Tag: grand canyon

Thursday, September 2, 2021 (continued)

When we did board the bus, I noticed that we were all there. We should have been missing about 6 or 8 people who were supposed to be waiting for us at the helicopter landing area. And they would have been there except that the rides had been cancelled due to fog in the canyon. Fog – helicopters – steep canyon walls: good call just to cancel.

We are now making our way to the Desert View section of the South Rim. We found our assigned seats – door side of the bus in the middle. Yesterday, we were on the driver side and missed the animals spotted on the door side. This morning, Al announces “on the driver side you will see some spectacular Canyon views.” Okay. I understand how this trip is going to go. Sigh.

At the Desert View section, the feature is the Watchtower built very close to the Rim edge. It was designed by, and the build supervised by architect and interior designer Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter in 1932. She is often referred to as the architect of the southwest for her inspirational buildings.

Before her retirement at the age of 79, she designed and over saw the building of five other buildings on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Watchtower was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1987.

Al said from the top of the Watchtower you can see for 100 miles on a clear day. I will have to take his word for it. Because of COVID precautions, the Tower is closed, and you can’t climb the stairs in it. It was an impressive structure though. You go Mary C!

We had an hour in this area so Chuck and I strolled to different spots along the Rim. There were several benches available all along the rim to sit and take in the view which we took full advantage. I really liked that you could see the Colorado River so clearly from this area. With the binoculars, we could even see rafters on the river.

Sadly, this spot is also the area of the 1956 TWA – United Airlines crash. In the 1950s, commercial airplanes often took detours over the park to give passengers a look at the Canyon. These two planes were doing just that and collided. It was the worst commercial airline disaster up to that time and killed all 128 people onboard. The disaster led to the creation of the Federal Aviation Association.

Once our time was up here, we boarded the bus for our next location – Monument Valley, part of the Navajo Nation on the Utah/Arizona border.

As we were leaving it gave me time to reflect on my first visit here – 1972. According to my Sunday, August 6, 1972, trip report, we spent the night in Kingman, AZ and arrived at the Grand Canyon at 12:35 Rocky Mountain Time. About the Grand Canyon I wrote – “The Grand Canyon is a gorgeous sight to see. The temperature is 92 degrees. We drove around the east and west rims of the South Grand Canyon and looked at the Canyon from various sight seeing areas. It is so huge and deep and pretty.”

What I remember is that after four different stops my sister and I were tired of looking at it and told my parents that we wanted to go. They were furious and rightly so. We were showing no real appreciation for the grandeur of the place or their efforts to share it with us. Shame on us.

Given this second chance to see it, I was appropriately awed, grateful for the opportunity, and embarrassed for my 12-year-old self. Mom and Dad, sorry we were brats. Thank you for taking us.

Travel Trivia – Grand Canyon

Designated a national park in 1919

Total acreage: 1,215,375

The Grand Canyon National Park is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and the only one located within the United States.

Total miles of trails and of those trail miles that are maintained: 30 to 7

From the rim of the canyon to its lowest point, the temperature can change by more than 25 degrees.

There are an estimated 1,000 caves within the canyon, but only 335 have been recorded. Only one cave is open to the public. 

In 1909, The Arizona Gazette reported that archaeologists had discovered traces of an ancient Tibetan or Egyptian civilization in an underground tunnel in the canyon. The Smithsonian denied this entire story, claiming that they had no knowledge of the archaeologists. To this day, conspiracy theorists still believe this may have been a government cover-up. 

Though none of the fossils are from dinosaurs, since the canyon layers were formed long before dinosaurs walked the earth, the canyon is home to fossils of ancient marine animals that date back 1.2 billion years.

*Trivia provided by Wikipedia and Al from Globus

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

What was our choice? Of course, Market. It had shortened hours and we needed stuff. Off we go. Cross the road, walk by the Lodge restaurant – seems to be busy, cross the parking lot, and there is the Market. Very busy. It has 3 distinct sections – Hiking, Camping, and Grand Canyon merchandise section, grocery store section, and deli section. People are everywhere. Some of the grocery section shelves look like Walmart shelves if they call for snow in the South.

