BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON

Our surroundings were of the wildest possible description. The roar of the water.....was constantly in our ears, and the walls of the canyon, towering half mile in height above us were seemingly vertical. Occasionally a rock would fall from one side or the other, with a roar and crash, exploding like a ton of dynamite when it struck bottom, making us think our last day had come.

These are the words of explorer and surveyor, Abraham Lincoln Fellows, written in 1901.

We approached the rail fence with cautious steps. knowing the canyon floor was a long drop of over 2,000 feet below us, and the rock steps were slick from the recent rain. As we gingerly peeked over the fence protecting us from the deep abyss, we saw below us
NOTHING! The fog completely hid the canyon from us. Disappointed? You bet we were. But my fear of heights didn't kick in as much as it usually does, because there was no way to know how deep it was. We went to another spot
and it wasn't any better. The plants and rocks framing the drop off were colorful though, even in the fog.
The pinks of the rocks, and the bronze gold of the tiny flowers added beauty to the misty white air.

And the foliage along the path, tucked in between the rocks, was very beautiful.
As we left, we did get one little glimpse of what may lay below in the depths. The little white blob and thin ribbon below it, are proof that there is a river with mighty rapids crashing through the canyon. No, we didn't get to see the black canyon, but the white canyon left much more to the imagination, and I can envision for myself the perils and dangers that the explorers faced. However, from what I've read, the reality of their exploration was probably much rougher than anything I could imagine.