This is one picture that really is worth a thousand words. Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon
I can’t think of any place where the reality of the site matched the clichés surrounding it better than at the Grand Canyon. Big; Majestic; Awe Inspiring; Beautiful; Fragile: the Grand Canyon is all of these things. But, the Canyon also proved to be a little bit dangerous as well. Most of that danger was caused by my stupidity. However, let my error serve as a lesson to anyone preparing for a visit.
It didn’t seem at first that we’d be facing any danger. After paying our $20 entrance fee at the park’s South Gate, we drove toward the Canyon’s south rim. The landscape along the road was similar to that which we’d been enjoying since we left the mountains around Flagstaff. About 10 minutes after we’d passed the gate, the landscape changed dramatically.
The name of the place is the Grand Canyon, so I was expecting it to be large. But, I wasn’t prepared for the actual size of the place until we crossed over a hill and descended into Mather Point. There below me was this massive, multi-colored hole in the ground that stretched for as far as I could see on my right and my left (and pretty far in front of me, too). I couldn’t help but exclaim “Wow!” It was just much more impressive than I thought it would be. Of course, Dianne wanted to take a look, too. Unfortunately, she was driving, so she had to keep her eyes on the road. But, she would get plenty of chances to be impressed by the canyon throughout the day.
The road from Mather Point to Yavapai Point is actually rather deceptive. It’s laid out in a way that one sees only glimpses of the canyon along the drive. In fact, one cannot see the canyon from the Yavapai Point parking lot. I’m not sure if the road layout is intended to protect the environment or to minimize distance between the vistas. Whatever the reason, the layout also has the effect of heightening the suspense. Such was the case with Dianne and I as we parked in the Yavapai Point parking lot. Dianne still had only seen glimpses of the canyon. She finally got a good look at it after we grabbed our backpacks and walked over to the canyon’s edge. It was then Dianne’s turn to say, “Wow!”
The South Rim trail is a relatively easy trail to walk. There are some minor elevation climbs, but nothing too strenuous. This is especially true on the section between Yavapai Point and the Grand Canyon Village. Since the walk is relatively easy, we were able to enjoy the canyon’s beauty. There was much to enjoy. Interesting rock formations, brilliant rock colors, and diverse foliage entertained our eyes. The only thing that detracted from the scene was smoke from a fire on the North Rim. Still, this haze did little to diminish our awe. We took our time heading toward the village so that we could take some pictures and admire the scenery. I was glad that we were moving slowly because I was trying to break in a new pair of hiking boots. The boots were making my feet a little sore, but I figured that would go away sometime during the hike.
We stopped at Grand Canyon Village for a few minutes to drink some Gatorade that we had brought along. The village actually blended into the landscape a little better than I thought it would. Sure, it would be more impressive to have no human structures along the rim. But that would be unrealistic, given the large number of people who visit the Canyon. We certainly saw our share of people the day we were there. The shops and parking lots were full, even though it wasn’t a traditional vacation “season.” We were a little surprised at the crowds, but there was enough canyon for everyone to enjoy.
After our short rest in the Village, we headed west on the trail. Despite all the people, we got a reminder that the natural qualities of this area were very much preserved. Just as we passed the last building in the Village, we noticed a young boy throwing stones from the trail down into the Canyon. He was intently staring at something just below the canyon rim as he was throwing. As we got close to him, we looked down to see what he was watching. It turned out to be a fully-grown Bighorn ram. The ram was on a ledge about 20 feet below the rim. Despite the boy’s stone throwing, the ram seemed disinterested. We admonished the boy for throwing stones at a potentially dangerous animal. Immediately sensing that we were uncool, he began walking toward the village. Little did he suspect that our intent was to get him to leave so that we could get unobstructed photos of the ram.
After getting our ram pictures, we continued along the South Rim Trail. We stopped at the Trailview Overlook to get a view of the village and the Bright Angel Trail. Dianne had visions of trying the Bright Angel Trail before we arrived. However, I was not in favor of it once I read the elevation change (about 3,000 feet from the trail head to 4.6 mile point at Indian Gardens). I figured we were too out of shape to try something that strenuous on our first serious hike in several months. Dianne didn’t agree until she saw the Bright Angel Trail from the Trailview Overlook. After staring at the semi-vertical drop, she agreed that it would’ve been a little much for us.
We continued on past the Trailview Overlook to Maricopa Point. I noticed the slight elevation climb that exists on this stretch of the trail. The reason that I was noticing it was because my feet were really starting to ache. The boots that I thought would be broken in were as bad as when I had first put them on. Instead of breaking in, they had creased at the point where the toe met the tongue. The result was that the hard rubber toe was burrowing into the tops of my toes with every step. To make matters worse, the sides of the rubber toe were rubbing against the toenails on my big toes. The pain was telling me that my feet were not going to be in good shape once the day was done.
