Pearce Ferry Primitive Airstrip on Grapeview Mesa

in photography •  7 years ago  (edited)

Pearce Ferry Airstrip sits at the tip of the Grapevine Mesa overlooking the Colorado River where it exists the Grand Canyon National Park. To the left of the image is Wheeler Ridge and the Cockscomb Mountains while on the right lay the Grand Wash Cliffs and Nevershire Mountain.

This is what is known as a primitive strip, meaning it is made from dirt and chert or gravel. Notice it has 2 runways? This is so that you can take off and land into the prevailing wind which is usually coming from the west or southwest.

Pearce Ferry which is down below the airport on the southern bank of the Colorado River, located in the middle right of this image, is where the explorer John Wesley Powell stopped after exploring the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.   

In 1876, a family by the name of Pearce operated a ferry service across the river. This is way before the dams and bridges were built over Colorado River, and it became an important crossing place for travelers. 

I camp at Pearce Ferry airstrip when I am exploring and filming the wilderness areas around the north and western end of the Grand Canyon area. This is an image of me filming at a campsite I have landed and set up right on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Colorado River.

This image is from my ongoing project in which I am trying to raise awareness of the 47% of the USA and 90% of Canada that remain unpopulated wilderness.  

Where Eagles Fly - The American Wilderness Expedition is my personal mission to introduce people to these amazing locations that surround us.  

If you like what you see here upvote then resteemit so that others may experience these wondrous places as well. And if you'd like these images to be part of your feed then follow me. 

Yehaw!!   

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Great pictures, the twilight is amazing!

Great!

Beautiful shot, I don't get how you managed to get such a light...

Thanks, by flying to the scene... light translates or illuminates differently at altitude and also as I am flying I can adjust trajectory to accommodate the scene as it develops. So I seek out the best possible position.

Very good

Amazing, wonderfully amazing!!! I upvoted.

ohh wao fantastic place!!

Beautiful area. Pretty isolated. Do you get any visitors (four-legged kinds) when you are camping remotely?

It is a very cool area and yes I do get an assortment of curious critter visitors

Absolutely enjoy each post! Always informational and such extraordinary views!

Awesome! I am glad you enjoy these posts, I certainly enjoy flying, exploring and shooting the images and then the research is always so rewarding! Thanks for your support!

Reminds me of one of my all-time favorite books, The Monkey Wrench gang by Edward Abbey. Have you read anything from him?

Wow!! Very cool that this reminds you of that! Of course I know of it... I have also been a long time fan of R. Crumb, all the way back to his illustrations in the early 70's! I am rather old LOL!!

Lovely colors <3

Love your areal shots! HQ, crisp, amazing colors and landscape.

From that far above it seems it is really hard to make that landing on such a tiny strip.

Actually it is not hard at all once you learn how to do it. It is simply a matter of power control and concentration and then good eye to hand coordination along with the ability to "dance" through the landing LOL!

Does sound very easy indeed lol I bet you remember your first landing on your own very well :)