Explores the sea change in national attitude from pride in big dams as…
Into The Canyon
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- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
In 2016, filmmaker/photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko set out on a 750-mile journey on foot through the entire length of the Grand Canyon. From the outset, the challenge was far more than they bargained for. More people have stood on the moon than have completed a continuous through hike of the Canyon. McBride and Fedarko took a sectional approach, achieving a feat that many adventurers have taken decades to complete. Others have lost their lives trying. But their quest was more than just an endurance test - it was also a way to draw attention to the unprecedented threats facing one of our most revered landscapes.
Throughout their passage, McBride and Fedarko encountered an astonishingly diverse and powerful landscape, rich in history, that is now facing perhaps the gravest crisis in the 98-year history of the Grand Canyon National Park.
Directed by Pete McBride and produced by the award-winning team at Insignia Films, INTO THE CANYON is a story of extreme physical hardship that stretches the bonds of friendship and a meditation on the timeless beauty of this sacred place. It is an urgent warning about the environmental dangers that are placing one of America's greatest monuments in peril and a cautionary tale for our complex relationship with the natural world.
'Into the Canyon is more than just a beautiful and breathtaking outdoor adventure film, though it is that. The film raises questions that are critical and fundamental for understanding our place as humans in the world, questions that we all need to sit with.' Michael Paul Nelson, Professor of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, Oregon State University, Co-editor, Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril
'Engages viewers with mind-blowing images that highlight both the canyon's massive scale - there are expanses of striated redrock stretching to the horizon, the Colorado a narrow ribbon of silver far below the rim - and its micro environment.' Cindy Hirschfeld, Sierra Club Magazine
'A gripping adventure story - But it's so much more than this. Into the Canyon introduces us to the issues that threaten this mighty wilderness: uranium mining, a proposed tramway into the Canyon, proposals for dams, flightseeing, and more. This is a beautiful and engaging film that educates as it entertains.' Bob Manning, Professor Emeritus of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Co-author, Walks of a Lifetime in America's National Parks
'A riveting film that takes the viewer into the Grand Canyon as few others have. The hikers are by turns agonized by the heat and test of endurance to walk the Canyon's length, astonished by its beauty and solitude, and confirmed in their determination to protect the Grand Canyon from ruin by tramway developers, miners, and helicopters. Into the Canyon is at once an enchanting wilderness journey and a reminder of the work that remains to protect the lands and waters on which the indigenous Navajo people depend. Not to be missed.' Mark Harvey, Professor of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, North Dakota State University, Author, Wilderness Forever: Howard Zahniser and the Path to the Wilderness Act
'This is a genuine and unique portrayal of the power and importance of the Grand Canyon and its ecosystem. Into the Canyon offers a diversity of perspectives including Native and Indigenous populations that are intimately connected to the land and river. The viewer gets to experience the seasons of the Grand Canyon through the raw hardships and beauty experienced by the hikers. The film reminds us of the importance of these places and serves as a call to action to preserve the canyon and river for the future.' Jennifer Thomsen, Associate Professor of Society and Conservation, University of Montana
'Into the Canyon does something hard to imagine after hundreds of years of Euro-American depiction of that sublime landscape: It shows its grandeur, beauty, and terror - as well as the threats to it - in a completely original way. This film is a masterpiece.' James M. Aton, Professor Emeritus of English, Southern Utah University, author, John Wesley Powell: His Life and Legacy and The River Knows Everything: Desolation Canyon and the Green
'Timely...Realistic...I highly recommend this documentary even if you are not a backpacker. The scenery is breathtaking and the message is important. And again I thoroughly enjoyed watching these guys make mistakes, because backpackers can relate.' Greg Smith, The Adventure Continues blog
'Into the Canyon is a beautiful and sometimes terrifying film. Grand Canyon's flaming vertical faces and vertiginous drops are juxtaposed with interviews with callous developers who speak contemptuously of the native peoples fighting to save it. Through 700 miles of lighthearted yet pointed banter, the filmmakers ponder why, more than a century after the creation of the National Park Service, we as a society are still debating whether these spectacular landscapes are worth preserving.' Byron E. Pearson, Professor of American Environmental History, West Texas A&M University, Author, Saving Grand Canyon: Dams, Deals, and a Noble Myth
'Into the Canyon is a rich journey about relationship-building with and within an utterly relational place - humbling, even holy ground. Witness beauty, connection, greed, and commodification paired in storytelling that traverses their confluence and balance.' Jason Anthony Robison, Professor of Law, University of Wyoming, Editor, Vision and Place: John Wesley Powell and Reimagining the Colorado River Basin
'A fun, fast, meaningful and beautiful film. Into the Canyon is one of the best, deeply moving environmental films yet produced on the American Southwest. This film reinforces the words of Teddy Roosevelt when he stood on the South Rim in 1903 and said, 'Leave it as it is.' Threats to the canyon are all human made. This film teaches us why we should preserve, protect, and experience one of the great wonders of the world.' Andrew Gulliford, Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Fort Lewis College, Editor, Outdoors in the Southwest: An Adventure Anthology
'A stunning film with a profound message...Enjoy the beautiful photography as these companionable adventurers seek meaning in this extraordinary landscape by exploring the purpose of our national parks and what it takes to protect them in perpetuity. Given its scope and depth, the film should interest a wide audience concerned about the welfare of our special places, including educators, students, and conservation activists.' Robert B. Keiter, University Distinguished Professor of Law, Director, Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment, University of Utah, Author, To Conserve Unimpaired: The Evolution of the National Park Idea
'Into the Canyon is a thrilling adventure story unfolding amid the sublime beauty of the world's greatest canyon. But it is also a defense of a landscape and its Native people against the miners and real estate developers who gaze into the famous abyss and see only money. It's an old story in the Grand Canyon - rapacious development plans draped in pseudo-democratic rhetoric of economic opportunity and equal access - and this film reminds us of the true costs to nature, our national parks, and ourselves.' Dr. Brian Allen Drake, Senior Lecturer, Environmental History, University of Georgia, Author, Loving Nature, Fearing the State
Citation
Main credits
McBride, Peter (film producer)
McBride, Peter (film director)
McBride, Peter (director of photography)
Pollack, Amanda (film producer)
Ives, Stephen (film producer)
Other credits
Editor, Tyler H. Walk; music, William Ryan Fritch; cinematography, Pete McBride.
Distributor subjects
Conservation; Ecology; Environment; Environmental Ethics; Geography; Native Americans; Natural Resources; Photography; Recreation; Rivers; Water; Western USKeywords
pete mcbride,kevin fedarko,grand canyon,grand canyon national park,national parks,public lands,hiking,nature photography,photography,photographer,; "Into The Canyon"; Bullfrog Films
00:00:12:08 - 00:00:13:11 - -Ooh.
00:00:41:16 - 00:00:43:01 - Ooh.
00:00:51:03 - 00:00:52:20 - How cool is this?
00:00:58:13 - 00:01:01:20 - Well I, sometimes I can|get ahead of myself
00:01:01:20 - 00:01:05:04 - and my enthusiasm can|lead me into things that
00:01:05:04 - 00:01:08:12 - I hadn't fully thought of|or planned out that well.
00:01:20:15 - 00:01:22:04 - It's hard not to love|the Grand Canyon.
00:01:22:04 - 00:01:24:22 - Grand is too simple of|a word for the place.
00:01:28:15 - 00:01:29:19 - I'm a photographer,
00:01:29:19 - 00:01:32:23 - and I got the idea of exploring|the canyon on foot
00:01:32:23 - 00:01:34:19 - because I saw that|the place is changing.
00:01:37:00 - 00:01:39:09 - -It's one of America's most|iconic landmarks,
00:01:39:09 - 00:01:42:10 - but now a proposed project|is drawing controversy.
00:01:42:10 - 00:01:46:14 - -The proposed development would|cover 420 acres of Navajo land,
00:01:46:14 - 00:01:48:09 - right down to the canyon floor.
00:01:48:09 - 00:01:51:02 - -That needs to be protected|for our children.
00:01:53:25 - 00:01:56:11 - -What is the state|of our public lands?
00:01:56:11 - 00:01:58:11 - Is it true what was happening|that I'd been hearing
00:01:58:11 - 00:02:01:18 - from people that live|inside the national park?
00:02:03:04 - 00:02:05:10 - -The helicopters are a mess.
00:02:05:10 - 00:02:06:24 - -It's overdeveloped.
00:02:06:24 - 00:02:09:03 - Where does all this money go?
00:02:09:03 - 00:02:12:12 - We were never supposed|to let it get that bad.
00:02:14:15 - 00:02:17:03 - -The developers have|tricked people.
00:02:17:03 - 00:02:20:02 - This whole area is littered|with uranium mines.
00:02:21:08 - 00:02:24:14 - -This is the most protected|place in the world,
00:02:24:14 - 00:02:28:18 - and yet I spend most of my|time protecting this place.
00:02:28:18 - 00:02:32:02 - -I set out to hike the entire|length of the Grand Canyon.
00:02:32:02 - 00:02:33:19 - You don't know|what you don't know.
00:02:33:19 - 00:02:35:02 - How hard could this be?
00:02:57:02 - 00:02:59:23 - -I don't have a good|explanation for why
00:02:59:23 - 00:03:02:01 - I actually listened|to Pete McBride
00:03:02:01 - 00:03:05:04 - when he showed up at my house|in Flagstaff, Arizona
00:03:05:04 - 00:03:06:24 - and laid out this idea,
00:03:06:24 - 00:03:09:04 - which basically|consisted of,
00:03:09:04 - 00:03:11:16 - "Hey, you and I should walk through|the Grand Canyon.
00:03:11:16 - 00:03:14:15 - "I want to do this project|and I want to do it with you."
00:03:14:15 - 00:03:21:08 - -Kevin, I knew where he was|going to stand on things.
00:03:21:08 - 00:03:23:01 - But I proposed|this idea to him,
00:03:23:01 - 00:03:24:20 - maybe walking the park.
00:03:24:20 - 00:03:26:23 - I told him I could convince|National Geographic
00:03:26:23 - 00:03:28:22 - to give us a platform|to tell a story.
00:03:28:22 - 00:03:31:23 - -He assured me that I didn't|need to do anything to prepare,
00:03:31:23 - 00:03:34:06 - that I could basically|get off the couch
00:03:34:06 - 00:03:37:12 - and head into the canyon|and it would be cool.
00:03:37:12 - 00:03:40:21 - -I somehow made Kevin believe|that we could do this.
00:03:40:21 - 00:03:42:20 - -He knew that I was fascinated
00:03:42:20 - 00:03:44:13 - by and obsessed|with this landscape,
00:03:44:13 - 00:03:46:21 - and he knew that that idea
00:03:46:21 - 00:03:50:09 - would be almost impossible|for me to resist.
00:03:50:09 - 00:03:53:15 - -Did I sell Kevin|a bag of goods?
00:03:53:15 - 00:03:59:02 - Uh, on some level, yes.
00:04:04:08 - 00:04:05:07 - -What do you have in here?
00:04:05:07 - 00:04:08:01 - Did you sneak a garbage bag|full of burritos in here?
00:04:11:11 - 00:04:12:21 - Did you stop at Taco Bell?
