DESTINATION Meteor Crater

drill bits, temperature variations from 105 degrees in the summer to below zero in the winter, and vicious wind all stymied the fortune hunters. By 1909, Barringer had drilled 28 holes, but failed to find the meteorite as his detractors were quick to point out. He continued searching until his money ran out in 1928. A final insult occurred when a 1928 National Geographic article titled "The Mysterious Tomb of a Giant Meteorite" admitted the impact possibility, but gave credit for the theory to Gilbert, Barringer's nemesis. New calculations proved, even if located, the value of the meteorite minerals couldn't cover extraction costs.

Discouraged, Barringer died in 1929 of a heart attack, never believing the theory that most of the meteorite was obliterated on impact in a molten metal mist. In the 1960s, geologist Eugene M. Shoemaker proved the giant bowl formation was indeed caused by a meteor impact. From 1964 to 1972, Apollo astronauts trained at Meteor Crater because of its similarity to lunar craters.

Shoemaker said, "I study craters on the Earth and wanted to be the first geologist to the moon." He died in 1997, but in 1999, the geologist's ashes accompanied the spacecraft Lunar Prospector to the moon. Ironically, Meteor Crater's ultimate value did not exist in its minerals but in scientific information and tourism. Eventually the Barringer family entered into a long-term lease with the Bar-T-Bar Ranch Co., owners of the land around the crater, to develop and manage the attraction.

Today, more than 300,000 people visit this Registered Natural Landmark each year. Elevators rise to the rim-edge educational center where a film and displays explain the phenomenon and guides lead walks along the rim. Meteor Crater is recognized as the best-preserved crater of its kind, and Barringer is finally justified for pouring his money down a hole. Al LOCATION: Approximately 35 miles east of Flagstaff. GETTING THERE: Drive east on Interstate 40 to Exit 233 and turn south. Follow the signs to Meteor Crater. HOURS: May 15 through September 15, 6 A.M.-6 P.M.; September 16 through May 14, 8 Α.Μ.-5 Ρ.Μ. FEES: $12, adults; $11, seniors; $6, juniors; free, 5 and under. TRAVEL ADVISORY: The Meteor Crater Learning Center and the observation deck are open every day, though weather may cancel guided walks along the crater's rim. A 71-space RV park is nearby. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (928) 289-2362 or toll-free (800) 289-5898; www.meteorcrater.com or www.barringercrater.com.

[OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP] The Barringer's Dream exhibit at the Meteor Crater Learning Center east of Flagstaff depicts the life of Daniel M. Barringer, who purchased the crater for mining purposes in 1902.

[OPPOSITE PAGE, ABOVE RIGHT] Measuring only about 2 by 3 feet, the Holsinger Meteorite on display at the learning center weighs in at 1,406 pounds.

[OPPOSITE PAGE, BELOW] Six hundred feet deep and covering 2 square miles, the crater attracts 300,000 visitors each year. ADRIEL HEISEY [ABOVE] Although visitors may not hike the rim on their own, guided tours begin each hour, weather permitting.

Nankoweap Trail Challenges Hikers, Rewards With Uncommon Views

The Nankoweap Trail from the Kaibab Plateau into the Grand Canyon, described by geologist Charles Walcott as “a perfectly frightful trail,” has never shaken loose from its longtime reputation as a challenging route. In 1881 Walcott and Maj. John Wesley Powell developed a treacherous path along an Indian trail so Walcott could get a better look at the Canyon’s rock layers.

Horse thieves later used the route to herd their plunder between Utah and Arizona, earning the trail a certain notoriety. A preposterous twist was added in 1924 when George McCormick of Flagstaff tried to orchestrate a deer drive (see Arizona Highways, July 2004), in which he planned to route an overabundance of deer on the North Kaibab Plateau down the trail and up another on the South Rim. The plan flopped because the deer didn't cooperate.

The Nankoweap’s below-the-Rim infamy is well earned. The 4 miles of the trail above the Canyon traverse the Kaibab National Forest between House Rock Valley and the North Rim, presenting a hike that retains a bit of color, but mostly in cliffs and crags, rather than crime and crazy ideas.

Nankoweap Trail 57 crosses a segment of the Saddle Mountain Wilderness and ends as it meets a forest road and a second trailhead. This little-used route will appeal to well-conditioned hikers who like variety and views.

The views start early as the trail makes a dicey tumble down the descending plateau through a tangle of aspen. Along the way, a window opens through the trees, and hikers get a good glimpse of Marble Canyon to the east, and the dome of Navajo Mountain far to the northeast across House Rock Valley. The Grand Canyon flashes its rosy strata on the opposite side of the trail.

These arresting views stay in sight while the trail switches gears and makes a steep climb up a knob. On the way down the hill, gorgeous views of the Grand Canyon take over until the trail drops onto a moody flat where the harsh elements have stunted the vegetation.

The trail then plunges down a north-facing cliff in an unforgiving way on a testy tread of sand, cobbles and pinecones in the Coconino sandstone formation, into the ruddy Hermit shale formation where it continues to drop, but at a less manic pitch, to an overlook at the edge of the Grand Canyon. Hikers going into the Canyon head straight ahead about 50 feet to where the trail begins its 11-mile hairraising descent to the Colorado River. Hikers continuing on Trail 57 turn left at a sign pointing toward “Road 445G” and head into the wilderness.

From there, the trail rambles down the plateau through a loose-knit ponderosa forest. Stories say a man named John D. Lee had a gold mine somewhere in the forest. George McCormick, of the Kaibab deer drive fame, invested much of his time looking for the mine. Like McCormick, hikers may not find the gold mine, but they will see a striking meld of rustand tan-colored cliffs through the trees. The cliffs draw nearer the farther the trail descends, and seem to rub shoulders with hikers by the time the trail drops into a wash in the Supai formation.

The Nankoweap Trail ends at Forest Service Road 445. Hikers who don't want to make the hard hike back up the plateau should plan to shuttle using two vehicles. Hikers in shape for the challenge can return the way they came for an instant replay of variety and views on the North Rim's most colorful of trails.