Grand Canyon – South Rim

Moving day and an iffy weather forecast of rain and possible high winds as we head to the Grand Canyon. Near Flagstaff at (7000 ft.) we ran into a flash freeze and ice pellets for a stretch of the highway. Slowing to a crawl we passed 2 nasty accidents (we learned later there were fatalities), and at least 8 other vehicle off the road. Pulling the trailer we couldn’t move over onto the icy shoulder for fear of it sliding – it was absolutely terrifying! A very slow drive to the Canyon.

Grand Canyon village has everything you might need (including post office, bank, clinic, grocery store, and accomodations to fit any budget). Once you pay the park entrance fee, all the parking is free and even better, there is a free shuttle bus system. You can park your vehicle for the entire stay.

With 2 full days we planned to hike one day and do the touristy stuff the next. There are quite a few choices for hikes. At the visitor centre in town, we watched a movie and toured the exhibits, got all the maps and info we needed then headed out to some scenic viewpoints. We both remarked that the depth and size was much more than we had imagined – it is certainly Grand!. There are 12 distinct geological rock layers that formed over time which accounts for all the different colours.

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Our second day: We hiked part of the Rim trail which goes for 24 miles along the top of the canyon, with scenic viewpoints all along. The trail is easy walking but does get close to the edge in a few places giving a little thrill. As the canyon snakes around you get many different views of the size, depth, and colours of the different layers of rock with the occasional view of the Colorado river far below. We walked about 15 kilometres of the trail, then hopped on the shuttle at the furthest stop to go back to the camp.

Back at the campground while walking to our site we spotted two Javalina’s (pronounced Havalina). We kept our distance – they can be agressive and have been known to attack, and kill, dogs. We stayed at Mather Campground which was fully booked online, but empty because of the cold weather. There is also an RV park with full hookups $$$$. The Mather campground is certainly in need of an update. The roads are beat up, the washrooms outdated with the pay showers only at the entrance to the campground. It is a campground for tents and small RV’s and usually full up, so I suppose they are in no hurry to upgrade. We had no hookups but had water near by that we used to fill our water cans and then transfer to the trailer. Generators were permitted at certain hours of the day which we used to supply power to appliances and recharge the batteries. We had no WiFi or cell service anywhere in the park. (AT&T).

There are also large herds of Elk and Mule Deer all through the park. We saw a small herd of Elk in the campground on arrival day, and on our hike there were deer scat everywhere.

Tourist Day: We drove early to the Desert View Watchtower on recommendation from the visitor center that it has great views of the Colorado river and painted desert. It sits on the highest point of the south rim. On arrival, it was already full of tourists and a hazy day – the tower has a narrow winding staircase and did not offer the great views that were promised. We drove back stopping at the scenic viewpoints and the Tusayan Museum and Ruins. A small but well represented excavated area showing the ruins of a small ancient community and a great Kiva (ceremonial chamber). They also have a garden trail that identify the native plants and how they were used.