“ THE GRAND CANYON “ (1968) EDUCATIONAL / TRAVEL FILM WITH BILL OWEN ARIZONA NATIONAL PARK XD30512

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website “The Grand Canyon” (1968) is a color travel film made for ABC News and Public Affairs popular series Discovery ‘68. Produced with cooperation of the National Park Service and in consultation with the National Educational Association, this film follows host Bill Owen as he traverses the Grand Canyon on the back of a mule. Along the journey, Owen points out various trails and wildlife while offering historical and geological anecdotes about the Grand Canyon. Opening credits, ABC logo (0:06). View from rocky ledge looking into valley of Grand Canyon, Bill Owen opening words before riding off with guide on back of a mule (0:18). Graphics for Discovery ‘68 program (0:52). Guides, tourists gather at ranch where mules are outfitted for trek, example of dude string and pack string mules (1:17). Shaky POV footage from atop mule, look down into depths of red, arid canyon landscape (2:03). Wide-shot of Grand Canyon, Bill Owen voice over offers facts about canyon - North Rim, Colorado River (2:14). Camera pans view from top of Bright Angel Trail; trekkers on mules seen descending along South Rim of canyon (2:34). Jacob’s Ladder along Redwall Limestone (2:54). Dust kicks up into air as pack string mules descend onto trail (3:59). Shaky POV footage from atop mule known as “long-eared taxis” along South Rim, traversing steep rock surfaces (4:09). Tonto Plateau/ Tonto Platform, Tapeats Sandstone (5:18). View of Indian Garden/ “Havasupai Gardens”, patch of green tree-tops amid arid red and beige landscape (5:22). Bill Owen speaks to audience from picnic area in Indian Garden valley, trekkers sit to lunch at picnic tables shaded by Cottonwood Trees (5:35). Inner Grand Canyon, Colorado River Gorge (6:00). Trek continues along Pipe Creek, final switchback Devil’s Corkscrew (6:24). Close-up white water peaks on Colorado River, “Place of the Roaring Sound” end of Bright Angel Trail (6:42). Group begins on River Trail, camera zooms in on Kaibab Suspension Bridge (6:58). Aerial view of trekkers on mules below, enter tunnel made out of granite leading to bridge, mules scene crossing suspension bridge (7:05). Phantom Ranch, mules and horses tired to water basins as they take a rest (7:30). Close-up shots “roaring” waters of the Colorado River flowing through canyon (7:48). Miniature figurine John Wesley Powell - famous for first known descent of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon; other tableaus made of figurines depicting exhibition (8:39). POV footage from depths of valley along rapids of Colorado River, changing rock formations, colors, textures (9:38). Footage from helicopter over Colorado River, Kaibab Suspension Bridge (11:50). Back at Phantom Ranch, Bill Owen speaks to camera next to mule of the dude string (12:32). Shots from various angles of mules on pack string winding along trails, carrying packs of supplies on backs (12:42). POV on mule’s back crossing Kaibab Suspension Bridge (13:33). Training mules: Step 1 - rancher Jay Goza seen in middle of pen packed with mules, horses - uses rope to lasso a mule and target it for training (14:05). Step 2 - Goza ties mules in training to more experienced horse, sets out for ride near ranch (16:07). Step 3 - Goza prepares rope to tie up hind foot of mule (16:20). Scenes of Goza dealing with stubborn, hard to train mules at ranch (17:30). Map of the United States of America (18:34). Diagram of canyon demonstrating geographical zones found in Grand Canyon: Hudsonian Zone, Canadian Zone, Transition Zone, Upper Sonoran Zone, Lower Sonoran Zone (18:40). Footage rock formations, vegetation, animals typifying Lower Sonoran Zone: Chuckwalla lizard, rattlesnakes; yuca, agave, cactus plants (18:52). Upper Sonoran Zone: Pinyon and Juniper trees (19:28). Transition Zone: Ponderosa Pine forests, mountain chickadee bird (19:40). Aerial view of Blue Spruce forests along North Rim (19:43). White-tailed black Kaibab Squirrel (20:26). Ebert’s squirrel of South Rim (20:35). Bill Owen closing words from airstairs of United Airlines aircraft, holds up two books on Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry, George Corey Franklin (21:19). We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
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