Another first for us: the Grand Canyon! Exploring our nation’s great wonders is one of the main reasons we live on the road. We knew years ago that we’d make it to the Grand Canyon. The anticipation has been building for a long time. It lived up to the expectations and then some!
We stayed in the Trailer Village and had full hook-ups. The cell phone signal was intermittent, but reliable with the signal booster. It was just a quarter mile walk to the Market Village which had a well-stocked and reasonably priced grocery store and a decent cafeteria that served generous portions. It was also just a half mile walk to the Visitor’s Center and Mather Point or to the Shrine of Ages where the evening Ranger talks occurred. The Park’s convenient, but always crowded buses, delivered us to most other places. We hardly drove anywhere during our 13-day stay…just the way we like it!
Day 1…Visitor Center and 4-mile loop hike from the campground to Mather Point and then the Rim Trail to the Geology Museum then to the Market Plaza…
We quickly got settled in the campground and then walked to the Visitor’s Center. Arleen got her National Park Passport book stamped and we studied maps and brochures to get better acquainted with the area. Then we watched the impressive 20-minute movie in the auditorium and eagerly went out to Mather Point for our first view…WOW!! It’s so vast with endless textures and an amazing array of colors. Though we’ve all seen pictures and videos, nothing comes close to capturing the scene in person!
Day 2…Bus to Yaki Point, ranger talk about Grand Canyon reptiles, then a moonlight walk along the rim…
It was a little chilly with 40mph winds, so instead of hiking, we hopped the eastbound bus to Yaki Point. The bus was standing room only, but it was a short ride. We walked east along the rim and just a short ways from the point, ended up by ourselves. There were no fences and no signs, just open access. We posed for pictures in a few precarious spots, bracing ourselves against the gusty winds. After an hour, we were cold and took the bus back home.
Later that afternoon, we walked out to the rim to watch our first Grand Canyon sunset. The sky didn’t turn crazy colors, but the varying shadows in the complex terrain were amazing. After the show, we walked to the Shrine of Ages to catch the Ranger program about Grand Canyon reptiles. The Ranger was passionate and did a great job sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with the large crowd. We learned a lot. What’s the most dangerous Grand Canyon critter? See the end for the answer…
To end this great day, we walked out to the rim to see the Canyon glowing under a full moon. It was special.
Sunset
Under a full moon
Day 3…Bus to Hermit’s Rest then Hermit’s Rest Trail to Santa Maria Spring…Ranger program about John Wesley Powell’s 1869 trip down the river…
Only 5% of the Canyon’s millions of visitors drop below the rim each year. It was time for us to be part of that 5%! We took the westbound bus to the end at Hermit’s Rest and headed down the “unmaintained” trail. We dropped rapidly down a tough, rocky route loaded with loose stones, always aware that a bad step would spell disaster. Most of the route was along a side canyon with a narrow view of the main canyon, and though impressive, we didn’t feel like we were submerged in the Grand Canyon. About 2.5 miles down, the view north opened up and we were in awe. We sat on the edge of a rock wall with our feet dangling hundreds of feet above the shelf far below. Then we continued on past Santa Maria Spring where a shade structure with some nice benches provides relief from the intense summer sun. It was a bit later than we had planned, so after posing for pictures and fueling our bodies, we turned around and climbed 2,000 feet back up to the rim. It’s official…We are part of the 5% that have hiked below the rim of the Grand Canyon!
We really enjoyed the evening Ranger Talk about John Wesley Powell’s voyage down the river in 1869. It’s hard to believe that his crew had no experience.
See Arleen?
Day 4…Late afternoon hike from the campground to the Rim Trail, then west to “The Abyss”, and a great sunset at Mohave Point…
After a tough hike yesterday, we wanted something a bit more tame. We headed out from the campground and walked west along the rim. It was interesting to walk by the historic landmarks like the El Tovar Lodge, the Hopi House, Bright Angel Lodge, and the Kolb Studio. It was also interesting to be part of the large crowds taking it all in. It felt like we were at an amusement park! Shortly after passing the last bus stop, the crowds thinned and we had long stretches of the rim trail to ourselves…it was great! First Maricopa Point, then Powell Point, and Hopi Point, and finally Mohave Point. Each point providing a different view and leaving us in awe. We turned around at “The Abyss” and headed back to Mohave Point for sunset. Bus loads of people were scattered along the point waiting for the sun to drop below the horizon. It was a great show…there was even applause! Our “tame” hike ended up climbing nearly 1,000 feet and was 8 miles long.
