John Wesley Powell, the One Armed Indiana
Jones of the West
We owe a great debt to the
intrepid explorers who’ve risked their lives exploring the vast terrain of our
country. Many of the natural wonders they found have become our treasured
National Parks. Extreme risk takers, they are tough, fearless and possess an
insatiable thirst for knowledge and adventure: like John Wesley Powell.
In 1869, Powell, a small,
unassuming geology professor, arranged an exploratory expedition down the dangerous
Colorado River. Even the loss of an arm in the Civil War didn’t stop Major
Powell from taking on the mighty Colorado despite the fact that its raging
rapids were known deathtraps. Up to this time, no “white man” had ever finished
the trip alive. With ten men and four rowboats, he headed out from Green River
City in Wyoming and ended in the Grand Canyon three months later. Battered and
barely alive, only six men and two of the boats survived. However, they had
succeeded in discovering breathtaking canyons and vistas of unsurpassed beauty.
Powell later wrote in his diary that the Utah canyons have "...wonderful features--carved walls, royal arches, glens, alcove gulches, mounds and monuments. From which of these features shall we select a name? We decide to call it Glen Canyon."
Some of the amazing twists and turns of Glen Canyon. The white "bath tub ring" is made
by receding water levels in the lake. (picture courtesy of Google Images)
Lake Powell and Glen Canyon
Partial map of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon
Described by Powell as the
most intimately beautiful of all the canyons, much of Glen Canyon now lies
under water. Finished in 1966, the Glen Canyon dam on the Colorado River created Lake Powell and
1,900 miles of shoreline. Providing not only a valuable water source for
several states, but a recreational area as well, the 187 mile long lake has
almost 100 side canyons to explore. Managed by the National Park Service, it
was established as a National Recreation area in 1972.
Boating on the Powell
Instead of riding horses or
mules through the canyons, we can now marvel at them from the comfort of a
boat. After first visiting the Carl Hayden Visitor Center and taking pictures
of the dam and Navajo Bridge, our tour group gathered at the dock at nearby Lake Powell Resort. Slathered
in sunscreen, we clamored aboard a luxury sized yacht for an unforgettable
cruise on Lake Powell.
Pictured on the right are happy travelers, Walt and Barbara. Can you tell they
are having a good time? Look at the vistas in the background!
Every twist and turn and bend in the canyon evoked a chorus of "ooo's and ahhhh's!" Upper right, are some of our group traveling solo, buddies Eric, Dianne and me!
Video of our cruise on Lake Powell.
What is Navajo sandstone?
Much of the natural wonders we’ve
seen over the last few days have been made of Navajo sandstone. Named in honor
of the Navajo Nation it is, simply put, ancient windblown sand dunes solidified
into rock. Formed while the giant dinosaurs roamed the earth in the early
Jurassic period it is everywhere. Ranging over large parts of Nevada, Arizona,
Colorado and Utah, it covers three times the size of the Sahara Desert!
In fact, it is the basic structure of the entire Colorado Plateau.
Antelope Slot Canyon
After the cruise, we returned
to Page, Arizona and our hotel. Our day far from over also included a trek to one of
the best sites on the trip. After a quick lunch, we boarded safari like vans
and with our Navajo guides, headed toward the jewel of all natural sandstone sculptures,
Antelope Slot Canyon.
Elaine threatens to shoot me with her finger for getting the front seat (upper left)
and our guide, Slow Horse, (upper right) stands in front of the entrance to Slot Canyon.
You can see how narrow and tall it is.
(It's my understanding that Antelope Slot Canyon being on Navajo land, can only
be seen by special permission of the Navajo Nation. They allow only small groups
at a time. For more information: Antelope Canyon Tours )
With a day of over 100 scorching degrees, the instant coolness of the canyon was a relief. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I could see why they named it Slot canyon. The opening is so narrow it only allows a few people at a time to gather, and the deeper we went, the narrower it became until only one person at a time could pass. The passages may have been narrow, but the sides of the canyon soared impossibly high above us allowing only slivers of light to illuminate our way.
I’ve seen pictures of the canyon everywhere, but to see it in person took my breath away. The towering walls made of multicolored sandstone, sculpted by the whorls and eddies of water erosion are smoothed and polished until they are gem-like. The changing light transforms each plane into a living art piece and that same light streaming down from a great height gives one the feeling of being in a cathedral. It is no wonder it is a scared place to the Navajo.
He had been the perfect guide, changing the settings on our cameras so we could take decent pictures and playing his flute deep in the canyon. And great for us, we would see more of him that evening.
Next Time: Monument Valley
(Some pictures provided by Larry Miner and Eric Solberg. Thanks, guys!)
