Hiking the Grand Canyon's Geology

Lon Abbott · Terri Cook

Jan 2004 · The Mountaineers Books

About this ebook

Etched on the Grand Canyon's steep walls are stories of how this majestic landscape came to be: volcanic islands, stark deserts, and tranquit seas come and gone, and histories of plants and animals that have made this place their home. You'll see this story up close on the trail with the help of "Hiking the Grand Canyon's Geology. In eighteen excursions, there's something for everyone--from the most popular rim-to-river trails (Havasu Canyou Trai) to gentle, half-day rim walks (Red Butte Trail) to rugged and remote multi-day backpack trips (Lava Falls Route).

About the author

Veteran rock climber LON ABBOTT is a geology professor at Prescott College. His studies in geology have taken him from the remote mountain peaks of Papua New Guinea to the bottom of a 15,000-foot oceanic trench near Costa Rica. Lon's twin passions for teaching and outdoor activities led to this current faculty position as a member of the Environmental Studies program. He teaches a full range of geology courses, most of which include hiking or backpacking trips to examine the geologic wonders of the Southwest and the Rockies. Lon's research has been published in a variety of scientific journals, including Nature, Tectonics, and Journal of Sedimentary Research, and he has written an article about the geology of rock climbing holds for Rock & Ice. TERRI COOK earned a master's degree in geology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she studied rocks from deep-sea hot springs, a well as the lush communities of tube worms and other fauna found at these oases. Terri's undergraduate degree in archaeology is from Tufts University, and her interest in geology, archaeology, and experiencing new cultures have led her across five continents. Having grown up in Connecticut, Terri saw the grand Canyon for the first time in 1993, and she goes back to experience its wonders again and again. Terri is an adjunct faculty member at Prescott College and she includes extensive field-based work in the geology courses she teaches.