The Grandest Of Canyons
It’s only ten days since we crossed off a bucket list item with the seaplane flight over San Francisco, and now here we are boarding our first ever helicopter with pen metaphorically poised to cross off another. Is there conceivably a better place to do this than here at the Grand Canyon?
A brief walk to the Bright Angel trailhead on the day of our arrival has given us our first glimpses of this wonder of the world, so our excitement levels as we receive our safety briefings are absolutely off the scale. There’s a short delay to check the craft – a bird has hit the windshield on its previous flight – but we are soon boarding, an animated Michaela is given the front seat alongside our pilot.
I have no superlatives left to describe the experience of lifting away from the heliport, journeying over and above the pine forests until …. until…. until….we’re out over the South Rim, the Canyon falling away below us. What follows is possibly one of the most exciting half hours of our lives. I don’t think either of us ever thought we’d do anything like this, see these incredible sights from here, up in the air above this amazing, wondrous place. The flight is over too soon: a thrilling and fabulous experience.
Recovering some sense of normality we hike along part of the Rim Trail, just soaking up the incredible views of this majestic location. It’s impossible to walk more than a few yards without stopping, and looking out in awe, again and again. The statistics and numbers are just mind blowing: but for us the hardest thing to grasp is that the opposite rim on the northern side, so clearly visible, is 18 miles away: it just doesn’t seem possible that something so clear is actually so far away.
Glimpses of the Colorado River, a whole mile below us in the bottom of the canyon, hide its immense power, flowing through these mighty rocks formed billions of years ago. No matter which fact you consider or which way you look, your mind is reeling. Just staring at the rock formations, the gigantic forms and dramatic shapes, is breathtaking: seeing the colours of the rock change in the shifting sunlight is magical.
I’m seriously losing the ability to find the right descriptions for the things we’re experiencing on this adventure. After everything we’ve seen and done over the last few weeks, and now seeing the Grand Canyon from the Rim and from the air, it’s hard to find the words. However, I soon feel better about not having the words when we see this quotation from the famed John Wesley Powell, explorer, geologist and leader of the first Govt sponsored expedition through the Canyon:-
“The wonder of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself”. Exactly, JW.
It’s extremely hot today: the park is full of warnings about not underestimating the difficulty of hiking in extreme heat, and we are bombarded with advice about quantities of drinking water. It’s good advice: the need to drink kicks in extremely quickly and lack of preparation would be a folly.
There are also permanent warnings regarding the electrical storms which hit here regularly throughout summer: what to do when the lightning starts. As we walk, dark clouds gather, black downward brushstrokes decorate the sky: the rain so desperately needed during this drought is falling somewhere nearby, though not quite here on the Rim. It may look dramatic, but it denies us our first sight of the famed Grand Canyon sunset.
So we rise before dawn and make our way to Mather Point where, alongside a fair few other early risers, we witness a beautiful sunrise as the deep orange scatters across the morning clouds, shards of deep colour changing hue with each passing minute. Azure blue takes over the sky within moments of the sun’s appearance.
For our second full day here we take the shuttle bus out to the western end of the Rim Trail at Hermit’s Rest, and walk the trail back to the village, a walk which is officially 7.9 miles but with regular detours to every overlook we’ve clocked more than 10 miles by the time we’re back in the village. Those overlooks are stunning, the views, of course, unique – no matter how often we stop, we are still in awe.
Clouds gather and grow in size. We have been warned again about possible storms today and as we reach the half way point, thunder is rumbling and cloudbursts are visible in different directions around us, but again the storms circle like the Canyon’s condors and we stay hot and dry. The heat (low 90s), the humidity (storms close by) and the oxygen levels at this altitude (30% lower than at sea level) combine to make it a sapping 10 miles and we are tired by the time we’re back.
By late afternoon the air is heavy and still and tastes of hot pine and dust. The Canyon is half bathed in sunlight, half under cloud, as the shadows begin to lengthen. The changing light plays glorious games on the colours and contours of the rocks; the heavy air brings a different kind of silence, a silence which is a sound in its own right. We look out again from the Rim, across this unimaginable vastness, and go quiet: this place gets into your soul.
Desert View is the final overlook towards the eastern end of the Canyon, some 25 miles from Grand Canyon Village. Driving the Desert View Road on our final day here, and stopping at every vantage point gives more sensational views as the Canyon begins to narrow – the North Rim is “only” 8 miles away now – and the desert beyond comes plainly into view.
Colours and contours once again shift – in fact some of the amazing vistas along this route are as good as any we’ve seen elsewhere in the Canyon. Information boards along the way speak of the micro climates and diverse ecological systems within the Canyon, with its startling temperature ranges and differences in rainfall. The bottom of the canyon can, for instance, be 25F hotter than the Rim during a summer’s day.
Afternoon thunder rumbles again, this time accompanied by a smattering of giant raindrops – though not many, and not for long. The rasping call of the ravens seems to grow louder as dusk approaches; swallows swoop around the rock faces for a last feed before bedtime; elk and deer wander between the pines. Deep into the night the howls of the coyotes echo eerily through the forests.
We finally get to witness a Grand Canyon sunset, the shadows and silhouettes of the peaks probably as dramatic as the sunset itself. And so our time in the Canyon is concluded; another long drive next, back into California and on to Joshua Tree.
