heart of the CANYON

canyon

heart of the

colorado river

photography by Mark William LIsk

canyon

heart of the

colorado river

cover,colorado river downstream from Hot Na Na Camp. detail of havasu creek at the confluence with the colorado river.

heart of the canyon - 08 mile 0 marble canyon -12 mile 62 little colorado - 32 mile 99 crystal creek - 48 mile 137 deer creek - 66 mile 157 havasu creek -76 milee 199 parashant wash - 88 mile 297 south cove - 102

man made print on a sandstone wall at the mouth of havasu creek.

photographs Š Mark William Lisk All right reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photcopying, recording, or by and information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.

Lisk Gallery Books An imprint of Lisk Studio, inc 518 Americana Blvd Boise, Idaho 83702 www.liskgallery.com

ancient pictograph at the mouth of deer creek canyon.

canyon

heart of the

colorado river

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

Unlike the scenic climaxes of America that we’ve enshrined in national parks, and despite the fact that it covers between four to nine million square acres-more about that in a minute--the geography of the Owyhee is on a scale that invites lingering along small rivers, walking up into intimate arroyos to find petroglyphs, and standing stock still for an hour while you watch bighorn sheep walk by you a few yards away. The canyons of the Owyhee can run hundreds of feet deep, but they aren’t monstrous like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. And the slender rhyolite columns eroded out of the cliffs are glorious examples of entropy, but they’re not the unapproachable totems of Monument Valley. If the Owyhee were anywhere else, say, in the middle of a map where any sensible wilderness should be, it would be overrun with tourists. are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

the patio at national canyon before the blowout of 2012. (overview) classic canyon view down river from the nankoweep granary.

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map.

That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

Unlike the scenic climaxes of America that we’ve enshrined in national parks, and despite the fact that it covers between four to nine million square acres--more about that in a minute--the geography of the Owyhee is on a scale that invites lingering along small rivers, walking up into intimate arroyos to find petroglyphs, and standing stock still for an hour while you watch bighorn sheep walk by you a few yards away. The canyons of the Owyhee can run hundreds of feet deep, but they aren’t monstrous like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. And the slender rhyolite columns eroded out of the cliffs are glorious examples of entropy, but they’re not the unapproachable totems of Monument Valley. If the Owyhee were anywhere else, say, in the middle of a map where any sensible wilderness should be, it would be overrun with tourists.

That business about the size of the Owyhee region? If you’re just looking at the uplands, that volcanic layercake cut through by the canyons, then it’s four million square acres. The drainage of the Owyhee River and its branches?--around seven million. The high desert ecosystem through which the waters run, which include the upland steppes, the canyonlands, and even woodlands of mountain mahogany and juniper--nine million. Sadly, even on the three state maps there is no boundary line drawn around any of it. Monument in his list of designated sites.

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map.

That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map.

That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

Unlike the scenic climaxes of America that we’ve enshrined in national parks, and despite the fact that it covers between four to nine million square acres--more about that in a minute--the geography of the Owyhee is on a scale that invites lingering along small rivers, walking up into intimate arroyos to find petroglyphs, and standing stock still for an hour while you watch bighorn sheep walk by you a few yards away. The canyons of the Owyhee can run hundreds of feet deep, but they aren’t monstrous like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. And the slender rhyolite columns eroded out of the cliffs are glorious examples of entropy, but they’re not the unapproachable totems of Monument Valley. If the Owyhee were anywhere else, say, in the middle of a map where any sensible wilderness should be, it would be overrun with tourists.

That business about the size of the Owyhee region? If you’re just looking at the uplands, that volcanic layercake cut through by the canyons, then it’s four million square acres. The drainage of the Owyhee River and its branches?--around seven million. The high desert ecosystem through which the waters run, which include the upland steppes, the canyonlands, and even woodlands of mountain mahogany and juniper--nine million. Sadly, even on the three state maps there is no boundary line drawn around any of it. Monument in his list of designated sites.

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map.

That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

mile

0

marble canyon

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are.

“Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it.

This is a good thing.

