Here I am in February 2023, expanding this old post that wasn’t even 100 words long and only one photo when it was originally posted. If there was an itinerary that accompanied it, that’s long gone. From my log of travels, I can see we left Friday for points north. I have no idea if we stayed in Flagstaff, Williams, or Tusayan, but I do know we didn’t stay in the park because, at 8:00 a.m., I took a selfie of us in front of the Grand Canyon National Park sign at the south entrance. I’m certain we’d not have driven out there if we’d stayed in the park, so those other details are now lost forever. What’s not lost is that we had breakfast at El Tovar, but there wasn’t a photo worthy of sharing.
While a bit cold, we had beautiful skies for our first hike on the South Kaibab Trail here in the Grand Canyon National Park. Caroline wanted to try a new trail while I was opting for Bright Angel; somehow, her vote won the day.
It being January, we didn’t expect big crowds, but compared to the Bright Angel Trail, which is a thoroughfare regardless of the time of year because of its proximity to Grand Canyon Village and its lodges, there were moments of absolute solitude out on this comparatively little used trail, at least as far as my perspective is concerned. The pile of rocks at the turnaround of the trail marks the Ooh Aah Point Overlook. The first spot from which you have an open view into the canyon.
Along the way, we bumped into a couple who seemed to be looking for any old excuse to share some big news. It turned out the question of marriage had just been proposed the night before. We were able to bond with them as we shared that this weekend, we are recognizing our 12th anniversary from when we were married over in Vegas on the 12th and subsequently spent our honeymoon right here at the Grand Canyon.
Over the years, we’ve visited the Grand Canyon dozens of times, and yet, every time I encounter our photos and give in to thinking about our time here, I long to go back once more.
I know full well that nothing has changed here, but that doesn’t change the attraction. Maybe it’s like most all things we visit again and again: the more often we take the time to put ourselves in a place we’re already familiar with, the more we end up learning. It’s a sobering thought that one could visit the Grand Canyon 1,000 times and still have likely failed in attaining a sense that they know what’s out here.
The guide leading a group of others following her on mules cut a sharp figure with a sense of belonging to this setting, while the ragtag outfit behind her appeared a bit out of their element. Lucky for me, the guide’s passing right at this 180-degree turn in the trail became my best photo.
If it weren’t for the magic of auto-stitching software to assemble panoramas, photographing the Grand Canyon would prove rather difficult.
Our hike only went as far as Cedar Ridge. By the time we reach the rim again, we’ll have finished today’s 3-mile roundtrip.
Caroline’s sleuthing says this is a scrub jay.
Our lodging this evening is just across from the Hopi House at the El Tovar Hotel.