The man who first led an expedition along the river responsible for one of nature’s most magnificent works offers a perfect description of the Grand Canyon –

The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail.

jOHN WESLEY POWELL

I just finished reading Kevin Fedarko’s The Emerald Mile, a book about a trio of river runners who established a speed record for rowing the entire 277 miles of the Grand Canyon.  They were helped by near catastrophic releases of water from Glen Canyon Dam – release costing the Bureau of Reclamation over $32 million to repair spillway tunnels extensively damaged due to cavitation which literally ripped apart the insides of the tunnels.