00:04:12:21 - 00:04:15:08 - -Should I not bring|chocolate cake?
00:04:15:08 - 00:04:16:16 - -Alright, let's roll.
00:04:25:10 - 00:04:27:11 - -So here's the thing.
00:04:27:11 - 00:04:29:16 - Even though Kevin and I|have worked in and around
00:04:29:16 - 00:04:31:07 - the Grand Canyon for years,
00:04:31:07 - 00:04:34:15 - we're not what I would|call hiking fanatics.
00:04:34:15 - 00:04:36:14 - But we deeply love|this landscape.
00:04:39:23 - 00:04:42:24 - As crazy as this idea was,
00:04:42:24 - 00:04:46:06 - we wanted to do it in part|because so few have done it.
00:04:48:03 - 00:04:50:05 - More people have|stood on the moon
00:04:50:05 - 00:04:52:21 - than have hiked nonstop|through the Grand Canyon.
00:04:54:04 - 00:04:56:20 - But more importantly,|there's this growing notion
00:04:56:20 - 00:04:59:00 - that the canyon is for sale.
00:05:05:08 - 00:05:08:10 - Hiking is one way to see|what's at risk to be lost
00:05:08:10 - 00:05:10:11 - in the Grand Canyon if|we don't pay attention.
00:05:17:17 - 00:05:21:01 - The pack feels really heavy.
00:05:21:01 - 00:05:22:23 - We're going to get in|shape in this, right?
00:05:22:23 - 00:05:24:02 - Is that the plan?
00:05:24:02 - 00:05:24:20 - -I don't know.
00:05:24:20 - 00:05:26:15 - I'm starting to think maybe|this wasn't such a good idea,
00:05:26:15 - 00:05:30:01 - but we're at the point|of no return.
00:05:30:01 - 00:05:34:03 - -I guess we're going|that way for a long ways.
00:05:36:23 - 00:05:40:14 - -Yeah, I spent 700|nights below the rim,
00:05:40:14 - 00:05:45:13 - but this will by far be|the longest trip.
00:05:45:13 - 00:05:47:02 - -My first introduction|to Grand Canyon
00:05:47:02 - 00:05:49:10 - was 25 years ago|on a river trip,
00:05:49:10 - 00:05:52:24 - and I came away|just amazed, in awe.
00:05:52:24 - 00:05:57:01 - And I've spent half of|my life in that place.
00:05:57:16 - 00:06:01:01 - -Rich is probably the most|seasoned Grand Canyon hiker
00:06:01:01 - 00:06:02:16 - that exists on the planet.
00:06:02:16 - 00:06:05:22 - -I got a call saying,|you know, Pete McBride is
00:06:05:22 - 00:06:08:10 - looking to go walking|the canyon.
00:06:08:10 - 00:06:11:22 - Could he tag along with|us for the first 12 days
00:06:11:22 - 00:06:13:22 - through a difficult|section of the canyon?
00:06:13:22 - 00:06:14:20 - Alright.
00:06:14:20 - 00:06:16:01 - Step over the line.
00:06:16:01 - 00:06:18:01 - Kind of get their sea legs|under them, if you will,
00:06:18:01 - 00:06:19:24 - and they would hopefully|acquire enough knowledge
00:06:19:24 - 00:06:21:10 - to continue on their own.
00:06:21:10 - 00:06:22:24 - - Carry on, lads.
00:06:46:15 - 00:06:47:23 - -Hour one.
00:06:53:09 - 00:06:54:15 - -How far we going?
00:06:54:15 - 00:06:56:19 - -I don't think we've|gone five miles yet.
00:06:59:12 - 00:07:01:17 - -People thru-hike|the Pacific Crest Trail
00:07:01:17 - 00:07:05:00 - or the Appalachian Trail,|2,000, almost 3,000 miles.
00:07:05:00 - 00:07:06:13 - And so when you|talk to people about
00:07:06:13 - 00:07:07:13 - hiking through Grand Canyon,
00:07:07:13 - 00:07:10:16 - it doesn't really click|as being significant.
00:07:10:16 - 00:07:12:10 - But hiking through the|Canyon is probably one of
00:07:12:10 - 00:07:14:21 - the hardest things|that you can do on earth.
00:07:18:05 - 00:07:20:15 - There's not a trail at all.
00:07:20:15 - 00:07:23:04 - You're climbing up|and down thousands
00:07:23:04 - 00:07:24:20 - and thousands of|vertical feet.
00:07:26:04 - 00:07:27:20 - -I'm good, I'm good.
00:07:27:20 - 00:07:31:08 - -And friends have got to|store food ahead of you
00:07:31:08 - 00:07:32:06 - or you'll starve.
00:07:33:22 - 00:07:36:12 - Grand Canyon is so|enormous, and the idea
00:07:36:12 - 00:07:38:17 - that you can just hit|the SOS button
00:07:38:17 - 00:07:41:04 - and the Park Service will|swoop in in half and hour
00:07:41:04 - 00:07:42:20 - and scrape you up|is a fallacy.
00:07:46:04 - 00:07:48:21 - -The leg cramps, the hand|cramps, the arm cramps.
00:07:48:21 - 00:07:51:12 - -I was told that yesterday|would be the hardest day.
00:07:52:17 - 00:07:54:01 - -Well, that one is trashed.
00:07:54:01 - 00:07:57:05 - -I don't see any difference|whatsoever between yesterday,
00:07:57:05 - 00:07:59:14 - the day before yesterday,|the first day and today.
00:08:01:25 - 00:08:04:14 - -And water is|tremendously important.
00:08:04:14 - 00:08:06:18 - Nothing will kill you|faster in Grand Canyon
00:08:06:18 - 00:08:07:23 - than running out of water.
00:08:08:23 - 00:08:12:07 - It is a remarkably|dangerous place.
00:08:19:16 - 00:08:24:03 - You know, helping|these guys isn't easy.
00:08:27:02 - 00:08:29:04 - They weren't prepared|for the terrain.
00:08:29:04 - 00:08:32:14 - The hundred plus|degree temperatures.
00:08:32:14 - 00:08:34:18 - They had too much gear|they were carrying
00:08:34:18 - 00:08:37:15 - and they quickly fell|apart at many levels.
00:08:37:15 - 00:08:39:14 - Their feet turned|to hamburger.
00:08:39:14 - 00:08:41:08 - Kevin sprained both ankles.
00:08:41:08 - 00:08:42:18 - Pete nearly went unconscious
00:08:42:18 - 00:08:45:11 - from a condition called|hyponatremia.
00:08:45:11 - 00:08:48:23 - That's basically the|opposite of dehydration.
00:08:48:23 - 00:08:51:18 - It'd become pretty clear|to us that Pete and Kevin
00:08:51:18 - 00:08:53:25 - were not going to make it,
00:08:53:25 - 00:08:55:09 - and they were going to|have to exit.
00:08:58:17 - 00:09:02:08 - -We returned to Flagstaff|with our tails between our legs.
00:09:02:08 - 00:09:05:15 - -It was embarrassing, and it|was really humbling for me
00:09:05:15 - 00:09:07:15 - on many levels.
00:09:07:15 - 00:09:09:15 - I felt bad I talked|Kevin into this.
00:09:09:15 - 00:09:11:12 - I mean, total shit show.
00:09:12:16 - 00:09:15:03 - -The other thing that happened|after that first leg
00:09:15:03 - 00:09:20:07 - is that the woman|I lived with moved out
00:09:20:07 - 00:09:22:07 - 48 hours after we got home.
00:09:23:18 - 00:09:28:23 - So, so there was|that too, yeah.
00:09:33:09 - 00:09:36:11 - -I've known Kevin for a while.
00:09:36:11 - 00:09:39:21 - Working as journalists, I often|tried to convince him to do
00:09:39:21 - 00:09:41:10 - what I thought|were the untold stories,
00:09:41:10 - 00:09:42:23 - the important stories.
00:09:42:23 - 00:09:45:18 - -Magazine assignments in|different parts of the world.
00:09:45:18 - 00:09:47:20 - I went through a series of|these with Pete before
00:09:47:20 - 00:09:50:01 - I internalized the lesson|that it was just a bad idea
00:09:50:01 - 00:09:52:13 - to be working with|Pete in the first place.
00:09:52:13 - 00:09:55:07 - -Djibouti, took a lot of images|of people selling
00:09:55:07 - 00:09:59:11 - an illegal drug there, the|complicated narcotics trade.
00:09:59:11 - 00:10:01:19 - -We were deported when|they discovered we had tried to
00:10:01:19 - 00:10:04:05 - enter the country|with tourist visas,
00:10:04:05 - 00:10:06:09 - claiming that we were scuba divers.
00:10:06:09 - 00:10:08:01 - -I had to smuggle|the images out.
00:10:08:01 - 00:10:09:13 - That was challenging.
00:10:10:22 - 00:10:14:07 - -Following the largest migration|of caribou in North America--
00:10:14:07 - 00:10:15:13 - -You would think that two|journalists would be
00:10:15:13 - 00:10:17:16 - capable of locating this herd.
00:10:17:16 - 00:10:19:20 - We spent about three|weeks out there
00:10:19:20 - 00:10:22:15 - and we found one dead caribou.
00:10:22:15 - 00:10:24:05 - -That was an oops.
00:10:25:10 - 00:10:28:06 - Everest, the Sherpa|that nobody knows about
00:10:28:06 - 00:10:30:17 - who built the route|on the south side.
00:10:30:17 - 00:10:31:18 - -We were almost killed by
00:10:31:18 - 00:10:34:22 - a massive avalanche|inside the ice fall.
00:10:34:22 - 00:10:36:22 - It was a debacle.
00:10:36:22 - 00:10:38:11 - -Not ideal.
00:10:38:11 - 00:10:40:20 - -Everything we've done|has basically turned
00:10:40:20 - 00:10:43:20 - into the equivalent of like,|you know, a very large boat
00:10:43:20 - 00:10:45:10 - that ran into an iceberg.
00:10:45:10 - 00:10:47:09 - -Oh, I mean, yeah,|well, maybe.
00:10:50:02 - 00:10:53:03 - Are the feet still trashed?
00:10:53:03 - 00:10:54:13 - -Uh, they're getting better.
00:10:57:21 - 00:11:01:03 - -If we were going to have any|hope of finishing this project,
00:11:01:03 - 00:11:04:24 - we had to rethink|our entire plan.
00:11:04:24 - 00:11:07:04 - -There are two ways to hike|through the Grand Canyon.
00:11:07:04 - 00:11:09:06 - You can do so as|a continuous push,
00:11:09:06 - 00:11:12:01 - which is called a thru-hike,|without stopping,
00:11:12:01 - 00:11:15:11 - or you can break that|journey up into sections.
00:11:15:11 - 00:11:17:14 - -Moving at a steady|pace would take about
00:11:17:14 - 00:11:19:19 - two and a half months.
00:11:19:19 - 00:11:22:08 - But we decided to|break up the hike
00:11:22:08 - 00:11:24:07 - over the course of a year
00:11:24:07 - 00:11:27:19 - to see the canyon in|its different seasons.
00:11:27:19 - 00:11:28:10 - Alright.
00:11:28:10 - 00:11:30:12 - All said and done,
00:11:30:12 - 00:11:33:21 - I'm going from this|tripod to that.
00:11:33:21 - 00:11:35:08 - -Thank goodness.
00:11:35:08 - 00:11:38:01 - -We had to totally|redo our program,
00:11:38:01 - 00:11:41:07 - cut down our weight,|rethink our nutrition.
00:11:41:07 - 00:11:43:20 - And we realized we needed|some Canyon gurus
00:11:43:20 - 00:11:47:21 - to help us find our way.
00:11:47:21 - 00:11:49:09 - So we spoke to Rich,
00:11:49:09 - 00:11:51:14 - and he called a bunch of|his buddies to make sure
00:11:51:14 - 00:11:55:03 - we didn't kill ourselves|in the process.
00:11:55:03 - 00:11:57:03 - Part of me actually wants|to throw this shirt out
00:11:57:03 - 00:11:59:18 - because it reminds me of that|whole first experience.
00:11:59:18 - 00:12:01:12 - -Can you still smell yourself?
00:12:03:01 - 00:12:05:14 - -I washed it twice.
00:12:05:14 - 00:12:07:10 - It still kind of stinks.
00:12:18:05 - 00:12:20:20 - -Alright. So this is round two.
00:12:20:20 - 00:12:23:12 - Matt and Kelly are kindly|helping us find the route
00:12:23:12 - 00:12:25:03 - for this next section.
00:12:25:03 - 00:12:27:03 - We learned the hard way|that carrying really
00:12:27:03 - 00:12:29:25 - heavy packs in a really|hot place is dumb.
00:12:29:25 - 00:12:33:01 - -You're five pounds heavier|than you were last night.
00:12:33:01 - 00:12:34:11 - That's 37 pounds.
00:12:34:11 - 00:12:37:08 - -That's one camera addition.
00:12:37:08 - 00:12:38:14 - What are we at?
00:12:38:14 - 00:12:39:04 - -37.
00:12:39:12 - 00:12:40:05 - -37.
00:12:40:05 - 00:12:43:14 - -37? You don't have my|water in there either.
00:12:43:14 - 00:12:45:00 - You have no water in there?
00:12:45:00 - 00:12:46:06 - -I'm missing a bottle.
00:12:46:06 - 00:12:48:24 - -This is the weight of|one camera right here.
00:12:51:17 - 00:12:56:15 - It's not back breaking,|but it could be day after day.
00:12:56:15 - 00:12:58:22 - It's the difference|between having a really fun,
00:12:58:22 - 00:13:02:14 - free flowing, moving|trip, and suffering.
00:13:02:14 - 00:13:04:21 - -And tell me about|blisters, Kev.
00:13:04:21 - 00:13:10:18 - -I'm suffering from|selective memory loss
00:13:10:18 - 00:13:12:11 - as a result of the pain|that was induced
00:13:12:11 - 00:13:13:23 - by the blisters last time.
00:13:13:23 - 00:13:16:19 - So I've got my feet|basically encased
00:13:16:19 - 00:13:18:16 - in duct tape at this point.
00:13:50:06 - 00:13:51:17 - -Doin' alright?
00:14:32:22 - 00:14:36:01 - The Grand Canyon is over|six thousand feet deep.
00:14:36:01 - 00:14:39:15 - It's so deep you could stack|five Empire State buildings,
00:14:39:15 - 00:14:43:21 - one on top of the other,|inside it.
00:14:43:21 - 00:14:47:00 - There are river miles and|there are hiking miles.
00:14:47:00 - 00:14:49:08 - The Colorado River|is the main highway
00:14:49:08 - 00:14:53:20 - through the Canyon,|and it's 277 miles long.
00:14:53:20 - 00:14:56:20 - But if you're hiking,|you have to go up and down
00:14:56:20 - 00:14:59:20 - and around all these|drainages and tributaries.
00:14:59:20 - 00:15:02:15 - It ends up being more|like 750 miles.
00:15:07:11 - 00:15:10:18 - It's like hiking the entire|length of California.
00:15:26:00 - 00:15:27:11 - -What do you got there?
00:15:27:11 - 00:15:30:09 - -I have the sole to an old,|I mean, work boot,
00:15:30:09 - 00:15:32:01 - is what I can see,|and the nails,
00:15:32:01 - 00:15:34:04 - you can see all the nails|coming through.
00:15:34:04 - 00:15:36:08 - Held up fairly well,|I'd say.
00:15:39:01 - 00:15:41:14 - -It makes one understand
00:15:41:14 - 00:15:44:06 - how close the dam|was to being built.
00:15:44:24 - 00:15:47:25 - This was almost an|industrial complex here,
00:15:47:25 - 00:15:49:25 - that this river corridor|and the dam was
00:15:49:25 - 00:15:51:18 - nearly industrialized.
00:15:55:01 - 00:15:57:01 - -We demonstrated the wisdom
00:15:57:01 - 00:16:00:04 - to create a National|Park system.
00:16:00:04 - 00:16:02:07 - We love to think of|it as our best idea.
00:16:04:13 - 00:16:05:20 - Teddy Roosevelt stood on
00:16:05:20 - 00:16:09:08 - the south rim of the Grand|Canyon in 1903.
00:16:09:08 - 00:16:11:11 - He was speaking to a|series of developers,
00:16:11:11 - 00:16:13:16 - timber barons and miners,
00:16:13:16 - 00:16:15:15 - and he said this is a landscape
00:16:15:15 - 00:16:17:17 - that needs to be|left as it is
00:16:17:17 - 00:16:18:22 - so that it can be passed
00:16:18:22 - 00:16:21:06 - along to future generations|of Americans.
00:16:26:07 - 00:16:30:20 - The prospect of monetizing|beauty is almost irresistible.
00:16:33:15 - 00:16:35:21 - I mean, the land is|incredibly powerful.
00:16:37:08 - 00:16:39:08 - But the one power that|it doesn't have is to
00:16:39:08 - 00:16:42:04 - articulate what it|is and what it wants.
00:16:43:21 - 00:16:47:00 - Wilderness cannot be|its own spokesperson.
00:16:50:05 - 00:16:51:05 - -All clear, Kelly.
00:17:02:01 - 00:17:04:06 - -That is so cool.
00:17:28:20 - 00:17:29:19 - -Got it.
00:17:36:09 - 00:17:38:08 - Her boy JP's been|taking care of us,
00:17:38:08 - 00:17:40:24 - helping us with the food.
00:17:45:07 - 00:17:48:08 - So he camouflaged|it with mesquite.
00:17:51:04 - 00:17:53:07 - "Dear person of curiosity,
00:17:53:07 - 00:17:57:02 - "the contents inside mean|life or death.
00:17:57:02 - 00:17:58:18 - "We're relying on|this to survive,
00:17:58:18 - 00:18:02:22 - "please leave it be|so we can live.
00:18:02:22 - 00:18:04:17 - "Continue with great thanks."
00:18:06:15 - 00:18:08:01 - Well, let's see what we got.
00:18:48:10 - 00:18:51:05 - -Yeah!
00:18:51:05 - 00:18:54:11 - -We're nearing the confluence|of the Little Colorado River,
00:18:54:11 - 00:18:56:14 - which has kind of become|a site that's been
00:18:56:14 - 00:18:57:23 - of recent conflict.
00:18:57:23 - 00:19:00:17 - Some developers that|are looking to install
00:19:00:17 - 00:19:04:10 - a tramway coming up from|the rim with this kind of
00:19:04:10 - 00:19:06:16 - paralleling the river,|coming down the side of
00:19:06:16 - 00:19:09:13 - the Redwall cliff here|and eventually meeting
00:19:09:13 - 00:19:12:14 - the river right down|near the confluence,
00:19:12:14 - 00:19:15:08 - at the point of the confluence|of the Colorado River
00:19:15:08 - 00:19:17:11 - and the Little Colorado River.
00:19:17:11 - 00:19:20:06 - And then there'd be an|entire establishment
00:19:20:06 - 00:19:21:11 - down there of restaurants
00:19:21:11 - 00:19:24:03 - and shops and walkways|along the river.
00:19:26:20 - 00:19:29:18 - And it would completely|change the face of this area.
00:19:32:08 - 00:19:34:13 - -So we're hiking up|above the confluence,
00:19:34:13 - 00:19:39:09 - which is sacred to three|Native American tribes here.
00:19:39:09 - 00:19:40:19 - One of them is the Navajo.
00:19:40:19 - 00:19:42:11 - We're going to hike up|and meet with them.
00:19:44:18 - 00:19:46:01 - This is their land now.
00:19:46:01 - 00:19:48:05 - We've left the national park.
00:19:53:06 - 00:19:57:14 - And this route we're|hiking up is basically
00:19:57:14 - 00:20:00:12 - shadowing where this|tram would be built.
00:20:03:08 - 00:20:04:24 - I'm trying to understand|how it's dividing
00:20:04:24 - 00:20:06:24 - and affecting the Navajo Nation.
00:20:23:24 - 00:20:25:16 - Ready.
00:20:25:16 - 00:20:28:20 - Alright, we just hiked|out of the Canyon.
00:20:28:20 - 00:20:31:23 - We're headed for Window Rock,|capital of the Navajo Nation.
00:20:33:25 - 00:20:37:14 - There's a legislative|session where the Escalade
00:20:37:14 - 00:20:40:09 - project is going to be debated.
00:20:40:09 - 00:20:42:07 - -How does it feel|to be driving?
00:20:42:07 - 00:20:43:25 - -It feels pretty cushy|to be sitting
00:20:43:25 - 00:20:48:18 - behind the wheel of|a truck in a padded seat
00:20:48:18 - 00:20:50:20 - instead of walking.
00:20:59:02 - 00:21:03:00 - Legislation has been introduced|to the Navajo Nation.
00:21:03:00 - 00:21:07:08 - It is making its way through|a series of committees.
00:21:07:08 - 00:21:10:08 - This is a project|which is being sold
00:21:10:08 - 00:21:12:15 - as a solution to the|extraordinary economic
00:21:12:15 - 00:21:15:18 - challenges of the Navajo Nation,
00:21:15:18 - 00:21:18:05 - and the developers who|are behind this project
00:21:18:05 - 00:21:22:01 - are doing everything they can|to ensure its passage.
00:21:24:05 - 00:21:27:23 - -If we start establishing|these particular projects
00:21:27:23 - 00:21:31:17 - across the Navajo Nation,|how are we going to be
00:21:31:17 - 00:21:34:05 - in five years,|in ten years?
00:21:34:05 - 00:21:37:14 - Why can't we invest back|into our own cultural
00:21:37:14 - 00:21:39:06 - traditional way of life?
00:21:44:15 - 00:21:49:22 - -We're providing a|solution to a need.
00:21:49:22 - 00:21:51:16 - You're going to employ|an awful lot of people
00:21:51:16 - 00:21:55:22 - in an impoverished area and|help them save their culture.
00:21:55:22 - 00:21:58:16 - What's better than that?
00:22:00:22 - 00:22:04:17 - We're into this now six years|and four million dollars
00:22:04:17 - 00:22:06:06 - in time and money.
