Exploring the Painted Desert: Retracing an Anthropologist’s Journey
The rugged beauty of the Painted Desert reveals itself as commentator Scott Thybony embarks on a journey to trace the footsteps of a 19th-century anthropologist. Amidst a landscape shaped by the wind, Thybony discovers not only the historical path but also a new approach to backcountry travel.
As sand envelops the wind-sculpted terrain on either side of the wash he follows, Thybony spots a horse trail leading up a dune. Climbing 300 feet to level ground, he seeks the route once traversed by Smithsonian anthropologist Frank Cushing in 1881. Cushing’s mission was to reach the Havasupai Indians of the Grand Canyon, spurred by tales of a canyon so deep that sunlight touched its base only at noon.
Accompanied by three Native American guides, Cushing departed from the Hopi mesas, navigating a path along the ancient Moqui Trail into the Painted Desert. He described in his journal “a wild, sublime series of terraces cut into a thousand fanciful forms by wind and rain.” Cushing’s observations were later detailed in the Atlantic Monthly magazine the following year.
Cushing noted, “Terrace after terrace, one below another, stretched out before me, melting off into misty mirages… Giant sand dunes rose from plains of blazing, dazzling white.” This vivid scene remains largely unchanged today, echoing Cushing’s descriptions of the landscape’s surreal beauty.
After retracing Cushing’s steps, Thybony reconnects with photographer Dave Edwards. With a storm looming, they navigate rocky terrain in a pickup, clearing a path through a wash. When they reach a stable spot on bedrock, they pause for a gourmet tailgate lunch. Dave, an expert in remote dining, prepares a meal featuring organic ingredients and smoked Alaska salmon, showcasing his refined approach to wilderness dining.
Winds have shaped the rock beneath them, leaving behind unique formations like sandstone tails and a yardang resembling an overturned boat. As they continue their journey, a herd of wild horses races across the dunes, a fleeting silhouette against the sky.
“Every time I come out here,” Dave remarks, “it confirms just how wild and remote it is.” Despite their isolation, civilization is only an hour’s drive away, a testament to the ever-evolving nature of wilderness exploration.
Scott Thybony is a Flagstaff-based writer. His Canyon Commentaries are produced by KNAU Arizona Public Radio and air on the last Friday of each month.
Brought to you by Grand Canyon Adventures, offering guided tours of the South Rim, Antelope Canyon and Sedona.
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