Week 271 - Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim - 10-23-2011

Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim

Leaving St. George, Utah, we headed to the Grand Canyon National Park. In March of 2008 we met our daughter Melissa, who was on a road trip to Texas, at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The North Rim is very remote and much less developed. It is also in the thick of the forest and the views are harder to get to, but well worth it.

The road to the canyon is AZ-67 and is a 48 mile spur off of the US-89 Alternate. It is the only way to and from the North Rim campground. From the campground you can take a car trip to Point Imperial and Cape Royal.

Walk the 1.2 mile hike from the campground to the Grand Lodge and you get these views. The plateau in the background is the South Rim.

Due to the distance and moisture in the air, your photos will appear in layers going from clear to subdued to faded.

The variety of rocks, terrain and vegetation can be stunning.

This hike provided natural framing for many of the photos.

Somewhere down in that "deep hole" is the Colorado River.

Our good friends Gordon and Karen met us "at the Rim". And they drove us to Point Imperial and on to Cape Royal. The best views of the canyon are only available on these roads.

The North Rim has more pinnacles and unique formations than the South Rim.

The river is quite a distance from the rim and you don't get many looks at it. But God poked a nice hole, "Angel's Window", in this rock so we could get a glimpse of the Colorado.

In the background the meandering and rushing Colorado appears serene and silent to us.

Perhaps this rock formation was an inspiration for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

The rim is full of rock "fins" and balancing boulders.

After a nice road trip, Gordon and Pete relax and warm up by the fire just before sunset.

Leaving the canyon and heading toward Phoenix, you get to cross the Navajo Bridge(s) at Marble Canyon. The original bridge, on the right, was built in 1929. At 834 foot in length and only 18 feet in width, it is now a walking bridge and offers great views of the canyon and river (see next photo). The driving bridge on the left was built in 1995. It is slightly longer at 909 feet, but it's width of 44 feet is easily negotiable. With motorhomes and trucks at 8 1/2 feet wide, the old bridge left only 12 inches between passing big rigs!

1) This is the Colorado as seen from the walking bridge. 2) As we left the bridge we drove this lumpy road on our way to Surprise, Arizona where we will play "one more game". Shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell Mandy.

Until next week, love, Pete, Ellen and Mandy.

What? Do they think I don't know what "one more game" means. PICKLEBALL!!!!!! Sorry for yelling.

I enjoyed the walking bridge too, you know, but did they tell you that? What am I, chopped liver?

Photos from Oct 2011