EDITOR"S LETTER

Up North

It's hard to imagine the Kaibab Plateau being populated by lions, tigers and other mammals of the Serengeti and the Indian subcontinent, but that's what John W. Young, the son of Mormon leader Brigham Young, had in mind in the late 1800s. His vision was to turn approximately a million acres into a hunting ground where big-game enthusiasts from England could cross a few things off their lists. No doubt, Marlin Perkins would have shown up, too. "Welcome to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. This week, we'll be heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, where I'll be sending Jim into a slippery mud bog to wrestle a baby rhino from its 3,500-pound mother." As preposterous as all of that might seem, it's not the wildest scheme ever concocted on the plateau.In the early 1900s, in an effort to cut down on the deer population, one desperate rancher came up with the idea of using cowboys and Indians to drive about 75,000 mule deer from the Kaibab Plateau to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. His strategy was to move them down a trail from the North Rim, into the Canyon, across the Colorado River and up the other side. Hundreds of men joined the drive, but not one of them was smart enough or brazen enough - to point out the absurdity of the plan. Thus, the deer are still there, along with mountain lions, Kaibab squirrels, Merriam's turkeys and even bison. Needless to say, there aren't any tigers.

With hindsight, it's hard to believe that anybody could have been so naive, but at the time, the Kaibab was one of the most remote places in North America, and it was among the least understood. It wasn't even clear who had jurisdiction both Utah and Arizona claimed it as their own. Today, nobody's jousting at windmills up there, but the plateau is still remote, and it's one of the most beautiful places in Arizona. You'll see for yourself in this month's portfolio, whichfeatures the photography of Tom Bean, Jack Dykinga and Shane McDermott. It's titled Rim Shots!, and it's the only inspiration you'll need to plan a trip. For some background, though, you might want to check out Notes From Up North.

The story outlines 101 things you should know about the North Rim and the Kaibab Plateau, including the bit about the lions and tigers and rhinos. There are some other surprises, but most of the notes are about history, geography, geology, biology, etymology ... and there's some practical information, too. No. 31 is a good example: "Rangers give 'Condor Talks' daily at 4:30 p.m. in front of the massive fireplace on the sun deck of the Grand Canyon Lodge." It's the same lodge that Charles Franklin Parker visited in the 1950s.If you're a longtime reader of Arizona Highways and by longtime, I mean at least 56 years you might remember Mr. Parker. He wrote a story for our May 1957 issue titled The Kaibab and the North Rim. It was a travelogue, not unlike those we do today, about his first trip to the high country.

To complement this month's cover story, we've resurrected The Kaibab and the North Rim, which describes, in first person, the drive up north from down south; the people, places and things along the way; and the many natural wonders that exist on the Kaibab Plateau and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We've excerpted the text exactly as it appeared in 1957, which means the prose is more formal than in contemporary writing.

"I look out over a wide mountain meadow," he wrote, "where I can see many deer coming out to graze from theedges of the surrounding forest of aspen, spruce and pine. Too, over ten species of bird life paused long enough for identification this morning. Just now the woods are full of them, and the merry notes set the tempo of the oratorio of nature's joy and gladness. What idyllic living in this Alpine retreat!"

The writing is flowery and, at times, anachronistic, but that's all part of the allure. Also, some of the names and places have changed over the years, so the excerpt can't be used as a travel guide. Instead, enjoy it as a wonderful trip back in time. One that won't be confused with an African safari or an expedition to the Indian subcontinent.

COMING IN JUNE...

Our annual Summer Hiking Guide, featuring some of our favorite trails around the state, including Sandys Canyon (pictured) near Flagstaff.

ROBERT STIEVE, EDITOR Follow me on Twitter: @azhighways