HIKING THE GRAND CANYON'S GEOLOGY, by Lon Abbott and Terri Cook, Mountaineers, 304 pages, $16.95, softcover.
Have you ever hiked in the Grand Canyon? If you have, you probably came up with a steady flow of geological questions as you marveled at the scenery.
With 2 billion years of geological history visible, the canyon is one of nature's greatest showpieces.
This new book, the sixth in a Mountaineers Books series on "Hiking and Geology," is an excellent resource for curious hikers as they descend into the canyon's depths. Written by geological experts Lon Abbott and Terri Cook, the book examines how the Grand Canyon landscape came to be.
The first four chapters talk about the geological evolution of the Grand Canyon in the Precabrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. One chapter offers tips for hiking in the Grand Canyon, such as avoiding the crowds, getting permits, etc. Another deals with safety and the "leave-no-trace" approach to hiking.
Finally, the authors describe 18 different hikes along the north rim, the south rim, the Havasu Canyon, Nankoweap and other areas. Of course, each description is mingled with geology.
This well-illustrated book features 80 black-and-white photographs, 16 color pictures in its centerpiece, 14 maps and 40 illustrations.
Having already completed the north- and south-rim hikes, I found the chapters dealing with those trails to include intriguing geological details that I wish I had known as I was hiking down through those layers of rock.
Anyone planning a Havasu Grand Canyon hike should refer to the 14 pages devoted to it. The authors describe a prehistoric lake that used to exist and from which the current Havasu Creek emanates.
Waterfalls are the dominant feature there. "The appearance of the falls has been altered by several historic flashfloods and debris flows, but through all the changes, they have retained their spectacular beauty," the authors write.
The authors write that the "vivid blue-green water and isolated setting offer the feel of a secluded tropical paradise" — a contrast to the standard desert beauty of the Grand Canyon.
Anyone who loves the Grand Canyon will like this book, even if they are not hikers and use it only for reference. The only thing that would improve the book is to issue it in a smaller, sturdier copy that could be handily carried in your pocket.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com