Two elk right by the trail
John Wesley Powell memorial on Powell Point
Day 5…Grandview Trail down to Horseshoe Mesa…drive to Desert View and Lipan Point…
Our second hike below the rim was nearly 3,000 feet down to Horseshoe Mesa. Grandview is also “unmaintained” and was loaded with loose rocks and tricky sections. It seemed steeper than Hermit’s Trail, and we averaged a very careful 1mph on the way down. This trail opened up right away to the main canyon with sweeping views. Once we hit the mesa, we were really in the canyon, not to mention we were almost 3,000 feet below the rim! Amazingly, we were still 2,000 feet above the river! The mesa continued to stair-step down preventing us from seeing the river directly below. We could see Hance Rapid to the east and a flotilla of 5 or 6 kayaks and rafts with folks having a trip of a lifetime. It was cool to drop through the “life zones” and observe the obvious change in vegetation. On the mesa, pinyon, juniper, agave, and many cacti thrived. We sat on the tip of the eastern part of the horseshoe and fueled our bodies for the tough climb back. We got to the top a little dehydrated, but averaged 2mph. Most people don’t believe that we prefer “the up”, but “the down” is very rough on our knees and we constantly fight gravity for control. Oh well, world-class hikes like this are totally worth it!
After the tough hike, we drove east along the rim to Desert View and Lipan Points. These are the two highest points on the South Rim and provide good views of the Colorado River far below. It’s easy to see how the first European explorers misjudged the immense scale and thought the river was only six feet across. These were two of our favorite overlooks of one of the most awe-inspiring views on earth.
We’re going there! We started up there!
Typical section of trail Don’t bloom agave…you’ll die!
Eroded sandstone by the trail Cluster of cacti perched on mesa rim
Hance Rapid in bottom right
Day 6…Late afternoon hike from the campground to Mather Point and then east along the Rim Trail for sunset at Yaki Point…
After taking it easy most of the day, we hiked out to the Rim Trail and headed east to Yaki Point. We saw five elk along the trail and alerted other hikers. They were excited to see the large critters. We found a rocky point with a great view and enjoyed another stunning sunset.
Crazy calves at the Grand Canyon
Day 7…Bright Angel Trail down to Plateau Point…Great dinner at the Arizona Room…
This was the big hike! At 12-14 miles round trip and a 3,500 foot climb, this would be our biggest challenge yet. We left the rim around 9:30am with a 55F temperature and a high expected in the upper 60s…perfect! By the time we dropped 3,500 feet to Plateau Point, it was around 80F. The trail is well maintained which we really appreciated after the challenging Hermits Rest and Grandview trails. There were hundreds of people sharing the trail and they cooperated nicely when passing. Indian Garden has fresh spring water, lots of shade, and was a great place to rest and refuel. Then it’s one and a half miles of hiking on the exposed and flat plateau. The payoff that awaits is one of the most incredible views from the edge of the plateau. The Colorado River is over 1,000 feet nearly directly below where you can see and hear the roaring rapids. And of course, now we were surrounded on all sides by the colorful cliffs that were 3,500-4,500 feet above us. It was amazing!
After the tough hike up, we had a great meal at the Arizona Room. We burned a few thousand calories and replaced all of them with a great dinner. The view over the Canyon enhanced an already great experience. Life is great!
Day 8…Day of rest!…Ranger talk about John Hance stories…
Our bodies were tired and our knees were especially sore so we took it easy. Arleen did laundry and I worked on the blog. By late afternoon, we were antsy to get out so we walked out to the rim for sunset. We watched the sun sink below the horizon and then walked back to the Shrine of Ages for the evening Ranger talk. The talk was a treat! The Ranger impersonated John Hance and told his tall tales. John Hance was the first white settler in the area. He guided early visitors and became famous for his stories. It was said that if you visited the Grand Canyon and didn’t meet John Hance, you missed half of the show. My favorite story was how he dug and dug and dug chasing a squirrel and ended up digging the Grand Canyon!
Day 9…South Kaibab Trail to Skeleton Point…guests arrive…Ranger talk about the Canyon geology…
We looked forward to hiking the famous South Kaibab Trail. It’s well maintained and is the most direct route to the bottom. After a bunch of steep switch-backs near the top, it levels out a little and transverses the side of a ridge to Ooh Aah Point with a sweeping 180 degree view. The point is less than a mile and about 600 feet down from the top. If you’re going to do one short South Rim Grand Canyon hike, do this one! After Ooh Aah Point, the trails drops steadily along a ridge line with great views both east and west down 500 feet to Cedar Ridge. This is another great turn-around place and even has well-maintained toilets. Our goal was Skeleton Point, another one and half miles and 1,000 feet down from Cedar Ridge. The South Kaibab Trail was our favorite.
We planned for months to meet Arleen’s sister and bother in law, Mary and Kendel, at the Grand Canyon. The day had finally come! They arrived around 6:00pm after a 12 hour drive from central Colorado. Mary will be our second guest blogger. Her thoughts are integrated through the rest of this report.
Mary: Hello to everybody! My name is Mary and as some of you know, I am Arleen’s sister. My husband Kendel and I came out to visit Shawn, Arleen and the Grand Canyon this past weekend! Shawn and Arleen have graciously asked me to contribute a couple of paragraphs to their blog. Since I am only the second contributor they have had to their blog, after their dog, I am extremely honored.
Our visit, even after months of careful planning, turned into one of those “play it by ear” vacations. I told Arleen that dark forces in the form of a dead alternator, a broken hot water heater and an ominous snow weather forecast were gathering to try and sabotage our trip, eeck! We decided to head out anyway! I am so glad we did.
We arrived late on Thursday evening and because I wanted to share my first experience of the Grand Canyon with Arleen and Shawn, I was determined not to even catch a glimpse of the Canyon as we drove into the park. Circumstances worked in my favor. As we entered the park, the sun was just at that height, just before sunset, when its glare hits the driver full in the eye as you are driving west. I had to pay careful attention to the road and not look off at the few openings in forest that offered brief views of the Canyon. It’s a funny thing about the Grand Canyon; you can be on the very edge of it and not know it is right under your nose. There is a beautiful Ponderosa and Juniper pine forest that extends for miles that starts at the very lip of the Grand Canyon. If a person were to stay in the forest, you would never even see the Canyon. Most of the drive into the Grand Canyon Village is in awesome P & J forest and so though Kendel saw brief flashes of the Canyon as we drove by, I never saw it the first night we were there! We found Arleen and Shawn without any problem, even though I could not remember the name of their campground and had left the very precise directions Arleen had given me at home.
Our first evening we went to see one of the National Park Ranger programs. Many people know I am a geology geek and have what I call a pre-geology degree. I was extremely excited to be visiting the Grand Canyon which is a kind of Mecca for geologists. The first evening’s Ranger talk was on the “Geology of the Grand Canyon”. Kendel and I skipped several bathroom breaks to get to the Canyon on time to make the lecture. We made it with just enough time to spare to eat a quick bite and run over to the “Shrine of the Ages” where the Ranger talk was presented. It was very well presented and very informative.
Shawn: Now it was time to get settled in for the night. The initial plan was for Mary and Kendel to set up a tent just outside the trailer. However, the weather was expected to get nasty. Our trailer is not set up for guests, but we figured there was room on the floor for Mary and Kendel to sleep. It worked out ok! Four people with stuff in 300 square feet can be uncomfortable, but with cooperation, it works.
Day 10…South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge…Condors…then Pinochle lessons…
Shawn: We woke up to lower temperatures, cloudy skies, and gusty winds. Oh well…that wouldn’t stop us! Mary wanted to do at least one below-the-rim hike. We suggested the South Kaibab Trail down to Cedar Ridge and back. Mary was up to it. Between the previous night’s Ranger talk about Geology and having our own personal geologist, Mary, we appreciated the Canyon more than ever! I really enjoyed the petrified sand dunes (my terminology). Mary felt good on the way down so we decided to go to the next saddle beyond Cedar Ridge. As we sat on the rocks enjoying the view, a rare California Condor soared overhead! And then another flew just below us, circled a couple of times and landed on a rock just above us! Within 30 minutes, two more condors joined the first one on the rock. Sometime after we left the point, the three condors took off and circled above trail. Then they were joined by two more condors…what a treat! On the way up, Mary continued to point out geological wonders to Arleen. I was fixated on the big rare birds soaring above. This was yet another special hike with special memories.
