Early on the morning of Thursday, June 9, thirteen Arizona Trailblazers in six vehicles meet at our usual north-bound meeting location at I-17 & Bell Road to start our long caravan to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Meanwhile, seven more vehicles with seventeen additional Trailblazers are heading out on their own schedule with different arrival times at the North Rim. We’re also meeting one additional person driving her own vehicle at the MacDonald’s/Safeway location on Highway 89 in Flagstaff. Altogether, we have a total of 31 people in 14 vehicles heading for the North Rim, the largest car camping trip I’ve ever organized in the 18 years I’ve been putting these trips together, first for our predecessor, the Motorola Hiking Club, and then for the Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club.

The plan is to drive north on I-17 to the I-40 East exit just south of Flagstaff, then exit I-40 at Country Club Road which eventually becomes Highway 89. We’ll continue driving on Highway 89 for another hour to Cameron on the Little Colorado River, where we’ll take a lunch break at the historic Cameron Trading Post. Then we continue driving north to the Bitter Springs Junction, where we connect with Highway 89A, cross the Colorado River on the Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon, and continue driving west along the southern boundary of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Continue on 89A to Jacob Lake, where we start heading due south on State Route 67 to the North Rim Entrance Station and finally the North Rim Campground, our home away from home for six days and five nights. Total driving distance will be about 300 miles each way.

But a last-minute ADOT notice outlining construction work on I-17 just south of McGuireville, which would narrow traffic down to a single lane for two miles south of town, almost changes our route plan. Michael suggests an alternate route on State Route 87 through Payson to the town of Clints Well and continuing to Flagstaff on Lake Mary Road. However, Kim Z. informs me about a newspaper article she just read, talking about tree removal along 29 miles of Highway 87 north of Payson and yet more lane restrictions through that area. Then, as if to add insult to injury, smoke from three active forest fires—the Jack Fire east of Happy Jack, the Mormon Fire west of Mormon Mountain, and the Pivot Rock Fire—could all potentially contribute to reduce visibility along Lake Mary Road.

After some discussion, the general consensus is to stick with our original plans for taking I-17 north to Flagstaff. Karen, riding her new Harley Davidson Softail Classic to the North Rim, is the first person to head out on Thursday morning and will keep me updated on traffic and road conditions through the McGuireville area. Less than an hour from our departure from Bell Road, Karen calls to inform me there is no construction work at all and traffic is moving along normally. So here we are worried for nothing. Either ADOT crews never started the project or they finished earlier than expected. Either way, it’s certainly good news for us.

Around 11:30 we finally arrive for lunch at the historic Cameron Trading Post, which celebrated its centennial anniversary during our 2011 trip to the North Rim as one of the oldest surviving trading posts in Arizona. The small community of Cameron sits on the south side of the picturesque Little Colorado River Gorge on the Navajo Reservation and marks the location of the first bridge to span the river back in 1911. The trading post was built in the same year on the west side of the bridge and the community of Cameron, founded in 1916, gradually built up around the post. Next stop: Marble Canyon and the Colorado River.

In the large open meadows adjacent to Highway 67 we come across this large herd of bison, including 20 or more small calves, peacefully grazing near the road. The current herd of hybrid bison within the park, or beefalo as they’re commonly referred to, is the result of experimental crossbreeding of buffalo and cattle on the Kaibab Plateau back in 1906 by one Charles “Buffalo” Jones. Although the original experiments were a failure, they were successful in later years and resulted in a hybrid breed of bison that has been thriving for decades in House Rock Valley to the northeast of the park’s northern boundary.

After finally hitting that 2.5 mile mark near the center point of the head of Transept Canyon and the best vantage point, we stop to admire the view, take lots of pictures and then a short rest break before continuing on. The trail continues running along the canyon rim for almost another mile, before beginning to veer completely away from the canyon and heading due south through heavy forest as it heads directly for Widforss Point. But from time to time we’re still able to walk out to several additional viewing points for different views into the canyon. After about 3.5 miles though, the trail veers far away from the rim.

After another mile and a half of hiking under heavy forest cover, the trail finally breaks out into a clearing up ahead, where most of our hikers are enjoying the view and a lunch break. We can see Widforss Point from here, but the trail doesn’t actually go there since it’s another 0.5 miles to the southeast as the crow flies. Even though we can’t get to the point itself, the views from here are absolutely spectacular, looking down into Haunted Canyon and Phantom Creek off in the distance and taking in sweeping canyon views of Osiris Temple, Isis Temple, Cheops Pyramid, and Buddha Temple. This is truly an Arizona Highways moment. After lunch, we all pack up and start the long five-mile trek back to the trailhead.

