Bob Neuman and David Ruether
Trip to the South Western US
May - June 2005
BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK
As we approached the edge of the first overlook, it was obvious that this place was DIFFERENT! David had been here before (as he had been to most of the places we visited), but suddenly looking over the edge of a sheer vertical cliff more than half a mile high is breathtaking! Gunnison Canyon is a dark, sharp, deep slash in the earth, dwarfing the hills above it. In one area (see photo 9 and upstream in photo 8) there is an abrupt right-angle shift from the ground surface to the smooth, vertical cliff surface. Here you can "hang your toes out over space", and look directly below at the river. This place is NOT for those with a fear of heights! The scale is amazing, and more immediate and easier to understand than it is at the far wider and deeper Grand Canyon. Surprisingly, a road exists that goes down to the river - but the 16% grade is not for those who want to take a casual drive!
(Photos were
taken by Bob Neuman and edited and adjusted by David Ruether)
(All photographs Copyright 2005 Robert Neuman)