A Day on Bright Angel Trail, GC

How fun! When it's your blog, you can write about your vacation as long as you want!  Yeay me!

Today we head out ont the Bright Angel Trail, which is really well known. Probably the most hiked trail in the park, likely because it is right in GC village.  It is also a mule trail and takes you down to Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the canyon. And Bright Angel Lodge is right on the rim beside it.  After this post...you'll never forget that name.  When we set out....we planned to hike just past 1 1/2 Mile Rest House.

Operative word....planned....

On our way down a man with a heavy pack and a big tent on top was heading up. We quietly scoffed at his giant army issue pack and monster sized Coleman tent when he was out of earshot.  We continued on our way down.  When we were on our way up we saw that he had stopped at the 911 call box.  We waited until he was finished on the phone to see if we could do anything to help.  "Ted" had been camping with a family group and his daughter sprained her ankle as they were heading back out to the rim.   Help was on its way and we offered to carry his pack and tent up. Ted went back down. We combined our day-packs and my beloved carried the big pack and I carried the tent. And people quietly scoffed at our load!  I remember saying "It's not mine!!" to a group of young fellows all decked out in ultra-lite gear.  In the end, it was nice to be able to help a little with what was a big ordeal for someone else. Kind of makes for a good kind of exhausting. Sometimes I wonder if we realize how easy it is to help someone?

There is a neat time lapse video on the Grand Canyon Facebook page today of Bright Angel Trail, of clouds passing over the canyon, and teeny tiny people hiking in and out.

We also saw a California Condor...a fairly rare sighting...yes, it's the blue photo with the speck on it :)

One of my favourite pieces of gear is my camera bag. "I got my holsters around my side", (a line from needtobreathe's "The Outsiders").  It's on my hip and is so much easier than having to take my backpack off every-time I wanted the camera.  I simply unclip, reach in, take the lens cap off, flick the camera on, click! With one hand!

Still... the phrase most often out of my mouth was, "Argh wrong lens!!!"  My standard lens 18-55mm and my telephoto 55-250mm. I love them both!

Next stop, our last day at the Grand Canyon, Grandview and Desertview.

 
PS -Note to potential visitors: The Grand Canyon Village is across the road the Bright Angel Trailhead.  WE stayed 10 minutes outside the Grand Canyon, in Tusayan, which is basically a strip of hotels and restaurants, but not nearly as congested as the Village.  The shuttle service inside the park is fantastic. Bring a day pack, park at the visitor's centre and just ride the shuttle all day.  Visiting during the first week of March was ideal, since March Break guests had not arrived yet, but all the park facilities were opening up for the season. Bring refillable water containers since there are spring fed water refill stations at the visitor's centre and most main trail heads! 

Cedar Ridge, South Kaibab Trail, GC

 

And finally we hit the trail!!! I hope you love this day as much as I do. It is one my favourite hikes of our entire trip.  This one and Boynton Canyon, in Sedona.  

Somewhere in our reading and research for this trip I remember reading that hiking into the canyon changes how you look at the canyon from the rim.   For me, getting into the canyon, as opposed to staying on the rim, was getting to know it.  I've discovered over the years that relationship: knowing and being known, is really important to me.  I hope I live that out consistently.

The South Kaibab trail has an 1100 foot elevation gain between Cedar Ridge and the trail-head at the top.  That would be uphill!!   Most of the elevation is near the top as you take the switchbacks down the almost vertical yellow stone layer.   Mules use this trail too and it is very well maintained. 

When we set out, the butte on which Cedar Ridge sits, was unknown to us.  Once we headed back, we could spot the switchbacks back up the cliff in front of us, and the trail out onto the point behind us.  It was a neat point of reference to look for from other scenic lookouts.

Isn't life just like that sometimes?  Just as the trail is carved into the cliff, the path you journey shapes you. And if you're fortunate, those who journey with you can see how the journey has changed you.A really neat insight I had a couple of weeks ago: Events in your life may shape you, but the coolest part is when you realize they don't define you.

Our journey is not just a piece of road we share, it's a part of  the landscape of our lives. There are days when all you can see is a dusty path and your scuffed up boots. Days when you put one foot in front of the other.  Other days you are able to look ahead and see your destination, or look behind to see how far you've come. Or days when the voice of a friend pipes up behind you and you walk together for a while.  Best of all are the days when you reach lookout points that you've been struggling toward and you are rewarded with the most amazing view and sense of accomplishment.   I love those days!!

Sunset at South Kaibab, Grand Canyon, AZ

One day at a time, every moment a favourite moment.

Sunset in the Grand Canyon(GC) is not actually about seeing a sky ablaze with colour.  It's about how the light of the setting sun plays with and enhances the shadows. 

We drove into Tusayan, a little town just before the GC and found that our hotel room was not quite ready.  The sun was on its way down and we decided to get oriented with the park.  We took our 1 week pass and headed into the park,  hopped on a random shuttle which took us to South Kaibab. These were our first glimpses.

So many different layers of stone.  It's neat to orient yourself when you are hiking by looking at nearby cliffs to gauge just how far you've gone.   It feels like we went really deep into the canyon...at least that's how it felt hiking back uphill!!  It's more like just descending the tip of an iceberg....

Next stop?  Cedar Ridge, South Kaibab Trail.