Day 3: Grand Canyon, Part 1 - Monday, March 6th

I have now seen two of the seven natural wonders of the world. Did you know that one of them is the Northern Lights? And of course, another is the Grand Canyon. I was there as a young boy on a family vacation. I don't remember much, except that it was big, steep, and impressive. I also recall that my brothers scampered recklessly around the edge of The Canyon while I hung on to a tree about 6 feet away from the edge. I've never been crazy about heights. I get this queezy feeling in my lower gut.

Mather Point

Cathy had never seen the Grand Canyon before, so I was the expert - having been there over 45 years ago. The Canyon hadn't changed much, but the development around it sure had! There is now a large visitor center, they have paved trails (the South Rim Trail), and shuttle buses bring you to various points of interest and pass by every 10-15 minutes There are two maintained trails you can take to the bottom of The Canyon.

A Cold Morning at the Grand Canyon

We drove to a town called Tusayan (pronounced two-see-ann), which is only about six miles from the Grand Canyon, and spent our second night there. It was a quick morning drive, a $30 entry fee that's good for seven days, and we were in. The spot most people see first, right next to the visitor center, is Mather Point. It's an impressive promontory that gives you a nice 220 degree view of The Canyon. There are many words one can use to try to describe The Canyon. Immense. Huge. Overwhelming. Impressive. Massive. Gigantic. Immeasurable. Enormous. Ancient. And Grand. But it's also amazingly quiet. It seems like The Canyon just sucks up any noise around it. There weren't many people around early in the day, and The Canyon just sat there quietly being the most impressive river valley in the world. It seemed very confident in its awesomeness.

The Canyon is a mile deep, 275 miles long, and 10 miles across on the average. There are several layers of different colored rock. The far side of The Canyon looks so real that it looks fake. It seems like a water color painting or a computer-generated image. It's so distant, so colorful, and so still.

The Views and Altitude Make a Person Giddy!

Oh, and it was cold. The forecasted high in Duluth for Monday was 49 degrees. In The Canyon it was 38 degrees. And at times the wind was gusty enough to make a person wonder what the wind chill was. I wore a hat and gloves all day and Cathy was glad for her long underwear.

An Elk With Little Fear of People

We set off to walk the long part of the rim trail - almost 10 miles long. We were on the south side of The Canyon, which was the only part open to the public this time of year. The north side is 1000 feet higher in altitude, but for some reason, not as popular as the south side. The rim trail is paved, with helpful signs along the way. There are guard rails at some of the most popular points, but at others you have only your common sense to protect you. And not everyone seemed to have a good supply of common sense. We saw some not-so-closely supervised children and a few young adults that were just a tad cavalier in their respect for the edges of The Canyon and the law of gravity.

Some parts of the walk were through wooded areas, where we were able to experience some wildlife. The elk and mule deer seemed remarkably tame, probably from being fed by tourists who didn't pay attention to the rules. They approached us cautiously, most likely looking for a handout.

Along the way there are marked scenic points with guard rails and names like Maricopa Point, Hopi Point, Mojave Point, and my favorite: The Abyss. Each has its own unique and breathtaking view of The Canyon.

Toward the end of the western Rim Trail is the Bright Angel Trail, which leads to the bottom of The Canyon. We were warned by a ranger that the trail has some ice and shoe spikes (crampons) were recommended. There was a sign at the start reminding us of this. But I really wanted to hike at least part way down the trail, so Cathy and I agreed to part ways for about three hours. She would wander around the top of The Canyon and I'd venture toward the bottom and get as far as I could in my allotted time. We agreed to meet in a little over three hours at the start of the trail.

So, what's a little ice? I'm from northern Minnesota, right? And there were other people in tennis shoes going down and coming off the trail. I was sure I could navigate a trail with patches of ice, so I confidently embarked on my short adventure. After a couple switchbacks, the trail started to get more than just a tad icy. It was ice-covered. When the trail was in the sun, it was clear and dry. But shaded areas held on to their ice and snow just as they do in Minnesota. And I'm not crazy about heights anyway. Did I tell you that already? Other people seemed OK with the precarious conditions - and they confidently marched up and down the trail while I clung to the upward edge with every opportunity. But I was not to be discouraged by a little ice. Or a lot of ice.

Yep, That's Glare Ice On the Trail

I made it down past a couple more switchbacks and through a tunnel in the rocks when my heart jumped into my throat as quickly as a hiker would plummet to the bottom of the cliff I was standing on. The trail got steeper, the ice got slipperier, and the precipice on my right got deeper. I was feeling my heart race and my breathing become shorter. A ranger had warned us the conditions get WORSE as the day goes on because melting ice takes on a thin layer of water, making it even slipperier. Nope, this was the end of the trail for me. I didn't even have the presence of mind to take a picture. But USA Today was kind enough to report on the icy trails at the Grand Canyon and they provided this image for us.

So, I swallowed my pride and turned around. I saw a dad with two boys about 10 years old or so. Dad was walking close to the uphill side of the trail. The boys were scampering around on the edge of a precipice. He wasn't even close to them. I saw one of them slip and fall forward. I couldn't watch any more.

Working on our Selfie-Taking Skills

I was on the trail for a little over a half hour and I texted Cathy saying I was back. I considered just wandering around somewhere for three more hours and letting her think I had been bravely trekking on the trail this whole time. But she would have figured it out. So as always, honesty is the best policy.

We spent the afternoon exploring more of the South Rim Trail and it didn't disappoint us. There were remarkable views at every opening in the trees. In places we caught glimpses of the Colorado River, which looked like a tiny creek from that distance. But the river is 70 to 300 feet wide in The Canyon - a dark brown muddy ribbon of liquid sandpaper that has been carving away at the rocks for many, many years.

Here are a few facts about the Colorado River. As measured by the Flagstaff field office, it currently discharges 110,000 to 140,000 cubic feet of water per second (see the graph here). That's a lot of water, but as it flows west, we use the entire river to water our crops. The Colorado River never makes it to the Pacific Ocean because we suck it dry. All the lettuce and other greens eaten in the US in the winter months are grown in areas irrigated by the Colorado River. So, the next time you munch on some winter lettuce, realize the water you are consuming likely passed through the Grand Canyon.

The western Rim Trail ends at a place called Hermit's Rest. After walking over nine miles and soaking in the enormity of this amazing and ancient place, one cannot help but think of the greatness and unfathomable nature of God. It was fitting that another inspired visitor placed a plaque on a building displaying Psalm 68:4.

Sunset at Mather Point

Sunrises and sunsets are highly recommended at the Grand Canyon, so we decided to stay until 6:30 pm when the sun would set. We took the shuttle from the far west side back to the Visitor Center. At Mather Point there was a sizable gathering of people enjoying the sunset. They recommend certain locations for sunrises or sunsets and Mather Point was recommended for both. We didn't stay long. It was getting cold, we were tired, and it was crowded. Plus, we couldn't see the sun from our vantage point, but we could see the eastern walls of The Canyon bathed in reddish light, which was a nice touch. But we were in a hurry to get in the car, get warm, and rest up for tomorrow.

For dinner we had take-out from a nearby Mexican Restaurant. There were plenty of leftovers for Tuesday's dinner, which we tucked away in our fridge.