A NEW GATWAY EXPERIENCE AT GRAND CANYON WEST

Grand Canyon West Airborne and Afoot in a New OUTDOOR PLAYGROUND

Grand Canyon West

"Take off your hat," the guide said as we approached the helicopter. "They tend to get swept up in the rotor."

I not only took off my cap, but I ducked low.

I didn't want my head to get swept up in the rotor, either.

On that September day, we had risen with the sun and traveled some 92 miles through a diorama of desolate desert and spectacular Joshua tree forest to reach the Terminal Building at Grand Canyon West on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. This is the only place you can take a sight-seeing helicopter ride into the Canyon.

Five of us plus the pilot and the guide crammed into the flying machine. They knew how much we all weighed, so I assumed we were not overloaded. Each of us had headphones to mute the noise of the craft, but no mikes. I figured this was so the pilot wouldn't hear us screaming as we slipped over the edge and plunged into the Canyon.

At lift-off we stayed close to the ground, maybe no higher than 15 feet. I felt reassured. Then we crossed over the edge, and suddenly the ground dropped several thousand feet below. Scream number one.

But, surprisingly, no other yells pulsed from my gullet. The flight quickly became routine, and we soon landed at the base of Quartermaster Canyon about 600 feet above the Colorado River and some 3,000 feet below where we started.

As we emerged from the chopper, the Canyon huffed its fevered breath, the heat pouring over us like melting wax. Because the helicopter had left to pick up another load, I put my hat back on to protect against the sun. But the hat afforded no help from the searing Canyon walls, which distribute heat like giant electric irons.

The helicopter had deposited us on a rolling terrace called the Esplanade, which was formed on the west end of the Canyon by the erosion of Hermit shale. Between the terrace and the river were sheer walls of limestone, blocking any descent to the water. All around us lived snakes, scorpions, lizards, and mountain sheep, but ants were all we saw.

We meandered through desert scrub, barrel cactuses, and the agaves that the Hualapais call "yont" and "mescal." If we had been in Ireland, those rolling hills would have been green grassy areas, but at the west end of the Canyon, the limestone floor and the desert varnish cast a gray-green hue, accentuating the dark-red barrel cactuses. Stubby and erect beside the squat agaves, the barrels looked as out of place as top hats at a rodeo.

The perspective from inside the Grand Canyon contrasts sharply with that of the Rim views. You simply cannot appreciate the immensity of the chasm - a mile deep in some places - from on top. You have to get into it. Geologists figure some parts of the Canyon, the vishnu schist, date back 1.8 billion years. That schist, looking like polished coal-black iron, lies exposed just a few miles east of the Esplanade. After hiking around for 15 minutes or so, we saw our helicopter returning. Going up proved to be less stomach-turning. We stayed in the air awhile touring Quartermaster Canyon and getting close-up views of the rock-ribbed cliff walls.

From the air, you can see trails along the foothills, trails you don't notice on the

WHEN YOU GO GETTING THERE

To reach Peach Springs from Flagstaff, travel west on Interstate 40 to Seligman. Then take State Route 66 (old U.S. Route 66) west to Peach Springs. The tiny community has a grocery store, but the only place to eat or shop for souvenirs is the new Hualapai Lodge. Before wandering around the area on your own, check to find out if tribal permission is required. And always respect the privacy and traditions of your hosts. To continue to the Grand Canyon West Terminal Building, travel west from Hualapai Lodge on State 66. Five miles west of Hackberry, turn right onto unpaved Antares Road for 32.8 miles, then turn right onto paved Pearce Ferry Road for 6.9 miles. Take another right onto unpaved Diamond Bar Road for 14.1 miles. When the pavement begins again, you are on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. The Terminal Building is 6.6 miles farther.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs offers 60 rooms year-round at $75 to $80 per night, single or double occupancy, children under 18 free. The restaurant serves three meals daily. To inquire contact Hualapai Lodge, 900 N. Highway 66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434-0538 or call toll-free (888) 255-9550, or (520) 769-2230. Other accommodations are available at Grand Canyon Caverns Inn, 13 miles east of Peach Springs on State 66: (520) 422-3223.

