the grand canyon of arizona-第15节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Grand　View　Trail。　A　new　trail　from　Grand　View　Point；　one　and　a　half　miles　north　of　the　hotel；　joins　the　old　trail　about　a　thousand　feet　below　the　rim；　and　continues　to　the　top　of　what　is　locally　known　as　the　〃blue　limestone；〃　two　thousand　five　hundred　feet　below　the　rim；　to　the　Horseshoe　Mesa；　where　the　Canyon　Copper　Company　mine　is　located。　Here　also　are　the　bunk…houses　and　boarding…houses　of　the　miners；　the　corral　for　the　burros　used　in　packing　ore　to　the　surface；　and　several　small　sleeping　cottages　for　travelers。　The　distance　from　the　rim　to　the　camp　is　three　miles　on　the　old　trail；　and　about　half　a　mile　less　by　the　new　trail。　To　the　mouth　of　the　mine　is　another　half　mile。　The　trail　was　begun　in　June；　1892；　and　the　first　ore　pack…train　went　over　it　in　February；　1893。　In　1901　the　interests　of　Berry　and　his　partners　were　bought　by　the　Canyon　Copper　Company。　The　distinctive　charm　of　the　Grand　View　Trail　is　the　wide　and　unobstructed　outlook　which　one　gets　here　nearly　all　the　way　down。　It　is　not　boxed　in。

Horseshoe　Mesa。　The　start　from　Grand　View　Hotel　is　generally　made　after　lunch；　so　that　one　arrives　at　the　camp　of　the　Canyon　Copper　Company　in　time　for　supper；　and　lodges　there　over　night。　After　supper；　a　visit　is　made　to　the　edge　of　the　Horseshoe　Mesa　for　the　sunset　view。　This　is　one　of　the　more　extended　views　afforded　only　from　such　a　mesa　or　plateau　thrust　well　out　into　the　heart　of　the　Canyon。　Up；　down；　and　around；　there　is　scenic　attraction。　The　river　flows　on　in　the　deep　Granite　Gorge　below。　The　best　time；　too；　for　seeing　and　knowing　the　Canyon　is　at　the　sunset　（or　sunrise）　hour。　Then　the　shadows　are　long；　and　the　various　objects　stand　out　distinctly。

Grand　View　Caves。　The　following　morning　a　visit　may　be　made　to　the　limestone　caves　or　the　Copper　Company's　mine。　The　former　were　discovered　in　1897　by　the　camp　cook；　Joseph　Gildner；　and　are　well　worthy　an　extended　visit。　The　first　cave　is　some　three　hundred　feet　long；　and　varies　in　height　from　ten　to　eighty　or　ninety　feet。　The　second　cave　has　about　the　same　length；　but　is　much　higher　and　contains　a　far　more　diversified　collection　of　stalactites；　stalagmites　and　sheets　of　calcareous　deposits；　that　hang　like　curtains　before　the　more　solid　side　walls。　While　appearing　in　the　red…wall　limestone；　the　rock　of　these　caves　is　all　of　a　creamy　white；　thus　demonstrating　that　the　formation　itself　is　white；　but　that　the　exposed　walls　are　stained　by　the　red　washed　over　them　from　the　strata　above。

Copper　Mine。　The　mine　is　equally　interesting；　and　to　those　who　have　never　seen　the　operations　of　tunneling；　stouping；　driving　shafts；　winzes　and　the　like；　and　the　removal　of　the　ore；　it　is　an　experience　well　worth　while。　（At　this　writing　the　mine　is　temporarily　closed。）

A　Fine　Trip。　From　the　Horseshoe　Mesa；　one　may　descend　to　the　Lower　Plateau　on　horseback；　and　then　to　the　river　on　foot。　Those　who　wish　a　more　extended　trip　should　ride　from　the　camp；　across　the　old　Hance　and　Mineral　Canyons　into　Red　Canyon；　stay　over　night　at　the　river；　at　the　foot　of　the　Red　Canyon　Trail；　and　then　return　up　the　latter　trail　to　the　hotel。　The　trail　is　fairly　good；　and　the　three　different　side　canyons　traversed　reveal　a　wonderful　variety　of　rock　scenery。

To　Hance　Canyon。　To　take　this　trip；　the　trail　passes　the　mine；　eastward；　down　a　steep　break　in　the　red…wall　limestone；　zigzagging　back　and　forth。　Passing　under　overhanging　cliffs；　it　leads　down　until　the　plateau　is　reached；　where　twenty　years　ago　I　saw　bands　of　mountain　sheep。　From　this　plateau；　the　descent　is　steep　into　Hance　Canyon；　and　the　student　of　the　dynamic　forces　of　nature　can　here　see　（when　about　half…way　down）　a　wonderful　example　of　the　shattering　of　the　earth's　crust。　Here　the　immense　mass　of　the　〃red…wall〃　has　been　shaken　up；　and　is　now　rapidly　disintegrating；　to　be　washed　down　by　the　storms　of　succeeding　years　into　the　great　river　which　will　ultimately　deposit　it　in　the　Gulf　of　California。

By　and　by　Vishnu　Temple；　the　grandest　of　the　rocky　structures；　comes　into　sight；　and　a　little　further　on　one　can　see；　at　the　base　of　Vishnu；　and　above　the　granite；　the　red　tilted　strata　of　the　Algonkian。

The　descent　into　Hance　Canyon　reveals　a　fine　view　of　Ayer　Peak；　and　as　we　look　down　we　can　see　the　peculiar　shattering　of　the　Tonto　sandstones　that　Thomas　Moran　named　the　Temple　of　Set。　It　takes　but　a　few　minutes　to　ride　or　walk　down　to　the　temple；　which　is　one　of　the　distinctive　features　of　the　Hance　Trail；　down　which　most　of　the　early　visitors　to　the　Canyon　used　to　come。

Angel　Gate。　The　ascent　is　now　made　on　the　eastern　side　of　Hance　Canyon；　to　the　summit　of　the　Tonto　sandstones；　and　from　this　point　a　fine　view　of　Angel　Gate　is　to　be　had；　its　rich　reds　contrasting　agreeably　with　the　grays　and　olives　of　the　Tonto　series。

Mineral　and　Red　Canyons。　On　the　plateaus　separating　Hance　Canyon　from　Mineral　Canyon；　and　the　latter　from　Red　Canyon；　one　can　see　the　rare　Algonkian　strata　to　fine　advantage。　Numerous　faultings　and　flexurings　may　be　observed；　and　on　the　last　mile　before　reaching　the　foot　of　Red　Canyon；　the　trail　leads　through　a　great　boulder　bed　along　the　brink　of　the　gorge　immediately　overhanging　the　river。　Camp　is　made　here　at　night。

The　return　ride　up　the　Red　Canyon　Trail　is　made　enjoyable　by　the　brilliant　colorings；　the　faultings　and　nonconformities　of　the　strata；　which　are　apparent　even　to　the　most　undiscerning　layman。　Here　the　conglomerate　appears　above　the　blue　limestone；　while　ordinarily　it　is　found　below　it。　The　Algonkian　also　is　largely　in　evidence。　Across　the　river　one　may　see　the　location　of　the　asbestos　deposits。

Moran　Point。　Grand　View　Point　and　the　points　east　are　all　reached　from　the　Grand　View　Hotel。　The　first　of　these　is　Moran　Point；　seven　thousand　one　hundred　and　fifty…seven　feet　elevation；　five　miles　east。　The　trip　may　be　made　in　a　vehicle；　over　a　road　from　which　the　Canyon　is　not　visible　until　the　point　is　reached；　or　in　the　saddle；　over　a　trail；　the　last　two　miles　of　which　are　along　the　rim。　This　is　a　unique　trail；　from　the　fact　that　it　overlooks　Hance　Creek；　and　further　along；　gives　commanding　outlooks　down　Red　Canyon。

