This is the first of a five-part series on the origin of Grand Canyon. It will address numerous uniformitarian problems. Despite nearly 150 years of study, uniformitarian scientists remain mystified as to its origin. Part of their difficulty stems from the necessity of explaining both the canyon and its geological context within the surrounding Colorado Plateau. Data gathered at present do not support any uniformitarian hypothesis. The three most credible uniformitarian hypotheses all can be shown to create intractable problems. These are: (1) the old antecedent stream hypothesis, (2) the stream piracy hypothesis, and (3) the revived lake spillover hypothesis. None are viable. Thus, any reasonable earth scientist should be open to exploring the possibility of a recent catastrophic origin.