The Grand Canyon

Thursday May 3

The Grand Canyon is about 80 miles from Flagstaff and I head off about 10:00AM on highway 180 which goes through the Kaibab National Forest. Most of the trees appear to be a variety of pine which tends to give the air a crisp and fragrant ambiance. It was a most welcome change to be shielded from the wind after the battles I have experienced the last few days.

Kaibab National Forest

The route along highway 180 reached a maximum elevation of just over 8000 feet. The temperature varied with the elevation and ranged from mid 70s to low 60s. It's hard to dress for these elevation changes. There are multiple open plains along the route where my old friend the wind was again a factor to contend with.

Where's the Trees?

Upon arriving at the park, I set up camp and proceeded to relax a bit before the big event of seeing the canyon for the first time. It's only taken a bit over one half century to get to this point... No reason to hurry.

Rustic Hotel

After indulging myself with a refreshing cool drink and a little down time, I secure the camp site and proceed to find the canyon. You would think it should be obvious, but the rim is shielded with trees and I have to ask for directions a couple of times before arriving at the destination.

Behold!

I hiked the rim trail for a mile or so and then started back for my original ingress path to the rim. Before leaving, I wait for the sunset to snap a few pictures.

It was dark when I finally found my camp site. There's several branches in the road close to my site so it took me a couple of passes before arriving a bit weary and depleted. It would have been nice if I had some firewood because the temperature had dropped to the point of discomfort. There's no wood to gather from the site (it's also against the rules) and a firewood bundle from the store doesn't fit on a motorcycle. Fortunately, I had the good fortune to meet my campsite neighbors earlier in the day and they were most gracious to invite me over to share their fire.

Max and Serenity are a couple originally from California who have lived in Louisiana for the past few years. They were on their way back to California taking the slow and adventurous path of camping and seeing the sights. We had an enjoyable evening chatting and having a beverage or two. They left the next morning. Good luck to you both.

Serenity and Max

A long and enjoyable day has come to an end. Time to spend my first night in the tent.

Friday May 4

My sleeping pad isn't as comfortable as I remembered. Add to that temperatures in the 30s and it makes for a less than enjoyable night's rest. Maybe I'm just out of practice.

Decided to stay an extra day and do a little hiking. The Bright Angel trail descends into the canyon very steeply using multiple switchbacks. I didn't hike all the way to the "bottom" and stopped at the facilities rest point. Hiking to the river is a two day excursion requiring camping overnight. The path itself is not that steep, but there are several spots along the trail with sheer cliffs that one must be careful to avoid going over.

Don't Get Too Close

The hike down was not a problem, but the trek back up was a different story. I was so glad when reaching the top. My calves are still sore.

That's a Long Way Back Up

Cell coverage in the park is spotty at best and my camp site is primitive with no electricity. Normally, my phone is plugged into the power of the bike when on the road so this two-day extended stop completely depleted my battery. My solution was to exit the park and visit the local Wendy's for supper and a charge. While there, I called home to report all my adventures.

I spent the rest of the day experiencing the shower and laundromat facilities at the park. A shower is $2.00 for eight minutes of running water and the washer/dryer tab was about $5.00. I was completely out of clean clothes so this was a must.

Time to turn in. I'm dressing a little warmer tonight.

Photos:  https://plus.google.com/photos/117227791501639555776/albums/5740066628348914545?authkey=CLz-lKjro_P9xwE