After we all arrive back at the campground from the Widforss Trail hike and get cleaned up, we waste no time in making preparations for the Great Friday Night North Rim Potluck Extravaganza. This evening’s rather expansive menu includes quite an eclectic assortment of appetizing dishes, ranging from chicken enchilada casserole and marinated grilled chicken breasts, to grilled beefsteak and mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, two-alarm chili, four-bean salad, chicken pasta salad, curry rice, fried rice, cold spaghetti salad, cucumber salad, veggie pasta salad, mac ’n cheese with little smokies, and lots of chips and dips. There was also supposed to be a very special entree of boiled rattlesnake from Rudy, but the snake apparently wasn’t interested in being on the menu and slithered away during the night, bound for parts unknown. Yikes! Was that what I heard late last night moving around in my tent? And all this time I thought it was a large mouse.

Dessert items include several varieties of home-made cookies, brownies, and lots of fresh fruit including watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapples, and strawberries. All this washed down by water, iced tea, soda, beer, wine, and even Rudy’s famous apple pie moonshine (this is not true moonshine as we normally think of it, like bathtub gin or hooch made in someone’s backyard still, but instead a brand name of off-the-shelf bourbon that comes in various other flavors, including peach and pear. It’s got a bit of a kick to it, but it does go down rather smoothly). Oops, that’s actually for sipping later while sitting around the campfire or, if absolutely necessary, to help start the campfire. In fact, it’s even been pressed into action on at least one occasion as a gasoline additive like STP to help start a balky vehicle engine. It also works quite well as paint remover. This stuff is amazingly versatile, quite literally the duct tape of beverages.

Saturday morning on the North Rim, and we’ve divided up into three separate groups. One group of 11 hikers, led my Michael, will be doing an "A" hike down the North Kaibab Trail to Roaring Springs and back. This venture will take most of the day and will involve nearly 10 miles of hiking and descending 3,050 feet into the Grand Canyon to Roaring Springs, turning around, and then regaining that same 3,050 back to the trailhead. A very tough and demanding hike by any standards, but also a terrific opportunity to see the Grand Canyon below the Rim for those who have never done so before.

A second group of 11 hikers, led by me, will be doing the much easier Uncle Jim Trail, a moderate 5-mile cherry stem loop trail through the forest with terrific views of both Bright Angel Canyon and Roaring Springs Canyon where our other hikers will be. And if we’re lucky, we may even see them descending the tight series of switchbacks as they carefully make their way down the upper section of the North Kaibab Trail. Their goal is Roaring Springs, five miles down the trail, but the trail descends for a total of 14.2 miles all the way down to the Colorado River flowing at the bottom of the canyon.

Meanwhile, our other 9 hikers are remaining behind to create their own itinerary for the day. Some may just hang around the campground or go for a short hike on the Transept Trail or Bridle Path Trail to the Lodge or take the scenic trail out to the end of Bright Angel Point just south of the Lodge. Some may choose to take the scenic drive out to Point Imperial or Cape Royal.

The North Kaibab Trailhead and the Ken Patrick Trailhead both share a common parking area. Today we’ll hike the Ken Patrick Trail for almost a mile before finally linking up with the Uncle Jim Loop Trail. The Ken Patrick Trail continues for another 9 miles all the way out to Point Imperial, but we’ll have to consider that one for another day and another trip. The Uncle Jim Trail was named in honor of James T. “Uncle Jim” Owens who served for 12 years, beginning in 1906, as head game warden on the Kaibab Plateau’s Grand Canyon Game Reserve.

During that period game management practices called for the complete elimination of predatory species such as wolves and mountain lions, primarily to increase the herd sizes of both deer and elk for the hunters. In this context, “game management” is a bit of an oxymoron, since “management” for wolves, mountain lions, and other predators is simply a euphemism for extermination. Unfortunately, despite everything we’ve learned about these apex predators over the decades and the critical roles they play in maintaining a healthy and diverse ecosystem, that perverse way of thinking still prevails today among a surprising number of people.

The views are even more spectacular as we continue making our way south, eventually culminating in this magnificent scene at Uncle Jim Point.

