Room+3A

//**The Grand Canyon**// Brianna Robillard //**The Grand Canyon**// We began our journey at the Grand Canyon at the Bright Angel Lodge area. As we looked out at the view of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, it looked spectacular. We could see the beautiful colors and layers of the sandstone, and how both wind and water had carved out the canyon. We could barely see the Colorado River far below. We than began to hike along the south rim of the canyon. Our guide talked about the different types of plants that grow in the Grand Canyon area. The most abundant trees are Ponderosa Pine, Pinion Pine, and Juniper trees. The native Indians used the Pinion nuts to make pesto sauce, and for other uses. They used the bark of the Juniper tree to make clothes, and diapers. Our guide showed us poop that was probably from an elk or a prong horn deer that lives in the Grand Canyon. He told us that mountain lions also live there, and that they travel around the visitor areas but do not like to be seen because they are shy. He told us that at one time the ocean had covered this area, and this is why there are shells embedded in the rock. He explained that the Grand Canyon was formed 6 to 7 million ago of years ago by erosion caused by win`d and water, and that it is still happening today. Some of the rocks found in the Grand Canyon are more than 1,840 million years old. I really enjoyed the views of the Grand Canyon. When we came back before sunset and I looked out at the canyon, it looked different from what it appeared earlier in the day. The sunset made the rocks look like they glowed red. I could see what looked like big crows as they flew high in sky. It made me think about the people who lived here a long time ago and I wondered if they felt the way I feel today, that the Grand Canyon is just so beautiful. We than changed guides and began our hike of the Bright Angel Trail. We began to hike down a rocky trail that was steep. As we passed the walls of the canyon, it was like we passed through time because every step represented rocks that were thousands of years old. At one point we had to pass through what looked like an arch. As we went further down the trail, all the people on top of the rim looked much smaller. We could see more of the Colorado River below. The Grand Canyon looked different from what it looked above because I could see different rock formations. At one point our guide pointed out petroglyphs in the rocks. Our guide also explained that the trail we walked was much narrower when the native Indians lived there. The National Park Service had widened it for park visitors. It did not seem too difficult to walk down the trail, but it was more difficult to walk back up. As I looked at the trail, I could see how the trail switched back and forth. I was glad I had my water bottle. I was really hungry and was anxious to eat dinner. Afterwards, I was tired as we headed to our hotel for the night.



**// River Rafts //** The next morning after breakfast, we headed off to the river rafts at the base of the Glen Canyon Dam. First we had to board government buses and traveled 2 miles through a tunnel that was bugrand it in the 1950’s. It took them 2 years to complete it. They started from opposite sides of the tunnel and when they met they were only 18 inches off. Our river guide told us that the Glen Canyon was almost the same size as the Hoover Dam. The dam was built to generate electricity, and to use the water for irrigation. The water of the Colorado River in this area is really cold because we were at he bottom of the water, and because all the mountain snow flows into the river in this area. The water in the Colorado River seemed very still until our rafts stirred it up. The walls of the canyon looked red to gold, and were made of sandstone. Our guide pointed out areas where we could see where the water had eroded it, especially after the floods from years ago. He pointed a number of rock formations, and also to areas where the rocks had slid down. We enjoyed the beautiful views as we sipped lemonade that was cooled in the river. We could even see fish as they swam in the water. We then stopped and jumped out on the shore. We took a short walk to look at petroglyphs. It was amazing to think about what the people who lived here were trying to portray in these images. Several of the kids in my raft splashed around in the water. Then we got back in the rafts and continued our ride to Lee’s Ferry. Our guide explained that this was an area where Lee was able to cross the Colorado River, so he built a landing. It was difficult to move goods down the trails so he asked investors to help buy a steam boat to move the coal. However, the coal so heavy, the steam boat used up all the coal just to move from one spot to the other. They wound up sinking the steam boat in the Colorado River, and part of it is still visible today.

//** Wupatki **// We then traveled to our next stop which was the ancient ruins of the Pueblo people. The ruins were a beautiful orange red mud sand stone buildings are 900 years old. It is amazing that any of the ruins are still standing today. The people who lived here would have had deal with cold winters and very hot summers. They had to plant crops in a very dry climate. It was interesting to look at the ball court and think about the competitive games that went of there. The pueblos were thought to be about three stories high and several rooms believed to used for storage. The blow hole must have really fascinated these people because they would not have had an understanding of geology. As I stood and felt the cool air in my hair, it must have been a popular spot in the hot summer. I learned that only a small portion of this archeological has been excavated, and there may be much more information that can be learned about these early people. No one really knows why these people left this area, but some people think that they may have been frightened by the volcano at Sunset crater erupting. ** //Sunset Crater// ** After a long day, I was really feeling tired when pulled in to see Sunset Crater. The area was coverd in volcanic rock, and in some areas, I could see some yellow wild flowers that had grown. The volcano had erupted about 1,000 years ago. It is considered an active volcano because 1,000 years is a blink of geological time. Our guide explained to us about the different types of volcanoes. A composite volcano has steep sides like we could see in the distance the San Francisco Peaks. Sunset Crater is a cinder cone volcano, and is made up of loose fragments. A dome volcano also has steep sides and a rounded shape like the O’Leary Peak on the horizon. Around Sunset crater is the Bonito Lava Flow which formed jagged blocks called ah-ah, unlike the ropey surface of cooled lava called pahoehoe. I thought is was interesting to climb inside the cave formed after the lava had cooled. Our guide told us that as we looked out at the San Francisco Peaks, it is the tallest mountains in the state of Arizona. But he explained that before it had erupted, the mountain was as tall as a line drawn between the two peaks.