Luckily, the wine section is nicely stocked. Unique local brands that I would love to try. We would except – we didn’t pack a cork screw and we’d have to pack bottles in the suitcases which might leak or break open. What to do?

Hidden on a bottom shelf we find merlot and moscato – packs of 4, in small plastic bottles with screw top caps – do they know tourists or what? May not be the unique brands we were hoping for but wine snobs we are not. Sutter Home to the rescue – we buy 3 packs.

Finish our shopping by getting some donuts for breakfast, a postcard, and a Christmas ornament Grand Canyon souvenir. The walk seems longer retracing our steps back to the room – must be the heavy bags of stuff we purchased. I should have probably offered to carry one of them. We check the Lodge restaurant times, and they are open until 9:00. Drop our purchases off and figure out on the map how to walk over to the Rim.

Head in that direction. Ooh – Some more elk across the street. Going to get that Instagram worthy picture now. Nope. Just as I focus, they turn away. No problem. I’ll just move down the sidewalk a little more. Nope. They continue to turn – keeping their backsides to me at all times. And I am not even close to them. I am using my zoom lens across the street and on the sidewalk. How do they know? I give up.

About a ten minute walk past the Ranger Station and we are at the Rim. Sun will be setting in about 30 minutes. Find a nice spot to sit and take some photos as the light changes. Didn’t really get a good one of the sun actually setting behind the canyon. Seemed like too much glare from it. But it was peaceful. Not very many other people at this area. I think there is a more popular spot in the park for sunsets, but I couldn’t remember which bus took you there – orange or red line – yada, yada, yada.

Start the walk back to the Lodge restaurant. Shadows are deepening and I can only hear some crows in the distance. What was it that Al said about mountain lions? Why aren’t there more people on this path? Why does it seem to take longer to get back to the road? Did I hear a branch snap? Can I sit on Chuck’s shoulders to make ourselves look big?

I had myself worked up to a cold sweat. Just great – I know they can smell fear so if they weren’t in the area before they are really heading this way now. I was glad to finally see the Ranger Station.

The restaurant is still busy. COVID protocols dictated that you took a menu, stood in line to wait to order, order, paid, and then took your number and your drinks to one of the outside tables to wait for your food. Actually, very efficient.

A server brought you the food when it was ready. It was a cool evening but there was a fire pit and some standing heaters. The server couldn’t get our heater to work. Of course. Glad we were near the fire pit. We split an elk burger (teach them to not let me get a picture). It was surprisingly good.

Short walk back to our Lodge rooms. So dark now I had to use my phone flashlight to see. I have the flashlight pointed to the sidewalk. Now, I am not as worried about mountain lions jumping on me from a tree as I am about twisting my ankle by stumbling over the sidewalk. I’m playing the odds of which scenario is more likely.

Make it back to the room in one piece. Get organized for tomorrow and face down in the bed by 10:00. Going to be a long day tomorrow – more Grand Canyon and then a drive to Monument Valley. Once at Monument Valley, a tour of the monuments and then a cookout for dinner.

People who are taking the helicopter tour have to be ready to go by 7:00. The rest of us have to be ready by 9:00. Another reason not to get on that helicopter.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021 (continued)

As we make our way to the Grand Canyon, I am slowly drying out and Al has put on a video about the history of mule rides down the Canyon. Interesting stuff. Not ever going to do it. The video said the mules love to work and live to walk up and down the Canyon. With my luck, I’d get the mule that just wants to retire to the barn or has decided that he wants to take a more direct route into the Canyon. So, a hard pass.

Al also double-checked with us to see who is taking the morning excursion tomorrow – helicopter ride over the Canyon. That would be a second “no.” The Canyon is big. I get it. Not going up in a bucket with a propeller to prove it.

