"Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
~Mark Twain

  Trip to the Grand Canyon, AZ - May 19-25, 2004

After a very busy spring of studying for the USMLE Step 1 and managing fundraising events for the National MS Society, we decided it was time to take a break. We received a camping tent as a wedding gift four years ago, and thought it might be fun to finally break it in. One idea led to another, and soon we were packing up our Explorer, dogs included, and heading out on the 15 hour drive to the Grand Canyon.

~South Rim Trail and Mather Campgrounds~

This being a spontaneous vacation decision, we didn't do a lot of planning. Our goal was to see the Canyon and relax as much as possible. We decided to stay at Mather Campgrounds on the South Rim, and although it was the beginning of the "busy" season, we still had a good site. We spent the first day walking the dogs along the South Rim, viewing Grandeur, Yavapai and Mather Points. The dogs enjoyed the walk, and behaved amazingly well around the crowds. We walked about 3 miles, and then took the pups back to the tent for some relaxation. We planned to do the Bright Angel Trail the next day, so we checked out the kennel and headed out for a peaceful (but cold!!!) sunset. One surprising aspect of the Canyon was the weather --- a temperature difference of about 50 degrees between day and night, and very strong winds. However, the views took your breath away. Sometimes you felt like you could look out at the Canyon all day and never cease to be amazed.

                 

~Bright Angel Trail and Plateau Point~

We were glad we brought the dogs along on the trip to experience camping, but we were also very thankful that there was a kennel on the South Rim, so that we could have the opportunity to hike down into the Canyon on a Corridor Trail, where the dogs are not allowed. Ian was fighting a cold and we didn't plan ahead enough to get reservations to spend the night inside the Canyon, so we decided to day-hike the Bright Angel Trail out to Plateau Point. Beginning in Grand Canyon Village next to the Kolb Photographic Studio, the 13 mile round-trip trail descended almost 4,000 feet into the Canyon. The trail ran straight down for 4.6 miles to Indian Garden, with breathtaking views as we descended through the various layers of the Canyon. A stark contrast to the desert rock, Indian Garden pops out with lush trees and a gentle spring. At this point, hikers can continue on the Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River, or they can travel on the Tonto Trail to either Plateau Point or the South Kaibab Trail. The trip out to Plateau Point offers superb views of the Inner Gorge and Colorado River below, but it added three miles of hiking directly under the sun. After capturing some pictures, we turned around to make the climb back to the top. Once we passed through Indian Garden again, we had 4.6 miles of a vertical climb with only two rest houses on the way. The last couple miles felt impossible, but we made it back to our campsite before sunset and crashed. Below are pictures of the trail and Plateau Point (the green is the Colorado River).

           

~Desert View Drive and the Watchtower~

On Day 3, we decided not to exercise, and instead, drove Desert View Drive to see the Watchtower, before picking up the dogs from the kennel. Desert View Drive is a 23 mile trip east from Mather Point, just inside the park's Eastern Entrance Station. There are several scenic stops along the drive, but we spent most of our time at Lipan Point and Desert View, site of Mary Jane Colter's Watchtower. The sandstone-block round watchtower was based on the study of Ancestral Puebloan remains, and constructed in 1932. It stands 70-feet overlooking the Canyon below. Lipan Point offers dramatic views of the Canyon, and as it faces west, it also offered amazing views of the sunset. We drove back to this spot after picking up the dogs and enjoying a delicious steak cookout. Pictured below includes us at Desert View Point, the Watchtower, and Lipan Point at sunset. Although the view held a romantic glow, the wind made it quite difficult to get a picture, evident from the last scene below.

          

~North Rim and Vermilion Cliffs~

On our final day before driving back to Texas, we decided (kind of foolishly) to make the long drive to the North Rim. Although only 10 miles by air separate the North and South Rim, the driving route is over 200 miles, making it a 4 hour drive each way. We traveled through the scenic Desert View Drive, touched on the Navajo Indian Reservation, crossed the Navajo Bridge, passed Lee's Ferry and the Vermilion Cliffs, and finally entered the North Rim campgrounds. Only open for the summer, there were still a couple spots with snow on the ground, but the weather was fairly comfortable. Our dogs made the trip with us, although they had to spend the majority of the time in the car. The North Rim had beautiful views but lacked some of the energy of the South Rim. We did the short climb to Bright Angel Point, an 8,148-foot-high lookout dividing Roaring Springs and Transept canyons, and then we turned around to capture another sunset on the South Rim. The first row below includes scenes from the North Rim. The second row is a ravine, Navajo Bridge, and the Vermilion Cliffs.

     
   

This was one of the most fun spontaneous vacations we have ever done, but if you are planning on going to the Grand Canyon, we suggest you plan ahead. Backcountry permits and reservations at Phantom Ranch need advance planning, as well as many of the more popular excursions (mule rides, helicopter tours, white water rafting, etc.). One of the wonders of the world, a trip to the Grand Canyon is a must. But to really experience, be sure to take at least a day hike down a corridor trail to see the magnificence of the canyon from inside. A few links and books that helped us in our planning:

 

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