33 Comments
mochatruffalo
Finally! The post I’ve been waiting for all these weeks! Possibly my favorite place in all of the US, and I’d been waiting for someone to depict it as well as you have (although the Grand Canyon simply can’t be justifiably described accurately in any human language – you simply have to see it to appreciate it). You guys are troopers to visit the Grand Canyon in the middle of summer!
Phil & Michaela
Ha ha, well this has been a fabulous trip so far with so many highlights but the Grand Canyon was definitely one of them! Talking of summer, we’re in Joshua Tree now and boy it’s hot. A bit brutal for hiking! (So we’re being very careful!)
mochatruffalo
Water is your best friend 👍 Stay safe out there!
Val
Absolutely breathtaking!l can’t stop looking at the photos,and your commentary completes it!!
Phil & Michaela
Hi Val, thank you. This trip has been full of amazing experiences!
Alison
Amazing photos and great descriptions Phil
Almost felt I was there! How will you beat that
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Ali – who knows!?
giacomoasinello
Fabulous! One of the most beautiful places on Earth! There are so many beautiful canyons in that area. Gooseneck Canyon is pretty awesome too. What shocked me was how aggressive the squirrels are. One ran up my wife’s leg onto her shoulder and stole a sandwich from her hand! We were told she was lucky it didn’t bite her. Thanks for bringing back the memories!
Phil & Michaela
There’s actually signs all around stating that the squirrels are the most dangerous animal in the Canyon – bites are commonplace. Wonderful place, though.
normareadtalktalknet
An incredible experience, you’ve actually taken us there with you with these amazing photo’s and descriptions.. can even feel the silences…
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Normski…yes it was incredible
Heyjude
“The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison – beyond description, absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world.” Theodore Roosevelt, May 6, 1903
We have similar photos though taken at a very different time of year, with snow on the ground! The problem with places like this is whether it lives up to the hype. Needless to say, it did. There are no words to describe it. On my post back in 2014 I wrote about our visit in 2010 – “It overwhelms the senses and all you can do is stand and stare. Take time to pause on the rim and take in Earth’s history.”
Phil & Michaela
Both of those quotes are absolutely spot on.
Toonsarah
The canyon is truly an astounding sight and I believe you’ve done it justice here, despite struggling for words. Your photos succeed in capturing the scale of the place, as well as any photo can do. The helicopter ride sounds amazing. We wanted to do one there but all ‘copters were grounded after a recent fatal crash (and subsequently I think they banned flights down into the canyon). But we did a light aircraft flight instead which I guess was as good in its way. We actually preferred the North Rim to the South, as the latter was busy with coach parties, but I suspect that’s because in our relatively brief stop there we didn’t walk far enough to get away from them, as you will have done 🙂 As for heat, 41 C forecasted for London and the South East by Tuesday 🥵🥵
Phil & Michaela
Yes actually we avoided mentioning how busy the South Rim was. There’s a lot of new buildings too, in the shape of accommodation blocks. I suppose it’s inevitable.
Monkey's Tale
What a great couple of days, beginning with a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon! I loved reliving it with you in your enthusiastic story and wonderful pictures. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Maggie
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
“I have no superlatives,” INDEED!
Annie Berger
You captured the beauty and majesty of the Grand Canyon I’m superb fashion. Lucky, lucky you hopping on the helicopter for a 30-minute flight to get the full range of the canyon’s size. Enjoyed every moment of your post?
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Annie, what a great trip this has been so far
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Spectacular! I (Kellye) love that you took the helicopter ride. The sunset photo at the end of the post is incredible.
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Kellye, much appreciated!
Marielle
Stunning photos from the great vantage point from the helicopter through sunset.
Andrew Petcher
I consider myself lucky to have been there twice. Thanks for the memory nudge.
WanderingCanadians
Taking a helicopter sounds like a fun experience and a great way to see the Grand Canyon from a different perspective. Your pictures look gorgeous. How fun to spot some wildlife too.
Phil & Michaela
It was fabulous!
grandmisadventures
Stunning pictures of the Grand Canyon! Especially the sunrise and sunset pictures. What a fantastic way to check this off the bucket list! 🙂 I would love to see it from the helicopter one day and then take a horse ride down into the belly of the canyon the next day.
Phil & Michaela
Wonderful place! We saw the mules (they do actually look well groomed and well cared for), but only saw them in their paddock, not trekking. We wondered if they’d suspended rides due to it being too hot for the animals.
grandmisadventures
oh that’s probably true, I know I would hate to carry someone down the canyon in the heat. 🙂
wetanddustyroads
Now … that VIEW from the helicopter is definitely worth a couple of dollars (or more) 😉. The different colours of the rocks, sunrise and sunset – breathtakingly beautiful! I can see why one would be at lost of words … I am (and I’m not even physically there)!
Phil & Michaela
That was some experience for sure!
Joe
Your photos and descriptions captured the Grand Canyon as well as humanly possible. Studying geology in Arizona, I have made several trips to the Canyon; and working in the oil business, I have flown in many helicopters. However, I have never flown in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon. What an amazing adventure!
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Joe, yes it was a wonderful experience.