Nice Hole

My expectations of the Grand Canyon:

1. It’s going to be hot.
2. It’s going to be crowded and I’ll never be able to have a moment’s peace or solitude.
3. I’ve already seen lots of pictures of it, and it’ll just look like the pictures.
4. I won’t bother taking any pictures, because you can’t capture it in a photo.
5. It can’t possibly be as amazing as everyone says it is.

The reality:

1. It was freezing.
2. I found some wonderful places where I was completely by myself.
3. It looks better than the pictures.
4. I kept telling myself to stop taking so many pictures, but I kept right on.
5. It’s more amazing than everyone said.

The pictures are in my album. No point posting them all here too. Just a few to whet the appetite.

Early morning

I didn’t get to the park in time for sunrise, but I did make it there by 6:30. It was 29 degrees and windy and when I got to Mathis Point (the viewpoint closest to the Visitor Center) it was socked in, so I saw pretty much nothing.

I hopped on the shuttle bus to Yaki Point (the free shuttles that run through the park are great!) and when it stopped there, about a dozen people got on (they must have been the ones who made it in time for sunrise). There was no one left and I had the area to myself. At first it was cloudy, but little by little the sun started to poke through, and soon I was enjoying sitting in the warm sunshine and just being there: me, the birds, and the canyon. I stayed for an hour.

Snow

When I finally pulled myself away and got back on the shuttle, he made a stop at another viewpoint, so I got off and decided to walk the rest of the way back to the Visitor Center. I ended up walking past the Visitor Center and all the way to the Village, almost 4 miles. It was starting to warm up and there were still not a lot of other people around. 

But as I approached the Village, it started to snow, wet, blowing snow that flew into my face and clung to my fleece jacket. Fortunately I had packed a rain jacket in my backpack. Even so, I decided to hop on a shuttle and go back to the Visitor Center. But I jumped off at Maswik Lodge, where they had a cafeteria, and I had an early lunch. 

After lunch I hopped on the shuttle back to the Visitor Center. It was still snowing, so I decided to go in and see the movie that tells the story of the canyon. It was pretty interesting, but I was cold and tired. I almost dozed off in the warmth of the theater. By now it was 1:00, and I’d been at the park for over six hours. So I decided to go back to my motel and take a nap.

Desert Watchtower

Of course, the moment I lay down, I was wide awake again, so after a short rest I went back to the park. It was no longer snowing but still overcast, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. After waiting in line for 20 minutes to get into the park (this morning at 6:30 there were no other cars), I decided to drive the 25-mile route that leads to the Desert Watchtower. And by the time I got there the sun was out again, though it was still cold and windy. This was my favorite view point of the entire day, but I feel bad saying that, because I don’t want to diss any of them. The different light at different times of the day and all the various vantage points provided an array of delights.

Lots of viewpoints

Driving back I stopped at maybe six or eight viewpoints. Finally, I drove back to the village and then walked further west. And I found a spot to watch the colors change as sunset approached.

Sometimes it’s a good thing to have expectations dashed.