Room+3B

= Grand Canyon Adventure! (5/3/12 - 5/4/12) By: Noah & Kyle =

[[image:gctrip2012/mule.jpg width="159" height="106" caption="MULE!"]]
When we first arived we hopped on the bus that took us to the "North Kaibab" trail.The hike down was actually fairly easy and had great views of the canyon (as seen above). The canyon was breathtaking, they defienetly picked the right name in Ooh Aah Point. Most people say it is just a hole in the ground, but it is so much more than that. The canyon was a masterpiece. It looked like a painting of picasso when i looked down on the green hills thousands of feet below me. And to think that all this was carved by just the Colorado River. All of the vegetation was amazing. When you see it on T.V., it looks like a dead desert, but plant life is everywhere. The way i could see all the layers of it was bewildering. It was truly Mother Natures Masterpiece. A piece of art at work. The sculptor is still going to work, very slowly as it did before. We learned alot, like: Many Native Americans have settled in this massive canyon, building pueblos and settling in its many caves, Ponderosa Pines are plentiful in numbers on both rims, they are one of the canyons native species, The depth of the canyon can reach up to 10,000 feet at certain areas. To put this into perspective, imagine our 20 foot tall school. Now times that by 500 and look up, then you would have the Grand Canyon Over 600 deaths have occurred in the canyon since 1870. There may have been more because these were the recorded deaths The Grand Canyon is a national monument. It is also where Teddy Roosevelt gave one of his famous speeches. It was a new amazing experience.

[| Glen Canyon National Recreation Area/River Rafting | Latitude: 36.9371º N | Longitude: 111.4844º W |]


The Colorado River. This is a very magnificent site. By far, this was the best part of my trip. It screams greatness. This may not be the Grand Canyon, but it is still very grand indeed. The walls in this canyon are between 700 and 1,400 feet high. Not bad for a canyon that most dont know about. The people on the top look like ants. Yet, they can see us better than we can see them. This 16 mile stretch of water is known for being a prime spot for a good time. The water may look inviting, but it is, on average, 47 degrees Fahrenheit. That is freezing. Still, the canyon has some amazing views. Sixteen miles may not seem like much, but to put it in perspective, it would be like going to the U of A from wilson. That is about a 33 minute drive. The dam is located near lake Powell. I know i have been making a lot of art references ( the funny thing is is that i failed art), but this is a smaller masterpiece. If the Grand Canyon is the "Mona Lisa", Than this is the "Starry Night." The canyon had a ferry owned by John D. Lee, who was involved in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He and a group Mormons and Native Americans attacked and killed emmigrants. Only 17 small children survived. When it was found out he was involved, he was executed by shooting. This left his wife the Ferry, which she sold to the Mormon church for 100 milk cows.

[| Wupatki National Monument | Latitude: 35.5504º N | Longitude: 111.3848º W |]


Wupatki is a National Monument found near Flagstaff, Arizona.Wupatki stands for the "Cut up house" because of the houses being, well, cut up. Being at this monument was like going back in time to an Native american village. Everything was preserved to perfection. I would have thought the site would have some graffiti, but it was empty. The best part of the site was the ballcourt. This was where the Native Americans played their version of Football. The interesting part of this monument is the way the Native Americans had to build all of it. That was back breaking work, ande they didnt have all the tools we have today. The reason the Native Americans moved away was because there was a drought that lasted a long time, so they packed up and left. Wupatki was first populated at around 500 A.D. and it is believed by the Hopi that the ancestors that lived and died there still remain in spiritual form. When i was there, I would have believed it. It felt like the Anasazi and the Hopi Natives were still their, making houses and growing food.

[| Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument | Latitude: 35.3642º N | Longitude: 111.5031º W |]


Sunset crater is a cinder-cone volcano near Flagstaff, Arizona. Sunset Crater is the youngest volcano in a string of volcanoes that are inside the San Francisco Volcanic Field. Damage from many of the hikers caused the Parks Service to close a trail leading up to the volcano. It is estimated that it last erupted in 1085 A.D., although scientists still disagree about the exact year. The volcano was named by John Wesley Powell. It is evidenced that when the volcano erupted, the ash went over 180 miles from the site. The age of the rock is estimated to be 950 years old, give or take a few years. When my group went, we didn't stay for long. During my time there though, i noticed that the rock looked fresh. Of course, as i said before, the rock is 950 years old, but it is still young compared to most rock we see. The rock that I was looking at was intrusive, Igneous rock. Most Igneas rock is over 10,000 years old. Another thing i noticed was how there was still trees and bushes on the mountain. The volcano looked like it was ready to erupt, so I was kind of relieved when we got back on the bus and left. Still, it is a magnificent site to look at.

More Pictures: @https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pbxsk3pjrle4dnc/SJfKFbtiKN