He reiterated about hydration, knowing our limitations if we hike, not getting too close to the cliff edges – they crumble – people have died. Got it. Oh, and don’t get too close to the elk either. They usually ignore you but don’t get too close. They are big and have attacked people. Okay. No problem. I have a zoom lens.

Then, Al started talking about mountain lions in the Canyon and what to do if confronted – don’t run – wave sticks, stand big, yell, throw rocks, as a last resort – poke them in the eyes. Poke them in the eyes? I didn’t hear “faint dead away” as an option which would be my go-to move. How about I just stay on the marked trails with a lot of other people, so the mountain lions stay away or at least have more to choose from other than me?

We arrived at the South Entrance about 3:00. After he paid the entrance fee, we drove to Mather Point and parked near the Visitor Center. So worth the drive and the earlier rain. We take the short foot path to the Point.

Here, it looks a little rainy in the distance but the sun is trying to peak out above us, and the views are spectacular. All the different colors and formations. Breath-taking. I’m just enjoying the sites, breathing the fresh pine-scented air, and not judging all the people taking selfies too close to the cliff edge (with no guard rails). Okay, I am so totally judging them. I have to move to another spot.

I get my first wildlife picture – a squirrel. He ran right up to us and sat up. When we didn’t give him a peanut or something after I took his picture, he gave me a “look” and ran off. The signs clearly said no feeding the wildlife, but he made me feel guilty about not offering one of my trail mix bars. My cat gives me the same look when I don’t give him the snacks he wants. He usually just retaliates by clawing my chair.

We stayed in that area for about an hour. Time to get back on the bus to go to our lodging. Which way was the bus parking lot? We had wandered up and down the ridge so we’re not sure of the original footpath to the bus parking. The paths look the same. No directional signs either. Plenty of signs about COVID precautions but not one sign to get back to the lot. We spot another couple from our tour wandering. They say they know the way. They didn’t. We broke away from them when Chuck whispered “I know they are not headed in the right direction.” I trust his sense of direction. They chose to keep going in their direction. Time is getting close.

I wasn’t really worried about getting left because the lodging was pretty close to Mather Point according to the map and we could get on one of the Park shuttles that I kept seeing. But I hate to be late. I have always hated to be late to anything. If I am “on time,” I am late. Finally, we see the sign for the bus parking so I can breathe again. Two of the couples were late – one was the couple who said they knew the way and ended up in the separate car parking lot.

Once we were all back on the bus, Al had Wade drive us around the property pointing out the Market, Post Office, Park Headquarters, the El Tovar Restaurant, etc. He explained how the Park shuttle system worked – don’t get on the Purple bus as it goes outside the park unless you want to pay to get back in – Stay on the Blue bus as it goes around the Lodge area! The orange bus goes yada yada yada, the red bus goes yada yada, yada. I am now in official information overload. The only other piece of information I can still make room for is what time tomorrow to be on the bus.

As we drive around, we can see elk are all over the park. But I can’t seem to get a decent picture from the bus. They are all turned away from me. Will get some pictures this evening.

Okay, more information from Al – Due to Covid and a staffing shortage, not all restaurants in the park are open and the market has shortened hours. In other words, if you want something from the market like food (or alcohol for tonight and tomorrow night – no alcohol sold on the Navajo Reservation) buy it sooner than later. I shove old information out to remember this information (birth dates – who needs them?)

We finally pull up to two buildings. Our lodging for this one night is in the Yavapai Lodge area. Both buildings are located near the market and the main lodge. The restaurant in the main lodge is serving dinner but not breakfast so we need to plan accordingly. We are also within walking distance to another spot on the South Rim and we’d like to see the sunset. Al gives us our room keys as we exit the bus, and the bags will be delivered to the room. Love this feature especially since our room is on the 2^nd floor and I don’t see an elevator. Look around the room – clean? – looks it; coffee maker – yes; towels – yes; hair dryer – yes. We are good to go. What to do first? – Market, Restaurant, Walk to Rim?