Mineral and Red Canyons. On the plateaus separating Hance Canyon from
Mineral Canyon, and the latter from Red Canyon, one can see the rare
Algonkian strata to fine advantage. Numerous faultings and flexurings may
be observed, and on the last mile before reaching the foot of Red Canyon,
the trail leads through a great boulder bed along the brink of the gorge
immediately overhanging the river. Camp is made here at night.
The return ride up the Red Canyon Trail is made enjoyable by the brilliant
colorings, the faultings and nonconformities of the strata, which are
apparent even to the most undiscerning layman. Here the conglomerate
appears above the blue limestone, while ordinarily it is found below it.
The Algonkian also is largely in evidence. Across the river one may see the
location of the asbestos deposits.
Moran Point. Grand View Point and the points east are all reached from the
Grand View Hotel. The first of these is Moran Point, seven thousand one
hundred and fifty-seven feet elevation, five miles east. The trip may be
made in a vehicle, over a road from which the Canyon is not visible until
the point is reached; or in the saddle, over a trail, the last two miles of
which are along the rim. This is a unique trail, from the fact that it
overlooks Hance Creek, and further along, gives commanding outlooks down
Red Canyon.
Zuni Point. From Zuni Point, two miles further east, a still more extensive
view is obtained. The trip to these two points may be made in half a day,
but many prefer to give a full day.
Navaho Point and Desert View. Ten miles from Grand View is Navaho Point,
over seven thousand feet elevation. The ride thither, after leaving Zuni
Point, is through the Coconino Forest, without a trail. It is necessarily a
saddle trip. The outlook is especially attractive, as it presents portions
of the Painted Desert and the mouth of Marble Canyon.
Comanche Point, seven thousand and seventy-nine feet, and Cape Solitude,
six thousand one hundred and fifty-seven feet, are respectively about
seventeen and twenty miles east of Grand View, and may be visited in the
saddle during a camping-out trip of two days. They both command views of
the amphitheatre where the Colorado River makes an almost right angle curve
from Marble Canyon into the Granite Gorge. The walls are precipitous to
three thousand five hundred feet below, and the outlook afforded is about
seventy miles in either direction, up and down the Canyon. In addition to
the Canyon outlook, Cape Solitude, which might well be called Desert View,
commands a fine expanse of the Painted Desert, extending a hundred miles in
either direction, the colorings of which are especially dazzling at sunset.
The Little Colorado River flows through this desert, one thousand five
hundred feet below Cape Solitude, in a gorge of about two thousand five
hundred feet in depth.
