Over the edge

I had a pretty nice post composed when the pointing device on this notebook computer took over.  Just typing along and suddenly based on shadow movements over the point device pad the software highlighted the entire post and when I hit the next key it replaced everything  I had done with the letter "f".

I am going to repost the photos but text will be minimized.  I am too discouraged to try to re-create the whole thing.

EDIT:  OK, not the same as the first time around, but nothing ever is, is it?  Here is my second attempt to describe the day's activities.

We spent most of yesterday on the South Rim but we also spent a bit of time in reconnaissance, finding out where things are and planning for today. Today we did what ninety-nine percent of the millions of people who visit this park do not do. Today we went over the edge and down into the canyon.

That rock formation in the center of the photo appears in another photo in this series, keep watching.

We checked out the trail ratings posted at the visitor center. Most trails were rated as difficult. One and one only was rated as moderate. Of only moderate difficulty is the hike down Bright Angel trail to Mile and a Half Resthouse. The Resthouse is, indeed, 1.5 miles down the trail into the canyon.

Our plan was to walk slowly. I know how far I walk when I go out to walk for an hour on my winter time fitness regime, it is more than a mile. But here we wanted to walk for an hour or until we came to the Resthouse, whichever came first. Slow seemed good as energy saved on the descent seemed likely to be useful on the return.

Here we are about 20 minutes or so into the descent, nearly ready to make our first stop for water.

Water was said to be available at the Resthouse "seasonally". We each carried 24 ounces of water and a Clif bar. A worst case scenario seemed to me to be that we would drink all of the water we had at the turn around and even though thirsty be well enough hydrated to avoid headaches and the dizzies on the way back up.

The park estimated the hike should take 2 to 4 hours. We were, at our pace, aiming for 3, an hour down and 2 hours back up.

As we got even deeper I had to change the orientation of the camera to keep the sky in the frame.  The rim is higher and higher above us.

The route is characterized by numerous switchbacks and the occasional long traverse, always down, eventually around the corner and out of the side canyon towards the main canyon.

Still descending, here we come level with that same rock formation seen in the first photo.

And just under an hour into the descent we arrived at the Resthouse, visible because of its green roof. They did, in fact, have water, a faucet stuck into the ground dispensing Grand Canyon spring water.

They also had two volunteer rangers to provide some pleasant conversation and insights into the canyon and the trail. It was a good spot for a little sit down. However, mid way through our little sit down the rangers received word that there was a hiker in distress on the trail above. The wife of the husband wife volunteer team gathered her water and supplies and set off up the trail to find him.

We had actually walked a bit past the rest house (and a bit further down) to arrive at the toilets. This is another photo taken from the same spot, facing the canyon instead of the canyon wall. It is painfully clear that despite having descended a bit over 1,200 feet that there is still a long ways to go to the bottom.

The hike back up?

As advertised, clearly not in the easy range. But we had walked slowly on the way down and found that we were able to maintain pretty much that same slow pace most of the time on the ascent. There were some steep stretches and one in particular long steep stretch where our pace became even more deliberate. We paused in the places where there was shade. We passed the ranger lady and a guy quite a bit younger than us in one of the shady spots. She had used up all of her water and had the guy sitting in a shady spot. Apparently he was complaining of cramps and loss of strength in his legs.

It took us just slightly over an hour and a quarter to complete the ascent. With our 20 minute sit down at the Resthouse we completed the 2 to 4 hour hike in just under 3 hours, comfortably in the middle of the expected range.

We done good.

We had lunch on the rim at the same hotel as yesterday and then set out to explore the east rim area of the park. This left an area of the south rim which is available only by shuttle bus unexplored by us. We chose the east because the guide books promised that it was more of a contrast to the south rim than the remaining area we did not try to reach.

This is Grandview, which was the site of the first tourist hotel on the canyon's rim.

The vista is of a more wide open canyon, in some ways not as dramatic as the South Rim vistas, but in some ways even more dramatic.  If you examine this picture carefully you can find the Colorado River down there at the bottom.

This is a view from Moran Point.

And another, this time with a series of white water on the Colorado visible below.

There are never enough orange flower pictures.  These grow wild all along Highway 64 on the way from Williams to the park.  These are at Moran Point.

Here is a view from Navajo Point. I am not exactly sure but I believe that the nearer butte, the one with the shadow on its side, is Cardenas Butte, named for Lieutenant García López de Cárdenas. Cárdenas was a member of Coronado's conquistador expedition and is credited with being the first European to reach the Grand Canyon, arriving with the assistance of Hopi guides somewhere near this point in 1542.

There is another nice view, we think, of river rapids down there on the Colorado.

Here is Desert View, near the east entrance to the park and our final view of the Canyon.

The heat in Las Vegas was oppressive.  We have now spent three evenings in Williams and on two of those three evenings a jacket was necessary.  Tonight it was downright without a doubt chilly.

I forgot to bring the Beach Boys Greatest Hits CD along with me so we have been driving around without tunes.  Today just fiddling around I noticed that the rental Camry has a USB port inside that little portal on the dash.  The charging cable for my phone has a connector for the phone and a USB connector at the other end.  I plugged in and EUREKA.  The music that I have on my phone (including the Beach Boys Greatest Hits) became available for play through the car's entertainment system.  As a bonus, even while playing music the phone is recharged.

Let's go surfing now
Everyone is learning how
Come on on safari with me.