My last trip to Arizona featured a weekend layover so I rented a car and drove to the Grand Canyon!
I got there Saturday afternoon and it was cold and snowy. I found a nice hotel room, checked in and went to the South Rim. It was a learning experience and prepared me for the weekend. I leashed Jackie and took her with me to Mather Point, but I should have probably left her in the car. She was okay for a few minutes but then got cold, wet and upset! But I parked and walked up to the rim. It was busy with tourists, many from other countries. Europe and Asia. The buses were carrying people bundled up for the cold weather and everybody was running around excited, taking pictures and laughing and having a good visit. I was breathless and almost crying from all the emotions of doing something I’d been dreaming about for years and there it was. You see the pines and glimpses of the North Rim and finally the wide expanse of the canyon. I was definitely overwhelmed. Worrying about my dog running around and the contagious excitement of everybody, the snow and cold, and the feeling of coming to Holy Ground was all pushing me to the limits of overwhelming sensation. Pure joy. I stayed just a few minutes taking pictures and watching everybody before my dog was overwhelmed with the cold. I got disoriented and couldn’t find my way back to the car at first, I wandered west along the rim for a few minutes and Jackie was getting more and more uncomfortable and upset. Finally I had to pick her up and bundle her in my jacket and find my way back to the car. I knew I was on the right track when I found the memorial plaque honoring the many Native American nations of the Colorado River Valley there. The pictures I took Saturday were snowy and low visibility, but I was looking forward to seeing more on Sunday morning when the weather was supposed to be clear. So we went to get something to eat and got back to the hotel.
My favorite part of the trip was Sunday morning. The snow cleared out and the visibility was unlimited. You could see mountains a hundred miles away, the San Francisco mountains to the south and Mt Trumbull was visible from Yavapai Point. I found a parking lot that was empty and hiked a half mile to the South Rim.
I was alone with the sound of the wind and nobody to see me close to tears. I stayed there maybe ten or fifteen minutes, taking pictures and listening to the wind in the trees, only a single hiker passed by. I made my way back to the car and my dog there. I couldn’t take her with me because it was 20° and it was better to leave her in the car. We rode through the village and west to Hermit’s Rest, where you could see the San Francisco mountains near Flagstaff. This was a high place with ravens soaring and I think it was a trailhead into the canyon. We left there and went to the hotel for checkout before a last trip to the South Rim which was also wonderful. I found Yavapai Point and visited the museum with maps and dioramas. You could stand inside and see the canyon through the windows. I bought a USGS Survey Benchmark pin and watched the other visitors, families and so much excitement! It was finally time to leave with my memories and pictures from my unforgettable experience.
Panoply of Life 