From our 8,300 foot vantage point on the edge of the North Rim we are treated to unparalleled views of the confluence of Roaring Springs Canyon and Bright Angel Canyon, Brahma and Zoroaster temples, the South Rim, and even beyond to the snowcapped San Francisco Peaks, Kendrick Peak, and Bill Williams Mountain just visible on the far horizon.

John used Adobe Lightroom to create this interesting picture. He used a Dehaze filter at maximum and then tweaked the exposure and colors to compensate:

Combining a bit of digital slight of hand with a considerable degree of skill in Photoshop, John used a series of layers, stacking several images with various filters, to produce this final composition, which originated as an injured and exhausted Swallow Tail butterfly resting in the palm of his hand.

“Long before we came close, I saw the space. A huge, cleaving space that the photographs and paintings had done nothing to prepare me for. An impossible, breath-taking gap in the face of the earth. And up from this void shone a soft, luminous light. We came to the lip of the Rim. And there, defeating my senses, was the depth. The depth and the distances. Cliffs and buttes and hanging terraces, all sculptured on a scale beyond anything I had ever imagined. Colors neither red nor white nor pink nor purple but a fusion. And stamped across everything, the master pattern.

Even before I had accepted what I saw, I heard the silence; felt it, like something solid, face to face. A silence in which the squawk of a blue jay was sacrilege. A silence so profound that the whole colossal chaos of rock and space and color seemed to have sunk beneath it and to lie there cut off, timeless. I looked at its huge, alternating bands of cliff and hanging terrace that reach down, repeating but never repetitious, from Rim almost to river. I looked east and west, as far as my eyes could strain, until cliff and terrace tapered away into hazy distances. It was mysterious and terrible — and beckoning.”

Colin Fletcher, The Man Who Walked Through Time. In 1963 Fletcher became the first man to walk the entire 200-mile length of the Grand Canyon, below the Rim. His was a remarkable and perilous two-month journey of almost insurmountable hardships and physical challenges, doing what no man had ever done before as he struggled against draining fatigue, extreme heat and cold, dwindling supplies, water shortages, almost impassable terrain, and the raw power of the Colorado River in the days before Glen Canyon Dam.

Barry, Megan, Kim B., and Kim Z. had all signed up earlier for a Sunday morning mule ride down the North Kaibab Trail to the Supai Tunnel. My original plan for the rest of the group on Sunday morning was to revisit Point Sublime, which we saw on our 2013 North Rim trip. Following is a picture of Point Sublime from that trip. Although one of the most spectacular points on the North Rim, it’s a long 36-mile round-trip drive over rough stretches of bladder-busting Forest Service roads to reach the point. And once there, the first order of business is to head for the nearest trees for instant relief from the road, then look around and take in the view, take lots of pictures, maybe even get a quick bite to eat, and then turn around and bounce and jostle for another 18 miles back to the main road.

While we’re all sitting around the Saturday evening campfire, spinning tall tales and passing around Rudy’s apple pie moonshine, Michael begins talking about an area on the Rim that he visited several years earlier called Indian Hollow Point, which is also the jumping off point for Deer Creek Trail and Thunder River Trail, both iconic Grand Canyon trails that he and several others hiked back then. This starts to sound so intriguing that I ask Michael to describe the trip to the rest of the group. After hearing the full details and getting some input from the others, I decide to shelve the Point Sublime trip and substitute this new adventure since we’ll be seeing a lot more of the canyon than we would by just driving out to Point Sublime – basically getting more bang for our buck so to speak. So that’s our new plan for Sunday. Then after returning from the long drive, we’ll head over to the North Rim Lodge for their famous all-you-can-eat Sunday buffet luncheon.

Sunday morning dawns bright and clear, another beautiful day on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. After breakfast our four mule riders head over to rendezvous with their mules, while 18 of us pile into four vehicles as we follow Michael out to Indian Hollow Point and parts unknown for a day of adventure and thrill-seeking. After 23 miles of kidney-jarring and bladder-busting jostling over more rough Forest Service roads, we finally reach Timp Point, one of the five major lookout points on the 18-mile long Rainbow Rim Trail that we had actually visited on our 2013 North Rim trip. It’s going to make for an interesting conversation tonight sitting around the campfire, as we compare notes to determine whose rumps are more sore from the days activities – ours or the mule riders.