00:22:06:06 - 00:22:08:07 - I think everybody's|entitled to have
00:22:08:07 - 00:22:10:20 - a Grand Canyon experience,|whether it's on a mule
00:22:10:20 - 00:22:14:06 - or hiking or on a helicopter.
00:22:14:06 - 00:22:17:07 - And so we're trying to|offer the average person
00:22:17:07 - 00:22:18:23 - that below-the-rim experience.
00:22:40:05 - 00:22:42:23 - There's a little bit of|elitism that says hey,
00:22:42:23 - 00:22:44:25 - the average person|shouldn't be able to enjoy
00:22:44:25 - 00:22:46:04 - the bottom of the Canyon.
00:22:48:04 - 00:22:50:15 - I mean, if I were to hike down|to the bottom of the Canyon
00:22:50:15 - 00:22:53:24 - I'd have to be aerovaced out|because of my knees and ankles.
00:22:53:24 - 00:22:58:12 - So I'm not worthy of|that type of experience?
00:23:02:16 - 00:23:04:21 - There's lots of great|places out there.
00:23:06:20 - 00:23:08:17 - Where do you draw the line?
00:23:15:13 - 00:23:17:06 - -You know you're never going to|be on the top of Everest.
00:23:17:06 - 00:23:18:23 - You know you're never|going to be out
00:23:18:23 - 00:23:20:06 - $in the middle of the|ocean in a kayak.
00:23:20:06 - 00:23:22:04 - You're never going to|be floating down
00:23:22:04 - 00:23:25:07 - the Grand Canyon because maybe|you're not able to do that.
00:23:25:07 - 00:23:28:15 - We can't provide every|experience for every person
00:23:28:15 - 00:23:30:08 - based on their own|individual abilities.
00:23:30:08 - 00:23:33:16 - And that's just one of those|balancing things that are,
00:23:33:16 - 00:23:36:06 - it's difficult, but at the|same time I take a lot of
00:23:36:06 - 00:23:38:20 - pride in how well|we do do that.
00:23:43:01 - 00:23:45:23 - -How do I say "smile" in Navajo?
00:23:45:23 - 00:23:47:08 - -Baa dloh.
00:23:47:08 - 00:23:48:08 - -Dak blo?
00:23:48:08 - 00:23:49:15 - -Baa dloh.
00:23:49:15 - 00:23:51:12 - Say "Baa dloh."
00:23:51:12 - 00:23:52:07 - -Dah klo.
00:23:52:07 - 00:23:54:21 - [giggling]
00:23:54:21 - 00:23:56:06 - -You say it the wrong way.
00:23:56:06 - 00:23:59:12 - -I'm sure I do.
00:23:59:12 - 00:24:01:01 - And then how do I|say "thank you" again?
00:24:01:01 - 00:24:02:16 - -Ahéhee’.
00:24:02:16 - 00:24:03:24 - -Oh, that's so hard.
00:24:03:24 - 00:24:05:14 - [laughing]
00:24:08:06 - 00:24:11:06 - The Navajo need some|economic stimulus,
00:24:11:06 - 00:24:14:21 - and this project's being sold|to many of them as a solution.
00:24:15:18 - 00:24:19:10 - But many of them that live|right above the confluence
00:24:19:10 - 00:24:20:19 - feel like they've|been ignored.
00:24:21:20 - 00:24:23:23 - The Navajo, they need|to make a decision
00:24:23:23 - 00:24:25:02 - for their own land.
00:24:26:19 - 00:24:28:04 - -We've got to save it.
00:24:28:04 - 00:24:32:02 - Our own Navajo Nation Council|have the power to protect it,
00:24:32:02 - 00:24:34:18 - they have the power|to preserve it,
00:24:34:18 - 00:24:38:00 - and that's what they need|to act on for the elders,
00:24:38:00 - 00:24:40:02 - for the generations to come.
00:24:40:02 - 00:24:45:17 - [speaking in Navajo]
00:24:49:17 - 00:24:54:25 - -She said that it's our|identity of our culture,
00:24:54:25 - 00:24:58:10 - the stories about us|that are sold there.
00:24:58:10 - 00:25:00:04 - That's what's going|to make money.
00:25:00:04 - 00:25:01:19 - We're not going to make money.
00:25:08:03 - 00:25:10:08 - -I think that's the|division that's
00:25:10:08 - 00:25:11:17 - in the Navajo right now.
00:25:13:19 - 00:25:17:17 - I think a tram being driven|by development elsewhere.
00:25:21:04 - 00:25:22:18 - It's not a singular issue,
00:25:22:18 - 00:25:25:19 - it's related to everything|happening around the park.
00:25:38:12 - 00:25:40:10 - -The people who are|opposed to the tramway
00:25:40:10 - 00:25:43:20 - on the Navajo reservation,|primarily a group of women
00:25:43:20 - 00:25:47:02 - who belong to an organization|called Save the Confluence,
00:25:47:02 - 00:25:50:01 - are fighting it with|everything they've got.
00:25:50:01 - 00:25:54:11 - And they're so outnumbered|and they are so outgunned.
00:25:57:09 - 00:25:59:10 - -Come by, sign our petition.
00:25:59:10 - 00:26:00:21 - We need your help.
00:26:00:21 - 00:26:05:18 - We are trying to stop|a developer from building
00:26:05:18 - 00:26:09:19 - a tramway to the bottom|of the Grand Canyon.
00:26:09:19 - 00:26:11:04 - Okay?
00:26:11:04 - 00:26:13:12 - They project that|it's going to be up to
00:26:13:12 - 00:26:18:12 - ten thousand people a day|going up and down that tramway.
00:26:18:12 - 00:26:22:17 - This is development|geared towards tourists,
00:26:22:17 - 00:26:25:21 - which is fine,|you know, that's fine.
00:26:25:21 - 00:26:28:02 - But not down there.
00:26:28:02 - 00:26:31:12 - We are presenting these|petition signatures
00:26:31:12 - 00:26:33:16 - to the Navajo Nation Council
00:26:33:16 - 00:26:36:03 - and they're going to be|voting on it.
00:26:37:17 - 00:26:39:17 - Did you guys get|some stickers?
00:26:41:02 - 00:26:42:16 - Put that on your hat.
00:26:53:24 - 00:26:57:11 - -The confluence, this is where|the Little Colorado River
00:26:57:11 - 00:27:01:06 - meets the Colorado River,|where they meet.
00:27:01:06 - 00:27:02:23 - This is where life begins.
00:27:05:02 - 00:27:09:08 - This is what our grandmothers|tell us, our ancestors.
00:27:19:21 - 00:27:21:23 - It is a sacred space.
00:27:21:23 - 00:27:24:03 - It is a sacred area.
00:27:24:03 - 00:27:26:06 - You leave it the way|you found it.
00:27:29:02 - 00:27:31:03 - We don't want to|see it developed,
00:27:31:03 - 00:27:33:17 - and we don't want to|see a Disneyland
00:27:33:17 - 00:27:34:25 - on the edge of the Canyon.
00:27:42:07 - 00:27:45:06 - If the tram comes through,|that would dig into
00:27:45:06 - 00:27:46:20 - the beautiful landscape,
00:27:46:20 - 00:27:49:00 - and that's why|I fight so hard.
00:28:40:14 - 00:28:42:19 - -So it's, what day is it?
00:28:42:19 - 00:28:43:15 - Tuesday?
00:28:46:04 - 00:28:48:09 - Tuesday.
00:28:48:09 - 00:28:57:25 - - We'll try to do about|fourteen miles today.
00:29:31:12 - 00:29:33:14 - -I had a pretty significant|connection with
00:29:33:14 - 00:29:35:21 - the Grand Canyon|before this project.
00:29:39:04 - 00:29:44:01 - My dad had this dream|of moving to the west.
00:29:45:07 - 00:29:48:07 - I must have been in|fourth or fifth grade.
00:29:48:07 - 00:29:51:16 - One day he sat down and|asked the family what we
00:29:51:16 - 00:29:54:22 - thought of the idea of|pulling up stakes
00:29:54:22 - 00:30:00:17 - in Pittsburgh and just|moving to Colorado.
00:30:00:17 - 00:30:04:00 - And my dad's dream|pretty much died
00:30:04:00 - 00:30:05:20 - that night at the dinner table.
00:30:07:17 - 00:30:10:13 - But I retained a memory of this,
00:30:11:24 - 00:30:14:22 - and it's at the heart of|what I do as a journalist.
00:30:23:10 - 00:30:26:19 - I'd started apprenticing|as a river guide,
00:30:26:19 - 00:30:28:13 - working on the river at|the bottom of the Canyon,
00:30:28:13 - 00:30:31:18 - getting to know that|environment.
00:30:31:18 - 00:30:33:02 - -The poop boat?
00:30:33:02 - 00:30:37:02 - -The poo boat.|-He rode the poo boat.
00:30:37:02 - 00:30:40:08 - -All of this was part of|the research for a book
00:30:40:08 - 00:30:42:06 - that I would later|go on to write.
00:30:44:03 - 00:30:47:08 - It was about this river guide|by the name of Kenton Grua
00:30:47:08 - 00:30:49:09 - who set a speed record in a boat
00:30:49:09 - 00:30:51:21 - through the heart of the|Grand Canyon in 1983.
00:30:51:21 - 00:30:54:13 - And he was also the first|person in recorded history
00:30:54:13 - 00:30:57:10 - to walk the length|of the Grand Canyon.
00:30:57:10 - 00:31:00:17 - And the opportunity to|walk in his footsteps
00:31:00:17 - 00:31:03:05 - was impossible for me to resist.
00:31:05:18 - 00:31:09:11 - I knew the bottom of|the Canyon pretty well,
00:31:09:11 - 00:31:11:11 - but my entire perspective
00:31:11:11 - 00:31:14:08 - consisted of sitting|in a boat looking up.
00:31:20:21 - 00:31:23:18 - I thought that the river|was the key that unlocks
00:31:23:18 - 00:31:26:08 - the door that enables you to|understand this landscape,
00:31:26:08 - 00:31:28:05 - and I realized that's|totally untrue.
00:31:32:15 - 00:31:35:16 - The place where human|beings have no control
00:31:35:16 - 00:31:37:16 - whatsoever is not the river.
00:31:40:13 - 00:31:43:02 - It's the cliffs and the ledges
00:31:43:02 - 00:31:45:22 - and all of that bare,|naked rock.
00:31:47:18 - 00:31:51:01 - It's a place that has no|trail leading from
00:31:51:01 - 00:31:53:20 - one end to the other where|very, very few people go.
00:31:56:09 - 00:31:58:05 - And where the few people|who do venture there
00:31:58:05 - 00:32:01:15 - quickly discover that|they have no control.
00:32:16:20 - 00:32:17:22 - -Stay.
00:32:23:24 - 00:32:25:24 - Uh.
00:32:25:24 - 00:32:28:20 - Getting out of a,|the only water hole
00:32:28:20 - 00:32:30:21 - we could find is a bit hard.
00:32:42:10 - 00:32:43:18 - Gimme a holler.
00:32:45:02 - 00:32:46:17 - -Whoohoo!
00:32:50:11 - 00:32:53:02 - Aaah!
