Exploring the Grand Canyon: Only the Brave and Hardy

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More than 5 million visitors come to see the Grand Canyon each year.  Most of the tourists come during the summer months when families have time to travel.

Anyone who stops to look out over the expanse of the canyon, hike the trails, or take a helicopter ride to survey the amazing topography might be interested in the back story of canyon exploration. The first European to see the canyon was a Spaniard who came north from Mexico in the early 1500s. No other explorer ventured into the rugged terrain for another 350 years.

John Wesley Powell Led First Full Exploration

Finally in 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran, John Wesley Powell (1834-1902), led the first full exploration of the area. (Powell was wounded in the Battle of Shiloh and had his arm amputated.)

The only way to navigate the canyon then was via the rivers. Powell obtained four boats and selected nine men for the journey. The group set out from the Green River area in Wyoming in late May of 1869. The Green River (then known as the Grand River) offered immediate challenges. It featured swiftly moving rapids that led to the river’s juncture with the Colorado River. If the men made it that far, they ventured into the canyons of Utah. Anyone who has ever ridden river rapids — or seen film clips of others doing so — knows that this trip would not have been easy.

In a particularly fast-moving area, the men sometimes tied the boats to a line and walked along the shore holding on to the vessels as best they could. Occasionally, the river ran so fast that the men took the boats out of the water. They then had to carry the boats and all the supplies to a calmer place on the river.

Turning Back?

Turning back was rarely an option. Often, the only way to out of their “adventure” was to continue down the river, no matter what befell them.

One month into the trip, one fellow left. He told Powell that even in that short time he had had “enough adventure to last a man a lifetime.” Two months later, three more men quit. They tried to hike out of the canyon, but they were killed by Native Americans.

At the end of the summer, Powell and the remaining crew emerged at the mouth of the Virgin River (now under Lake Mead). They and were met by settlers who were fishing along the riverbank. Everyone was shocked. There had been no word at all from the men for three months. All who knew of the trip presumed the men were dead.

Powell Wanted to Return

Though the group accomplished the original goal, Powell was not satisfied. While the trip confirmed that the canyon was created by fast-moving waters cutting through the land, Powell knew he needed to go back to document what they saw and experienced. The first trip was so challenging there was no time for keeping accurate notes.

Like many men of his era, Powell turned to the lecture circuit to raise money for another trip. By 1871-1872, Powell had funds for another trip. He would document this second trip with photographs and map-making.

In 1895 Lake Powell, a huge reservoir formed by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, was named for him.

Getting Around Today

This year’s tourists, particularly those who hike or travel a section of the rapids, might tip their hats to Powell and explorers like him. The terms, “brave” and “hardy” barely do these men justice. In the meantime, today’s travelers benefit from the intrepid modern hikers who have more fully explored the canyon. This website provides numerous options on different hikes and also provides a wealth of information: Hikes in Grand Canyon National Park. The trail maps are free to download.

For another story of an adventurer, read about John Muir.

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