THE GRAND CANYON: A KID ADVENTURE WITH JACK
Jack, mid-hike at the Grand Canyon
Our friend Jack reports from the Grand Canyon. Read my Q & A with him and make sure to see the video clips he took. The clips let you get a real glimpse into this awesome natural wonder.
Tell us a little bit about your hike. What was your route? Did you hike all the way to the bottom?
I hiked all the way to the bottom and back up. We went down the South Kaibab Trail and up the Bright Angel Trail—a total of 17 miles. It was surprisingly the same difficulty up and down. I think it was harder for my parents than me. I enjoyed the beauty of the Bright Angel Trail. It was cool to see the fossils and halves of rock blown away by dynamite sticks to make the trail. There was a lot of pyrite and types of rock ~ really interesting. I had a guidebook to help me identify the layers and rocks on the hike.
Jack and dad hiking to the bottom of the canyon
How hot was the temperature?
I don’t know that one. It was cold at the top (with ice) but got hotter at the bottom (people were in bathing suits at the Colorado River shore!).
bottom (people were in bathing suits at the Colorado River shore!).
Did you see any short-horned lizards, snakes, or scorpions?
[I saw deer and mostly] squirrels and lizards. The squirrels were incredibly brave and bold. They would run up to get your food and couldn’t be scared away!
Did you spot interesting or unusual birds?
There were some hawks and birds of prey, but there were also some cute little birds by our campsite at the bottom.
The Grand Canyon is one of the Natural Seven Wonders of the World. Describe what it felt like when you saw it for the first time.
It was amazing—it was so interesting how it was formed. It was beautiful, too beautiful, I don’t even have a word for it. It felt peaceful but adventurous, and it gave me a surge of emotion.
Jack with mom, enjoying the beautiful views
How long did you stay in the Grand Canyon?
We were inside the canyon for about 24 hours, but we stayed on the rim the night before and day after.
Special thanks to Jack and to his dad and mom, Amy, who happen to also be the cool creators of Habla Blah Blah. You can read about Habla Blah Blah in our Wondermint Post: Do You Habla BlahBlah? We do!
Jack with mom and dad at end of hike
the night before and day after.
Special thanks to Jack and to his dad and mom, Amy, who happen to also be the cool creators of Habla Blah Blah. You can read about Habla Blah Blah in our Wondermint Post: Do You Habla BlahBlah? We do!
MORE INTERESTING GRAND CANYON FACTS
The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 kilometers) in length.
The Grand Canyon is around 6000 (1800 meters) feet deep.
The Colorado River runs through the Grand Canyon and has been eroding (that means wearing something away) its steep sides for millions of years.
Schist, the name for the kind of rock found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, is around 2 billion years old.
The Grand Canyon became a national park in 1919.
Limestone, the rock found on the upper rim is around 230 million years old.
The Grand Canyon is a very popular tourist destination with around 5 million visitors every year.
Like exploring different places? Read our post with Josy in Kenya, Africa!