North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park

After securing my campsite at DeMotte Campground, on Tuesday, 10/6/2015, I headed on down Arizona State Route 67 for my first visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Sounds virginal - and it was and I was feeling that way, I have to be honest (if, perhaps, a little too honest).

Bison Warning, Heading south on State Route 67

After turning right onto SR 67 from the campground, I immediately encountered something to start my imagination flowing, perhaps because my heart rate ticked up a notch. I had never seen anything like this before, a yellow road sign warning of bison! I had not read of nor heard that there were free roaming bison in Arizona.

It turns out they're actually a bit of a nuisance because the herds have gotten quite large, to the point that the state has authorized hunts for them. I talked to the man at the North Rim Country Store about this; he had recently had a customer come through with a decapitated bison. I hate to hear of or think about it. I had just been talking to my wife about hunting, which neither of us do or understand.

We both feel we can tolerate people that do it who genuinely need the meat, such as the people on those shows of Alaskan wilderness folks, or hopefully in the case where government agencies are authorizing hunts for population control. But in either case were skeptical and just hate the thought of animals being killed. However, that's another topic...

Finally,  I made it to the entrance gate.

Park Entrance, Grand Canyon N.P. North Rim

Yes, it was still cloudy, and that was both a disappointment and a bit exciting. As I sat waiting in line at the park entrance, I was mulling over the weather. Everyone, I'm sure, has seen the pictures of the Grand Canyon bathed in sunlight or perhaps with monsoonal rain clouds. I don't recall seeing many pictures of thick clouds or gray skies.

I was thinking that perhaps I could get some pictures, and if they show enough of the Grand Canyon, they could be rare captures of the canyon with clouds in them. On the other hand, they could be duds. But, it was supposed to be cleared up the following day so I knew I'd probably be able to get some then. Today could be a day for scouting and just taking in the scenery as much as possible.

I decided to just head straight to the lodge. The book I bought about photographing Arizona mentioned a number of locations besides the lodge, but I thought I'd start there anyway. Bright Angel and the view points behind the lodge were also mentioned as great places to take pictures from.

The Park Menu

I asked the park ranger at the gate about the bison. He said that normally they are in the meadows of the park, and not in the meadows north of the park entrance. But they typically head for the forest when the weather is bad like it was that day. I got my 7 day pass for $30 and drove on.

The road into the park continues through more meadow for a bit and I was scouring for signs of buffalo but to no avail. Dangit! I did see some deer, barely, but there was no place to get off the road at that point. If I have one complaint about the area, it is that I wish there were more pull offs on the side of the road. They do exist, but maybe only every couple of miles or so, and there are no warning signs when you're approaching them so it's easy to zip by them (as I recall, the speed limit is 55 before you get to the park, 45 in the park until you get to more populated areas).

About a mile after passing through the meadow you get into some more pine and aspen forest. How refreshing. There are pine forests elsewhere in Arizona but these seem different for some reason. Perhaps it was because it was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit that day. Perhaps it was because I was there instead of at work. For whatever reason, I was immersed in a feeling of humility and humanity - I was a being on planet earth instead of a software engineer in a cubical.

The prime parking spot - the lodge is to the left

After passing by the road to Cape Royal and the parking lot for the Kaibab Trail, when you near the lodge you pass by a picnic area on your left which offers your first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. Wow. Even though I've seen it before (from the South Rim, it was breathtaking).

I continued on to the lodge where as luck would have it I got the parking spot nearest the lodge. How cool was that!?! I don't know who to thank. It is a large parking lot and every time I returned over the 3 days I spent in the park I always seemed to find a spot in the section nearest the lodge but never again in the primo spot. I was surprised at how much people come and go but after driving to the other areas in the North Rim, you find out why people are anxious to visit all of them.

Cabins at the North Rim.

I walked through the east group of cabins available for renting, wishing my wife and our dogs were with me. There were a lot of other older couples there, and a lot of people
speaking languages other than English. So many, in fact, that on that first day I felt like a minority.

The cabins look cool so I had to take some iPhone pictures of them. Big, heavy log construction with friendly porches complete with chairs and/or rocking chairs. Even in the rain they looked inviting and conducive to spending some very pleasant hours with a beverage of choice such as coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe even something stronger.

The end of the walk through the cabins

After passing by the cabins, I noted the balcony of the lodge on my right, but in front of me I was confronted with my first view of the Grand Canyon from outside of my Explorer. It was right there, over the top of a sign pointing to some trails. The book had said the Bright Angel Point was a place to take a great photograph from so naturally I turned left.

Along the trail you first encounter another view point on a ledge, thankfully with a railing around it since it was wet and slippery rock.

