So, we survived our sleepless sleepover in Fredonia, and headed out early for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Today is a sad day, as it marks the first day I've ever seen a cow as roadkill. Poor cow! :'-( After leaving Fredonia, one of the first things you drive through is the Kaibab National Forest (apparently, we've just traded Dixie for Kaibab), and apparently cattle graze in the forests...? Every forest we drive through, there are always warning signs to watch for cattle.
It's a pretty long drive into the park, and it's mostly forests and meadows. The open meadows are lovely - there were bison grazing in one! - but it makes me kind of sad that every meadow has to have a sign saying "Do Not Drive Across Meadows." What kind of people are you, anyway? That's what roads are for! Meadows are for flowers and happy animals. (But I guess the fat-tire brigade of ATV owners would disagree with me. Nevertheless, the states of Arizona and Utah agree with me. Neener neener.)
Our National Park Pass ($80) has been paying off. The entrance fees have been $25 for Grand Canyon, $25 for Bryce, $25 for Zion, $10 for Arches, $10 for Canyonlands, $10 for Craters, and we've got several more national parks to go. Whoo hoo! I love you, Park pass.
When we arrived at the North Rim, the temperature was a surprisingly cool 13C, and a windy and an intermittently cloudy day. Again, this is perfect for hiking (in our opinion,anyway. I think the couple from Phoenix found it a bit chilly). As for the Grand Canyon, spectacular views go without saying, right? Even so, Bright Angel Point offers a great view, and minimal trail (the drop-offs are amazing). The Trans-Sept trail is another trail that creeps right along the side of the canyon with fenced overlooks.
As our last "good" meal was back in Hanksville, we've been hungry for a while. (It's not that we haven't eaten, we just haven't eaten well.) So we had breakfast at the Grand Canyon Lodge. It's a very high-ceilinged room, lodge style with timber construction, and big big windows overlooking the canyon, of course. Both Stephen and I thought it would be fun to see a thunderstorm from there.
Oh, by the way, there are warning signs about lightning storms around the rim. Noting that "if you smell ozone and your hair starts to stand up, move away from the edge and back into the trees." Duh. I think I'll stand here and hold onto this metal guardrail and try to get a picture of lightning - what could go wrong?
Aside from the trails near the Grand Canyon Lodge, there is also a scenic drive that runs through the park. Point Imperial is the highest point on the Grand Canyon (north or south rim). Angels Window is another great lookout point, but it's also pretty neat to see from far away, as the whole lookout is perched on a spur of rock that has a "window" hole in it. Very, very windy at Angels Window. I was a bit afraid my sunglasses might actually be blown off my face. The last point we went to was Cape Royal.
On the way back, we hiked the Cliff Springs trail. Nice scenic hike, but going back uphill is definitely the killer. Always a good idea to have hiking boots on, and always a good idea to have water with you. You'll regret the flip-flops and the pop, mark my words, people.
The really nice thing about the North Rim? There's other people, but not hordes of other people. It's a pleasant change.
Anyway, next on the agenda was supposed to be Toroweap Point. This is a remote point on the Grand Canyon, with a view of the Colorado River and something like a straight 3000 foot vertical dropoff. I've been iffy about this part of the trip for a while, but Stephen was quite gung-ho on the idea. The road to Toroweap is a 60-mile crap road, or what they call "primitive" roads here. Travel guides always advise you to ask about the condition of the road, as it isn't maintained. When you do ask about it, the rangers stare at you, as if trying to memorize your face so that they can identify your dead body later. And then they hand you a brochure:
It's actually not one single thing that's worrisome - it's the combination of many things. Supplies, car, road, weather. It's been rainy around here lately; the locals all say it's "monsoon season" right now. So, of course, I'm thinking, what if we go out to Toroweap - say that we actually make it there without losing a tire - and then it rains, and then the roads are washed out and we can't get out?! =:-O
Anyway, it's also Stephen's vehicle, and he admitted to being nervous about the trip as well, and it seems risky. So... no Toroweap. (Whew.) I'm sure the view would have been spectacular, but, to be honest, if it's as windy there as it is here at the North Rim, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that edge anyway.
So, instead of venturing into unpaved roads into danger, we're going to follow the paved roads into Flagstaff. "Yay!" for that. And "Boo!" for the fact that now, it means I really only did visit the road out of Zion, because we're now heading in the opposite direction. :-/ You win some, you lose some.
The scenic route to Flagstaff took us past the Vermilion Cliffs, which are (as you'd expect) red, with lovely green meadows. We could actually see some of this scenery from afar on the North Rim, so it's neat to be driving through it. There's also a fancy Navajo bridge over the Colorado River, with a twin pedestrian bridge alongside it. This is where all the tourists stop their cars, get out and walk halfway back over the pedestrian bridge to take a picture. :-)
In Flagstaff, we found ourselves an EconoLodge that costs twice as much as our motel in Fredonia, but I feel 14 times safer already. Whew! And, Internet, you came back! I missed you so much.
