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Travelogues
Still Primitive in 1100 AD Nearby, after Lipan Point (7360'), is Tusayan Ruins (and Museum), a well-preserved Anasazi site, which was occupied till about 1200 AD. We all were keen and drove to it. I had noticed that the area around was rather green with number of trees, mostly beautiful Ponderosa pines. The Anasazi village, 25 or so persons might have inhabited the site, had houses which were small with rooms of about 6' by 8'. The remnants of the walls of the houses were made of stones without any mortar, and were only 2 to 3 feet high. The plaque nearby had shown a picture in which the walls were about 7 feet high with a hole on top functioning as a door! They used a ladder to climb up, and another to get in. Obviously they were not worried about enemies, for it would be very easy for an enemy to trap them inside and kill them if they came out. Since they had not invented anything like a door that could be closed, they invented this hole on the roof, which could be closed merely by keeping a cover that was kept in its place by gravity. An animal could not open it, and the wind, as bone-cold as it was that day, was also barred. On the whole a clever idea. There was an almost round room, called 'Kiva', which was a kind of a worship place or at times used as a storeroom!! There were narrow lanes. Anasazi must have been spending most of their time 'outdoors' and used the rooms mostly for resting, or for protection against extreme weather. Rain on the South Rim is only about 24 cms, and snow about 105 cms annually. Anasazi used to move down during winters, not only to escape the cold but also to cultivate squash (pumpkin), corn and beans there. The state of primitive agriculture in the Grand Canyon around 1200 AD is amazing, another proof that the grand isolation blocked advantage of the innovations of the others. Driving through Ponderosa Avenue, known as East Rim Drive, we reached the Moran Point (7160'). Now we were a little familiar with the vast and the deep, we could identify Vishnu with sandal bars on the forehead, and nearby Krishna and Rama Temples. Now the sun was higher and shadows shorter, the depth was clearly visible in full detail, not as mysterious but certainly fascinating. A little farther was the Grandview Point (7399') from where I saw immediately in front, a plateau aptly named as Horseshoe Mesa (mesa is a smaller plateau). Unlike previous viewpoints where the eastern view was somewhat limited, here the view was balanced both at left and at right. To north-northeast was the Brahma Temple, a majestic peak. In its front, slightly lower, was the all red Zoroaster Temple. Very close to us on the right was a thin ledge that appeared to be in ruins! It was an unusual sensation! Why did I feel it was in ruins? All that I could see there had been formed by the forces of nature, as much as this ledge, then why this difference? I suppose it was the way in which the top layer was cracked, the zigzag edges of those rocks, and the way a few boulders were lying at the far end of the ledge. Natives used to Cremate A little farther we reached Yaki Point, jutting into the Grand Canyon. To our left were columns of rocks whose heads appeared like the pyramids or pagoda shaped domes of South Indian temples - the cap becoming narrower and narrower, layer by layer, and each layer rounded to remove the sharp edges enhancing their softness. Therefore calling these stone caps or structures as temples is doubly justified. From here Zoroaster and Brahma temples were closer and due north. With little imagination one could almost see three whitish heads of Brahma (fourth being invisible) over red shoulders. As the river Colorado in this region is flowing from east to west, the Rim Drives are also east west. Therefore north direction is the natural direction to gaze at, thus temples or peaks due north attract our attention first. Probably this is the best point and time to have a look at 6071 feet high O'Neil Butte, (rhymes with 'cute') for it is closer and the morning sun bathes it in the warm red rays. My eye following the crag reached this attractive rock formation. It is a formation that has tallish steep sides of Redwall limestone at its base, which make it look like a freestanding structure. Then there are thin gradual slopes alternating with thin vertical sides, culminating into a peak. The width or breadth of the Butte was not small in proportion to the height. If the width at the top is smaller, it becomes a tower or a column. Wind and water have eroded Coconino, Toroweap and Kaikbob the three top layers of this Butte, thus its top is made of Hermit shale, the fourth layer of surface of this region. It means another 30 million years of sedimentation has been eroded compared to the upper Kaibob layer. On the near right, Cremation Creek could be seen in its glory, starting from a point slightly to our east and flowing north to meet the River, regardless of the name given to it. The name Cremation intrigued us. Natives prior to Christian influence despite shortage of wood used to cremate their dead, and this was one such place. The South Kaibab Trail as viewed from this point was alluring also because we would be returning from Phantom Ranch via this trail the next day. |
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There is a tower from where the view is slightly more panoramic, and I climbed the stairs through a gift shop. Knowing my nature of getting absorbed in the moment, sometimes at the cost of future, Sandeep cautioned me to come back soon, as there were many observation points yet to be seen. Each Point gives a different perspective of the Grand Canyon. The increased panorama had only increased the impact. As I was standing at the east corner of the South Rim, I could see more of the northern 120 kms and western 400 kms of the Canyon. The River was tumbling from north. To the east was the Painted Desert famous for scenes, as if 'painted' by nature on the sands. I can still and I do visualize those Grand scenes at leisure and still wonder at the mystery of this creation.