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We woke up early to get to the National Parks ranger-led Morrow Point Boat Tour of the Black Canyon. Our tour was led by Tim Turner and Captain Orvil. The topics ranged from the geology and geography of the area to the railroad and the water.
The rocks on either side of the canyon is 1.4billion years old - so old that you won't find any fossils there as it was created before living animals. The area has many mesas which were create from old volcanic debris but the river channels through the soft soil and ancient rock until it reached 450feet below the top (the riverbed is 30-60feet deep). The north-facing bank faces the sun and any moisture that hits it gets evaporated easily. Whereas the south-facing bank has alot more vegetation, soil and erosion taking place.
The dam was built in 1963 and a significant amount of erosion is visible since then - especially at the foot of the waterfall. There wasn't a lot of water flowing as they have been experiencing a drought and the tributaries are at a trickle. The falls are named after Chipita, who was married to a Ute Indian chief and accompanying her husband to the White House to sign treaties.
In the late 1800's, Captain Gunnison investigated the possibilities of a trans-continental railroad through the Black Canyon. Traditionally, the railway lines ran along rivers due to gradients/grades and access to water for the steam engines. The building of the railway line was very dangerous and difficult to build. 13miles of track was built through the Black Canyon but extremely expensive and would not cover the costs. Therefore the railway line was advertised to introduce tourists and travellers to the region to supplement the income generated by transporting goods. An image of "The Needle" was used to attract visitors to the scenic railway line. There were 4 crossings across the canyon in the 13miles of railway line but eventually the line had to punch out of the canyon as it was too expensive and dangerous.
They were successful in drawing people to the area. So successful, in fact, that people started coming to settle - usually along a creek or stream to have access to water. But, the population increase led to battles over water rights in the late 1800's. In 1902, the Federal Govt started collecting money in order to raise funds to solve the water problem which resulted in a tunnel from the Gunnison River into the valley right through the Canyon walls. Approx 2/3 of water is now diverted (approx 1000cubic feet per minute) from the river to the farming valleys on the other side.
It became a country-wide issue because the upper states where the water originates were obligated to give the water to the lower states downstream. In 1956, the Colorado River Storage Project resulted in the Blue Mesa dams. At the moment, the reservoir is at 51% capacity and has dropped almost 51feet because of severe drought in the area. The severe drop in water-level is clearly visible along the shoreline. There is an ever-increasing demand and usage rates will have to be adjusted to deal with this. Electricity is just a by-product of the major requirement for irrigation, but the 3 dams dams along the river now power 64000 homes on a daily basis!
The downside, is that silt and rocks are piling up. The dam has a life-expectancy due to this buildup and, unfortunately, it is irreversible! One wonders what will happen once it reaches it's life expectancy! So, with those parting thoughts, we had to leave the boat and walk the 243 stairs up to our car in the blazing midday sun. It sure is hot in these parts!
We drove into Montrose - nothing much happening on a Sunday - but we managed to find a wonderful little family-run restaurant called "Ah Chihwahwa!" tucked away in a tiny side street. We had fish tacos (with Tilapia) and a chicken enchilada to share. Everything is made to order and is freshly prepared - you can tell in the taste! Fresh coriander, salsa made with grilled eggplant, corn tortilla - even smoked beans! It was all delicious!
We decided not to go to the Black Canyon National Park (as originally planned) but to drive onwards to Ouray instead. Ouray is a valley town famous for it's Hot Springs and 4x4 trails so, you can imagine, it is full of jeeps. Yet again, more high altitude and Wendy was not feeling at all well with a headache all day long that wouldn't go away, so we went into a supply store where she bought a canister of highly compressed O2. Our camping spot for the night was at 4-J+1+1, which had great showers and a Play Room where you could watch TV and hangout. Dinner at a local restaurant was forgettable, which was a real shame because there seemed to be a great vibe around town.
Then, off to bed early and some broken sleep. Woke up in the deep, dark night to go to the toilet. Noticed a huge pile of rubbish strewn around the refuse bin where the light shone on a sign warning travellers of the presence of black bears in the area. Had a very nervous walk back to the tent. Couldn't sleep well after that as I was convinced I could hear heavy, animal breathing sounds in the vicinity - although, in hindsight, it was probably one of our neighbours snoring. My imagination goes into overtime, sometimes. I'm not so sure that I am suited to this wilderness camping thing...
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