The Grand Canyon is a silent giant. Visiting this place, I felt that I should be afraid. Sometimes, we humans come face to face with raw Nature, and it indifferently reminds us that our flimsy creature comforts can be destroyed as and when it pleases. There is no mothering here.
While I walked as close to the edge as I dared, the wind pushed at my back. Chunks of rock littered the ground beneath my feet, and gaps in the big stones were dark and deep. Somehow, these tripping hazards didn't discourage the other tourists. People walked right up to the edge to take their pictures. They may not have known that the rock surface at the rim could be unstable and ready to crumble under their feet. Erosion. According to mygrandcanyonpark.com 53 people have died from accidental falls over the canyon since 1925.
It is theorized that the colorado river carved out the Grand Canyon about 70 million years ago. Before that, the river would have lain atop level land. You can see lines along the walls of the canyon, tell-tale signs of where the river would have travelled. If you look for it, you can find the lines and the river in this video.
The music that accompanies this clip is a celtic tune named 'Nyth Gwcw'. The sheet music is published in a book titled "Celtic Music for Flute & Guitar, Allan Alexander & Jessica Walsh". The book can be ordered online at http://www.fluteandguitar.com/celtic.html. It comes with a CD on which Allan and Jessica perform the content of the book (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE_9EBY0oU8).
Sources:
http://grandcanyoncvb.org/about-grand-canyon/
http://www.mygrandcanyonpark.com/2010/03/falling-to-death-grand-canyon/
http://geology.com/articles/age-of-the-grand-canyon.shtml
Here is a link that describes Supai, Arizona. People actually live in this remote place, located within the Grand Canyon. Accessible only by helicopter, hike, or mule!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supai,_Arizona
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