• The first part of the Grand Canyon is here.

• The stratum, that took two billion years to pile up, has upheaved up to above the sea 2,700m 10 million years ago, it is the Colorado Plateau. The Colorado River invaded it spending three to six million years and the Grand Canyon has been made. As a result, it became the crack of the surface of the earth of 446km in length and 29km in maximum width, huge one. Maximum depth to be cut down is 1,700m.
  The width of Colorado River is 90m in average, 30m in depth, and it flows at a speed of 6.4km per hour. This water current has cut  down Colorado Plateau long years.
  This time, we visited the Grand Canyon West which is close to the Hoover Dam. South Rim that is called so-called Grand Canyon is 1600m in depth of the valley, and the West is a little lower of 1200m. But we can go down to the Colorado riverbank descending 1200m by helicopter and enjoy the Colorado River boat tour because it is outside the national park.
  The Grand Canyon West is in the native Hualapai Indian reservation. Therefore, the boat tour is guided by the Hualapai Indian.
  The artificial Lake Mead was made by the Hoover Dam, it is huge, and the amount of storing water is about 40 billion tons. The amount of storing water of artificial lakes total in 2,500 dams in Japan is 28 billion tons and the biggest lake, Lake Biwa,  in Japan stores 28 billion tons, these suggest the hugeness of the lake.

Climbs up from the Colorado riverbank by helicopter along the Grand Canyon rock wall
Colorado River flows calmly
The stratum carved with two billion years lies ahead
Climbing up close to rock surface, looking down Colorado River			Up on the plateau
Beyond Colorado River, connected with Hoover Dam. Vast!
Lunch under the tent	Contrast with reddish-brown rock surface, distant stratum and Colorado River
Distant observatory doesn't have handrail either
Sightly "Eagle point"		Plateau is cut down as V shape and became gorge
It seems to be able to step down right under the path but the gorge is 1200m high
Big rock on the right looks like "Eagle to have expanded wings"

2010/12/01