the grand canyon of arizona-第16章

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ry　appearance；　commonly　known　to　the　local　dwellers　as　Colorado　salmon。　Specimens　have　been　caught　two　feet　eight　inches　in　length；　and　sixteen　inches　in　circumference；　and　a　fortunate　fisherman　brought　one　up　to　El　Tovar；　which　was　nearly　three　feet　in　length。

Camping　at　the　River。　It　is　a　delightful　experience　to　remain　over　night　and　sleep　on　the　river　sand；　especially　if　the　moon　be　at　its　full。　Then　one　sees　great　walking　shadowsmoving；　living；　palpable　entities。　Towers　and　buttes　and　temples　take　on　new　qualities　under　the　softer　luminary　of　the　night。

Here；　too；　one　gets　to　know　the　Canyon　in　a　new　phase。　He　is　in　the　trough　between　two　ranges　of　mountains。　To　the　north　and　to　the　south　are　towering　peaks。　You　forget　that　you　have　ridden　down；　down；　to　reach　this　spot。　You　are　in　a　new　country。　A　majestic　range　of　glorious　peaks　soars　away　above　you　to　the　north。　Now；　by　merely　turning　in　the　other　direction；　you　see　another　and　entirely　different　range；　with　peaks；　canyons；　ravines；　gorges；　points；　ridges　all　its　own。

The　Return　to　El　Tovar。　Riding　back　to　El　Tovar；　with　thoughts　like　these；　the　visitor　imagines　himself　riding　to　a　City　Celestial。　He　reaches　the　plateau；　studies　for　a　while　the　unique　coloring　of　the　Algonkian　strata　just　above　the　Granite　Gorge；　and　sees　where　the　faulting　has　raised　them　above　the　Tonto　sandstones。　Then；　steadily　looking　upward；　he　rides　forward；　climbing　slowly　but　surely　to　the　peaks　above。　Tired　though　he　is；　he　feels　a　constant　thrill　of　satisfaction　as　he　rises　higher　and　higher；　and　when；　at　last；　his　animal　lifts　him　to　the　level　of　El　Tovar；　and　he　stands　once　more　in　his　room　at　the　hotel；　he　feels　an　exaltation　vouchsafed　only　to　those　who　have　dared　and　done　an　unusual　thing。　And　this　the　Canyon　is！　No　matter　how　often　the　trip　is　made；　the　interest　of　it　never　tires；　the　wonder　of　it　never　grows　less。



CHAPTER　IX。　To　Grand　View　And　Down　The　Grand　View　Trail

To　Grand　View。　One　may　go　by　regular　stages　or　by　private　conveyance　from　El　Tovar　to　Grand　View。　The　distance　to　the　hotel　is　fourteen　miles。　The　drive　is　through　the　glens　and　winding　roads　of　the　Coconino　Forest；　with　junipers；　pines；　sage…brush；　atriplex　and　the　beautifully　flowered　Cowania　Mexicana；　or　mountain　mahogany；　commonly　known　as　the　quinine　tree；　abounding　on　every　hand。　Though　comparatively　close　to　the　Canyon；　one　seldom　catches　a　glimpse　of　it；　for　the　country　slopes　away　from　the　rim。　The　ride　is　through　a　thickly　forested　region　of　giant　pines。

Varieties　of　Flowers　and　Shrubs。　During　the　season　of　flowers　one　will　be　surprised　at　the　great　diversity　presented。　There　are　varieties　of　artemisia　or　sage…brush；　antennaria；　columbine；　the　barberry；　spiraea；　Russian　thistle；　eriophyllous；　chrysothamnus；　plantago；　dandelions；　lepidium；　chaenactic；　linum；　hosackia；　cirsium；　astragulus；　ambrosia；　euphorbia；　pleustemon；　achillea　millefolium；　erodium；　or　stork's　bill；　orthocarpous；　vilia；　solidago；　lactuca；　helianthus；　erigeron；　brickellia；　malvastrum；　ptelea　or　a　desert　hop…tree；　polygonum；　sphedra；　lupines；　castilleia；　lathyrus；　verbena　and　a　score　of　others。　I　merely　name　those　I　saw　on　one　day's　drive　to　and　from　Grand　View；　so　that　the　botanist；　amateur　or　professional；　may　know　the　rich　treat　there　is　in　store　for　him。　For；　under　the　peculiar　climatic　conditions　here；　many　of　these　more　common　plants　present　singular　variations。

