We woke up this morning to a nippy 22 degrees. In spite of the chill in the air it was a clear and sunny day that eventually warmed up into the low 40's by mid-afternoon. Perfect for a nice long hike.
We headed east along the Grand Canyon Rim Trail. This trail, as the name implies, hugs the rim of the canyon so there are spectacular views the whole way. Not only are the views amazing but they are also constantly changing from sunrise to sunset. It's an amazing sight that I think would never grow old.
We hiked from the Grand Canyon Village area where our lodge is located to the South Kaibab Trailhead. When we got to the trailhead we met a group of young women coming off the trail. They had hiked the 7.1 miles down to the Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor yesterday. After spending the night they hiked out today. Better them than us, but I guess they did provide some inspiration. We were debating taking the shuttle bus back but we decided to hike back. There may not have been much of an elevation change but by the time we made it back to the lodge we had covered 12-13 miles. The views on the return were just as spectacular, although we didn't stop quite as often to take them in. We knew there was a hot shower waiting for us.
http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging/phantom-ranch/
We headed east along the Grand Canyon Rim Trail. This trail, as the name implies, hugs the rim of the canyon so there are spectacular views the whole way. Not only are the views amazing but they are also constantly changing from sunrise to sunset. It's an amazing sight that I think would never grow old.
We hiked from the Grand Canyon Village area where our lodge is located to the South Kaibab Trailhead. When we got to the trailhead we met a group of young women coming off the trail. They had hiked the 7.1 miles down to the Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor yesterday. After spending the night they hiked out today. Better them than us, but I guess they did provide some inspiration. We were debating taking the shuttle bus back but we decided to hike back. There may not have been much of an elevation change but by the time we made it back to the lodge we had covered 12-13 miles. The views on the return were just as spectacular, although we didn't stop quite as often to take them in. We knew there was a hot shower waiting for us.
http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging/phantom-ranch/
 |
| Heading out.......still a bit nippy |
 |
| Me showing Beth how wide the canyon is |
 |
| This bull was relaxing just off the trail |
 |
| Along the trail. Not a cloud in the sky all day. |
 |
| Mule Deer feeding along the trail as we returned |
