Grand Canyon 2023

Sorry I have not posted a blog for a while, I have been on a 3 week trip to the USA! One of the places we went on that trip was the Grand Canyon.


The grand canyon is an incredible place. When your there it looks 2D and like you could touch it. Here are some facts:

  •       It’s one of the longest canyons in the world, measuring over 270 miles long
  •       It formed around 5 to 6 million years ago when the Colorado River started flowing through it.
  •       It contains some of the oldest exposed rocks on the planet.
  •       It’s home to around 70 species of mammals, 22 of which are bats, 250 species of bird, and 25 types of reptiles.
  •       It is one of the 7 natural Wonders of the World.
  •      Guano Point got its name because of the bat poo which was found in a cave near the point. At the time bat poo was very expensive but good fertiliser. They put in a cable cart to get down to the cave easily. This was later destroyed when a jet flew through the cable.
  •        It is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site
  •       The whole of the Grand Canyon gets about 6.2 million annual visitors

GjWe visited the Grand Canyon West rim. The Grand Canyon West belongs to the Hualapai tribe (pronounced Wal-lah-pie). The word Hualapai means “People of the Tall Pines”. The tribe have lived in the Grand Canyon West since 1883.

Here are some fun facts about the Hualapai People:

  •      The word pai at the end of Hualapai means ‘people’.
  •      Four tribes make up the Hualapai Nation which are Hualapai, Yavapai, Havasupai and Pai-Pai.
  •      The Hualapai contains 14 bands (sub-groups) which are Walapai Mountain, Grass Springs, Clay Springs, Mahone Mountain, Milkweed Springs, Red Rock, Pine Springs, Big Sandy River, Peach Springs, Juniper Mountain, Cerbat Mountain, Havasuw ‘Baja, Hackberry and Pine Springs and People of the Blue-Green Water which is a joint use area.
  •       The tribes still own parts of their original territory.
  •       The Hualapai are the only tribe in Arizona out of the 23 to enter the tourism industry.
  •        The 2000 US Census reported 1,621 people live on the Hualapai Reservation, and 1,353 were tribal members.
  •       The total tribe population, including those not living on the reserve, is 2,300

Species at the Grand Canyon

BIRDS

·        Cooper’s Hawk

·         Golden Eagle

·         Bald Eagle

·         Turkey Vulture

·         Wood Duck

·         Egyptian Goose

·         Bufflehead

INVERTEBRATES

Arizona Bark Scorpion

Tarantula Hawk

MAMMALS

Bighorn Sheep

North American Elk

Little Brown Bat

American Bison

Mule Deer

REPTILES

Gila Monster

Gopher Snake

Greater Mountain Short Horned Lizard

ANPHIBIANS

Canyon Tree Frog

Northern Leopard Frog

Tiger Salamander


Full List:  https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/wildlife.htm


Species I Saw

·         Turkey Vulture

·         American Crow

·         Raven

·         Baja California Collared Lizard

·         Joshua Trees

·         Cacti

 

My Photos

The Glass Skywalk at Grand Canyon West


The cable cart at Guano Point

Eagle Point is named after the rock which looks like its an eagle with its wings spread open! (pictured here).

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