Grand Canyon Maximum Cards

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon
By Terry Watson, Feb. 2000.

My favorite Maximum Cards are of places that I have visited. Realizing or finding a card of a historical or scenic site that I have toured brings back memories of the trip, adding to the pleasure of collecting cards. The recent issuance of a 60 cent Grand Canyon stamp gave me the opportunity to realize cards (see: Front Cover) of this World Heritage site, that I first visited as a child of ten and again, two summers ago. Because the U.S. has issued several Grand Cayon stamps in the past, I have the chance to add to my mini collection of Grand Canyon Cards.

Regular Postmark, May-28-1998
Grand Canyon, AZ

The Grand Canyon is the most spectacular Canyon in the world. It is nature's greatest example of sculpturing. While the wind and rain have played a part, it is the mighty Colorado River that is primarily responsible for its formation. For millions of years the river has cut deep into the high Arizona plateau so that now the river lies a mile below the rim of the Canyon (see: Figure 1). At the rim, the Canyon is four to eighteen miles wide. From the the rim, the walls of the Canyon decent in a succession of cliffs, terraces ridges, buttes, pinnacles alcoves, hills, valleys and geological formations that resemble "Chinese Temples" (see: Figures 2 to 5). But there is more to its beauty than its shapes and forms. The varity of colors offered by the different rock layers, bands of reds, lavender, greens, white, grays, buff, and even black, add to its beauty. And these hues can chance as the angle of the sun plays on the Canyon. It has been described as "the most sublime of all earthly spectacles".


Front Cover	Figure 1

Front Cover: On card, winter view from Mather Point on the Grand Canyon Village. Issue: Jan-20,2000, for Scenic American Landmarks series. Cancel: First Day, Grand Canyon AZ.

Figure 1: On card, aerial view of Grand Canyon. At the bottom center is the Colorado river that has cut deep into the walls of the Canyon. To the left is South Rim marked by the Yaki Point and the El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon Village. To the right on the very top is the Kaibab Plateau of the North Rim. In front of it the various formations, such as Cheops Pyramid, Buddha Temple, Isis Temple, and in particular Shiva Temple, site of the camp of the Expedition of the Museum of National History in 1937, that studied the isolated wildlife of 275 acre "Sky Island". Issue: Oct-12,1990, for the Americas. Cancel: Feb-26,1994, Grand Canyon AZ, concordant illustration (triple).

Figure 2: On card, view from the Grand view Point about 10 miles by air - or 16 miles by mule up the river from the Bright Angel Trail, showing the river and the various pyramideal formations. Issue: Oct-12,1990, for the Americas. Cancel: may-29,1992, grand Canyon AZ.

Figure 3: On card: view from the Moran Point on the East Rim. named for the pioneer painter of the Canyon Thomas Moran. One only needs a glimpse to realize the astonishing beauty and coloring which so delighted the artist. issue: Oct-12,1990, for the Americas. Cancel: May-29,1992, Grand Canyon AZ.

Figure 4: The imperforated stamps of this old M.C. of the Grand Canyon are part of the first National parks series. Issue: Mar-15,1935. Cancel: Apr-25, 1935, Grand Canyon AZ.

Figure 5: On card, view of the Granite Gorge from the Bright angle Trail on the South Rim. Issue: Jan-20,2000. for scenic American Landmarks series. Cancel: First Day, Grand Canyon AZ.


Figure 2	Figure 3	Figure 4	Figure 5

The Anasazi Indians may have inhabited the area as early as 500 AD. Spaniards from Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's expedition in 1540 were the first white men to discover the Canyon. In the 1840's trappers, Indians, and Mormon settlers knew the lay of the land and had discovered crossing points on the Colorado River, but the Canyon was virtually unexplored. It would not be untill 1869 that Major John Wesley Powell a Civil war veteran, would take tem men, the 200 miles plus, length of the Canyon by boat on the Colorado River (see: Figure 6).

The Grand Canyon become a National Park in 1919 (see: figure 7). Today, over five million people visit the Grand Canyon each year and it can be extremely crowded in the summer. Most visitors see the Canyon from Grand Canyon Village and the South Rim as this section of the park is most accessible to population centers. Also, the North Rim is closed in the winter. The elevation at the south Rim is 1200 feet below that of the North Rim. The climate, vegetation, and wildlife are somewhat different on each rim. The South Rim is warmer and more arid. On my last visit to the Grand Canyon, I chose to visit the less crowded North Rim (see: Figure 8). While I had camped for three weeks in the Four Corners Region (where the four States: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona meet), visiting Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Capital Reef, and Mesa Verde National Parks. I was only able to spend three hours at the Grand Canyon.


Special Postmark May-19-1999 Grand Canyon AZ	Special Postmark Feb-03-1999 Grand Canyon AZ

The weather and my not having made reservations for the campground were the reasons for my short visit. but I do not feel cheated because in my short visit, I was able to witness one of the largest thunderstorms I have ever seen. The storm slowly came down the length of the Canyon toward our vantage point at Bright Angel Point.The sky was black towards the storm, broken by spectacular lightening flashes, accompanied by tremendous peels of thunder that reverberated down the length of the Canyon. it was sights and sounds that I will never forget.

Grand Canyon Village and the North Rim both have post offices. The post office at Grand Canyon Village periodically issues pictorial postmarks. An example of such pictorial postmark is that on Figure 1. The Max. Cards (and their write ups) used in this article are from your editor. The OLD M.C. is from the collection of your President.


Special Postmark Feb-26-1994 Grand Canyon AZ	Regular Postmark Jan-20-2000 Grand Canyon AZ

Figure 6: On stamp, John Wesley Powell and his men on boats on the Colorado river. On card, a view of the Grand Canyon from Powell Memorial Point on the south Rim, Just west of the village. Issue: Aug-01,1969. Cancel: First Day, Page AZ by the Colorado river near the border with Utah.

Figure 7:The stamp of this M.C. marks the establishment of the Grand Canyon as a National Park in 1919. Issue: Feb-03, 1998 for the 1920's Celebrate the Century series. Cancel: First Day, special, Grand Canyon AZ.

Figure 8: On card, a view from the Imperial Point on the North rim (Northeast of the Grand Canyon Lodge) looking Southeast. This is the highest point on the rim at 8801 feet. In the foreground red maple tree leaves add to the myriad of colourful cliffs and buttes. Issue: Jan-20,2000, for Scenic American Landmarks series. Cancel: First day, grand Canyon AZ.


Figure 6	Figure 7	Figure 8

INTERNET LINKS:

Grand Canyon Visitord Guide
A Trip Through the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon Tourist Center
grand Canyon Explorer
Grand Canyon River Running

Special Postmark, May-19-1999
Grand Canyon, AZ

Britanica OnLine 1
Britanica OnLine 2
Encarta OnLine 1
Encarta OnLine 2
Encyclopedia.com
Knowledge Adventure 1
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Infoplease.com

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Last Updating: Apr-18-2000