RAFTING TRIPS

Hualapai River Runners offers rafting trips on the Colorado River for anyone age eight or older. Cost for a one-day trip is $221 per person; two-day trips are $321 per person. The 64-mile trip departs Diamond Creek and ends at Pearce Ferry. Round-trip transportation from Hualapai Lodge, appropriate meals, and beverages are included. Information: toll-free (888) 255-9550.

BUS TOURS

The Hualapai Indian Nation operates guided bus tours from the Grand Canyon West Terminal Building. Narrated by a Hualapai guide, the 4.5-mile tour includes a barbecue lunch. Prices range from $22 to $27.50. Information: toll-free (888) 255-9550.

SELF-GUIDED TOURS

Quartermaster Point can be reached by private vehicle from the Terminal Building, about one and a half miles north.

Sight-seeing permits cost $7 and can be obtained at the terminal.

HELICOPTER TOURS

Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters operates flights from the Grand Canyon West Terminal Building to the bottom of the Canyon. Prices range from $79 to $99 depending on the length of the tour. Information: Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, toll-free (800) 528-2418, or (602) 967-6150.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Joshua trees, which typically bloom in April, dot the landscape along Pearce Ferry Road in Hualapai Valley just beyond the northwest corner of the Hualapai reservation.

Located on the Havasupai reservation northeast of Peach Springs on Indian Route 18, the Hualapai Hilltop hiking area is the trailhead to Havasu Canyon. Information and permits for hiking and camping can be obtained from the Havasupai Nation. Information: (520) 448-2121.

BEST TIMES TO GO

Grand Canyon West is open year-round. Summertime temperatures (Fahrenheit) remain in the 100s while winters are mild, with daytime temps in the 50s and 60s, and little snow. Fall and spring are ideal.

RESTRICTIONS AND PERMITS

The Hualapai Indian Nation governs all activities on the reservation. Camping, hiking, and sight-seeing require permits. For information on permits, contact Hualapai River Runners, toll-free (800) 622-4409.

Hunting for bighorn sheep, deer, and other game also is allowed on the reservation by permit only, but it is limited and expensive. Hunters should contact the Hualapai Wildlife Conservation Office at (520) 769-2227.

OTHER

Be sure to take a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water for outdoor activities. In summer wear shorts or quick-drying cotton shirts and pants on the river, but for hiking, jeans might be more appropriate. Novices can enjoy the river trips, but hiking can be moderate to strenuous. Alcohol is prohibited on the reservation.

Grand Canyon West AN AGELESS HUALAPAI STOOD NEXT TO THE VEHICLE. AROUND HIS NECK COILED A YELLOW AND RED COLLAR FORMED IN PART FROM EAGLE BONES. HE WAS OUR DRIVER.

Continued from page 7 ground. They are paths taken by bighorn sheep and used so often they have defined boundaries.

Finally we landed at the Terminal Building, the airborne segment of our adventure at an end. Next came the tour along the top of the Canyon.

So there we were, gathered at the west end of the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai reservation about to board a school bus that would take us along the Rim. The bus, they said, symbolized the rustic experience ahead of us.

An ageless Hualapai stood next to the vehicle, his head covered with a turquoise and copper bandana tied at the back. He wore a black shirt splashed with white, yellow, and red designs, denim pants, and Nikes. Around his neck coiled a yellow and red collar formed in part from eagle bones. He was our driver.

Everyone called him Soto, but his name was Delmar Honga. He would become an indispensable component of our Grand Canyon experience.

This part of the Grand Canyon is seldom seen by the nearly 5 million visitors to Grand Canyon National Park each year. The Hualapais opened Grand Canyon West to tourists in 1988. Last year the New Hualapai Lodge began operating on historic U.S. Route 66 (now State Route 66) in Peach Springs, the main reservation town.