Unlike the scenic climaxes of America that we’ve enshrined in national parks, and despite the fact that it covers between four to nine million square acres--more about that in a minute--the geography of the Owyhee is on a scale that invites lingering along small rivers, walking up into intimate arroyos to find petroglyphs, and standing stock still for an hour while you watch bighorn sheep walk by you a few yards away. The canyons of the Owyhee can run hundreds of feet deep, but they aren’t monstrous like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. state maps there is no boundary line drawn around any of it. Monument in his list of designated sites.

mile 3 vermilion cliff hoodoos on the road to lees ferry put in.

mile 4 echo peaks above marble canyon, up river of the navajo bridge.

mile 5 storm clouds over marble canyon, down river from the navajo bridge.

mile 8 storm clouds build over jackass creek and badger canyon.

mile 17 reflection pool, house rock wash.

mile 16.5 graphic patterns in the sand at hot na na camp.

mile 21 womb of woman, north canyon.

mile 29.5 view down river from shinumu wash camp.

mile 29.5 silver grotto.

mile 29.5 catch basin deep in silver grotto.

mile 31.9 red wall sandstone at south canyon.

mile 31.9 south canyon camp.

mile 33.3 red wall cavern.

mile 44.5 eminence camp.

mile 47.6 lower saddle camp and saddle canyon falls.

mile 53 nankoweap granery.

mile

62

little colorado

Unlike the scenic climaxes of America that we’ve enshrined in national parks, and despite the fact that it covers between four to nine million square acres--more about that in a minute--the geography of the Owyhee is on a scale that invites lingering along small rivers, walking up into intimate arroyos to find petroglyphs, and standing stock still for an hour while you watch bighorn sheep walk by you a few yards away. The canyons of the Owyhee can run hundreds of feet deep, but they aren’t monstrous like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

And the slender rhyolite columns eroded out of the cliffs are glorious examples of entropy, but they’re not the unapproachable totems of Monument Valley.

That business about the size of the Owyhee region? If you’re just looking at the uplands, that volcanic layercake cut through by the canyons, then it’s four million square acres. The drainage of the Owyhee River and its branches?--around seven million. The high desert ecosystem through which the waters run, which include the upland steppes, the canyonlands, and even woodlands of mountain mahogany and juniper--nine million. Sadly, even on the three state maps there is no boundary line drawn around any of it. Monument in his list of designated sites.

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

mile 62 little colorado one of the main tributaries to the colorado in the canyon.

mile 62 graphic pattern along the little colorado.

mile 63 crash canyon near the hopi salt mines.

mile 65 carbon canyon.

mile 65 sand piles onto the rocky beach at carbon camp.

mile 65-66 great hike from carbon creek wash to lava canyon camp

mile 66 palisades creek from lava canyon camp.

mile 72 furnace flats in the unkar delta from cardenas camp.

mile 72 downstream from the cardenas ruins

mile 73 above unkar rapid and the unkar delta.

mile 81.7 grapevine camp

mile 84.6 clear creek camp

mile 84.6 clear creek falls

mile 87.7 cremation camp, the last camp above phantom ranch. mile 88 dutura blooms from an exposed granite outcropping near phantom ranch.

mile 92.1 graphic patterns in granite dominate the trinity creek wash.

mile 92.3 trinity creek wash

mile

99

crystal creek

Unlike the scenic climaxes of America that we’ve enshrined in national parks, and despite the fact that it covers between four to nine million square acres--more about that in a minute--the geography of the Owyhee is on a scale that invites lingering along small rivers, walking up into intimate arroyos to find petroglyphs, and standing stock still for an hour while you watch bighorn sheep walk by you a few yards away. The canyons of the Owyhee can run hundreds of feet deep, but they aren’t monstrous like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. And the slender rhyolite columns eroded out of the cliffs are glorious examples of entropy, but they’re not the unapproachable totems of Monument Valley. If the Owyhee were anywhere else, say, in the middle of a map where any sensible wilderness should be, it would be overrun with tourists,

one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

mile 99 slate creek pours into the cayon at crystal rapid.

mile 99 large boulders pushes water toward big holes in crystal rapid.

mile 99 waterfall along crystal creek

mile 109 schist fins border the waters edge at bass camp.

mile 109.2 shinumo Creek falls pours into a shadowy canyon down river from bass camp.

mile 109.2 shinumo Creek.

mile 111.5 strong graphic patterns emerge from the schist of hakatai canyon.

mile 115.5 smooth fluted schist in the granite gorge near upper and lower garnet.

mile 117.2 elves chasm in royal arch creek host many pools and falls.

mile 120 apache terrace.

mile 120.6 black tail canyon.

mile 126.1 below fossil camp.

mile 132.4 low water creates designs in the sand beach at stone creek camp.

mile 132.4 stone creek host several beautiful waterfalls.

mile 133.7 cactus garden at talking heads camp.

mile 134 water reflections highlights sandstone walls near tapeats creek.

mile

137

deer creek

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are.

“Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Fortyeight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

Unlike the scenic climaxes of America that we’ve enshrined in national parks, and despite the fact that it covers between four to nine million square acres--more about that in a minute--the geography of the Owyhee is on a scale that invites lingering along small rivers, walking up into intimate arroyos to find petroglyphs, and standing stock through by the canyons, The high desert ecosystem through which the waters run, which include the upland steppes, the canyonlands, and even woodlands of mountain mahogany and juniper--nine million. Sadly, even on the three state maps there is no boundary line drawn around any of it. Monument in his list of designated sites. “the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands,eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it-but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

mile 137 deer creek an ancient portal to the under world.

mile 137 deer creek falls.

mile 137 deer creek narrows a sacred area off limits to traveler in the canyon.

mile 137.6 panchos’s kitchen, one of 3 nice camps just below deer creek.

mile 137.8 football field caamp.

mile 144 kanab creek begins it flow to the colorado 100 miles to the north.

mile 148.4 matkatamiba canyon.

mile 152 waterfalls pour from the cliff walls above ledges camp often during the summer monsuns.

mile

157

havasu creek

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. And the slender rhyolite columns eroded out of the cliffs are glorious examples of entropy, but they’re not the unapproachable totems of Monument Valley. If the Owyhee were anywhere else, say, in the middle of a map where any sensible wilderness should be, it would be overrun with tourists.

That business about the size of the Owyhee region? If you’re just looking at the uplands, that volcanic layercake cut through by the canyons, then it’s four million square acres. The drainage of the Owyhee River and its branches?--around seven million. The high desert ecosystem through which the waters run, which include the upland steppes, the canyonlands, and even woodlands of mountain mahogany and juniper--nine million.

Sadly, even on the three state maps there is no boundary line drawn around any of it. Monument in his list of designated sites. largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

mile 157.3 calsified water pools and drops over travertine ledges in havasu creek.

mile 157.3 water reflects onto smooth sandstone surfaces creating strong patterns and graphic shapes along havasu creek.

mile 165.1 coble and sand bridge wall to wall in tuckup canyon.

mile 165.1 several small pools form in the shadows of tuckup canyon.

mile 167 national canyon.

mile 167 this patio is now under 6-8 feet of coble from a flash flood in 2012.

mile 178 lava grotto at the above anvil camp.

mile 178 toroweap overlook high above vulcans anvil and lava rapid.

mile 187.9 whitmore wash pictograph panel

mile 178 view of the mighty colorado from the toroweap overlook.

mile

199

parashant wash

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are.

“Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrush-steppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Fortyeight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing. wilderness should be, it would be overrun with tourists.

That business about the size of the Owyhee region? If you’re just looking at the uplands, that volcanic layercake cut through by the canyons, then it’s four million square acres. The drainage of the Owyhee River and its branches?-around seven million. The high desert ecosystem through which the waters run, which include the upland steppes, the canyonlands, and even woodlands of mountain mahogany and juniper--nine million. Sadly, even on the three state maps “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

mile 199 parashant wash.

mile 202 water spills over boulders at the 202 mile camp.

mile 213 sculpted granite at a place know as the birth canal near pumpkin springs.

mile 214.5 creek offers great hikes to a cactus garden bench from a small low water camp.

mile 220 view upriver from camp, the first of the pre-diamond camps.

mile 229.3 travertine Canyon the first major attraction below diamond.

mile 230.6 travertine falls continually builds mineral layers on steep canyon wall.

mile 230.6 a cartoon like figure in the negitive space of this rock at the travertine falls camp.

mile 239.8 separation canyon sit on a major north south cross fault.

mile 235.1 unnamed falls, in bridge canyon.

mile

297

south cove

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. “Some sense,” as in not all, as the three states represented are of widely differing sizes and shapes, yet have to be crammed onto sheets of standard-sized map paper. There’s nothing you can do with scissors and tape to fix it, either: the maps are all of different scales, so the edges never match up. All this just to put together a schematic of the Owyhee Canyonlands, the deeply riven sagebrushsteppe that is one of the largest roadless areas in the lower Forty-eight. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

The region where Nevada, Oregon and Idaho conjoin--not abut, but conjoin, as in combining into one another to form a unique region--is off the map. That is, it commonly takes three road maps to capture some sense of where you are. That means you can fly over it, walk into it, and in some cases float through parts of it--but you can’t drive into much of it. This is a good thing.

mile 297 south cove the last take for rafters in lake mead.

canyon

heart of the

colorado river