noon
In the west , across the purple notches of the abyss , a dull gold flare showed where the sun had gone down . In the morning at eight o'clock there were great irregular black shadows under the domes and peaks and escarpments . Bright Angel Canyon was all dark , showing dimly its ragged lines . At noon there were no shadows and all the colossal gorge lay glaring under the sun . In the evening Carley watched the Canyon as again the sun was setting . Deep dark-blue shadows , like purple sails of immense ships , in wonderful contrast with the bright sunlit slopes , grew and rose toward the east , down the canyons and up the walls that faced the west . For a long while there was no red color , and the first indication of it was a dull bronze .