North Rim Grand Canyon

6/14/2010

After our brief visit to Kanab, Utah, we take to the road and head south to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We have heard and read that the North Rim is not as developed as the South Rim is. We are interested in seeing the differences. After a ten minute drive we are in Northern Arizona.
As we climb in elevation from our 4500 ft starting point to our 8700 ft destination we come across a sad section of burnt out forest, in the Kaibab National Forest.
After about five miles, we come out of it and regain the green forest we love to see.
We are often amazed to see these wide open, pasture-like, areas so high up into the forest setting. It is very beautiful and gives it a great wide open feeling. After a few miles on this road we come to the entrance to the National Park. Diane has read and talked on the phone to the park rangers about what they call Disbursement Camping outside of the park in the National Forest. We knew before we arrived that the campground inside the park was full. We are told at the entrance that we need to turn around and go back 4 miles and turn on a gravel road and follow it till we see an area that has signs of previous campers. We can stay at one of these sights for free!! (of course there will be no amenities of any kind).

Here is our gravel road which we slowly drive looking for a campsite.
We find a spot that is just off the gravel road, it has a group of four campsites that are fairly close together. No one is there, so we position ourselves up front. You can see what our spot looks like from the gravel road, up from our campsite. I tell Diane it may be just the two of us with no neighbors.
After getting set up at our new spot, we drive back to the main road and take another gravel side road up to this viewing spot that has a trail that starts here. The view is spectacular! Too bad our camera doesn't do it justice.


6/15/2010


The next day I am anxious to drive into the park and get the "lay of the land". It is a 12 mile drive from the entrance to the actual rim of the canyon. The road into the park ends at the Grand Canyon Lodge which has this great viewing patio. That's me relaxing in a cane rocker with my leg up on the wall.
There is a short trail called Bright Angel Point just 5 minutes away from the Lodge. Diane and I start to walk down the trail, but it doesn't take long for my fear of heights to stop me in my tracks. I tell Diane to go on without me and I will meet her back at the beginning of the trail. This is one of the pictures Diane takes from Bright Angel Point.
Pretty neat. Again, our camera can't capture the immensity of the place.
Bright Angel Fault Line. At the point Diane read that the fault is still active. Sometimes people at the rim came feel earthquake movement. Diane said she hoped she didn't feel anything while walking to the point as there a very steep drops on the trail.
This is the safe part of the trail, before it gets scary.
Diane is always finding flowers to record. ( I always proof read Joe's blogs. Good thing I do as this is the beginning of a pine cone. maybe this would be called the flower of a pine cone).
Can you see the brave soul out there on the ledge?
Diane zoomed in on this brave/foolish soul. she said these are the kind of people that fall into the Grand Canyon.
Here is a view of the front of the Lodge.Cozy cabin all along the rim. I heard someone say they had to book out 13 month to get a few cabins for a group.



6/16/2010


This day we took a drive up to see the many viewing spots along the canyon.
Words can't describe the vast beauty. On the stair way to the viewing spot there is a note from two people who said they were climbing Mt. Hayden and leave their email, and ask if anyone gets a good picture of them, to please send it to them.
Diane zooms in, but we do not see them.

Its just doesn't get much better than this!
Below is a fertile valley with a small body of water. We are told by a ranger that Indians used to live there during the winter and then would climb up to the rim where we are standing when summer arrived to get away from the heat in the valley. They build summer homes on the rim and lived up here till winter started. Then, they would return to the valley.

This is Angels Window. You can see the window in the rock ledge. If you look close you can see the Colorado River way down below.
Diane zooms in, can you see the river now?
We walked out on this ledge where you see the people. My palms are already sweating at this point. We joke about the section above the window collapsing after we cross, leaving us stranded out on the far edge. Ha Ha.


6/17/2010


Finally back away from the edge. This day we are taking Malley on the only trail in the park that dogs are allowed on. We bring her stroller so she can ride part of the time and catch her breath.

This path goes from the Lodge to the campgrounds in the park.
We take in the views from Bridle Path between the campground and the Lodge. I take a safe look from the rim as Malley waits for us.
My view from the sidewalk. The colors are brilliant, but unfortunately the picture doesn't reproduce what we see. You need to be here for sunrise or sunset to get great picture. Diane does not get up early, and I like to be home before 5:00 for Miller time.
This evening we walk down our gravel road from our campsite. Diane snaps our shadows as the sun goes down and we look down our private "driveway" to our Nest.
This pond is in the wide open field at the beginning of our gravel road that goes to our campsite. I tell Diane this is our pond just down from our home. ( for a week anyway).
We are just 4 miles from the entrance station of the park.


6/18/2010


Widforss Trail is the event for this day. The park guide says it is a 5 mile trail that winds through the forest and has some great views of the canyon. We definiatly didn't walk the 5 miles. Our plan is to walk for about 30 to 40 minutes and then turn around and return.
We begin the walk, it soon turns rather steep, but not too steep, so we push on. Time for a drink.
We reach a great viewing spot. I am careful not to lean back on the log. It is a long way down behind me.
As we walk along the trail we are treated to these great views. Diane did see the " Silver Ghost of the North Rim, the Kaibab squirrel. This squirrel is only found on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. He ran accross our path, too quick for a picture.