I had to come back here, I decided, cut loose from the car and dive into the magnificent wilderness.

It is a busy time, with people saying farewell to our crew and others who have shared the intensity of being in a magnificent white wilderness.

Explore sweeping, magnificent wilderness filled with antelope and zebra on foot, by bike or on horseback.

After cross-checking measurements of what Mr. Washburn described as "this magnificent but desiccated and vertiginous wilderness," the team produced a map of the Inner Canyon in 1974 and then a map of the center of the Grand Canyon in 1978.

As dusk envelops us and the extraordinary night sky fills with stars, we find ourselves contemplating the impact homo sapiens is having on this magnificent wilderness.

If you're willing to join a tour group, or pay and plan your own trip, then a country of charm, political intrigue and magnificent wilderness awaits.