The Rainbow Rim Trail was featured as the “Hike of the Month” in the June, 2013 issue of Arizona Highways magazine. Quoting from the magazine: “The views from this remote trail are priceless and they’re unlike anything you’ll see in the national park or on postcards or in coffee-table books featuring photos of the most beautiful places on Earth.” Descriptions like this are certainly enough to get any hiker’s juices flowing. We make a quick visit to Timp Point, just around the bend from the Rainbow Rim Trail sign, take a few pictures for posterity, and then pile back into our vehicles for the shorter drive out to Indian Hollow Point.

As mentioned earlier, Indian Hollow Point is a trailhead junction for both the Deer Creek Trail and the Thunder River Trail, among others, and sits 850 feet above the vast Esplanade Platform. The Esplanade Platform is a mammoth sandstone shelf or broad terrace about 20 miles in length that sits roughly a quarter of the way down in the Grand Canyon, about 1,500 feet above the Colorado River, and is essentially a canyon within a canyon. After many decades of disagreement, geologists are still uncertain of its exact origins, and a number of different theories prevail to this day. The Esplanade Platform has a counterpart in the form of the much larger Tonto Platform below the South Rim which runs for 95 miles between two major side canyons – Red Canyon on the east end and Garnet Canyon on the west end. The Tonto Trail runs along this platform for its entire length and is by far the longest trail within the Grand Canyon trail system.

After we leave Indian Hollow Point, our next stop is Crazy Jug Point. No, I don’t know how it got such a crazy name, but it is kinda catchy, isn’t it? I believe Michael originally had one additional stop in mind, but due to time constraints we turn this long caravan around and head straight back for the barn after leaving Crazy Jug. We’re rolling and bouncing along until we come to this extremely muddy, water-filled stretch of road that we somehow managed to navigate without problems on the way in earlier today. But can we make it through once again without problems? The mud seems even thicker and deeper than it was earlier, if that’s possible. In fact, right now it looks almost bad enough to trap a small herd of elephants. But we don’t expect to see any elephants on the North Rim today.

Apparently old Murphy (as in Murphy’s Law) has something else in store for us today as we attempt to make passage back through the quagmire. Michael and Rudy both manage to make it through OK, but Yanis and Vanessa fall victim to Old Man Murphy as their trusty Toyota Highlander becomes hopelessly mired in the muck, its wheels spinning frantically, trying to break free. Well, this is a fine kettle of fish. So what to do now? Call AAA? Hardly. Dial 911? Not a chance. When you’re driving the rugged and isolated back country of the North Rim, you have to resort to your own wits and ingenuity in situations like this because there’s probably not going to be anyone else around to help you. Another good reason to caravan in a group of vehicles whenever exploring in places like this.

I can’t even remember how many times I’ve visited the Grand Canyon, both North Rim and South Rim, over the last 40+ years. But every time I come back to this place it’s almost like seeing it all over again for the very first time. The anticipation, the excitement, and the short adrenaline rush are all still there after all these years and decades and never seem to diminish. Most of my time at the canyon is spent on one of the two rims, but I’ve also been fortunate enough over the years to do six multi-day backpacking trips all the way down to the bottom of the canyon and the Colorado River where we typically stay for three or four nights, depending on whether we go in from the South Rim (3 nights) or the North Rim (4 nights). The Grand Canyon below the rim is another world into itself, and if you want to truly understand and appreciate this canyon and absorb the full experience with every single one of your senses, you need to spend several days and nights on the bottom of this very unique and special place that the National Park Service itself describes as “The crown jewel of America’s natural treasures.”

To most casual observers the Grand Canyon never seems to change and in fact, geologically speaking, it doesn’t change to any extent that we can perceive during our relatively short time on this earth, mere seconds on the virtually incomprehensible scale of geological time. But if you take the time to stick around long enough and really study the canyon, you can begin to appreciate it more and actually notice very subtle changes taking place — minute by minute and hour by hour — something as basic as clouds. The passage of clouds, particularly large cumulus clouds, creates a constantly changing pattern of shadows throughout the canyon.

And when weather conditions are just right, the entire canyon can fill with a thick layer of clouds, allowing only the tallest formations to poke through.

Looking deep into the Inner Gorge, with its endless array of temples, buttes, pinnacles, hanging terraces, cliffs, and spires stretching into infinity in all directions, the movement of the sun subtly changes colors from just beneath the rim to deep within the canyon. I like to call it Mother Nature’s light and magic show, especially when watching the sunrise from a place like Bright Angel Point. The first golden shafts of sunlight breach the canyon rim and ever-so-slowly begin to paint the canyon’s cliffs, terraces, buttes, and temples in a kaleidoscopic fusion of soft pastel colors from pink to burning gold, starting from the uppermost points and almost imperceptibly working their way deeper and deeper into the unseen shadowy depths of the canyon, as the sun slowly climbs higher above the rim.