Mary: Because of the weather moving in, which was a forecast of several inches of snow starting Friday evening, we decided to not take a day “sightseeing”. We got right down to the nitty gritty and headed out for our “big” hike on Friday morning. The wind was blowing like a banshee and there was definitely a pre-snow nip in the air, but we bundled up in several layers and set off for our first view and excursion into the Grand Canyon! Because of the incoming weather, the Canyon was wreathed in swirls of mists. So my first vision of the Grand Canyon was a tantalizing hazy view of spires, domes and buttes, which saved me from being overwhelmed by the immensity of the Canyon. Shawn and Arleen had spent several days hiking the canyon and crossing off trails they knew would be too much for me. This did not leave a lot of trails left to choose from! They decided that I could attempt the South Kaibab Trail. Kendel saw us off on our hike at the top trail. Since he is not really into hiking he spent the day riding around on the excellent bus system visiting with tourists from all over the world. The park rangers have a saying posted around the trails, “Hiking down is an option, hiking back up is mandatory” a very good thing to keep in mind as we started down. I had spent weeks reading up on the Grand Canyon and had made notes in my head what to look for in the rocks. It was such a thrill to be able to identify things like the chert nodules in the limestone and the cross bedding in the sand stone. I truly enjoyed sharing these insights with Arleen and Shawn, who were excited to see something they had not noticed before. I decided that what worked best for me was to hike down at a good pace and then on the return trip make lots of stops to examine the formations for fossils and interesting bits of rock. I wasn’t stopping because I had to catch my breath! Arleen pointed out “Oooh Aaagh” point to me about midway down to Cedar Mesa Ridge. We decided that on the way back up it should be called “Uuug Point”. The day had many thrills which included a sighting of California Condors! And not just a sighting, we were actually buzzed by one of five Condors that we had circling around us. I think they had me marked as an easy lunch and were expecting me to drop on the trail at any point! To think these magnificent birds we saw were just about extinct and we had five of them flying around us. Amazing!
Shawn: We had Frito chili pie for dinner and then Arleen gave us pinochle lessons. We collapsed into bed late and slept like babies.
Petrified sand dunes
Day 11…SNOW!…wake up feeling like poop…
Shawn: As expected, we woke up to snow...3-5 inches! Unfortunately, Arleen and I also woke up feeling like poop. We forced ourselves to get out and walked the three mile loop that we did our first day. Now the Canyon was a big gray void of snow and clouds. The temperature was in the upper 20s and the winds were gusting 30-35mph…it was bitter. We caught the bus to Maswik Lodge and met Kendel for a hearty lunch. Though the weather was nasty and we felt like poop, we had a good day.
Mary: Friday night delivered the promised 5-6 inches of snow. So Saturday saw us all bundled up once more. We did try to stroll the Trail of Time, like it says to do in the Grand Canyon guide, but after only a few “million years “we had to give up and go find some hot chocolate. Our gloves had become soaked from brushing the snow off the wonderful rocks they have at this outside display. Kendel and I rode the bus out to Hermits Rest and managed to get in a few pictures before the snow became very intense and all we could see was white. The periodic glimpses that we caught of the Canyon through the snow were magical though.
Day 12…Sunrise walk in fresh snow…Drive to Desert View and Lipan Point…short hike down Bright Angel Trail and Kolb Studio…
Shawn: We still felt like poop the next morning, but I got up at 5:15am to see if the clouds cleared for a potentially spectacular sunrise. There was just patchy low clouds so I dressed warmly, grabbed my four-legged friend, and walked out to the rim. Amazingly, there were a couple of hundred people, mostly Japanese, that had the same idea! Oh well. It was amazing to see the sun peek between the clouds and light up the fresh snow covered cliffs.
I got back to the trailer around 7:00am, about when everyone else was waking up. We took our time with breakfast to allow the weather to warm and the clouds to clear. It worked. By the time we got to Lipan Point, there was a lot of blue sky and we felt overdressed. Clouds still lined the north rim, but we could see the snow covered cliffs. It was beautiful. Next we drove to Desert View and climbed the Watch Tower.
