“Men come and go, cities rise and fall, whole civilizations appear and disappear?the earth remains, slightly modified. The earth remains, and the heartbreaking beauty where there are no hearts to break . . . .” ?Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness

Solitary but never alone, even when the closest soul is miles away, is the life of the American cowboy. High plains drifters, ranchers and even presidents have been mesmerized by this magical place, held sacred for centuries by local tribes. The heat of the day’s sun and the hint of an arid breeze are palpable.

The Kaibab Plateau, bordered on the south by the Grand Canyon, juts to a height of 9,200 feet at its highest point. It is a landscape that ranges from bone dry limestone to Ponderosa Pine forests, a wild, untamed country that drew such legendary characters as Buffalo Bill and Teddy Roosevelt.