Pulling away from the Terminal Building, we embarked on the first leg of our journey. Destination: Guano Point, which got its name from a cave that contained so much bat waste a company mined it for fertilizer in the 1950s. Some 10,000 tons of guano made its way onto gardens and fields.

To remove the bat droppings, crews erected three massive steel towers, one by the river, one by the cave, and one at Guano Point. Cables connected the three towers, and cable cars then ferried men and guano back and forth. The cables have long since been disconnected, but two of the towers remain. Only remnants of the bat cave tower are visible.

At Guano Point, nearly 5,000 feet above the muddy brown Colorado, the river looked serene, nothing like the raging torrent that spent eons ripping apart volcanic rock and limestone to form the Grand Canyon.

As we watched, an occasional speedboat or pontoon boat headed down the river toward Lake Mead. Salt cedars, some 20 or more feet high, line both sides of the river and at spots creep out into the middle of the stream.

From the mining tower, we hiked around a Redwall limestone butte, down along the Rim to a wide ledge, and then clambered through rocky crevices to a still-lower stratum for more expansive views.

Suddenly the word spread. Lunch was ready. And like cattle before the prod, we climbed back through the crevices and maneuvered around the butte to the cook house. Barbecued beef, beans, corn, rice, and tortillas awaited. We ate on a covered patio overlooking the Grand Canyon.

After lunch we reboarded the bus, and Soto drove us to Eagle Point, another spectacular overlook, but this one with a twist. At Eagle Point, rock formations mimic reallife objects. Seeking them out reminded me of finding hidden items in a complex drawing in a kid's book. The most impressive of these rock-wall images depicts a massive eagle with outstretched wings. Perspective sometimes gets distorted in the Canyon, but the stone bird looked to be maybe 100 stories high or more.

Soto told a story of an orphan boy befriended by villagers who found him in the Canyon. The boy had learned to talk to the eagles, and the eagles had taught him songs to make the corn grow faster. Whole crops would emerge in days, the songs worked so well. Then one day one of the eagles died, and the other great birds gave the boy some of the eagle's bones to wear around his neck. They also taught him a song that would transform him into an eagle.

The boy chose to stay with the villagers, growing crops for them. But the peace did not endure. The village was raided, and the boy was captured. The raiders wanted the boy to grow corn for his new masters, but he refused. So they threw him off the cliff. But as the boy plunged into the Canyon, he sang the song the eagles taught him and turned into an eagle. Finishing the story, Soto dangled the eagle bones he wore around his neck, as if he half-expected to fly away. Then he smiled and began looking for agaves, off on another venture. Other rock formations at Eagle Point portray a cat, a mouse, a man and woman, and a battleship. Soto had a drawing of the formations in his bus just to make them easier to spot. Still it took me a while to find them. I was trying too hard. The formations are obvious. As we crammed back into the bus to head to Quartermaster Point, Soto asked me to save some water from my canteen for him. He had harvested some agaves. Quartermaster Point is not normally a tour bus destination, but you can drive there in your own car if you choose. From the point, we climbed down a quarter-mile or so to an overlook where the view of the river becomes panoramic. The hike gave a little feel for what trudging through the Canyon can be like. But the viewpoint is so high, everything, especially the boats on the river, appears miniaturized. By the time we returned to the top, Soto had gathered two forms of agave and had sliced one open to form a small brush. It looked like a mini whisk broom, the kind that was popular before plastic came into vogue. From another agave, he made strips as tough as leather to tie the brush together. Now the need for my water became apparent. As I poured it onto the brush, Soto rubbed the fibers, oozing out a milky The lushest stand of Joshua trees in the state lies along the Grand Wash Cliffs about 23 miles south of Pearce Ferry on Lake Mead. sap. We repeated this procedure several times until all the sap was removed. Then Soto trimmed the bristles with a knife and scissors. Finally he added a red cloth band and some beads, and we had a Hualapai hairbrush. I surmised that when I took off my hat to keep it from being sucked into the helicopter rotor, Soto noticed that the blades also tried to suck the hair off my head. I needed a brush. More likely, he was just being his entertaining self.