Mary: By Sunday the weather had cleared, but the Canyon was still wrapped in a fine blanket of clouds. The sun glinted off the fresh snow and created a winter paradise that most visitors to the Park do not get to enjoy. We were very happy to experience it, even though it meant our hike down Bright Angel trail to see the Bright Angel fault was accomplished by slugging through the mud! We even got Kendel to walk down a little way to the tunnel that is carved in the Kaibab Limestone. He can now say that he is part of the 5 percent of visitors to the Canyon each year that walk below the rim! On our way back up Bright Angel trail Arleen and I were able to locate the pictographs that were painted by ancient Puebloans between 1250 and 850 years ago. Wow!!
Shawn: It was time for another short hike. Mary wanted to see the Bright Angel Fault so we hiked about a half mile down the Bright Angel Trail for a bird’s eye view. She was excited and took a bunch of pictures of the obvious fracture. Kendel really enjoyed his hike down to the tunnel and then waited for us at the top. Once we were all together again, we headed to the Kolb Studio.
The history of the Kolb brothers is very interesting. They set up a photo studio at the head of the trail in the early 1900s. They would take pictures of tourists, run 3,000 feet and four and a half miles down to Indian Garden to use the water to develop the pictures, and then run back up where they would try to sell the pictures. They also floated the river and made the first video of the Canyon. One of the brothers stayed in the park, sharing his stories until he died in his mid-90s.
Day 13…Guests leave…still feel like poop…responsibility day…
Mary: Some people may think that the weather ruined our trip. I like to think of the Grand Canyon shrouded in mystery, wreathed in snow and clouds asking us to come back and see it again in another one of its ever changing moods. I can’t wait to return!
Shawn: Our last day…boooo! Mary and Kendel were up by 5:00am and left at 6:00am. It was fun spending time with them! We made some great memories. We still felt like poop and went back to bed until about 9:00am. That’s late for us! We lazed around most of the day in a congested fog. Arleen did laundry and somehow I summoned just enough brain power to work on the blog. If the blog is bland and has mistakes, blame it on the cold bug. We also did a few things to “prepare for transport”. It’s been over a year since either of us has been sick. Thankfully this isn’t too serious.
GUEST BLOGGER:
WHERE WE GOT OUR MAIL
A few notes…
- Crowds…Apparently the spring break/Easter period is the busiest time of year at the Grand Canyon. There were a lot of people! Non-English speakers prevailed with people visiting from all of the world. The park absorbed the crowds pretty well though busses were often standing room only and restaurants had long waits during prime periods. At one point we waited in line 40 minutes as two busses completely filled and we boarded the third one.
- Facilities…The facilities are well maintained. The bus system was efficient, and other than peak periods on a few days, we rarely waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. The grocery store was well stocked and had a good selection of food and supplies. The back corner had a great selection of hiking and backpacking supplies. The food cafeterias had a wide variety and they served generous portions for reasonable prices. Generally, you could get a big meal and a drink for $10. We went to one of the top-notch restaurants. Our meal at the Arizona Room was excellent and we enjoyed the good view while perched on the rim. Everything worked in the campground. The camp sites were good sized. The laundry room was big and well maintained.
- Staying in the park…We drove just a couple of times in 13 days. Everything was conveniently located and easy to get to by bus. We walked to the grocery store and one of the cafeterias. We really enjoyed the evening Ranger Talks and likely would have missed them if we stayed outside the park.
- What’s the most dangerous Grand Canyon critter? Rattle snake? Mountain lion? Elk? Nope…the critter that harms the most people is the dreaded…squirrel! They are aggressive and expect everyone to feed them. They bite many people each year.
- What is the average length of visit to the Grand Canyon? Half of all visitors stay only four hours or less!! We noticed a high turnover in the campground. Each day it seemed that about half of the RVs would be gone by lunch and the campground was nearly full again by dinner. So we asked a Park Ranger how long folks stay, and he confirmed the amazing turnover and short visits.
Next we head to Lake Powell for five days. We’ll kayak the beautiful lake and fish the mighty Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry.
Arleen and Mary showing love to a 400 year old tree
Our home, the “Arctic Fox”, living up to its name
