The Grand Canyon of the Colorado 



Bv Mark Daniels 

 Former Superintendent of National Parks 



FOR years I have read descriptions of the Grand without lying about it." 

 Canyon with about the same feeling one would 

 peruse Joe Miller's joke book. I have marveled 

 at the conceit of those who had the temerity to essay the 

 task and laughed at their frantic efforts to convey some- 

 thing of its impressiveness by the mere use of words. 

 Icarus, with his wings of wax, was not more presumptu- 

 ous, though he came nearer to attaining his ambition. 

 Yet, here am I, after marveling at the courage of those 

 who have so fearlessly launched their frail bark of 

 metaphor upon the tossing sea of description, engaged 

 upon the selfsame task. I am free to state, however, 

 that mine is the valor of ignorance. 



Senator James D. Phelan said, in speaking of his 

 native State, "You can't tell the truth about California 



If this is true about California, 

 and nothing has occured to my knowledge to justify a 

 doubt of the Senator's veracity, it goes double for the 

 Grand Canyon. With the Senator's recital as a premise, 

 any little statement which may here appear that cannot 

 be verified will be considered, I hope, as one made in 

 order to bring out the truth about the Grand Canyon. 

 The average person's conception of a canyon is a 

 gorge in which a river runs through the mountains. 

 Mountains in some way seem to be part and parcel of a 

 canyon. The first feature at the Grand Canyon which 

 strikes one, therefore, is the almost absolute level of the 

 surrounding territory. One begins to wonder why the 

 water did not spread over the landscape and thereby fail 

 to cut a channel. It is these very level rims that add 



LOOKING NORTHWEST FROM NEAR PIMA POINT, GRAND CANYON 



. photograph, better pe.hap. than any other in this article, gives an idea of the tremendously impressive sight of the yawning gorges and the 

 202 majestic boldness of the canyons, peaks and plateaus. 



