WEDNESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2025

(Grand Canyon Village, AZ)

I woke up in the night very cold. I’ve wasn’t sure what the thermometer was set at, but it felt cold. It was the sort of cold that meant I was unwilling to get out of the bed to do anything about it. I snuggled in further and went back to sheep after a while.

In the morning we realised that the setting was on ‘cool’ meaning the temperature would not go above our target, rather than the ‘heat’ setting required to have that as a minimum. It was by now in the fifties. I sorted that out, made coffee and went out to drink it on the balcony, of course. It was six degrees outside, beautiful, calm and peaceful. 

We went over to the lodge for breakfast, which is not generally an inspiring occasion for us veggies, but I was look forward to my oatmeal. There was a long queue at the counter that serves it (it does other things too, I’m not suggesting that the oatmeal is super popular), so I considered getting an omelette at the normal ‘cooked breakfast’ counter, where Andrew was headed. But then…I was tempted by the avocado toast, and a bowl of yoghurt, muesli and fruit. It not only all looked good, it tasted great. 

We got ready. Slowly. I couldn’t work out how we were so slow, given we’re usually much better at it by this point in the trip. And then I heard it. The train! It hooted and rumbled its way past our balcony, the train guard standing on the rear platform.

We made our way to the start of the Hermit Road and took the shuttle all the way to the end on the line at Hermit’s Rest, where we started hiking back. We ambled along, and did about half of this section of rim trail, just over 4 miles. The views speak for themselves…

The whole time there were helicopters taking loads into the canyon. We suspected, and the bus driver confirmed, that they were taking supplies down as part of the Trans Canyon pipeline project, replacing three miles of water pipes, along with a similar length of electricity cable, and a new water treatment plant at Phantom Ranch. We also had a fly past by a (suspected) F18, probably out of Nellie AFB in Las Vegas. In between this, the canyon was very quiet…! We didn’t see that many people (except at the shuttle stops). We did pass and repass one other couple, also hiking the rim trail as a ‘rest day’…

We got the bus back to the village, although this meant taking a bus two stops in the wrong direction first, as they don’t so everywhere in both directions. We sat out on our balcony for beer, and nutritional snacks, and relaxed while wondering if the sun would appear from behind the clouds in time for sunset. It sort of did. With fifteen minutes to go, it peaked out, a thin golden line between the trees, although by that time it is unlikely it would have been casting any light into the canyon itself. 

We had dinner in the pizza pub. This has substantially more atmosphere than the food court, and we haven’t had pizza for nearly a week (for those keeping count…). Last time was in Grand Junction, and that seems a very long time ago. We’ll work it off tomorrow, I’m sure.

P.S. I think the ‘mouse’ at Canyonlands may not have been a mouse, but a kangaroo rat (which isn’t actually a rat, either). My hesitation is because they are nocturnal, so it would be unusual to see one in the afternoon, but it would fit the situation.

P.P.S. No major wildlife today, except the birds, which were possibly yellow-rumped warblers.