Grand Canyon - North Rim

[tRidiot]

Terry I appreciate you sharing your pics, you always do such a great job, and are living the life, man. Living the life.

Great work, and I am jealous. We flew out to AZ this spring to see aging grandparents and made the 3-hour drive up to the South Rim - which was kind of a bummer for me. It was amazing, don't get me wrong, but with all that driving, roundtrip in one day, then fighting the crowds at the South Rim, spending 2 hours looking for parking (I let the fam off, then I hiked in from the back 40), it kinda took some of the wind out of my sails.

We were recommended seeing the North Rim, but it just wasn't feasible for us - I think it is many hours driving to get around there, and we were told also that in early- or mid-March, many of the roads would still be bad. Oh well... maybe I'll see it again before I die. Camping down low sometime sounds awesome, but I sure don't think I want to hike it in and especially back out! lol

 

[TerryMiller]

From our friends, and others that have worked at the Grand Canyon, they don't even begin to recommend going in and out in one day on at least one of the trails down. There are a number of folks here at the RV park that we've met that kept extending their stay for extra days. One couple that is here now has extended for about a month, just so that they can see more of the country.

The Grand Canyon is impressive, but so are so many other things that are here. There is one viewpoint from which one can get a better sense of the Grand Staircase - Escalante and where it reaches. Kanab is right in the middle of it all. For a town of a little over 4300 people, it has at least 16 or more hotels and motels, and another is being built just south of the RV park here. Kanab also boasts 3 RV parks, the other two within about 1/2 mile of us.

Here's an image showing the Grand Staircase - Escalante and Kanab's relationship within the area. As you can see, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon are all within 75 to 80 miles of Kanab and Zion is only about 35 or 40 miles away. It is rated as the most visited park in the national park system.

 

[jim7711]

Probably my most favorite place. Great job on the pictures!!

 

[sedona]

Went to Havasu falls in my 20s.The water is close to the color of the Caribbean.Wished I had a good camera at the time.

 

[TerryMiller]

Wow!!! Someone here is very remiss with posting pictures. I had forgotten that I had only posted two photos here before. So, let me post some from a trail that most people (especially tourists) never see. Our friends and co-hosts here at the park that worked at the North Rim in the past took us to Cliff Springs Trail, which, depending on whose account you read, is either 1.2 miles or 1.4 miles round trip.

It isn't well known because the only thing to mark its presence is a single small inconspicuous sign across from a pullout capable of about 4 or 5 vehicles. Cliff Springs is an area where water drips from an overhang onto a ledge, where the water pools to some degree. Our friends told us that the deer make use of the springs, but when we went in October, there wasn't much dripping, nor was there much pooling. Thus, neither the wife nor I got a picture of the pool on the floor of the ledge.

So, lets start with photos of the sign for the trail and an old pueblo granary along that trail.







That first picture was taken from the front side as we started the trail. This next one is from the opposite, or down-trail, side.

 

[TerryMiller]

More along the trail through the Pines and such.

 

[TerryMiller]

Now to get into the cliff area.

 

[TerryMiller]

Some sights from the Cliff Springs area.

 

[TerryMiller]

In all, on our trip that day to the North Rim, we stopped at Point Imperial, Cape Royal, Cliff Springs Trail, and the lodge area of the North Rim. As time goes on a bit more here, I'll post some more pictures from each of the areas not seen so far. Incidentally, the first two pictures in this thread, the teasers, were taken at Cape Royal, which is just about 3/10's of a mile from Cliff Springs Trail.

 

[dennishoddy]

Great pics Terry!