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The Grand Canyon Series of rocks, laid out for all to see. |
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A talk given in the newly constructed visitor center.
Below:
An aerial photograph of the park
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Another ranger led talk. There is a full schedule of presentations,
talks, hikes, and explorations throughout the day. They range from geology
lessons, to searches for wildlife, and identification of plants, through
history, and even, as in this case, poetry readings. |
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Another bright sunny day bakes the lower areas of the canyon. Once
again, visitors were warned not to attempt hiking down into the canyon. |
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Searching for a shady spot, and checking out the local wildlife. |
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A park ranger good naturedly telling someone where to go. All park
rangers, whatever their various assigned duties, are guides, and law enforcement
officers. Rangers are not exceptionally well paid, and most, depending upon
their specialty, could be making much more money working as police officers,
biologists or geologists. Even so, turnover is rare. Rangers love their work,
and qualified applicants wait years for a job to open up. |
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One of a number of caves I spotted, on some of the formations. I can
not imagine that they are natural; they seem so out of place. On the other
hand, what is there to mine here, and who would mine the sides of cliffs? |
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A woodpecker carves out his own bit of space here. |
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Our friend the woodpecker, taking a break. |
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The spires and rough surfaces of some of the formations seem to show
up better in the lengthening shadows of the afternoon. |
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Rocky ledges lead to a sheer drop. |
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A look at the Artists Studio perched along a line of cliffs. |
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A look up a carved channel on a hazy afternoon. |
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View from the top. Some visitors look down form a lofty perch of their
own, to get a better look at a California Condor on the ledge below. |
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Some nearby ridges and cliffs, are photographs as I wait on the observation
deck of the Artists Studio for the condors to arrive. |
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The same photo as is taken above, is not the same photo at all, after
the sun has begun to set. |
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A closer view of the Artists Studio. |
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The waning light seems to make the water cut ridges deeper, and rougher. |
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Observers on the lower deck gawk at the changes the setting sun makes
in the formations of the canyon. Towards the end of the afternoon, it seems
that every fifteen minutes, the place changes completely. |
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The Artists Studio basks in the orange glow of the early evening sun. |
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The lower areas of the canyon are now in shadow, giving hikers and
explorers a break from the sun. |
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People gather to say good night to the park. |
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The moon rises over the top of the canyon's finest hotel. |
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The lower ridges show the sun. The terrible heat of the day is finally
diminishing a bit. The evenings here, even with day time temperatures of
over 100 were fairly cool. |
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Splashed with color, the cliff face seems to welcome the evening. |