Impossible Canyons

Impossible Canyons (HM1SE4)

Location: Marble Canyon, AZ 86036 Coconino County
Buy Arizona State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 36° 48.986', W 111° 38.347'

0 likes
0 check ins
0 favorites
507 views

Check In Adopt Listing

EMAIL
PRINT
COMMENTS (0)
SAVE AS FAVORITE
LIKE IT

Inscription

Dominguez y Escalante Expedition 1776-1976

In desperate search for a crossing of the Colorado River before the wild storms of winter might further weaken their starving bodies, Fathers Dominguez and Escalante led their expedition past this point on October 26, 1776.

Five days were spent near the present site of Lee's Ferry, four miles to the east. Two young expeditionaries swam naked across the frigid river. Barefoot and cold, their bundled clothing having swept away in the struggle for their lives, the swimmers returned without exploring the impossible canyons on the other side. Another attempt to cross on a log raft failed three times in the powerful current.

With only the meat of one of their horses for sustenance, the padres finally picked their way along a treacherous route above the Paria River and through a notch in the Echo Cliffs which Escalante himself described as impassable. On November 7, the expedition jubilantly forded the river at the "Crossing of the Fathers" now under the waters of Lake Powell.

These first Europeans known to have seen this dramatic canyon country returned to Santa Fe, their point of departure, in January 1777. They had failed their objective to find and overland route to the settlement at Monterey. But their experience and detailed records expanded knowledge of the remote land on the fringes of Spanish territory known today as the Four Corners Region.

Details

HM Number	HM1SE4
Year Placed	1976
Placed By	Arizona Bicentennial Commission
Marker Condition	No reports yet
Date Added	Thursday, May 26th, 2016 at 1:01pm PDT -07:00

Pictures

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Locationbig map

UTM (WGS84 Datum)	12S E 442997 N 4074699
Decimal Degrees	36.81643333, -111.63911667
Degrees and Decimal Minutes	N 36° 48.986', W 111° 38.347'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds	36° 48' 59.16" N, 111° 38' 20.82" W
Driving Directions	Google Maps
Area Code(s)	928
Which side of the road?	Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal Address	At or near US-89A, Marble Canyon AZ 86036, US
Alternative Maps	Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap