Rock Bolts and High Scaling

Navajo sandstone splits along vertical seams, and a dam wedged into it must be held together. Rock bolts do that work, driven forty-five to seventy-five feet into the canyon walls to lock slabs of stone against falling into the gorge. The crews who install and inspect them once called themselves high scalers, dangling on ropes against the cliff face; their successors are trained rope-access technicians who still hang above the river to check the bolts, mesh the walls, and inspect the dam's abutments.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Antelope Canyon — 8.0 mi
  Tsé bighánílíní — where the water runs through the rock

More markers nearby

• Hydroelectric Power — steps away
• Colorado River Storage Project — steps away
• Dinosaur Tracks — steps away
• Glen Canyon Bridge — steps away