I decided to get my feet wet, literally, by taking in this first view point. It was also my first slap in the face from my vertigo. I'd hoped it wouldn't get to me but like a bad penny, it turned up and, literally, took my breath away. This was not going to be the only time it happened at the park.

Vertigo go away

The east viewpoint below the lodge

I'm not going to post all of the pictures here, but even my wife could tell as she looked through them - I took a lot of pictures from the top of the stairs to the viewpoint. I was building up my nerve, trying to look like I was calm and just taking pictures from every possible vantage point. The truth was that I couldn't immediately bring myself to head down the stairs.

I don't know why I have the fears I do. I just feel like I'm not completely in control of my ability to walk and that it will just be dumb luck if I venture down a path such as the one in front of me without spilling over the edge. I hate the feeling but I feel even more that when I force myself I loose even more control and the chances are even greater that I'm going to become a casualty. When I push myself my heart rate jumps up, my vision seems to get narrower, and I can even become paralyzed (that happened to me for a few minutes at the Chiricahua National Monument, I became glued in place on the side of a cliff).

It didn't help that the railings at the top (the brown ones in the picture) are about 2-1/2 feet above the ground forcing me to stoop over. Nor was it reassuring to have wet, slippery rocks for steps. Eventually I bucked up, the thought passing through me to ask the guys who came up from the viewpoint if I could borrow their cojones (as if joking in the face of immense and imminent and grave danger), and I grabbed tightly on to the rails with both hands on both sides of the steps and moved one foot down onto the first stone. I actually gasped (to myself, but regardless, I'd waited until no one else was around to see the funny old fat man) and then slowly made my way on to the platform. I held on to the rail as I eased out into the nothingness. I did make it, and I did take some iPhone pics to prove it. I was excited about the view, amazed that I made it out alive, but at no time was I relaxed.

Deathcrack #1

Deathcrack #1

The platform has a large crack on the left side at the front. It's not big enough to fall through but it's big enough to see through, probably about 2 inches wide. There's nothing below that crack but death. Okay, maybe it's actually beauty of the Grand Canyon. But why do we have to have a crack there? Then, there's another large gap at the bottom of the railing at the back end of the platform. It is big enough to possibly slip through. I did NOT let go of the railing with both hands at the same time. I did NOT breath normally nor did my heart beat normally.

The view from the east viewpoint below the lodge

I took a picture of the canyon in clouds, looking south east from the view point. I also took a selfie to prove I was there. The grin on my face may or may not be due to realizing I made it out there alive and didn't need to change my underwear.

When I got back to the trail, the trail now seemed like a death march waiting for me, with chances of survival at 50/50 at best. Since I'd walked it already I was somewhat comforted, but instead of heading on out to Bright Angel I headed west towards the lodge.

When I got to the path I'd come down, it looked menacing so I continued to the west, and trying to ignore the drop offs on the side of the trail, I came to the viewpoint on the west side below the lodge. Oh great.

Me laughing at danger on the east viewpoint

However, the railings were more impressive. It was a little wider at the top. But there was no railing on the right side of the stairs. I decided to give it a go. What did I have to lose?

After similar hesitations and nerve wrangling, I made it down onto the west platform. I took some iPhone pictures. I haven't mentioned it, but I did NOT have my Nikon with me - I was just kind of scouting. I can't imagine trying this while lugging my camera, bag, and tripod. I did not need anything else to affect my balance.

The west viewpoint awaits
those who dare. I dared.

After a few pictures, I made it back up from the open arms of death by falling again (otherwise who'd be writing this blog?). That was enough adventure for a bit so I decided to climb the stairs near the west viewpoint up to the lodge. I felt like I'd gambled and won, but there was no reason to press my luck any farther.

The west viewpoint

It was a nice introduction to the canyon. After making it up to the lodge I was able to actually just look at the canyon and observe the constantly changing clouds as they nuzzled up to the canyon walls. They made their way through the canyon, maneuvering as necessary to get around the beautiful yet terrifying shapes of the canyon mountains and walls.

I was mesmerized and extremely humbled. I was humanized. Nature had modified my very awareness of myself. I was struck once again by how little justice a photograph does to capturing that incredible feeling of the beauty, changing and fleeting permanence, tolerance, vulnerability, patience, and dominance of the great outdoors. Of our planet. Of my little, insignificant, and short time on the planet. It makes me think of a movie I saw recently (and may have mentioned before) called "The Ride" with Helen Hunt. Her son states "I want to work to live, not live to work". The experience of the Grand Canyon makes me question my purpose in life. How grand is that?

View from the west viewpoint