The Grand Canyon

From Flagstaff to the South entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park is a 85 mile drive. All up hill, up to the plateau, up up until you're 8000 miles above sea level, and then its all flat, and then... a crack. A huge crack. An immense, magnificent, totally ridiculous crack. We drove in the early morning, and we didn't catch any traffic. Van Morrison played while we drove in, and i had my hand out the window, feeling the dry wind. Dry, cool wind that has helped shape this wonder...

(Grand Canyon, AZ - with morning light)

We camped in the South- East section of the rim. It was a very small campground, and totally deserted, which is always nice. We hiked the rim trail (West to East along the rim) for the rest of the day and watched the sunset from one of the suggested locations with the rest of people who had escaped work on the second week of September. And you see, the canyon changes depending at what time you look at it. The sun is so bright during the day, it's hard to see the depth, and colors of all the small rock formations within the canyon itself. It is a never ending moving image. Walk East on the rim for a mile, look, and it is a different experience every single time. At sunset everything is red, and everyone is silent, because everything is silent. And you can almost hear the clouds move.

(Grand Canyon, Az - at sunset)

At night we heard the coyotes. And in the morning we hiked down a not so popular trail down to Cedar Point, 1.5 miles into the rim. Being inside the canyon is a test of endurance. It was hot, with very few shade - but totally worth it. Everything is so vast. So beautiful. And you get to be in it. And it is exhausting. And wonderful. And i can't wait to do it again, further in, hardcore hiking all the way down to the Colorado river, and cross the foot bridge that i know is down there. Someday.

Someday.

Today, driving East away from the canyon, through the Navajo Nation and Hopi lands. Tomorrow we make base in Santa Fe, NM. The landscape is still red. And, as always, endless.

(hiking the south rim, one foot away from the abyss)