This photo illustrates the concept behind the Black Canyon's name. It's so deep sunlight struggles even under clear skies. In this photograph, floating clouds threw most of the canyon into a deep shadow while the sun peeking through the open spotlit a few areas. Here, the rays hit the two sharp peaks right in front of me and shrouded the rest of the canyon in mystery.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is located in western Colorado. The whole canyon is 48 miles long. 12 miles of the canyon are located within the national park, including the deepest and most dramatic part. The Gunnison River drops 34 feet per mile, the fifth steepest mountain descend in North America. The Colorado River drops about five times slower through the Grand Canyon. It is also the steepness, deepness, and narrowness that gives the canyon its name since the light struggles finding the way down between the canyon walls often leaving them in the dark, or black.

The Gunnison River is formed by the confluence of Taylor and East rivers at Almont in eastern Gunnison County. Just past the town of Gunnison and is the 5th largest tributary to the Colorado River in Grand Junction, Colorado.

After seeing the impassable terrain the Gunnison RIver created and flows through, it is hard to believe there once was a narrow gauge railroad passing along. It must have been quite a scenic ride. Look for Denver and Rio Grande Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Sources:

- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on Wikipedia
- Gunnison River on Wikipedia
- Narrow Gauge Railroad Through Black Canyon on nps.gov