temperature is even higher.
Postscript: As a parting salvo and challenge to the reader, this Daily Kos primer has touched upon key essentials of what it took to make the Grand Canyon’s domain. It is just enough information to tell the story of the process of events that happened here, starting some 2 billion years ago though not enough to delve into prevailing theories countering the fairytale version. Thus, a creation story that is more realistic (i.e., empirical and, therefore, demonstrable). Nevertheless, the purpose of relating such general information is intended to whet the intellect though not saturate it with too many details. Now for that challenge. . .
Consider trying this experiment, whose aim is to replicate one’s very own Grand Canyon. Hence, a practical means to utilize the information explained throughout the text. Think of this as a S.T.E.M. project (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), only based on geology. What is needed to conduct the experiment is a basic garden hose; a tract of land, even a garden; and water. Here’s how to go about the experiment (with the caveat your water bill is going to be costly): Stretch the hose out, turn on the water, let it flow for millions of years, then wait and see!
In time, and if all goes well (i.e., meaning no one disturbs the ongoing project), there should be a recognizable groove across the landscape used in the experiment. Physical and chemical erosional elements might have taken their cue by honing exposed features. Just remember it also takes the right kind of materials, in this case, sedimentary rocks; also, an arid climate. It took between 5 and 6 million years, and possibly up to 80 million years to create the Grand Canyon. Of course, if you end up with a sort of groove and a lot of mud but no spectacular features to speak of, much less engaging colors to behold, then you have also proven how the important uplift factor was not in place. Ergo, you learned something because you gave it a try.
Directions: From Flagstaff take I-40 west to Williams, then Hwy. 64 north to the park entrance (63 miles/ 101 km); or take Hwy. 180 from Flagstaff (the so-called “mountain road’) to Valle, then Hwy. 64 to the park entrance; or Hwy. 89 to Cameron, then left at Hwy. 64 heading east to Desert View's park entrance. All these routes are between 80 and 90 miles (130 to 144 km). The eastern drive from Flagstaff to Desert View adds about 20 miles (32.1 km) of distance. As a bonus, the Painted Desert scenery around Cameron is exceptional, especially during the late afternoons and early evening. The drive from Desert View to Grand Canyon Village is about 25 miles (40 km). However, if returning to Flagstaff, the best recommendation is to take either the western route to the South Rim, then return via Hwy. 64 east (toward Desert View), and Hwy. 89 at Cameron toward Flagstaff. Hence, a scenic loop tour.
To the North Rim from the South Rim, take Hwy. 64 to Desert View, then to Cameron (Hwy. 89) and turn left toward Page/Lake Powell. At the cutoff where Hwy. 89 and 89A form, turn left on 89A and drive north to Marble Canyon. Skirt along the Vermilion Cliffs and head toward Jacob Lake (up the Kaibab Upwarp switchbacks), then turn left (south) on SR 67 to the Visitor Center. The North Rim Drive is about 215 miles (345 km) from the eastern park entrance at Desert View.
Contact Information: Grand Canyon National Park, P. O. Box 129, Grand Canyon AZ 86023. Phone (visitor information) 928-7888; Fax 638-7797
Here's my recommendation for a follow-up URL: http://1.usa.gov/18B74IB
FYI: This latest installment of THE DKOS ROAD TOUR SERIES provides an excerpt from the larger text, SCENIC ICONS OF THE SOUTHWEST (http://amzn.to/2on3z89). The soft cover 8.5 x 11 format (491 pages) provides the same information but also includes a thorough background on geology, natural and human history and miscellaneous subject matter. Additionally, there is an Android app available and the less expensive Kindle version. For information about myself and my books featured on Amazon, feel free to drop by www.richholtzin.com and leave a comment. I also write under the nom de plume, RK ALLEMAN. For more background about this tour series, please read the 3/29/2017 diary, HIT THE ROAD TOUR SERIES: An Introduction.
Another installment of this series will be next SATURDAY (note change of days from Sunday to a day earlier). Hopefully, every Sunday there will be a trio of new scenic icons for the reader’s enjoyment and enlightenment. (For those who want to know where they’re going in these upcoming tours, the previously mentioned introduction lists a Table of Contents (in alphabetical order).
About The Author: Rich, who writes under the nom de plume, RK ALLEMAN, has worked in the field as an outdoors educator and interpreter for the likes of the Grand Canyon Field Institute (nearly 20 years), Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff), and Yavapai College (Prescott, AZ). For nearly 40 years, he has backpacked some 8,000 miles, not including hiking sorties. Most of his works focus on the geosciences (mainly, geology, archaeology, and ecology), human and natural history applicable to the Colorado Plateau Province (aka the “Four Corners Region of the Southwest).
FYI: Previous diaries:
Intro diary http://bit.ly/2nu738O
1st diary http://bit.ly/2opAB6Y
2nd diary http://bit.ly/2oe49Cm
3rd diary http://bit.ly/2pFVvMo
4th diary http://bit.ly/2oVFGDQ
5th diary http://bit.ly/2qlfctX
6th diary http://bit.ly/2qG5Vje
7th diary http://bit.ly/2qFL9k6
8th diary http://bit.ly/2s7ddcV
9th diary http://bit.ly/2rQ4qjo