Snapshots from Everywhere
The Grand Canyon
It would be an understatement to say that the Grand Canyon is a nice place to visit. For some the visit will be almost spiritual, beauty untouched by the artificiality of humanity. For others, it'll be a test of their physical and mental endurance hiking the hot trails.
We had the privilege of spending a 3 days in The Grand Canyon National Park and it wasn't enough. Nevertheless, we came away with memories and to keep those memories alive, pictures.
The perfect time to hike the canyon was when we went, late in September. The weather can exceed 43C in the summer time in the inner Canyon, so beware. The rim is a different story though and is quite all through the season (except for winter).
There are many stories to be told of our adventure in the Grand Canyon National Park. We sat one evening and listened to a Hopi Indian Ranger talk about the modern Indian tribes in the region. A must, if you ever get the chance to listen to her. The trails are fresh in my mind and quite a challenge if you really want to see how fast you can climb Bright Angels trail.
Also, rim trail was most memorable. The sun and the clouds would always change the appearance of the cayon. I took countless photos. Here are a couple of them.
Click on photo for bigger image.
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The Grand Canyon East entrance or exit, depending on where you're going. We arrived the end of September at the South Rim. The drive between the East entrance and the Grand Canyon Village is beautiful. There are numerous observation points along the way. We stayed, for 2 days, at the Yavapai Lodge, wondeful accomdations and so close to the beauty of the Canyon.
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I encountered two small tarantulas while in the Grand Canyon. There was a lot of wildlife wandering about. We saw numerous deers, an elk, very pesky, bold, and persistent rock squirrels who stole stuff right from under your nose. There were also suppose to be rattlers and scorpions but they decided not to show, much to my chagrin.
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You can see Plateau Point from here. There wasn't enough time to get to the Phantom Ranch so I hiked down to the Plateau Point and back. If you look carefully, you'll see this little trail that leads to a cliff. At the cliff, is Plateau Point. From there, you can see the mighty (and muddy) Colorado River.
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We arrived at the Grand Canyon and walked to the rim trails. Of course, we couldn't wait to get out of the car and strech our legs. The weather was cool at the top of the rim. I'd honestly say the Grand Canyon Rim Trail is more worthwhile than hiking down to Plateau Point.
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Just so beautiful. I want to go back. The air was wonderfully fresh and invigorating. No city sounds here. Just tranquility.
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The mules go from the canyon top to Phantom Ranch daily. Those riders have it lucky. Reservations for mule rides are over a year long. Mules have never been known to cause a fatality in the Canyon. They are sure footed, good tempered, and leave stinky poop all along the trail.
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The first rest stop down Bright Angel Trail. Here the weary traveller can find shade to rest in. This was sheer luxury in comparison to hike down to the Havasupai Village in that there was running water and really clean outhouses.
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The second rest stop on the way down the Bright Angel Trail. All along the trail, I encountered travellers from all over the world. There were an exceptional number of Japanese and German travellers for some reason or another.
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The Bright Angel Trail going down. The trail is wonderfully kept, the only hazard being the mule poop. That is, not to say, one should venture down with a pair of sneakers. Good footwear is required otherwise you'll develop blisters.
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A sign outside Indian Garden decrying careless hikers. I thought this was cute and to the point.
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Indian Garden campground. An oasis in the dessert. A very beautiful campsite. I felt ashamed that I didn't have to lug around bedroll and tent. Oh well, next time I'll camp it.
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A view from the Canyon plateau. Down here, it was hot around 30C and this was in the end of September! Down at Phantom Ranch, it would have been even hotter.
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Took a self-timed photo of myself on the way to Plateau Point. I love my hat! I love my friends for giving it to me.
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The mighty (muddy) Colorado River visible from Plateau Point. It would have been another couple of hours to get down to the river. Just didn't have enough time.
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This photo was taken from Desert View Watchtower. From moment to moment the scenery changes as sun and the cloud play their game over the canyon below.
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This photo adorns my desktop at home.
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The Grand Canyon (again). The next couple of photos are taken at the same spot, just different camera zoom and format.
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Look at the cloud formation over the Canyon.
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It rained a bit shortly therafter.
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Okay, the last one.
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The inside the Desert View Watchtower architectured by Mary Coulter. The tower was completed in 1932 and offers visitors a beautiful view of the Canyon. The inside was decorated with ancestral Peubloan paintings.
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The Desert View Watchtower. The tower is over 21 meters high and is modeled after the ruins found in ancestral Peubloan ruins found in Mesa Verde.
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There is one of my travelling companions, Julie smiling from the inside top level of the structure. Perhaps, I should explain why she is smiling. It was her absolute desire that she revisit the Canyon where she worked over a decade ago. Julie is also the reason why I visited the Grand Canyon as she invited us all to her homecoming.
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A beautiful sunset over the Canyon. Unfortunately, the DC240 couldn't lock on to anything so the photo is blurry. Still, you just have to be there at sunset. The camera can't capture the atmosphere of the last rays of sunset playing on the canyon wall.