On the Desert Road to Marble Canyon
We diverted around to Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell on the 200 mile loop around to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Doubling back from the dam, we proceeded along this road to Marble Canyon. At this point it was real desert, but the red cliffs made a pleasant backdrop. The Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam runs through the Marble Canyon. August 8, 1982.
Horses On the Desert Road to Marble Canyon
These horses were running down into a draw along the Marble Canyon road after we rejoined it from Glen Canyon. At this point it was real desert, but the red cliffs made a pleasant backdrop. August 8, 1982.
Marble Canyon
The Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam runs through the Marble Canyon. This view northward along the Marble Canyon is taken from the bridge across the canyon. August 8, 1982.
Mark and Jeff on the Edge of Marble Canyon
Jeff and Mark enjoyed throwing rocks into the canyon, after making sure there was no one down there. August 8, 1982.
Marble Canyon Bridge
This is the bridge which crosses Marble Canyon on the loop road from the south to the north side of the Grand Canyon. We diverted around to Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell on the 200 mile loop around to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Doubling back from the dam, we proceeded along this road to Marble Canyon. The Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam runs through the Marble Canyon.
This bridge has featured prominently in my lectures on the acceleration of gravity in introductory physics courses. Sam Shelton, Jerry Phillips, John Baxley and I crossed this bridge when we left the North Rim of Grand Canyon on our long looping trip in 1960. We spent about 45 minutes throwing rocks off this bridge because it was high enough for the fall to be extraordinary. When you throw a rock off of the bridge horizontally, it appears to come back toward the bridge as it falls because the distance is great enough to get perpective narrowing during the fall. When it hits the water, a sharp crack reverberates up to you from the canyon. It takes about 7 seconds to fall. I have embellished that story and used it as a teaching tool. Jeff and Mark enjoyed throwing rocks into the canyon, after making sure there was no one down there, but they had to do it from the side since pedestrians are blocked from the bridge now and they have a fence up. August 8, 1982.
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Trip Day 8