* One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the
World.
* To travel from one end to the other end, a
river journey of 277 miles would be required.
* The distance between the walls of the North
Rim and the South Rim vary from less than .5
mile to 18 miles.
* The depth of the Canyon reaches a maximum
of 6,000 feet.
* To travel from one side of the Canyon to the
other requires a car trip of about 215 miles or a
hike of 21 miles along steep trails.
* Hiking the 21-mile trip takes the visitor
through four of our country's seven life zones
(regions that share the same type of climate,
plant, and animal life). This trek encompasses
the flora and fauna equivalent of a trip from the
Mexican desert to the Canadian woods.
* Two billion years of geology is exposed by
rock in the Canyon walls. More geological
evidence of the earth's history is on display at
the Grand Canyon than anywhere else on earth.
Source:
Grand Canyon: A Natural Wonder of the World
______________________________________
Death in the Grand Canyon
Below is information from Over the Edge: Death
in Grand Canyon (2001) by Michael Ghiglieri and
Thomas Myers. Note that the information is
based on statistics available as of the printing of
this book.
Murders
There have been 24 documented murders at the
Grand Canyon.
The first one took place between 1864/68. The
husband of a Navajo refugee family found an
infamous outlaw in the act of butchering the
horse that the husband's pregnant wife had just
been riding. The husband shot and killed the
outlaw.
The last documented murder took place in June
2001, of a 30 year-old woman. She was found
hidden under a bed and stabbed to death. The
motive for her killing is unknown.
Accidental Lethal Falls
There have been 52 documented falls from the
rims of the Canyon.
The first took place in 1925 - a male - age
unknown. He was posing for his own
photograph on the edge of the rim, stepped into
a crack, lost his balance, and fell off.
The last documented fall from a rim was in
November 2001 when a 72 year-old woman
asked her husband to take her photo. She
walked to the overlook, slipped, and fell 675 feet
to her death.
There have been 42 documented falls while
hiking in the Canyon.
The first took place in 1880, when a man in his
40's was descending a 960-foot travertine falls
and lost his grip and/or ran out of rope and fell.
The last documented fall while hiking was in
October 2001 when a 13 year-old girl had been
petting a mule and was standing on the edge of
the trail exposed to a major vertical drop. She
apparently lost her footing and fell 150 feet to
her death.
Suicide
There have been 43 completed suicides below
the rims of the Grand Canyon.
The first took place in 1914, when a 72 year-old
male shot himself.
The last documented case was in September
2001 when a 52 year-old male purposely
jumped, falling 200 feet to his death.
All things considered, the numbers of suicides at
the Canyon is relatively low. I am sure you are
wondering, however, how many people copied
the infamous drive-off featured in the movie
"Thelma and Louise". In 1993, the year after
the movie's release, three people independently
completed suicide in an exact copycat drive-off
from the South Rim. Since the ability to drive off
the rims (meaning the availability of vehicle
access), only 8 cars have driven off the edge.
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I know these are morbid statistics, but if you are
interested in learning more (this is just a
snapshot of what is in the book) and want to
borrow this book, let me know.
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