We had amazing weather (cold, crisp and sunny), the crowds were moderate enough (compared to what we can only believe is complete craziness at other times of the year), and we were able to get our feet muddy hiking partway down the Bright Angel Trail, which goes all the way down to the bottom of the canyon. All in all, it was a great day!
Neither of us realized how big and ridiculous the village area along the rim of the Grand Canyon would be. There is basically a mini Sunriver right up there on the edge of the canyon, where people can rent little numbered cabins, stay for days, eat at any of the five different lodge restaurants, and spend tons of money at the eight different gift shops. Also, the signs for the trailheads pale in comparison to the signs for lodges, food, and gifts. Oh, and of course the whole park is designed with one-way streets that funnel you into different money-spending areas. That being said, we managed (after some frustration) to find the trailhead and leave the cars and fast food and gift shops behind.
The Bright Angel Trail goes down into the canyon in several long, winding switchbacks, and drops 3,000 feet in the process. It was really muddy yesterday due to water dripping off the overhanging limestone rock as you first descend. Before you start the hike you pass by several really graphic signs telling the tales of young fit hikers who tried to hike 15 miles into the canyon in the heat of the summer (temperatures 100+) and didn’t make it out. It’s really sad, but these people obviously weren’t prepared: taking two power bars and one liter of water, for example, and expecting to hike 15 miles in the intense summer heat. No way. Yesterday at the Canyon, “Winter Hiking Tips” were posted everywhere, and everyone we saw was really on it with trekking poles, multiple Nalgenes, and layers. Oh yeah, and all we did was hike about a mile down and a mile back up. The trail was full of families with kids, elderly trekkers, and others enjoying a mellow Christmas walk.
Okay, here are some pictures from the day. The Grand Canyon is epic and beautiful!!! It was really cool to see it with a dusting of snow along the upper rim. We learned a bit about the geology while we were there, and it’s wild to visit a place where such a massive portion of the geological record is really visible. Grand Canyon for the win! J/M
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