00:32:53:02 - 00:32:55:05 - Is there any water!
00:32:57:18 - 00:32:59:14 - -Nooo!
00:33:02:22 - 00:33:04:02 - -Great!
00:33:06:05 - 00:33:07:17 - Water is a huge challenge.
00:33:07:17 - 00:33:09:13 - I mean, you'd think it|wouldn't be that big of a deal
00:33:09:13 - 00:33:11:18 - because there's a river at|the bottom of the canyon,
00:33:11:18 - 00:33:14:19 - but it's very rare|that you're actually
00:33:14:19 - 00:33:16:14 - at the river level.
00:33:16:14 - 00:33:20:03 - Much more often you find|yourselves kind of marooned
00:33:20:03 - 00:33:22:06 - several thousand|feet above the river,
00:33:22:06 - 00:33:24:05 - several thousand|feet below the rim.
00:33:28:10 - 00:33:29:20 - You know, when you're in|the middle of the desert
00:33:29:20 - 00:33:32:14 - you must continuously be|aware of how far you are
00:33:32:14 - 00:33:34:24 - moving away from|the last water source
00:33:34:24 - 00:33:37:07 - and can you get back to it.
00:33:43:25 - 00:33:45:21 - -I'm feeling a bit salty,
00:33:45:21 - 00:33:51:06 - and I'm heading out here|to hopefully find water.
00:33:51:06 - 00:33:55:07 - It's such an ongoing|recurring theme that
00:33:55:07 - 00:33:57:03 - this is what keeps us|rolling out here.
00:33:57:03 - 00:33:58:15 - The only thing at times.
00:34:01:04 - 00:34:04:01 - So I'm learning|the water sources.
00:34:04:01 - 00:34:07:22 - Wind and erosion that create|these little perfect pools,
00:34:07:22 - 00:34:10:02 - and hopefully they're full.
00:34:10:02 - 00:34:11:05 - Everything around here,
00:34:11:05 - 00:34:13:02 - all these little|tiny holes are dry.
00:34:19:02 - 00:34:21:18 - It looks like a swimming|pool from here.
00:34:25:07 - 00:34:28:13 - So that is what we fear.
00:34:28:13 - 00:34:30:08 - Bone dry.
00:35:02:16 - 00:35:05:11 - Kevvy, pumpkin poo.
00:35:08:22 - 00:35:10:06 - Kevvy?
00:35:20:12 - 00:35:22:04 - Still can't find water.
00:35:25:22 - 00:35:29:22 - It's just beating down on us.
00:35:29:22 - 00:35:36:08 - Sun beating down.
00:35:46:16 - 00:35:48:20 - -I feel like I'm in|a Swedish sauna.
00:35:50:07 - 00:35:52:17 - -Look like you're getting a|little bit of heat stroke there.
00:36:10:09 - 00:36:11:22 - There it is.
00:36:13:02 - 00:36:15:24 - We were fearing|that would be dry.
00:36:15:24 - 00:36:17:22 - Hey.
00:36:17:22 - 00:36:19:03 - We have water.
00:36:20:07 - 00:36:21:06 - -No water?
00:36:21:06 - 00:36:25:01 - -No, there's water,|I can see it.
00:36:25:01 - 00:36:27:10 - -Thank God.|-Yeah I know, right?
00:36:28:23 - 00:36:30:08 - It's right there.
00:36:32:18 - 00:36:35:17 - I was starting to|think we were dunski.
00:36:56:19 - 00:36:59:09 - I've actually spent a long|time chasing water.
00:37:03:09 - 00:37:06:02 - I grew up on a small|cattle ranch in Colorado,
00:37:06:02 - 00:37:08:15 - which is at the headwaters|of the Colorado River.
00:37:10:05 - 00:37:12:05 - Learned to swim in it,|learned to fish in it.
00:37:14:04 - 00:37:16:04 - Did all sorts of|ridiculous things in it.
00:37:22:22 - 00:37:25:05 - What do you think, Pabo?
00:37:25:05 - 00:37:26:19 - -Too early to think.
00:37:28:20 - 00:37:30:03 - You just feel.
00:37:32:20 - 00:37:34:24 - -Rudder and ailerons are good.
00:37:34:24 - 00:37:35:24 - -We all set?
00:37:35:24 - 00:37:36:23 - -All set.
00:37:36:23 - 00:37:37:24 - -We go.
00:37:44:01 - 00:37:45:08 - -My father's a pilot.
00:37:45:08 - 00:37:46:23 - He flies a single engine plane.
00:37:46:23 - 00:37:48:15 - You know, one of|these bush planes.
00:37:58:03 - 00:38:00:18 - -Look how green|it is over here.
00:38:00:18 - 00:38:02:16 - -I'm gonna get a wingman, Pabo.
00:38:02:16 - 00:38:03:12 - -Huh?
00:38:05:12 - 00:38:08:18 - -Look over.|-Oh my God.
00:38:12:07 - 00:38:13:20 - You can't hold that steady.
00:38:13:20 - 00:38:15:05 - No way!|-No problem.
00:38:15:05 - 00:38:16:13 - -No way!
00:38:16:13 - 00:38:18:22 - -My dad's always given me|the "you oughta" lecture.
00:38:18:22 - 00:38:20:04 - "You oughta do this."
00:38:20:04 - 00:38:20:24 - I mean, he was telling me
00:38:20:24 - 00:38:22:23 - "You oughta look at|your back yard river,
00:38:22:23 - 00:38:24:07 - "You oughta look at|your backyard.
00:38:24:07 - 00:38:25:19 - "You're always going away."
00:38:25:19 - 00:38:27:02 - So I started thinking|and I was like,
00:38:27:02 - 00:38:28:11 - you know, maybe you're right.
00:38:33:07 - 00:38:36:06 - The Colorado River is this|lifeline that supports
00:38:36:06 - 00:38:39:12 - 40 million people in seven|states, two countries.
00:38:39:12 - 00:38:41:07 - And I wanted to know,
00:38:41:07 - 00:38:43:01 - where does our|irrigation water go?
00:38:44:15 - 00:38:46:03 - How long does it take|to reach the sea?
00:38:48:03 - 00:38:50:03 - And the Grand Canyon|was one spectacular,
00:38:50:03 - 00:38:53:15 - beautiful, 277-mile stretch|in the middle of it.
00:38:56:08 - 00:38:59:00 - But downstream, the river|changes quickly.
00:39:01:21 - 00:39:03:16 - You really see what happens
00:39:03:16 - 00:39:05:19 - when you ask too much|of a resource.
00:39:07:20 - 00:39:09:12 - It completely vanishes.
00:39:14:12 - 00:39:16:16 - The river no longer|reaches the sea.
00:39:26:16 - 00:39:28:05 - That was a little bouncy.
00:39:57:07 - 00:40:00:13 - -This is very unusual to|find something this large.
00:40:00:13 - 00:40:04:05 - Most of the archeology you find|in this more recent period
00:40:04:05 - 00:40:08:21 - are much smaller points|for rabbits and deer.
00:40:08:21 - 00:40:11:10 - Absolutely remarkable piece.
00:40:11:10 - 00:40:14:06 - I finished my continuous|thru-hike,
00:40:14:06 - 00:40:15:17 - but I can't stay away.
00:40:17:16 - 00:40:18:18 - -You're giving me cheese?
00:40:18:18 - 00:40:21:21 - Oh God, it's like|a hundred calories.
00:40:21:21 - 00:40:25:06 - -Kelly and I were able to|go back and join them
00:40:25:06 - 00:40:26:22 - with our friend Amy Martin.
00:40:28:06 - 00:40:31:12 - -We were able to find|some other pieces
00:40:31:12 - 00:40:34:21 - and slowly put them together.
00:40:34:21 - 00:40:36:17 - Looks like a big|storage vessel.
00:40:40:07 - 00:40:43:20 - -I was enthusiastic about|going back and, you know,
00:40:43:20 - 00:40:45:24 - see what they'd learned|along the way.
00:40:47:15 - 00:40:50:08 - They'd gotten their shit|together and, you know,
00:40:50:08 - 00:40:53:13 - it was like holy cow,|maybe they can tell a story.
00:40:55:15 - 00:40:58:18 - -I'm going to get some|water from this pothole.
00:40:58:18 - 00:41:00:12 - Maybe not.
00:41:00:12 - 00:41:02:08 - -In the winter in Grand Canyon,
00:41:02:08 - 00:41:05:24 - you could have snow,|rain, sleet,
00:41:05:24 - 00:41:09:06 - and in the next section|there's some places
00:41:09:06 - 00:41:10:17 - where you really|need to know the route.
00:41:11:21 - 00:41:14:02 - And it's so remote.
00:41:14:02 - 00:41:16:01 - Carrying enough food|can be very tricky.
00:41:17:12 - 00:41:21:11 - So I just wanted to go|back and provide some
00:41:21:11 - 00:41:23:19 - firsthand knowledge of how|to get through there safely.
00:41:30:15 - 00:41:35:05 - Winds to gust to|45 miles an hour.
00:41:35:05 - 00:41:40:10 - We've got the likelihood of|snow tonight, snow tomorrow,
00:41:40:10 - 00:41:42:20 - down to maybe even 3,000 feet.
00:41:42:20 - 00:41:44:04 - We're at about|4,600 feet here,
00:41:44:04 - 00:41:46:17 - so we're going to get|hammered pretty good.
00:41:46:17 - 00:41:48:07 - This storm's going|to get pretty ugly.
00:41:48:22 - 00:41:52:00 - - It's a little stormy.|Hoohooo!
00:42:19:07 - 00:42:29:20 - -Yep, I don't know if|I can even get out.
00:42:29:20 - 00:42:32:13 - -So my big question is,|when do I start to panic?
00:42:32:13 - 00:42:34:14 - Right now.
00:42:34:14 - 00:42:36:24 - No idea how the hell we're|going to get out of here.
00:42:41:16 - 00:42:42:23 - -Holy shit!
00:42:55:23 - 00:43:00:13 - -Hard to imagine, and that's|potentially 3,000 feet down.
00:43:05:08 - 00:43:08:12 - Love the snow, but it's making|it a little challenging.
00:43:25:04 - 00:43:26:20 - -The storm was a lot|worse than I expected
00:43:26:20 - 00:43:27:23 - we could get in the winter.
00:43:34:09 - 00:43:35:09 - You have to concentrate on
00:43:35:09 - 00:43:37:22 - every single step|that you put down.
00:43:37:22 - 00:43:40:15 - If you hit ice and you slip,|you're gone.
00:43:40:15 - 00:43:41:13 - You're dead.
00:43:51:06 - 00:43:53:12 - -I was really afraid that|I was going to slip and die,
00:43:53:12 - 00:43:55:22 - and I was even more afraid|I think that somebody else
00:43:55:22 - 00:43:57:03 - was going to slip and die.
00:44:15:07 - 00:44:17:20 - -The Great Thumb Mesa,|you walk around.
00:44:17:20 - 00:44:19:22 - There's no way to come off it.
00:44:21:16 - 00:44:24:18 - Everybody's cold and|everybody's hungry.
00:44:37:10 - 00:44:38:11 - How you doing?
