Field Notes - Grand Canyon - Overlooks
GRAND CANYON
"FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE"
Radio man J. Howard Pyle launched a beloved Easter broadcast from South Rim in 1935. The impressions below ran in Santa Fe Magazine, May 1937. Pyle became Arizona’s governor in 1950.
Again we are alone with the stillness of Time! As far as our eyes can see there's not a single suggestion of motion! It's the Grand Canyon, the silent custodian of infinite mysteries -- asleep -- waiting for the smile of an Easter sun. For thirteen miles straight ahead to the clean cut line of the Canyon's sweeping north rim there's little to be seen but a soft sea of blue haze. What a contrast to the fresh crimson glow that's already streaking its way deep into the dome of the sky. From the miles of dull twilight at our feet will soon emerge the stern realities of the Canyon. Great monarchs of stone will lift their grotesque faces from the lingering darkness … Here is true revelation -- the innermost secrets of creation resurrected before our very eyes by the sun of an Easter dawn. Surely there could be no greater inspiration for song and triumph than this.
OVERLOOKS, VISTAS & SCENIC DRIVES
Space, light, color and time. Somehow, every Grand Canyon gaze stops peoples in their tracks. Below are a few recommendations for getting the view. As Teddy Roosevelt once said, behold the Ages at work.
1. DESERT VIEW WATCH TOWER [South Rim]
This ragged cylinder, 70 feet tall, stands 22 rim-edge miles east of Grand Canyon Village. The 1932 tower exhibits architect Mary Jane Colter’s refined rusticity—see also Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Lodge—and interpretation of indigenous architecture. (It is, essentially, a riff on Ancestral Puebloan lookouts.) Four Native artists contributed interior murals; most famously, Fred Kabotie painted the Hopi Snake Legend. “My grandfather was given artistic freedom,” says Ed Kabotie, artist and musician. “He depicted the first river-runner, at least a millennium before Powell.” Tradition speaks of a young man who navigated the Colorado in a barrel. “He sounds a little like Thomas Edison,” Ed Kabotie says. “Inquisitive—fascinated by the sheer volume of water. His father views that curiosity as a spiritual calling.” The younger Kabotie recently contributed to the conservatory cleaning of the Watchtower’s interior art. He notes that the Snake Legend—”like any good story”—ends in the young man finding love, far to the south. He returned home to found a new clan.
2. TOROWEAP [North Rim]
In a land of precipitous views, Toroweap Overlook qualifies as superlative: 3,000 feet straight down. Get there on a long-haul, flat-inducing road across the Arizona Strip—high clearance and good tires required. The last few miles are particularly bone-jarring. Don’t neglect water and other supplies, in case you get stranded. The payoff? Unforgettable vistas of canyon and stark cinder cones.
3. EASTERN VISTAS [East Canyon]
The original, 1920s-era Navajo Bridge has been replaced by a newer parallel-steel arch carrying Highway 89A, making its predecessor the ultimate viewing platform. Watch for ponderous condors and darting swifts, or a river trip traversing Marble Canyon far below. It’s tempting to hustle up Highway 64 en route to the national park’s east entrance. But take time for the spectacular overlook at the Little Colorado River Navajo Tribal Park, near milepost 286. Far below convoluted cliff edges, the Little Colorado winds towards its hidden junction with the big river.
4. IMPERIAL POINT [North Rim]
The Kaibab Plateau’s East Rim is often neglected. Check it out before sunset, as the Vermilion and Echo Cliffs glow incandescent. Stroll for the best view from the Point Imperial parking area.
5. DIAMOND BEACH CREEK [West Canyon]
The 17-mile scenic detour from Peach Springs, which requires a permit from the Hualapai Tribe, offers immediate Grand Canyon immersion. Start at the old rusty sawmill—much more interesting than it sounds—then watch the vegetation grow lusher and rocks get redder as you trek.
Taylor Bruce