8/2/12 - Waimea Canyon - the Grand Canyon of the Pacific

Absolutely the most stunning view. The colors are amazing, and change with the light. It's almost impossible to get a grasp of the scale until you see a helicopter fly through, looking like a tiny gnat. Make that a tiny baby gnat...

Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles (16 km) long and up to 3,000 feet (900 m) deep, located on the western side of Kauaʻi in the Hawaiian Islands of the United States. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water", a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil. The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waiʻaleʻale, among the wettest places on earth.

The earth is so red, it is what you imagine Mars would look like. The soil is packed hard, but crumbles away easily. The top layer is very pillish, yet powdery. Somewhat like powdered Ovaltine, and if you've ever made it, you know what I mean.