Today is a sad day, as it marks the first day I've ever seen a cow as roadkill. Poor cow! :'-( After leaving Fredonia, one of the first things you drive through is the Kaibab National Forest (apparently, we've just traded Dixie for Kaibab), and apparently cattle graze in the forests...? Every forest we drive through, there are always warning signs to watch for cattle.
It's a pretty long drive into the park, and it's mostly forests and meadows. The open meadows are lovely - there were bison grazing in one! - but it makes me kind of sad that every meadow has to have a sign saying "Do Not Drive Across Meadows." What kind of people are you, anyway? That's what roads are for! Meadows are for flowers and happy animals. (But I guess the fat-tire brigade of ATV owners would disagree with me. Nevertheless, the states of Arizona and Utah agree with me. Neener neener.)
Our National Park Pass ($80) has been paying off. The entrance fees have been $25 for Grand Canyon, $25 for Bryce, $25 for Zion, $10 for Arches, $10 for Canyonlands, $10 for Craters, and we've got several more national parks to go. Whoo hoo! I love you, Park pass.
As our last "good" meal was back in Hanksville, we've been hungry for a while. (It's not that we haven't eaten, we just haven't eaten well.) So we had breakfast at the Grand Canyon Lodge. It's a very high-ceilinged room, lodge style with timber construction, and big big windows overlooking the canyon, of course. Both Stephen and I thought it would be fun to see a thunderstorm from there.
Oh, by the way, there are warning signs about lightning storms around the rim. Noting that "if you smell ozone and your hair starts to stand up, move away from the edge and back into the trees." Duh. I think I'll stand here and hold onto this metal guardrail and try to get a picture of lightning - what could go wrong?
Aside from the trails near the Grand Canyon Lodge, there is also a scenic drive that runs through the park. Point Imperial is the highest point on the Grand Canyon (north or south rim). Angels Window is another great lookout point, but it's also pretty neat to see from far away, as the whole lookout is perched on a spur of rock that has a "window" hole in it. Very, very windy at Angels Window. I was a bit afraid my sunglasses might actually be blown off my face. The last point we went to was Cape Royal.
On the way back, we hiked the Cliff Springs trail. Nice scenic hike, but going back uphill is definitely the killer. Always a good idea to have hiking boots on, and always a good idea to have water with you. You'll regret the flip-flops and the pop, mark my words, people.
The really nice thing about the North Rim? There's other people, but not hordes of other people. It's a pleasant change.
Anyway, next on the agenda was supposed to be Toroweap Point. This is a remote point on the Grand Canyon, with a view of the Colorado River and something like a straight 3000 foot vertical dropoff. I've been iffy about this part of the trip for a while, but Stephen was quite gung-ho on the idea. The road to Toroweap is a 60-mile crap road, or what they call "primitive" roads here. Travel guides always advise you to ask about the condition of the road, as it isn't maintained. When you do ask about it, the rangers stare at you, as if trying to memorize your face so that they can identify your dead body later. And then they hand you a brochure:
- 25% of vehicles get a flat while driving into Toroweap.
- Translation: Do ya feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?
- Navigational skills are required for the four hikes at Toroweap.
- Translation: You will get lost.
- If you get in trouble, self-rescue is your only option.
- Translation: You will get lost and die, and no one will find your mouldering corpse.
- Have enough food and water for several days.
- Translation: You will starve and/or dehydrate and die.
- Have spare parts for your vehicle and know how to fix it.
- Translation: We're not coming to save you.
It's actually not one single thing that's worrisome - it's the combination of many things. Supplies, car, road, weather. It's been rainy around here lately; the locals all say it's "monsoon season" right now. So, of course, I'm thinking, what if we go out to Toroweap - say that we actually make it there without losing a tire - and then it rains, and then the roads are washed out and we can't get out?! =:-O
Anyway, it's also Stephen's vehicle, and he admitted to being nervous about the trip as well, and it seems risky. So... no Toroweap. (Whew.) I'm sure the view would have been spectacular, but, to be honest, if it's as windy there as it is here at the North Rim, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that edge anyway.
So, instead of venturing into unpaved roads into danger, we're going to follow the paved roads into Flagstaff. "Yay!" for that. And "Boo!" for the fact that now, it means I really only did visit the road out of Zion, because we're now heading in the opposite direction. :-/ You win some, you lose some.
The scenic route to Flagstaff took us past the Vermilion Cliffs, which are (as you'd expect) red, with lovely green meadows. We could actually see some of this scenery from afar on the North Rim, so it's neat to be driving through it. There's also a fancy Navajo bridge over the Colorado River, with a twin pedestrian bridge alongside it. This is where all the tourists stop their cars, get out and walk halfway back over the pedestrian bridge to take a picture. :-)
In Flagstaff, we found ourselves an EconoLodge that costs twice as much as our motel in Fredonia, but I feel 14 times safer already. Whew! And, Internet, you came back! I missed you so much.
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