The A! True Arizona Stories: The Hydes - Part 2

by Crystal Coons
Mar 26, 2003

<< Part 1

Let us first go over the facts. Glen and Bessie set out to do this trip in the shortest amount of time documented to date, and make Bessie the first woman to ever complete the journey. After traveling for a month straight, alone for the most part, and with nothing to look at other than the canyon walls, and sky, Glen and Bessie went missing. No one really knows what happened to them, but many a theory has been made. Let's take a look into a few of them.

Theory One
This is probably the more gruesome yet interesting theory that has come to my attention. This theory suggests that Glen Hyde was a brute of a husband, and a bully. After being in the Canyon for so long under extreme conditions, it is thought that it made him cold inside, and caused him to act roughly towards his wife and trip-companion. It is guessed that one day, Glen went too far. After getting into a horrible argument around the time of their disappearance, Bessie finally had enough of being down in the Canyon and dealing with her bully husband, and she snapped. Some believe that Bessie murdered Glen, and then hiked out of the canyon, to start a new life without him. This theory is countered by testimonials of the family and friends of Glen Hyde, stating that in no way could he have ever been a bully or a brute, especially to someone that he loved such a great deal.

Theory Two
The more likely of the two theories is this one. This theory is that Glen and Bessie died accidentally in the Colorado River

Colorado River	(col-o-RA'D-o RI'-ve'r)
The river, which over millions of years of erosion, formed the Grand Canyon.

. It is said that Mile 232 rapid wasn't very well-known and wasn't charted back in 1928. Mile 232 is known as being one of the most brutal areas of the river. Having built their boat at their home, and not having the proper equipment, getting into trouble at this particular area would have been twice as difficult to them versus someone who had come prepared. Romantics speculate that Bessie fell in, while going through the rapids, and Glen reached in to rescue her, and, tragically, he too fell into the waters.

Theory Three
This theory is really popular with romantics. it is believed that Glen and Bessie wanted to leave their dull lives as farmers back in Idaho and start new and exciting lives out west, with new identities. Speculations are that they hiked out of the Canyon themselves, together, and went off to start a new and exciting life.

Part 3 >>