Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is unbelievable. The thought that it most brings to mind for me is that the earth is incredibly old. And that people are incredibly insignificant. Another amazing thing is how quiet and still it is. The Colorado River is not that wide and has never been any wider. Most of the canyon was created by rock being undercut and collapsing. So the quiet seems in contrast in some weird way.




We walked almost two miles of the Rim Trail. It runs right along the rim and people have complete access to the canyon. There are lots of flat places right off the trail that call you to walk right to the edge. It was a beautifully clear day and we could see the other side clearly except that it is 10 to 14 miles away.



The biggest surprise and disappointment is that you cannot see the river except in small glimpses. The first sighting for us is that triangle right in the middle of the picture to the left.







Here is the same picture - just an enlargement of the the middle of it and you can see the water in blue.





We are spending the night in El Tovar. It was opened in 1905 and has a feel from another time to it. It was built by the railroad; the deal was to ride the train out here and stay in the luxury hotel. Must have been only for the privileged few. Dinner was lovely and elegant.



We are beat. It was a great day.The weather could not have been more perfect. There were no crowds. This may be the best time of year to see Grand Canyon. Here is the tree picture.