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The Hidden Canyon: A River Journey
The Grand Canyon continues to be the most popular of our national parks. While millions gaze at its cliffs each year, only 15,000 float through the canyon on the Colorado River. A landmark portrait of the Grand Canyon, this is the only photography book to document this amazing journey from river level. Now this classic is back in print, with an updated preface and introduction and a dozen new photographs. A journal in photos and words, The Hidden Canyon captures the desert landscape and the thrill of the rapids. Edward Abbey's journalfilled with wry humor and respect for the canyondescribes the journey as the dories (small wooden boats) alternately float and charge through the breathtaking landscapes and some of the roughest white water in North America.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 13, 2013
Incredible Grand Canyon/Colorado River photography by John Blaustein. Text by Edward Abbey (with his usual irreverant humor.) Introduction by Martin Litton (owner of Grand Canyon Dories.) What's not to like? This is a perfect companion to The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Though the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko.
September 30, 2015
Quotable:
Today is a good day. John lets me row his boat… All goes well at 29 Mile, but at the riffle (Mile 30) I barely get around the exposed rock at the head of the chute and am forced to “Powell” the rest of it, stern foremost. Backwards. Like [John Wesley] Powell did it. The dory does equally well in either attitude but John is obviously shaken. “Exciting,” he says, his knuckles white, “very exciting. Give me back the oars, please.”
We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore.
[R]unning the big rapids is like sex: half the fun is in the anticipation. Two-thirds and the thrill is in the approach. The remainder in only ecstasy – or darkness.
Night and day the river flows. If time is the mind of space, the Colorado is the soul of the desert. Brave boatmen come, they go, they die, the voyage flows on forever. We are canyoneers. We are all passengers on this little living mossy ship, this delicate dory sailing round the sun that humans call the earth.
Today is a good day. John lets me row his boat… All goes well at 29 Mile, but at the riffle (Mile 30) I barely get around the exposed rock at the head of the chute and am forced to “Powell” the rest of it, stern foremost. Backwards. Like [John Wesley] Powell did it. The dory does equally well in either attitude but John is obviously shaken. “Exciting,” he says, his knuckles white, “very exciting. Give me back the oars, please.”
We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore.
[R]unning the big rapids is like sex: half the fun is in the anticipation. Two-thirds and the thrill is in the approach. The remainder in only ecstasy – or darkness.
Night and day the river flows. If time is the mind of space, the Colorado is the soul of the desert. Brave boatmen come, they go, they die, the voyage flows on forever. We are canyoneers. We are all passengers on this little living mossy ship, this delicate dory sailing round the sun that humans call the earth.
December 3, 2008
A great short read opened by the photographer and also with a short piece by a great naturalist, both of which provide some interesting tidbits about the Grand Canyon as well as a great backdrop for the journal that spans the book, written by Edward Abbey.
What worried me at first was that this had all been cobbled together to look like one project, but in actuality it would be just some way to sell something with Abbey's name on it.
Turns out all three were all together on the same boat trip through the Grand Canyon, which made me feel much better about it.
Abbey's notes and opinions, as always, were a pleasure to read.
What worried me at first was that this had all been cobbled together to look like one project, but in actuality it would be just some way to sell something with Abbey's name on it.
Turns out all three were all together on the same boat trip through the Grand Canyon, which made me feel much better about it.
Abbey's notes and opinions, as always, were a pleasure to read.
April 18, 2015
This book is an amazing combination of incredible Grand Canyon photos and a narrative of a trip down the canyon on a wooden dorey written by Edward Abbey. A beautiful book and fascinating diary of the trip!
December 19, 2016
Absolutely perfect combination of splendid photographs, Edward Abbey's wonderful writing - and a river journal format - not to mention really great preface, introduction and afterword sections by some really interesting people... what a great book.
February 6, 2018
This is a beautiful book! Stunning photos and action packed journal.
July 11, 2024
A wonderful combination of Edward Abbey's humorous and thoughtful journal and John Blaustein's magnificent photgraphs of a 2 week dory journey through the Grand Canyon. The two together capture thepure magic of this wonderful adventure (we did it in 2019) perfectly.
December 4, 2018
Fun quick read. Well balanced with photos and journal info.
November 15, 2015
To be honest, I feel guilty about setting three stars insead of four, but thinking it over carefully, I will stand by the three stars. If you enjoy white water rafting or canoeing, then you will most certainly disagree with my evaluation. In the same spirit of candor I confess that I did the standard overnight down and up trek into the canyon and have never actually been on the river itself.
The text is ok, but not great -the author is a little too flip, a little too concentrated on the river and not the canyon, a little too insensitive to his fellow passengers for my taste, even if he deftly manages to weave quotes from Powell´s diary into his own diary.
There are some great photographs, which is what pulls the book towards four stars. It may be that I read the 1977 edition in 2015 and that the plates have faded, but many seem darker or muddier than optimal, especially when greens and darker browns predominate and some simply, a very few, have no discernible pop to them.
If you plan on buying the book for the photographs, try to look at them carefully before you make your final decision.
The text is ok, but not great -the author is a little too flip, a little too concentrated on the river and not the canyon, a little too insensitive to his fellow passengers for my taste, even if he deftly manages to weave quotes from Powell´s diary into his own diary.
There are some great photographs, which is what pulls the book towards four stars. It may be that I read the 1977 edition in 2015 and that the plates have faded, but many seem darker or muddier than optimal, especially when greens and darker browns predominate and some simply, a very few, have no discernible pop to them.
If you plan on buying the book for the photographs, try to look at them carefully before you make your final decision.
June 3, 2016
I was inspired to read this after reading "The Emerald Mile". The photography is exquisite and the journal of a trip down the Colorado by Edward Abbey is excellent. I would recommend this to anyone who has taken a river trip down the Colorado, or who is interested in the Grand Canyon.
July 7, 2008
Loved this book - too bad the desert is not as pristine now...
March 22, 2016
Gorgeous photos, tantalizing text. Gives the real flavor of the river and the romance of the dories.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews