Red Cliffs and North Rim, Grand Canyon



Sunrise in the Grand Canyon but this time the North Rim.
Ever shifting patterns of light and shade on the red cliffs. It is much colder. 300m higher than the South. Photo is just before a snow storm, which finally caught up with us.

We had an early start from Bryce, allowing time for a walk in the Red Cliffs, hunting for arches.




Found a few arches and Spring flowers.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a bit isolated.

It has 1/10th of the visitors of the South as it is so remote and there are fewer walks. Due to snow, several of these and the main scenic drive had been closed. Not to be deterred by the weather, we started with the 16km Widforss trail.

This follows the Canyon rim for 4km

The canyon below is a tributary to Bright Angel Canyon – leading to the trail to the South Rim.

then heads into the forest.

This is full of young oak and maple trees (looking a bit like silver birch)

Sarah got up close and personal with a 400year old Ponderosa Pine.

Elk and Bison roam around this park. We were not sure which one this size 42 hoof print was.

The path finally emerges at Widforss point, a very windy place. We ate lunch in 15 minutes.

(The trail was named after Gunnar Widforss, a local painter famed for geologic detail in his water colours)


We admired the mirky sunset views of the canyon in high wind

before heading to dinner at the Grand Canyon Lodge.

Silly us!

We were told that we should have booked dinner well ahead of time due to the Memorial weekend. Even the bar was full and service at a snail’s pace.

Dinner: cold salad, crisps and a bottle of wine in the room.
My paper cup runneth over!


Sarah decided to get up for sunrise and managed to capture the only views of the canyon available for most of the day.





Complete with rainbow, if you look closely enough.

Four inches of snow later and a brisk walk.


Not deterred by the previous day’s culinary rejection, we decided to have a gourmet lunch, only to find there was a power cut, water shortage and no hot food.
Ho hum!
Fortunately, there is a store; we bought more salad and had another well wrapped up walk.

We even got to build another snowman.

Who would have thought it; snow in Arizona at the end of May.




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