1984 Bike Tour: Day 57 ? Camping on the edge at the Grand Canyon

Although I had visited the Grand Canyon a couple of times before, I never really appreciated in a personal way how it was formed until I rode there on my bicycle.
All the books (well, the scientific ones) say that eons ago, a plateau rose up in this area while a river cut through the rock. I always understood the erosion part, but I didn't get the rising plateau part until I realized I was climbing a big hill to get to the canyon.
After leaving Tuba City this morning, we passed the edge of the Painted Desert (above), an area whose colors change through the day. Because of the clear air and lack of reference points such as buildings, it's impossible to guess at the distances to the hills and ridges...
Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/07/08/1984-bike-tour-day-57-camping-on-the-edge-at-the-grand-canyon/