When　about　half　the　distance　is　passed；　the　road　enters　Long　Jim　Canyon；　so　named　after　a　well…known　sheepherder　of　the　early　days　who　used　to　wander　here　with　his　sheep。

Pompey's　Pillar　and　Thor's　Hammer。　Shortly　before　reaching　Grand　View　Point；　the　road　passes　not　far　from　the　rim；　where　it　curves　into　a　small　amphitheatre　in　which　are　two　striking　columns　of　erosion；　Pompey's　Pillar　and　Thor's　Hammer。

Grand　View　Hotel。　Grand　View　Hotel　is　directly　upon　the　rim；　and　commands　a　fine　outlook　over　the　open　portion　of　the　Canyon　at　its　very　beginning。　The　hotel　was　built　by　and　is　under　the　management　of　P。　D。　Berry；　whose　homestead　is　near　by。　Mr。　Berry　was　one　of　the　discoverers　of　the　mine　below　and　one　of　the　locators　of　the　Grand　View　Trail。

Grand　View　Point。　Grand　View　Point　（elevation　seven　thousand　four　hundred　and　ninety…five　feet）　is　about　a　mile　from　the　hotel。　It　affords　the　most　extensive　view　possible　of　this　part　of　the　Canyon。　The　highest　point；　too；　is　at　the　eastern　end　of　the　Canyon；　being　two　hundred　and　eleven　feet　higher　than　Zuni　Point　（seven　thousand　one　hundred　and　fifty…seven　feet）；　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　feet　higher　than　Pinal　Point　（seven　thousand　three　hundred　and　seventy　feet）；　and　thirty　feet　higher　than　Navaho　Point；　all　of　them　salient　points　to　the　east。

Cliff　Dwellings。　There　are　a　number　of　cliff　dwellings　in　this　vicinity；　which　take　from　half　a　day　to　a　day　to　visit。　The　best　preserved　of　these　are　in　the　gulches　of　the　Coconino　Forest；　on　the　rocks　of　which　are　also　some　interesting　pictographs。　There　are　remains　of　dwellings　on　Moran's　Point；　and　at　various　places　along　the　rim　of　the　Canyon。　A　few　miles　to　the　east　of　Grand　View　Point　is　the　junction　of　the　Little　Colorado　with　the　Colorado　River；　as　it　flows　out　of　the　Marble　Canyon　into　the　Grand　Canyon。　Here；　for　nearly　a　score　of　miles；　the　strata　have　been　shattered　and　carried　away；　so　that　the　Canyon　is　opened　up；　as　it　were；　more　than　in　any　other　place。　A　vast　number　of　pillars　of　erosion　stand　revealed　in　wonderful　variety。

It　should　never　be　forgotten　that　the　Canyon　is　so　diversified　that　each　point　and　each　trail　has　its　own　distinctive　charms；　and　he　is　wise；　in　the　Canyon　study；　who　sees　it　from　as　many　points　of　vantage　as　he　can。

The　trip　from　Grand　View　Hotel　to　the　plateau　overlooking　the　Granite　Gorge；　three　thousand　five　hundred　feet　below；　and　return；　is　made　in　one　day。　The　old　Grand　View　Trail　leaves　the　rim　about　a　mile　from　the　hotel；　winding　its　way　down　from　one　stratum　to　another；　around　points　which　command　extensive　outlooks。

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　si