00:44:54:18 - 00:44:59:01 - -This is Owl Eyes Bay,|and it was named for those
00:44:59:01 - 00:45:01:13 - two incredible hollowed|out eye sockets up there
00:45:01:13 - 00:45:03:19 - that look like a big owl.
00:45:03:19 - 00:45:11:05 - And in 2012 a friend|of ours, Ioana,
00:45:11:05 - 00:45:14:04 - was walking through|here and slipped
00:45:14:04 - 00:45:16:17 - and she fell 400 feet.
00:45:16:17 - 00:45:24:13 - So this place is|special to us for,
00:45:24:13 - 00:45:26:09 - for remembering her.
00:45:40:09 - 00:45:47:14 - This monument right here,|it's neat to see that
00:45:50:16 - 00:45:55:01 - this is surviving|the test of time.
00:46:33:09 - 00:46:35:22 - -The sun has just|come up, literally.
00:46:39:16 - 00:46:42:03 - And it is just lighting|everything up.
00:46:42:03 - 00:46:43:16 - Everything is going off.
00:46:43:16 - 00:46:45:22 - -Whoo, that's what|I'm talking about!
00:46:45:22 - 00:46:47:06 - -Yeah!
00:46:47:21 - 00:46:49:12 - Mmm.
00:46:49:12 - 00:46:52:04 - Actually feels really good.
00:46:52:04 - 00:46:54:02 - -I love the sun|in the morning.
00:46:54:02 - 00:46:56:13 - Oh man, it's so cold.
00:46:57:14 - 00:47:00:10 - This is the tour I signed up|for right here.
00:47:08:05 - 00:47:12:05 - -Whoo! The hall.
00:47:12:05 - 00:47:17:14 - Oh, there's a waterfall.|- How's the view?
00:47:17:14 - 00:47:18:21 - -Dynamite!
00:47:18:21 - 00:47:20:07 - Unbelievable!
00:47:29:17 - 00:47:31:05 - -Olo Canyon.
00:47:31:05 - 00:47:32:08 - It's like a doorway
00:47:32:08 - 00:47:35:04 - into the subway system|of Grand Canyon.
00:47:42:14 - 00:47:47:06 - We have just come around|what was the hardest,
00:47:47:06 - 00:47:49:12 - psychologically most|challenging part of the trip
00:47:49:12 - 00:47:52:13 - into this Eden that you|don't even know exists
00:47:52:13 - 00:47:54:09 - if you go down|the Canyon by boat.
00:48:07:13 - 00:48:10:21 - -Olo Canyon's|incredibly beautiful.
00:48:10:21 - 00:48:14:23 - There are these grand|cathedrals that are hidden
00:48:14:23 - 00:48:16:17 - in the fabric of|Grand Canyon people
00:48:16:17 - 00:48:17:22 - don't ever get to see.
00:48:22:22 - 00:48:24:10 - And then when the light changes,
00:48:24:10 - 00:48:26:12 - the reflections on|the potholes just
00:48:26:12 - 00:48:28:01 - make you think|that you're seeing
00:48:28:01 - 00:48:29:24 - some kind of divine|intervention.
00:49:10:09 - 00:49:12:23 - -We have our Olo cache!
00:49:12:23 - 00:49:14:07 - We're going to eat again!
00:49:14:07 - 00:49:16:02 - Whoo!
00:49:16:02 - 00:49:18:13 - -We are fat and happy tonight.
00:49:18:13 - 00:49:20:12 - -Yummy, yummy, yummy.
00:49:20:12 - 00:49:26:03 - -Stretched eight days|into ten days.
00:49:26:03 - 00:49:27:15 - -Whoa!
00:49:27:15 - 00:49:30:06 - -Hey!
00:49:30:06 - 00:49:31:22 - -These are my favorite crackers!
00:49:31:22 - 00:49:32:07 - -Open 'em!
00:49:32:07 - 00:49:34:08 - -Cheez-its,|oh my god!
00:49:34:08 - 00:49:38:01 - - Whoo! [all shouting]
00:49:38:01 - 00:49:40:02 - -Oh, this is like Christmas.
00:49:40:02 - 00:49:40:18 - -What are these?
00:49:40:18 - 00:49:42:01 - -They're dark|chocolate pomegranates.
00:49:42:01 - 00:49:45:07 - -Oh yes, cheddar potatoes!
00:49:49:25 - 00:49:51:02 - -Peanut butter pretzels.
00:49:51:02 - 00:49:53:01 - -Let's see the Pete|McBride happy dance.
00:49:55:11 - 00:49:58:04 - -My ankle hurts, my ankle|hurts but I don't care.
00:50:00:17 - 00:50:02:10 - Have you ever run|this thin on food?
00:50:03:20 - 00:50:04:22 - -Um, no. [laughing]
00:50:07:19 - 00:50:10:00 - 750 days in Grand Canyon
00:50:10:00 - 00:50:14:16 - and I usually exit with more|than five peanut M&M's.
00:50:46:00 - 00:50:48:09 - -The days are incredibly hard,
00:50:48:09 - 00:50:50:18 - but there is this|moment in time
00:50:50:18 - 00:50:52:18 - that occurs almost every night.
00:50:55:04 - 00:50:58:08 - It's when we finally|stopped and set up camp.
00:51:01:02 - 00:51:05:16 - We can hear the|river far below.
00:51:05:16 - 00:51:10:12 - Although this place was carved|and polished and created
00:51:10:12 - 00:51:14:10 - by the river that is|flowing along its bottom,
00:51:14:10 - 00:51:15:21 - there's a second river.
00:51:15:21 - 00:51:19:09 - It's the river that|emerges after sunset
00:51:19:09 - 00:51:22:20 - in the form of a|ribbon of stars.
00:52:01:21 - 00:52:03:23 - No matter how hard things get,
00:52:06:04 - 00:52:09:03 - there will be this moment that|awaits you each and every night.
00:52:42:15 - 00:52:59:10 - [drumming and singing]
00:52:59:10 - 00:53:02:13 - -Our job as Havasupai is|to keep our culture
00:53:02:13 - 00:53:03:23 - and keep our songs,
00:53:03:23 - 00:53:06:14 - because that's all we have|left as indigenous people.
00:53:09:05 - 00:53:12:13 - My reservation is about|twenty miles from here,
00:53:12:13 - 00:53:15:17 - and the uranium mines|are just waiting
00:53:15:17 - 00:53:18:03 - to contaminate our|groundwater source.
00:53:18:03 - 00:53:21:01 - And when this contamination|does reach our home,
00:53:22:08 - 00:53:26:16 - there'll be no more Havasupai,|no more of my people.
00:53:39:12 - 00:53:41:10 - -The Native tribes,|they're well within their
00:53:41:10 - 00:53:43:22 - right to protest or oppose us|in any way they see fit,
00:53:43:22 - 00:53:46:24 - just like we're well within our|right to mine this deposit.
00:53:46:24 - 00:53:48:16 - But I don't think that|they would be satisfied
00:53:48:16 - 00:53:50:00 - unless we just|announced one day
00:53:50:00 - 00:53:52:16 - that we're abandoning|this operation,
00:53:52:16 - 00:53:54:13 - and we're just not|going to do that.
00:53:56:23 - 00:53:58:10 - We need electricity|for our cities.
00:53:58:10 - 00:54:00:15 - But look, that stuff doesn't|come from magical sources.
00:54:00:15 - 00:54:02:13 - It comes from mining,|it comes from oil and gas,
00:54:02:13 - 00:54:04:09 - it comes from drilling|and that sort of thing.
00:54:04:09 - 00:54:06:22 - The mining that we do out|here is heavily regulated.
00:54:06:22 - 00:54:08:21 - We're the safest,|we're the healthiest,
00:54:08:21 - 00:54:10:01 - we do it the right way.
00:54:10:01 - 00:54:11:05 - We protect the environment.
00:54:14:16 - 00:54:16:12 - I just really don't think|that there is any chance
00:54:16:12 - 00:54:18:16 - that we're going to have any|impact to the Grand Canyon
00:54:18:16 - 00:54:20:00 - through our operations here.
00:54:31:07 - 00:54:34:07 - -There's been interest|in mining in and around
00:54:34:07 - 00:54:37:11 - the Grand Canyon pretty much|from the very beginning.
00:54:37:11 - 00:54:38:20 - This is one of the best places
00:54:38:20 - 00:54:42:01 - to find uranium ore|in the world.
00:54:45:15 - 00:54:48:20 - -During the 50's,|60's and 70's especially,
00:54:48:20 - 00:54:52:18 - a company would come in,|sink shafts, mine ore,
00:54:52:18 - 00:54:55:08 - and when they figured out|that the economic potential
00:54:55:08 - 00:54:58:09 - wasn't there or the commodity|prices of uranium,
00:54:58:09 - 00:55:00:21 - for example, had gone down,|they'd just leave.
00:55:06:22 - 00:55:09:14 - -Horn Creek comes|off the South Rim.
00:55:09:14 - 00:55:12:01 - Then you walk by it and|it's this very humble,
00:55:12:01 - 00:55:13:20 - perfectly clear creek,
00:55:13:20 - 00:55:16:06 - and it's the most obvious|spot to get water.
00:55:16:06 - 00:55:19:11 - But it sits below|a defunct uranium mine.
00:55:21:08 - 00:55:23:04 - You shouldn't drink|at Horn Creek.
00:55:23:04 - 00:55:25:17 - You're advised not to, because|the water's too contaminated.
00:55:26:13 - 00:55:28:12 - -To be moving through|the heart of
00:55:28:12 - 00:55:30:09 - the crown jewel of America's|national park system
00:55:30:09 - 00:55:32:13 - and you arrive at a spring|that you can't drink from
00:55:32:13 - 00:55:34:24 - because it's got uranium in it,
00:55:34:24 - 00:55:39:17 - it's radioactive,|that is bizarre.
00:55:43:15 - 00:55:48:21 - And that is also a reminder|of how incredibly
00:55:48:21 - 00:55:51:15 - interconnected this|entire landscape is.
00:56:02:08 - 00:56:06:07 - -Water slopes into drainages|that feed into the Canyon,
00:56:06:07 - 00:56:08:05 - which feed into|the Colorado River,
00:56:08:05 - 00:56:10:03 - which flows right|into Lake Mead,
00:56:10:03 - 00:56:13:22 - which provides drinking water to|40 million Americans, right?
00:56:20:05 - 00:56:22:20 - -Everything that happens|on the rim of Grand Canyon
00:56:22:20 - 00:56:28:04 - profoundly affects what happens|inside of Grand Canyon.
00:56:28:04 - 00:56:32:11 - That will have a profound|effect on that matrix of life.
00:56:34:22 - 00:56:36:24 - Those consequences are enormous.
00:57:12:20 - 00:57:15:23 - -That's a nice view.
00:57:15:23 - 00:57:17:24 - Suddenly we're in|western Grand Canyon.
00:57:22:12 - 00:57:25:03 - It's remarkably silent,
00:57:25:03 - 00:57:29:01 - a silence and nothing|but the sound of your feet
00:57:29:01 - 00:57:31:16 - for hours at a time.
00:57:31:16 - 00:57:33:25 - It's a real luxury on|many levels.
