Arizona - Grand Canyon

 The Grand Canyon is 3 hours away from where we are staying so we had quick coffee and breakfast and set out by 8:30.

This time we drove a different way into Sedona

 

and out via Oak Creek Canyon with me trying to snap pictures through the windshield.

We pulled off at the lookout to look back at the canyon Rick had driven through

as he hadn't had a chance to take his eyes off the road.

It was cooler already at an elevation of 6,420 ft

The three hour trip took us through that amazing canyon, across grassland mesas, through the Kaibab National forest and an Indian reservation with homes and RVs scattered across a scrub mesa.

We were able to park close to the visitors centre but Rick wanted to get his first sight of the canyon so we walked straight to the rim.

It did not disappoint. I was awe struck when I saw it the first time

when I was here with the kids, November 2023 and it still had that effect. Pictures cannot do it justice.

Still plenty of people around

but not as busy as then.

We walked along the rim for a while. Stopped to talk to a ranger about some vehicles we had seen down in the canyon. She said that they had been lifted down there by helicopter and were working on the water system. The water for the complex on the South rim came from a spring on the North side, flowed down to the bottom of the canyon and was pumped up to the Grand Canyon Village and Visitors Centre.

 

 

We could also see some buildings down by the river and she told us they were the cabins used by people who wanted to take more than a day to complete the Rim to Rim hike and didn't want to camp. Mike and Aimee are talking about entering the lottery to access one of the cabins and do that hike.

We found a tree to sit on, not too close to the rim, to eat our sandwiches. Photo on Rick's camera, taken by a passing tourist.

We took the free shuttle back to the Visitors Centre and then got on another one to take us further along the rim.

This was a more built up area with hotels, restaurants and gift shops. Also where the Grand Canyon railway starts.

We walked here

as far as bright Angel Trail (Aimee, Avery, Maya, I and Mike, carrying River in a backpack hiked some of this last time) where Crampons were now recommended.

 We caught the shuttle back to the Visitors Centre and watched one of the movies being shown.

 

Grand Canyon National Park

• Park Size:
  • 1,218,375 acres (493,059 ha)
  • 1,904 square miles (4,931 km²)
• Length: 278 river miles (447 km)
• Width:
  • Minimum at Marble Canyon, 600 feet (180 m)
  • Average Rim to Rim, 10 miles (16 km)
  • Maximum Rim to Rim, 18 miles (28.8 km)
• Depth: Average, 1 mile (1.6 km)
• Elevations:
  • South Rim 7,000 feet (2,100 m)
  • North Rim 8,000 feet (2,400 m)
• Volume: 5.45 trillion cubic yards (4.17 trillion m³) from nps.gov

 Back in the car by 3 as we did not want to be driving in the dark.

Back the same way home

 

in this direction we could see the ski runs on Mount Humphreys, near Flagstaff. The Snowbowl website indicated all 8 ski lifts were open.

 

We then took the highway home rather than do Oak Creek Canyon again. Back by 6, tired but having enjoyed a cool, windy, mostly sunny day. Luckily I had made chilli the night before so we had that for an easy dinner and some Focaccia bread we had bought at a market on Saturday.