TUESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2024

(Grand Canyon, AZ)

Woke up. Excited. We’re at the Grand Canyon!!!

Andrew was still asleep, but I opened the curtains so I could see the pine trees outside. After a while Andrew stirred, I made coffee, and we forged plans for the day. The first plan was breakfast, which we had at Maswik Lodge. On previous trips, the only reasonable breakfast for a veggie like me was oatmeal. But it turned out they have revamped the menu and I was spoilt for choice! Hurrah! Omelette with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and onions, and potatoes, then. On our way back from breakfast it was nearly time for the train to arrive, so ‘nearly’, that I had to run to the railway line to video it. Someone near the front of the train waved at us, we waved back. The others in the train saw us waving and waved back…and so it was that we waved to almost everyone on the train. 

Back in the room we got our packs ready and then headed to the shuttle stop for the bus to Hermit’s Rest. Once there, however, there was a long queue of people, and we doubted that we’d even get on the first shuttle. A crowded bus wasn’t on my agenda. A change of plan, then. Instead of bussing to the far end and walking back, we’d start walking from this end and bus back. And so we did. As we climbed the first section to Trail View Overlook we could see works going on along Plateau Point Trail, to replace the trans canyon pipeline that brings water to the South Rim.

After that it was mostly about the view as we made our way along the rim. The route meanders through pine, Douglas fir, juniper, oak and a variety of other plants that I can’t name. I was quite taken by the furry seeds of the Stansbury’s Cliffrose (at least, that’s what I think it is). The sun was mostly behind hazy cloud, but the cloud got a bit thicker, the wind a bit stronger, and the overall feel quite a bit colder as the day went on. 

I think I saw a canyon blue jay, but it was silhouetted the sun, so I was guessing from its shape rather than its colour. And squirrels. We saw several, fast moving squirrels. No deer or elk today.

After around 4.7 miles we found a rock to sit on and eat a snack bar whilst admiring the view of Monument Creek, deep in ‘the abyss’. 

At Monument Creek vista we decided to skip the next section of trail. Whilst a lot of the trail up to that point is unsurfaced, and close to the edge (which makes it interesting and scenic) the next section to Pima Point is hard surfaced as part of the Greenway (suitable for bikes) and winds through woods away from the rim views. Given it is 1.8 miles long, and the least interesting section of the whole Rim Trail, we instead hopped on a shuttle bus that arrived just after we’d got to the bus stop. We got off at Pima Point and walked the last (surfaced) mile to Hermit’s Rest. 

We went into the gift shop, intending to get a hot chocolate, but there was a lengthy queue, so instead we took the 30 minute  shuttle bus ride back to the village. After staggering to our lodge, and having coffee, crisps and cookies, we rested and showered. Sufficiently reinvigorated,  we took the walk to the main building for dinner (another third of a mile round trip in case you were wondering). 

Tonight we went to the Pizza Pub, where they were also doing a pub quiz tonight. We didn’t taken part formally, which is probably just as well, although we did pretty well at science and maths, ok on film, pretty good on the US constitution, but were rather dodgy on music and popular culture. 

Then it was a case of heading back to the room for some relaxing and blogging  while watching the US election news start to come in… (the clouds are not cooperating tonight for further photographic endeavours…maybe tomorrow). 

[Editor’s note: there is a video, but that will need to wait for wifi to upload it…]