00:57:43:17 - 00:57:45:02 - Pretty amazing.
00:58:01:11 - 00:58:02:23 - You're making me nervous.
00:58:05:03 - 00:58:07:08 - -Yeah, well it's|pretty remarkable.
00:58:07:08 - 00:58:10:17 - I mean, okay,|where we're looking at,
00:58:10:17 - 00:58:13:12 - that's all been--|Jesus!
00:58:17:08 - 00:58:18:14 - -Can you step back|from the edge?
00:58:18:14 - 00:58:21:12 - It's only 3,000 feet|to the river.
00:58:23:07 - 00:58:25:16 - This is maybe about the|biggest drop we've seen.
00:58:28:05 - 00:58:29:24 - What's your favorite layer?
00:58:29:24 - 00:58:31:01 - -What's my favorite?
00:58:31:01 - 00:58:36:14 - Um, I think I like|the Bright Angel Shale
00:58:36:14 - 00:58:38:06 - best for the name.
00:58:38:06 - 00:58:40:01 - The Redwall for the color.
00:58:42:06 - 00:58:48:04 - The Coconino for the|cross-bedded texturization.
00:58:48:04 - 00:58:50:12 - Kaibab, because it's on top.
00:58:51:10 - 00:58:53:02 - [snoring]
00:58:53:17 - 00:59:01:13 - [laughs]
00:59:01:13 - 00:59:05:21 - -I would love to have Kevin's|humility and selflessness.
00:59:05:21 - 00:59:08:12 - -I'm going to slowly work|my way over there, alright?
00:59:08:12 - 00:59:11:18 - -He will put himself last in|pretty much every situation.
00:59:11:18 - 00:59:14:06 - He's like the rudder.
00:59:14:06 - 00:59:17:11 - And yeah, the rudder may be|at the back of the boat,
00:59:17:11 - 00:59:19:10 - but the rudder keeps you going.
00:59:19:10 - 00:59:20:21 - -I think the best way|to think of me
00:59:20:21 - 00:59:24:03 - is kind of as the tin can|tied to the back bumper
00:59:24:03 - 00:59:27:18 - of the Pete McBride|express train.
00:59:27:18 - 00:59:29:08 - I mean, you could go|up high here,
00:59:29:08 - 00:59:31:17 - unless you want to go under,|you could crawl under that.
00:59:43:06 - 00:59:45:07 - -You through?
00:59:45:07 - 00:59:48:00 - -Probably the thing|about Pete that I find
00:59:48:00 - 00:59:49:22 - most challenging to deal with
00:59:49:22 - 00:59:53:11 - is his tendency to|just undersell difficulty.
00:59:53:11 - 00:59:56:09 - -Back in here, all|the way around here,
00:59:56:09 - 00:59:58:11 - all the way up here,|out that.
00:59:58:11 - 01:00:00:13 - -He'll say, like, "Oh yeah,|and we just cruise around
01:00:00:13 - 01:00:02:08 - "this and then we'll head|around to this other point
01:00:02:08 - 01:00:04:12 - "and no problem, and then|maybe we'll get up there."
01:00:04:12 - 01:00:07:18 - And I'll look at|the map and be like,
01:00:07:18 - 01:00:10:24 - are you fucking kidding me?
01:00:10:24 - 01:00:13:13 - We are moving through a|really hostile environment
01:00:13:13 - 01:00:16:17 - with really severe consequences|if you make mistakes
01:00:16:17 - 01:00:18:19 - and you are completely|and utterly dependent upon
01:00:18:19 - 01:00:20:25 - and must trust the|person you are with.
01:00:20:25 - 01:00:23:14 - -Nah, not that one!
01:00:23:14 - 01:00:26:19 - No, no, no, no, no!
01:00:30:07 - 01:00:32:04 - -Much bigger on my side.
01:00:34:20 - 01:00:37:11 - Did it look good?
01:00:37:11 - 01:00:39:04 - -You can keep coming.
01:00:39:04 - 01:00:42:03 - Oh, jeez.
01:00:42:03 - 01:00:44:10 - I didn't see that.
01:00:44:10 - 01:00:46:01 - -He's worried about me|because he knows
01:00:46:01 - 01:00:48:02 - that I'm always|in my cameras,
01:00:48:02 - 01:00:49:17 - but I'm desperately|worried about him
01:00:49:17 - 01:00:50:16 - because I feel like
01:00:50:16 - 01:00:53:03 - he could walk into|a stop sign by accident.
01:00:53:03 - 01:00:55:16 - He has the potential to|be a disaster at times.
01:00:55:16 - 01:00:57:17 - -Okay, I got to...
01:00:57:17 - 01:01:00:10 - -Dude, dude, you|just dropped shit.
01:01:00:10 - 01:01:02:02 - -That's so out of|my comfort zone.
01:01:02:02 - 01:01:04:24 - I need a passport to get back|to my friggin' comfort zone.
01:01:04:24 - 01:01:07:22 - -Would you come down please?
01:01:07:22 - 01:01:10:02 - -But friendship really|carries us through.
01:01:11:18 - 01:01:13:23 - And it may be an odd|couple friendship,
01:01:16:04 - 01:01:20:01 - but it's, uh,|it's a good one.
01:01:23:15 - 01:01:26:11 - Alright, now what's your|opinion of the hiking?
01:01:26:11 - 01:01:28:15 - -If I was, like,|spiritually aware,
01:01:29:09 - 01:01:34:18 - right now I'd be doing|yoga or meditation
01:01:34:18 - 01:01:39:21 - or um, I don't know, maybe|I'd be writing something,
01:01:39:21 - 01:01:41:06 - you know, profound.
01:01:44:22 - 01:01:48:10 - If I was the spiritually|aware kind of dude that
01:01:48:10 - 01:01:51:09 - the girlfriend who dumped|me after the first phase
01:01:51:09 - 01:01:53:23 - of this hike really wanted,
01:01:53:23 - 01:01:55:16 - that's what I'd be|doing right now.
01:01:55:16 - 01:01:58:18 - That's what the boyfriend|that she wants to be with--
01:02:00:13 - 01:02:02:02 - -What does this have to do|with anything right now?
01:02:02:02 - 01:02:04:20 - -I don't know.
01:02:04:20 - 01:02:06:22 - You can delete this|part of the tape.
01:02:14:12 - 01:02:18:09 - -Kev and I, we can smell|the barn on some level.
01:02:20:25 - 01:02:23:25 - It's late March and we know|Spring's starting to happen
01:02:23:25 - 01:02:26:04 - and we're getting very close,
01:02:26:04 - 01:02:28:12 - but we were moving slower|than we anticipate,
01:02:28:12 - 01:02:30:19 - and we're not moving efficiently.
01:02:42:19 - 01:02:44:22 - -I fell into a barrel cactus
01:02:44:22 - 01:02:47:09 - and I now I got all these|weird lumps on my arm.
01:02:47:09 - 01:02:48:14 - Eh.
01:02:48:14 - 01:02:49:11 - -Okay.
01:02:49:11 - 01:02:51:24 - -Okay, let's put|the camera away.
01:02:51:24 - 01:02:56:22 - I will say that my thumb|feels somewhat numb.
01:02:56:22 - 01:02:58:13 - -Alright, well just|hold it up like that.
01:02:58:13 - 01:03:01:19 - -Like this? Okay.
01:03:01:19 - 01:03:03:03 - -Alright, let me clean it up.
01:03:06:09 - 01:03:10:17 - We're getting out to|that edge of safety,
01:03:10:17 - 01:03:15:11 - and I just had this gut feeling|that something would go
01:03:15:11 - 01:03:17:19 - horribly wrong if I pushed.
01:03:26:07 - 01:03:31:18 - So our 57th day on|the trail or whatever.
01:03:31:18 - 01:03:36:01 - Kevin turned his arm into|a bleeding, stuck mess.
01:03:36:01 - 01:03:38:07 - -Kind of healing well,|don't you think?
01:03:38:07 - 01:03:39:08 - -Yeah, I think--
01:03:39:08 - 01:03:41:07 - -Don't say no, because we're|out here in the middle of
01:03:41:07 - 01:03:44:07 - nowhere and not healing|would be not good.
01:03:50:13 - 01:03:53:20 - Grand Canyon is|winning right now.
01:04:02:16 - 01:04:05:13 - I'm trying to get|a drink of water.
01:04:05:13 - 01:04:07:19 - -What's up with your bottles?
01:04:07:19 - 01:04:09:18 - -They're pretty empty.
01:04:09:18 - 01:04:10:22 - -This is the best we can do?
01:04:10:22 - 01:04:12:15 - -Yep, for now.
01:04:31:12 - 01:04:34:10 - -We're climbing a completely|inconsequential pass
01:04:34:10 - 01:04:35:25 - that I don't even|think has a name.
01:04:38:08 - 01:04:42:11 - So Kev and I are going to|name it The Demoralizer.
01:04:45:15 - 01:04:47:20 - Unless you got another|name for it you like.
01:04:50:18 - 01:04:55:02 - -No, that sounds quite|appropriate right now.
01:04:57:22 - 01:05:00:13 - -What do you say?
01:05:00:13 - 01:05:02:03 - -Dude, I don't know what to say.
01:05:02:03 - 01:05:06:07 - Woo woo, Grand Canyon.
01:05:06:07 - 01:05:13:05 - Sublime, Obi-Wan Kenobi style,|jujitsu wilderness.
01:05:13:05 - 01:05:13:24 - Hooha.
01:05:13:24 - 01:05:18:01 - I'm like fuck that,|fuck that, this just blows.
01:05:19:22 - 01:05:21:16 - Oh, man.
01:05:30:16 - 01:05:31:14 - -Alright.
01:05:31:14 - 01:05:33:04 - Look where we've come from.
01:05:33:04 - 01:05:34:10 - -Yeah, look where|we've come from.
01:05:34:10 - 01:05:35:17 - Fuckin' nowhere.
01:05:56:21 - 01:05:57:23 - -You okay?|-Yeah.
01:05:57:23 - 01:05:59:02 - -I thought you fell.
01:05:59:02 - 01:05:59:23 - -No.
01:05:59:23 - 01:06:01:12 - -Scared the hell out of me.
01:06:08:12 - 01:06:11:15 - Little jumping cactus|is jumping all over me.
01:06:13:18 - 01:06:15:02 - Eh.
01:06:20:09 - 01:06:22:13 - Oh God.
01:06:26:15 - 01:06:28:23 - -As we move across the land,
01:06:28:23 - 01:06:31:15 - the noise changes according|to the terrain.
01:06:32:16 - 01:06:38:04 - A soft crunch as we move|across dirt of all kinds.
01:06:38:04 - 01:06:45:01 - Red and brown, black and|pink, orange and tan.
01:06:50:05 - 01:06:58:01 - And we move through it|across the hours and days,
01:06:58:01 - 01:07:00:10 - the dirt bleeds into us,
01:07:00:10 - 01:07:04:11 - works its way into the cracks|of our fingernails,
01:07:04:11 - 01:07:06:12 - the lines at the edges|of our eyes.
01:07:09:09 - 01:07:13:04 - And deeper than that,|it works its way
01:07:13:04 - 01:07:17:21 - into our veins, and|perhaps even it reaches
01:07:17:21 - 01:07:19:11 - the chambers of our hearts.