We reached Maricopa Point and took another rest to see if my feet would recover a bit. But, I think we would’ve stopped anyway just to enjoy the spectacular views. What amazed me about this point is that the Canyon looked entirely different from this vista than it did at Yavapai Point. I realized that part of this change was due to the different vantage. But, a lot of the change could be attributed to the sunlight accenting various parts of the canyon. It was amazing how the sun’s movement position would change the Canyon’s appearance. The Canyon’s yellows and whites that were prevalent in the morning light were now being replaced by reds and browns. In some ways, it was like watching a flower bloom.
My feet were still throbbing after our rest at Maricopa Point. But, I felt well enough that I wanted to explore more of the trail. So, we agreed to continue along to Powell Point and reevaluate my condition there. We made the trip in a relatively short amount of time. While my feet hadn’t improved, they didn’t hurt enough to make me want to stop. I figured I could make it to Hopi Point, which was just a third of a mile away from Powell Point. We continued walking. I was very glad I did, because the vistas from Hopi Point were spectacular. The reds and browns in the rocks were becoming predominant in the landscape. Way below the rocks, we could make out the grey Colorado River moving inexorably toward the sea. It was a fantastic sight.
I was so excited by the changing landscape that I wanted to continue. But, Dianne pointed out that the sun was starting to get low, and that we might not get back before dark to our car. So, we compromised by agreeing to walk another .8 miles to Mohave Point and then turn back. I was very glad we made this walk because it allowed us to walk though a beautiful forest of native trees. Again, the vistas at the point were spectacular to behold.
We set back for the car. Our walk had taken us about 2.5 hours to complete. So, I was figuring that it would take a little less time, because we wouldn’t be stopping for as many pictures as we’d taken on the way to Mohave Point. However, my feet were worse now than they had been through the entire hike. Every step sent a stab of pain from my feet up through my calves. So, when I balanced out the time we’d make up by not taking pictures with the speed that my feet would allow me, I was pretty sure we’d take the full 2.5 hours to get back.
Now, smart people would’ve taken the free shuttles that move people from Mohave Point to the Village every 15 minutes during the daylight. However, we were more interested in getting some physical fitness than in convenience. So, we hiked the full 3 miles back to the Village. By the time we made it back, I was a mess. Not only had my feet passed over into numbness, but I was exhausted. I had been drinking Gatorade and eating some light snacks along the way. But, I just had zero energy by the time I trudged into the Village. Five hours of hiking in 80 degree heat at a 7,400 foot elevation had wiped out all my stores of energy. Even though it meant that it would be very close to sunset by the time we made it back to our car at Yavapai Point, we rested for about 45 minutes in the Village, just so I could get some energy back.
The 1.75 hike back to Yavapai Point was pure torture. I had to rest every half mile, even though it was relatively flat terrain. Even worse was that the temperature was starting to drop. My sweat soaked shirt proved to be a wonderful conductor for the cold. As a result, I started to shiver slightly. I’m sure it would’ve been worse had we been out much longer. But, we finally managed to trudge our way to the car before the sun set.
I knew that my feet were in bad shape when I removed my shoes. My socks were soaked with blood. I peeled them off to find that my toes had been turned to hamburger. I couldn’t even identify blisters on my feet. I could only see raw exposed skin. Additionally, my big toes were black and blue under the toenails. I knew that it was going to take a few days for me to heal.
I peeled off my sweaty shirt and put on a dry one. By now the sun had almost set. We thought the best way to leave the Canyon would be to experience the sunset at the first place where we’d seen it: Mather Point. We drove over there just in time to watch the sun paint the Canyon in a final beautiful burst of color. As quickly as it appeared, it was over, and the Canyon began taking on a dusty grey color.
Now, I’m not a good enough writer to create a passionate plea for people to visit the Grand Canyon. But, considering the number of people that were there, I don’t think my words will do anything to convince anyone whether to go or not. However, I do have a couple of points of advice for anyone planning to do some hiking there. First, BRING COMFORTABLE SHOES!!! I am sure I would’ve enjoyed the hiking more if my feet hadn’t be chewed up along the way. Comfortable, well fitting shoes are important. Second, bring plenty of food and water. Even if you think you have enough, bring a little more. You will use it. Third, realize where you’re hiking. The South Rim sits at an elevation of about 7,400 feet. It can get very hot up on the top of the rim. It gets even hotter as one descends into the Canyon. So, be aware that the environmental conditions will affect one more than one realizes. Fourth, bring dry clothes and leave them in the car. You’ll need to change into them after you’ve finished hiking. Finally, take the time to enjoy the Canyon. Every point will provide another breathtaking vista of this magnificent natural wonder. Be sure to watch for the ways that the Canyon changes throughout the day. If these guidelines are followed, one can come away from the Grand Canyon with a vivid and memorable experience.
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