Large thunderstorms over the canyon are an entirely different experience and something few visitors ever get to witness. I’ve been one of those fortunate few, although at the time I certainly wasn’t feeling so fortunate, to witness just such a major storm. I’m standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in the middle of a raging thunderstorm, both overhead and below the Rim, and I’m cold and soaking wet down to my water-filled boots.

This was certainly not intentional. On our October, 2010 South Rim car camping trip several of us were walking to Hermits Rest at the far west end of the Rim Trail when we were completely overtaken by a fast-moving thunderstorm, with a driving downpour and gale-force winds howling across the canyon. All shuttle service stopped during the storm, and the only shelter was a grove of juniper trees close to the edge of the canyon next to the trail. So I hunkered down here to wait it out, completely alone since we were all separated during the storm, with some catching last-minute rides back to the campground before the shuttles quit running.

I watched, completely mesmerized, as the storm unleashed curtains of water, torrents of water, deep into the canyon, with massive bolts of lightning crackling through the atmosphere above and below the Rim, discharging white-hot arcs of electricity instantaneously branching off into multiple fingers deep within the canyon, followed by the deafening sonic boom of thunder that reverberated throughout the canyon and literally shook the ground with shock waves. It’s almost as if I was in another dimension, in another universe, and watching creation itself unfold right before my eyes. So in truth, the Grand Canyon is anything but static, and no two days spent here are ever quite the same.

During our introductions at the Widforss Trailhead on Friday morning, I asked everyone to tell the group if this was their first visit to the North Rim or their first visit to the Grand Canyon. Several people indicated this was their first visit to the North Rim, while a couple of people said it was their first visit ever to the Grand Canyon. So after the trip I asked all the first-time visitors to please send me their thoughts and impressions on seeing either the North Rim or the Grand Canyon for the first time, and here are the responses I received.

Quiet! That is the main thing I noticed. No busses or trains! I felt closer to nature as soon as I walked away from the tiny “downtown” district around the lodge. Regarding the views, I found that the North Rim has many more capes that extend out into the canyon. In comparison, the South Rim is much more of a straight line of cliffs. Finally, everyone there, from the solitary bicyclists to the large families with pets, seem to me to be more into the park experience. We were all thrilled to be somewhere that fewer people or dogs are privileged to visit.

My excitement started as we drove through the meadows towards the entrance of the North Rim. There we were, in Arizona, driving through meadows surrounded by tall evergreens. And then, to top it off, we saw a heard of bison very close to the road, just grazing and enjoying life. It was all so amazing. The sun was shining and there was a nice breeze- not too hot. It was simply perfect.

The campground ended up being great. I’m not an experienced camper, by any means, but it was an enjoyable experience and I would do this again. The campground was as convenient as you can get. Bathrooms everywhere, showers and a general store with a nice porch. It was lovely just getting up early, making coffee and enjoying 'being' there.

The hiking was great with a variety of hikes such as the tough Roaring Springs hike, or the scenic Widforss trail, or even the pleasant trail that linked the campground to the lodge. I loved that there were trails all over and one could just get out there and walk/hike. There was a hike for everyone. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed going to the Grand Canyon North Rim and am planning on going back there soon. Thanks again for organizing this trip.

My impressions of the Grand Canyon North Rim aren’t “novel worthy” and certainly aren’t due credit for the work of writing them down! My experience in backwoods adventures and epic camping trips is so limited, I have little past to provide comparisons. What I will say stood out for me at the North Rim was the vastness unmarred by throngs of people. To be in a renowned national park in peak season and be on a trail where you came across less than 10 other hikers who weren’t in your group was welcome and surprising. I had most of the comforts of any civilized recreational area without it being over-civilized. Definitely worth the extra 4 hours it took to get there over the closer South Rim. Thank you again for putting all this together.

I know my first impression of the North Rim should be “wow the canyon is so beautiful” or something like that. But it’s not. Sorry. I thought the North Rim was very green and kinda cold. I mean, yeah the canyon was super nice looking and stuff and was definitely less crowded (the food and lodge were good too), but I was super impressed by the sheer amount of greenness on the rim. The South Rim never really had this much vegetation, which made this trip even cooler (haha yeah my puns are terrible I know), considering that the South Rim is the only Grand Canyon I ever really got.

