How Was the Grand Canyon Formed? A Catastrophic Lake Spillover Model
Nate Loper - April 29, 2026 If you read most park signs, you'll find the formation of the Grand Canyon is often treated as a simple question of slow erosion and time. A river cut downward over 5.5 to 6 million years and produced the canyon we see today. At first glance that might seem reasonable. But the more closely the landscape is examined, the more that simple explanation begins to fall short. And interestingly, that explanation is losing favor among many geologists today. You see, the canyon is not
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Stephen Crotts
Tom Vail - April 23, 2026 Rev. Stephen Crotts, one day shy of his 75th birthday, recently went to be with the One he loved and served for more than 50 years. After becoming a Christian, I sat under his teaching and mentorship for many years. He tied the knot for Paula and me in 1995, and the following year he took his first of several river trips through the Grand Canyon. About halfway through that first trip, we were sitting one evening overlooking the river when he said,
An Evening with Geologist Dr. Steve Austin
Nate Loper - April 17, 2026 Having Steve here this last time, in the middle of that ongoing work, brought a unique perspective. Not because he handed us answers, but because he has spent decades asking the same kinds of questions in other places. We had one of those evenings you wish you could bottle up and revisit later again and again. Out here in northern Arizona, where the land itself invites questions, our team recently had the chance to gather with geologist Dr. Steve Austin and others who were