Zuni　Point。　From　Zuni　Point；　two　miles　further　east；　a　still　more　extensive　view　is　obtained。　The　trip　to　these　two　points　may　be　made　in　half　a　day；　but　many　prefer　to　give　a　full　day。

Navaho　Point　and　Desert　View。　Ten　miles　from　Grand　View　is　Navaho　Point；　over　seven　thousand　feet　elevation。　The　ride　thither；　after　leaving　Zuni　Point；　is　through　the　Coconino　Forest；　without　a　trail。　It　is　necessarily　a　saddle　trip。　The　outlook　is　especially　attractive；　as　it　presents　portions　of　the　Painted　Desert　and　the　mouth　of　Marble　Canyon。

Comanche　Point；　seven　thousand　and　seventy…nine　feet；　and　Cape　Solitude；　six　thousand　one　hundred　and　fifty…seven　feet；　are　respectively　about　seventeen　and　twenty　miles　east　of　Grand　View；　and　may　be　visited　in　the　saddle　during　a　camping…out　trip　of　two　days。　They　both　command　views　of　the　amphitheatre　where　the　Colorado　River　makes　an　almost　right　angle　curve　from　Marble　Canyon　into　the　Granite　Gorge。　The　walls　are　precipitous　to　three　thousand　five　hundred　feet　below；　and　the　outlook　afforded　is　about　seventy　miles　in　either　direction；　up　and　down　the　Canyon。　In　addition　to　the　Canyon　outlook；　Cape　Solitude；　which　might　well　be　called　Desert　View；　commands　a　fine　expanse　of　the　Painted　Desert；　extending　a　hundred　miles　in　either　direction；　the　colorings　of　which　are　especially　dazzling　at　sunset。　The　Little　Colorado　River　flows　through　this　desert；　one　thousand　five　hundred　feet　below　Cape　Solitude；　in　a　gorge　of　about　two　thousand　five　hundred　feet　in　depth。　From　the　narrow　canyon　of　the　Little　Colorado；　the　desert　rises　to　the　east　in　three　successive；　gigantic　steps　of　about　one　thousand　feet　each。　This　affords　a　panorama　of　glorious　colorings　at　sunset；　while　the　view　in　the　opposite　direction　glows　best　in　the　early　hours　of　dawn。

To　those　who　wish　to　camp　out；　sleeping　in　the　open　for　two　or　more　nights；　the　trip　may　be　extended　to　the　Canyon　of　the　Little　Colorado。　In　this　excursion；　one　gets　a　fine　breath　of　the　desert；　a　sight　of　the　narrow　and　boxed…in　Little　Colorado　Canyon；　and　extended　desert　views；　passing　by　Cedar　Mountain；　one　of　the　few　spots　where　fragments　of　the　almost　vanished　strata　of　the　Permian　age　are　still　visible。

Tuba　City　and　Moenkopi。　Tuba　City；　sixty　miles　east　of　Grand　View　Hotel　（a　four　days'　saddle　and　camping…out　trip）；　is　situated　in　the　Painted　Desert；　and　is　the　headquarters　of　the　Navaho　Indians　of　this　locality。　Here　also　is　located　the　United　States　Government　Indian　School；　where　the　children　of　several　tribes　are　being　civilized。　Two　miles　away　is　Moenkopi；　a　Hopi　village；　or　pueblo；　of　some　thirty　homes；　where　this　pastoral　and　home…loving　people　may　be　found　engaged　in　their　quiet　agricultural　pursuits；　the　women　also　busy　at　basket…making　and　the　fashioning　of　pottery。　At　Tuba　City　there　are　many　Navahos　living　in　their　hogans；　where　the　rude　silversmiths　are　at　work　creating　their　〃arts　and　crafts〃　ware；　and　the　looms　of　the　blanket…weavers　are　incessantly　busy。

Crater　Mountain。　Crater　Mountain；　thirty…nine　miles　south　of　Grand　View　Hotel；　is　an　extinct　volcano　with　one　side　eroded；　leaving　a　sheer　wall　five　hu