Grand Canyon National Park

The drive up to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff was spectacularly unspectacular. Had we not been warned in a guide book, we might have thought we were on the wrong road. The flat desert scrub seemed to continue endlessly before finally giving way to the Colorado river and it's grand canyon.

The views from the top of the south rim are spectacular:

After researching the hikes into the canyon, we decided to try the South Kaibab trail - as scenic as Bright Angel trail (the most popular), but a little more difficult and less traveled. We had to board a shuttle bus to get to the trail head and were a little concerned about the ranger's comments on the way there - at 9:00 am there was only another 45 minutes where the trail would have any shade and the forecast for the day was HOT....

We set off down the canyon, Jo somewhat worried by the impending heat and Arizona sun. The first part was, naturally, downhill with plenty of switchbacks. After reaching the first viewpoint at "ooh ah point," 600 ft down the canyon, we decided to attempt the next landing, another 600 ft down. At this stage we weren't thinking of the way back up (1200 feet of vertical in the heat with no shade).... We made it to "Cedar Ridge" with relative ease. We spent some time taking photos, admiring the views, and having a snack while we prepared ourselves the return hike.

At this point on the trail, we were still around five miles from the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon. It seems so close and continuing down is quite tempting. However, to make it to the river and back up to either the north or south rim takes at least two days and camping in the backcountry. Next time we'll do it! Really!

The way back up was hot but we made good time and stopped in whatever sheltered spots we could find. We were rather pleased when we reached the top and decided to walk three additional miles back to the car park around the rim of the canyon. After the last trail, a nice paved trail around the rim was a walk in the park.

- Nick & Jo

Location:Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona