19 November 2016 Sunrise... Us?

We are not morning people. Years ago a friend joked about my love of sunsets and reminded me there actually are sunrises. We decided a place as special as the Grand Canyon deserved an early morning look. It was worth the effort. ;)

We not only made it out early. We made it out early on a very cold morning.

The shadows and light made quite a show. After celebrating the sunrise, we checked out we had a few more adventures in the park before our turn south. We spotted a few more century plants which had bloomed as a last act of a long life.

We stopped at the park headquarters where Ali stamped our NPS passport then took a walk around the south rim near the headquarters. Despite a chilly morning, the park was crowded on a Saturday. I can't imagine the sea of people in warmer weather.

Our last stop in the park was the Desert View Watchtower. We enjoyed the inside of the structure and made the climb to the top for some last wonderful views.

On the way to the Grand Canyon, I noticed Red Butte and a cache hidden there. We interrupted our return to Flagstaff for a hike to the top.

18 November 2016 Hiking the South Rim

One of the good parts of many national parks is the lack of connectivity to the rest of the world. My phone occasionally found a signal, but there was no true wifi source to be had. I was free of work responsibilities and reviewing responsibilities for a 48 hour! We were happy to see the Grand Canyon without shadows for the day.

I hope this deer doesn't think all trains sit quietly on the tracks.

Alco FPA's were the last of the streamlined diesels which looked like they were made to pull long passenger trains. Their production ended in 1959 just about the time rail service began to make its exit as a primary means of transportation in the US. 6776 was one of the last to roll from the factory and appears to have made its last run in August 2015. I has been repainted from the forest green color scheme to a more period common silver with accents. The park service runs mostly FP40's now, :( but still have a pair of operational repainted FPA's and two steam engines, a mikado and a consolidation to grace the rails with some beauty and glamour.

The old railroad station is on the Historic Register and a throwback to a different time. I had no idea there was a railway to the park. It would be a great way to start and end a visit, even riding behind an FP40. ;)

We spotted scrub jays multiple times during our journey. They are one of the common birds in the park, but not so for us. They are also quite colorful.

I learned on the journey that the Grand Canyon was once the home of a uranium mine. :-O We passed the old road back to the mine which continues to be used as a access point for clean-up.

The flat cleared area of the above surface mine structure is still visible in the image below. In the canyon 1100 feet below the processing areas, are the two remaining entry shafts, an early one for copper and a later one that served as a uranium mine. While this mine is closed there are still multiple uranium mines around the Grand Canyon area.

We were on the lookout for the Colorado River during our adventure.

Eventually, we made several sightings of the blue ribbon of water winding through the canyon.

Shadows and sunset arrive quickly in November. Despite eight hours on the trail, the day flew by and seemed too short.

17 November 2016 Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon

We stayed the night in Flagstaff and were hoping to find a few caches before continuing north. Ali chose Buffalo Park. I was unprepared for the weather and freezing, but we stuck it out for a few finds. A hat was quickly added to the shopping list for our time in the Grand Canyon.

We weren't expecting to see an Abert's squirrel while on the trail. The pointed, tufted ears made this like no other squirrel we have seen.

We made a stop at The Chapel of the Holy Dove on the way north. The small chapel was an interesting break. Services are performed at a pulpit with the woods and Humphreys Peak visible through the windows. The beams of the church were filled with graffiti. I would never consider writing on the inside of any building acceptable, but many, many visitors apparently do. Beside the look at me scrawls were notes of profound emotions, most of them sad. It was a moving vision.

The nearby view of Humphreys Peak is outstanding.

How do you capture wonder and amazement? Every time we visit Shenandoah I have this feeling of being someplace special and awesome. The first views of the Grand Canyon were like that same feeling intensified over and over. Images don't capture what my brain felt. I was so happy to be able to see this place.