01:07:24:19 - 01:07:27:08 - All of it, dirt, dust,
01:07:27:08 - 01:07:30:15 - the stuff that makes up|the Canyon itself
01:07:30:15 - 01:07:33:20 - becomes part of us, and|we become part of it.
01:08:08:03 - 01:08:11:05 - -This place is bananas!
01:08:13:21 - 01:08:16:01 - -I can't believe|you guys found us.
01:08:18:05 - 01:08:20:16 - Isn't it good to see that|big smile on Kev's face?
01:08:20:16 - 01:08:22:16 - [laughter]
01:08:22:16 - 01:08:24:04 - Please tell me you|brought chocolate.
01:08:46:12 - 01:08:47:20 - -Everything you got, man.
01:08:47:20 - 01:08:49:14 - -It's tight further.
01:08:50:18 - 01:08:51:23 - Nice, Kev.
01:09:00:04 - 01:09:03:10 - -You started with us and|watched us detonate,
01:09:03:10 - 01:09:05:20 - now you're back out|here with us.
01:09:05:20 - 01:09:08:06 - What the hell|are you thinking?
01:09:08:06 - 01:09:10:03 - -I'm pretty proud to have|a chance to finish
01:09:10:03 - 01:09:11:15 - with you guys, actually.
01:09:13:10 - 01:09:14:14 - -I don't think Kev|and I would be here
01:09:14:14 - 01:09:15:22 - if it weren't for you.
01:09:41:17 - 01:09:43:10 - How you feeling?
01:09:43:10 - 01:09:48:13 - -I'm feeling a little beat up|but better than last night.
01:09:48:13 - 01:09:50:18 - -First flight.
01:09:50:18 - 01:09:53:07 - -Jesus.
01:09:53:07 - 01:09:54:11 - -Here they come.
01:09:56:12 - 01:09:57:22 - -Here it starts.
01:10:47:07 - 01:10:50:10 - -I wanted to experience|walking through Heli Alley
01:10:50:10 - 01:10:53:08 - because this is the issue|which on many levels
01:10:53:08 - 01:10:54:24 - is driving a lot|of the other issues.
01:10:54:24 - 01:10:56:23 - It's the economic engine|that's creating
01:10:56:23 - 01:10:59:11 - development pockets|around the park.
01:11:01:03 - 01:11:02:20 - It became the most crowded,
01:11:02:20 - 01:11:06:10 - populated helicopter landing|area in the world in a decade.
01:11:10:01 - 01:11:11:01 - There's a lot of|money being made,
01:11:11:01 - 01:11:13:08 - and that's where|it's complicated.
01:11:16:09 - 01:11:18:11 - All these different|Native American tribes
01:11:18:11 - 01:11:20:19 - are seeing visitors|unloading their wallets.
01:11:20:19 - 01:11:21:19 - Why are they not making money?
01:11:21:19 - 01:11:23:12 - I get it.
01:11:23:12 - 01:11:26:04 - And I'm no one to be|telling someone not to fly,
01:11:26:04 - 01:11:28:03 - coming from a family of pilots.
01:11:30:02 - 01:11:32:22 - It's just, how do|we find a balance?
01:11:57:04 - 01:11:59:10 - Walking with me,
01:11:59:10 - 01:12:02:12 - what a remarkable ongoing|sound of helicopters.
01:12:03:19 - 01:12:05:15 - Well over two hundred.
01:12:08:20 - 01:12:10:22 - Walked right past|a bunch of them.
01:12:19:01 - 01:12:24:10 - In 8 hours,|I counted 363 helicopters,
01:12:24:10 - 01:12:27:21 - and that was just an|average Tuesday.
01:12:27:21 - 01:12:31:08 - This happens 7 days|a week, all year long.
01:12:36:15 - 01:12:39:19 - -It's been just a constant|presence throughout the day.
01:12:39:19 - 01:12:44:16 - It's added a feeling of|intensity and intrusion
01:12:44:16 - 01:12:50:01 - to the landscape, and robbed it|of the signature quality,
01:12:50:01 - 01:12:51:12 - one of the two|signature qualities,
01:12:51:12 - 01:12:53:18 - rock being one but silence|being the other.
01:13:56:21 - 01:13:58:09 - -Hello, bush.
01:14:29:01 - 01:14:30:13 - Wow.
01:14:42:17 - 01:14:43:16 - Alright.
01:14:43:16 - 01:14:45:05 - The end of the trail.
01:14:45:05 - 01:14:49:12 - Not a single complaint|hiking with you.
01:14:50:18 - 01:14:52:23 - -I thought there were a few|moments on the Esplanade
01:14:52:23 - 01:14:54:17 - that you were ready|to get rid of me.
01:14:56:07 - 01:14:57:23 - -There's been probably a few
01:14:57:23 - 01:14:58:25 - you've wanted to|get rid of me,
01:14:58:25 - 01:15:01:25 - but I don't even|remember 'em now.
01:15:01:25 - 01:15:03:01 - -Yeah.
01:15:03:01 - 01:15:06:15 - No, it's been an|amazing adventure.
01:15:06:15 - 01:15:07:14 - -Start running.
01:15:07:14 - 01:15:08:05 - -Well no, we're gonna|to do this together.
01:15:08:05 - 01:15:10:06 - -I'm going to get--|you got a lead on me.
01:15:10:06 - 01:15:11:00 - -Okay.
01:15:11:19 - 01:15:12:18 - Let's go.
01:15:12:18 - 01:15:15:04 - -No, we're doing this together.
01:15:15:04 - 01:15:17:11 - Step over the imaginary line.
01:15:17:11 - 01:15:18:10 - Alright.
01:15:20:00 - 01:15:21:14 - -Ready to do this?
01:15:21:14 - 01:15:22:13 - -Yeah, you?|End of the park.
01:15:22:13 - 01:15:24:13 - -End of the park.
01:15:24:13 - 01:15:25:10 - We go.
01:15:25:10 - 01:15:26:16 - Boom!
01:15:26:16 - 01:15:28:05 - -Alright!
01:15:28:05 - 01:15:30:17 - I'm in the park,|I'm not in the park.
01:15:30:17 - 01:15:33:08 - I'm in the park,|I'm not in the park.
01:15:33:08 - 01:15:34:09 - -Nice work guys.
01:15:34:09 - 01:15:35:04 - Congrats.
01:15:36:04 - 01:15:37:22 - -It's awesome!
01:15:37:22 - 01:15:39:24 - Whoo hoo hoo!
01:15:54:19 - 01:15:57:01 - -I completely|underestimated you guys.
01:15:57:01 - 01:16:02:14 - I mean, you and Kev just|absolutely had to be
01:16:02:14 - 01:16:08:14 - committed for...
01:16:08:14 - 01:16:12:17 - [all laughing]
01:16:12:17 - 01:16:13:19 - I'm low on water.
01:16:13:19 - 01:16:16:24 - So I guess I|gotta stop this shit.
01:16:39:10 - 01:16:41:13 - -We are in Wind Rock, Arizona,
01:16:41:13 - 01:16:43:21 - in front of the Council|chambers today
01:16:43:21 - 01:16:47:04 - for a special session of|the Navajo Nation Council,
01:16:47:04 - 01:16:50:09 - which was called to|expressly address
01:16:50:09 - 01:16:52:03 - the Escalade legislation.
01:16:52:03 - 01:16:56:04 - So we hope to be heard|and hopefully we'll get on.
01:16:57:18 - 01:17:04:11 - -Again, here we are in front|of the Navajo Nation Council.
01:17:04:11 - 01:17:06:23 - -If you look back at the|revenue share you'll see
01:17:06:23 - 01:17:11:23 - that there are sales|taxes, hotel taxes.
01:17:11:23 - 01:17:15:19 - That's what the nation|will be receiving.
01:17:15:19 - 01:17:18:06 - As the number of visitors go up
01:17:18:06 - 01:17:20:10 - your share of|the revenue goes up.
01:17:21:15 - 01:17:26:01 - -I don't know, businesses,|if they say "Oh, by the way,
01:17:26:01 - 01:17:28:15 - "we don't want to pay taxes."
01:17:28:15 - 01:17:31:08 - -I'm wondering about your|comments saying that
01:17:31:08 - 01:17:34:08 - it's job creation,|but actually it would be
01:17:34:08 - 01:17:36:24 - the Navajo Nation to be|fronting the whole bill.
01:17:36:24 - 01:17:37:17 - -Thank you.
01:17:40:03 - 01:17:41:06 - -Thank you.
01:17:48:21 - 01:17:49:25 - -Thank you.
01:18:07:21 - 01:18:09:22 - Going once, going twice,|going three times.
01:18:09:22 - 01:18:10:20 - Votes in.
01:18:21:12 - 01:18:24:05 - -No more Escalade.
01:18:34:06 - 01:18:37:08 - Navajo Nation Council|said, "No Escalade."
01:18:38:22 - 01:18:41:06 - -Yes, yes, yes.
01:18:41:06 - 01:18:42:23 - They listened to us.
01:18:42:23 - 01:18:45:03 - I'm going to go home|and sleep for two days.
01:18:45:03 - 01:18:50:17 - Whoo!
01:18:58:06 - 01:19:02:12 - -The Canyon is a|roofless cathedral,
01:19:02:12 - 01:19:07:01 - and like all holy places,
01:19:07:01 - 01:19:12:10 - invites people to|think, reflect,
01:19:12:10 - 01:19:19:19 - and I think above all to|move towards and embrace
01:19:19:19 - 01:19:21:01 - an element of humility.
01:19:24:06 - 01:19:27:21 - It invites us to reframe|our perspective of
01:19:27:21 - 01:19:32:20 - where we stand and forces us|to conclude that in the end,
01:19:32:20 - 01:19:35:13 - we are not large,|we are not important,
01:19:35:13 - 01:19:37:16 - we do not matter.
01:19:37:16 - 01:19:39:05 - And we so need that.
01:19:41:04 - 01:19:43:05 - -I went in to try to|understand the place,
01:19:44:19 - 01:19:47:01 - and I'm still trying|to understand it.
01:19:49:15 - 01:19:52:19 - I think it changed me.
01:19:52:19 - 01:19:54:09 - Maybe I walked out of|there with a little
01:19:54:09 - 01:19:59:13 - jar of silence|and simplicity.
01:19:59:13 - 01:20:01:18 - It reminded me why|it's important that a place
01:20:01:18 - 01:20:05:09 - like this exists,|and that's, I think,
01:20:05:09 - 01:20:07:13 - the question with any|national park.
01:20:07:13 - 01:20:08:15 - Do we want them to be
01:20:08:15 - 01:20:11:00 - these coddled landscapes|of amusement,
01:20:11:00 - 01:20:12:16 - or do we want them to|be experiential
01:20:12:16 - 01:20:14:24 - where you might actually|shed some layers
01:20:14:24 - 01:20:17:10 - and be reminded of what's|important in your world.
01:20:19:10 - 01:20:22:18 - If we can't protect Grand|Canyon as a national park,
01:20:22:18 - 01:20:24:12 - then what can we protect?
