Wiebe's Wanderings: Grand Canyon

It took us about 3 hours to get from Verde to the Grand Canyon. It was Interstate the whole way so no problem with the road but the first 18 miles from our campground is a steady climb. In fact the elevation change from Verde to just west of Flagstaff is about 4000 feet. The truck handled it pretty well and since it was all 4 lane, vehicles could pass by without us causing a traffic jamb. We ended up getting almost 11 miles per US gallon which I was quite happy with.

We are staying at Grand Canyon Camper Village in Tusayan which is a small resort community just south of the National Park. The sites are gravel mixed with fine sand and as we have had a few windy days we have to be careful keeping the windows closed on the windward side. Lots of dust/sand storms. After getting settled in we visited the tourist info office to pick up some maps and purchased a 7 day pass for the park. Since it was still early we decided to check it out to make sure the Grand Canyon was still there and was as awesome as billed. It was and it is.

Later Sunday evening we watched a 40+ foot 5th wheel pulled by a custom F450 pull in and drive up and down the rows looking for a spot. It was dark with no street lights and he took one corner too tight and sideswiped a motorhome. I haven't made that bonehead move, at least not yet.

On Monday we headed for the GC and decided to walk as much of the South Rim trail as we could during our stay here. We really haven't been doing too much hiking in the past 6 weeks (too hot) so we are a bit out of shape. We decided to start at the Visitors Centre and head east towards the South Kaibab Trailhead. The trail was level and paved but the round trip was 5 miles and we were pretty tired when we got back to the truck. At various points along the south rim there are trails that take you below the rim. Some take a few hours, some are overnight treks and some offer transportation by way of mules. For this trip we decided to stay on the rim but perhaps next time we will venture below the rim. Though I don't see Lori getting on a mule anytime soon.

We couldn't believe how busy this place is. Must still be spring break as there were lots of families with most of the cars from California and Nevada. The park entrance has 5 gates and when we arrived at 10:30 it took us about 10 minutes to get through the line. I would not want to be here in the summer.

Everybody was taking selfies so we decided to join in. I can't get cell service here so might as well use the phone for something. Others can get service but the plan I have with Roam Mobility has lots of gaps in its service area.

The view is everything I had hoped for. The scope of the GC is simply overwhelming.

The official lookout spots have railings but for the most part you can just walk out to the edge and look down a 3000 foot sheer drop off. Many people were much more daring than us. Hanging off the edge or climbing down to get to a point just a little farther out. I was about 4 feet from the edge which was lots close enough, thank you very much. (If you look closely you can see my knees shaking)

We decided to head back to the trailer for lunch and a bit of a rest and then headed back to take in the sunset. The park is open 24 hours and they have shuttle buses running all along the south rim from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset.

These shots were taken at sunset. The colours are more muted but the shadows make for an erie effect.