Canyon-wise, the North Rim seemed hazier (probably just my glasses) and less panoramic than the South Rim. Maybe it was just me, but the North Rim canyon seemed less humongous and more intimate, like you-could-touch-the-rocks, instead of you-could-take-pictures-of-the-rocks-and-look-at-them like the South Rim. The canyon feels closer, less alien landscape and more down-to-earth real.

For the trip, I enjoyed puddle-slamming (sitting in Michael’s truck as he sped up, over, and through puddles and rocks of various kinds) and grass-honking (it’s kinda hard to explain but it’s super fun) and really didn’t enjoy getting up in the morning or mosquitoes who for some strange reason love me. Overall, the North Rim camping trip was really awesome and I would love to go again. Only for Michael’s chocolate chip cookies. Just kidding. Not really.

The North Rim from my perspective: I had been to the Grand Canyon before, but only to the South Rim. As beautiful as the Canyon is from the South Rim, I was really impressed by the sights from the North Rim. Before I got there, I thought, “well I’ve been to the Grand Canyon before, and once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it,” but that was definitely not the case. There were so many trees, countless shades of red on the rocks, and great views of Mount Hayden. Even from one lookout point to the next, there was something new and remarkable to see. My favorite vantage point of the Canyon on this trip was from on top of my mule, Jen, who led me down part of the Roaring Springs trail. Although she walked dangerously close to the edge of the pathway, I’d do it again; it was a North Rim experience I will not soon forget. Thanks again for everything!

For twenty-nine years I lived in Arizona without visiting the Grand Canyon. Of course I saw an infinity of stunning photos, which people told me repeatedly were just poor imitations. But surprisingly, when I first saw the Canyon in real life, it was pretty much as I expected. Huge, unbelievably huge, and deep, unbelievably deep. Lit by ever-changing sunlight and cloud shadows. Showing layer upon layer of stratified rock going back millions of years. Which was, again, pretty much what I expected.

But where the canyon really struck me was during our visits Sunday and Monday to an assortment of vistas and lookouts located miles apart from each other. Each had its own view, each had its own features, each had its own wonder. The rock formations were different, the crags and bluffs were different, the mountains were different. Some, to my surprise, were green with vegetation. Some showed traces of Native Americans living there thousands of years ago. There were thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of features to see, each created by nature, each with its own story to tell. It just never ends. And all that from mere glimpses of one tenth or one twentieth of the whole canyon. If only I were an eagle that could soar, dive, and explore the entirety of it. Now that’s Grand.

I admit that my only exposure to the Grand Canyon prior to our trip was the movie Vacation and the occasional photo in National Geographic or as the backdrop for a magazine advertisement. That’s why I jumped at the chance to visit the North Rim with our club, though I also really didn’t understand how much it differs from the South Rim. Apparently, the majority of people including native Arizonans don’t either, because everyone I spoke to about our itinerary before and after our trip had never been to the North Rim or even considered it. But I knew if our club was making the trek, it was going to be good.

My first impression is the Grand Canyon is deeply misunderstood. Its very name is misleading since it isn’t one canyon but several with springs and creeks that offer more opportunity to explore beyond the Colorado River if rushing rapids aren’t your idea of a good time.

It’s incredibly verdant and diverse in plant life. I just expected rock layers in earth tones. I spent more time looking at all the flowering trees and shrubs, cacti and wildflowers in peak bloom than the actual Grand Canyon. Mother Nature is not only the best artist but the best gardener; the world’s top gardeners couldn’t have achieved the exquisite rock gardens along the trail to Roaring Springs within their lifetimes. There’s a subtle randomness to these plant groupings that results in sophisticated perfection.

One must get in the canyon to really understand and experience the canyon. I’m not sure visitors get this point because from the rim-to-rim hikers I met, they seemed to be doing it for the physical accomplishment alone. Did they see anything in their delirium?

The temperature varies greatly from rim to rim and depending on depth and season. Why do people visit the South Rim in the summer when it should be enjoyed in the spring and fall especially when schools have breaks during those seasons too? I ask because so many people I spoke to didn’t know they have options. Different destinations within the park can be enjoyed year-round. I never knew one could go in winter and that it snows, a lot. I blame Vacation.