Room+20B

Ryan Wuest and Bryson Petho's Journal

On the Grand Canyon trip we visited four main places. They were called the Kaibab trail, River trip through Glenn Canyon, Wupatki National Monument, and Sunset Crater National Monument. At these three places we saw and heard many amazing things that affected our outlook on the places.

**__River Trip__**: On the river trip we were in Glenn Canyon for most of the time until we exited at Lee’s Ferry. We started at the Glenn Canyon Dam. To get to the base of the canyon we had to take a bus through a two-mile long tunnel. In the tunnel there were holes on the canyon side of the canyon. These holes were used to push out the rock from the tunnel in to the canyon while the tunnel was being made. The canyon was deep and the water was calm. The water was almost a greenish-brown color. The only fish that lives in the water was the rainbow trout. Fishermen were along the sides catching the trout. People bring their family and camping supplies to camp along the side of the river. The maximum camping time for these families was 14 days for six dollars. After being on the river for a while we stopped at a little beach and went on a trail to look at some petroglyphs. Then we passed horseshoe bend. A fact is that one person dies a year at horseshoe bend. **Historic**: Back in 1982 Lake Powell was filled 90% full because there was a warm spring rain that melted the snow very quickly. As a result the hydraulic jets had to be activated. This still didn’t empty the lake enough. Architects built spillways at 90 degrees for the water but once the spillways opened the water was moving too fast to make the turn. As a result the water started churning and the water level didn’t go down. The total cost was 260 million dollars. **Reflection**: This was a new experience for me. The canyon walls were really different scenery. I liked the river and all the new scenery. The petroglyphs were really cool also. I didn’t dislike any of the river trip. I enjoyed the whole thing.

**__ Sunset Crater National Monument: __** At Sunset Crater we went down into lava flow. Down at the lava flow we picked up a rock a noticed how light it was. This was because when the rock formed it had air bubbles that caused gaps in the rock. This resulted in a lighter rock. Sunset crater last erupted in 1100. This cinder-cone volcano is no longer active. There are many other volcanoes in the area. Sunset crater had black rocks all around it and on it. In the lava flow below was a miniature volcano. This miniature volcano was made from the sunset crater’s lava making a bubble that hardened then made a miniature volcano. Further in the lava flow was an ice cave. The ice cave is sacred to the Indian tribes in the surrounding area. The ice cave is cold year round and is full I of ice. ** Historic ** : In the past of sunset crater some people wanted to film a movie called Avalanche. They wanted to blow up sunset crater for part of the movie. Soon after this idea was purposed people went crazy and wanted to protect sunset crater. So Roosevelt made Sunset Crater a national monument. ** Reflection ** : This was something new for me. I have never been that close to a volcano before. I liked seeing all the lava flow and what it made. What I didn’t like was the fact that the ice cave was closed off.







-Ryan

__**Hike:**__

The Grand Canyon had a whole lot in store for us. The first thing we did on the trip is going on a hike that took us along the rim of the Grand Canyon. Of course not along the whole Grand Canyon. This trail has been used for mules for 50 years. There were none on the trail today. This is the last place where mules can walk freely on the trail. When we got there we met our hike guide, he began to take us down to the steep slope of wonder that is the Grand Canyon. The slope had many fossils on the walls. The fossils consisted of sea sponges and clamshells, the whole shell to be in fact. We came across lime stone. Limestone is the hardest rock that is in the Grand Canyon. Limestone has a sandy surface and on some parts of it, there are smooth cracks. Another rock we came across is shale, shale is like petrified sand dunes that have formed on the Grand Canyon. They have maintained the same form they have over a million years. Sand stone is the rock that makes up most of the Grand Canyon. This rock is smooth on spots hidden from the sun and rough as a nail file on the parts that are facing the sun. This trail was something new for the both of us and for many others. What I liked about this trail is the amazing view. The thing that I didn’t like about the experience was coming back up.





**__The Wupatki ruins:__** At the Wupatki ruins, before you even enter this site there are petroglyphs on the surrounding rocks near the path. A carved snake coiled up on the bottom left corner of a rock show that they had rattlesnakes in this area. The ruins were two story houses that were home to 200 Native Americans. We passed hundreds of fallen bricks and stone, all fallen from weather. At the bottom of the path, there was an auditorium were even the slightest whisper can be heard across twenty feet. This auditorium was rebuilt and strengthened, the builders kept its original form. Similar to the auditorium was a ball court were the Native Americans played a fantasizing sport. This sport however was not from America. It is unknown where the origin of the sport is but scientists are still researching. Even farther don the path there is a hole in the ground that has air cavities. When the temperature and pressure changes the blowhole will either blow or suck. When we went there the hole was blowing. The ruins in my opinion were very interesting. This was not new to me because I’ve been to other ruins before in Tucson. What I liked about this activity is that the ruins are intact and well preserved. What I didn’t like is the lack of time to spend there.



-Bryson