He Wanders To A Canyon So Grand
This was a trip of “nothing prepares you for the majesty of (insert place)”. From Horseshoe Bend to the Vermillion Cliffs to the Kaibab Plateau and the Grand Canyon itself it seemed like every turn in the road brought me to yet another mesmerizing view in an astonishing landscape. There is something absolutely hypnotic about the American southwest that has rooted itself deep in my soul, a place seemingly so barren and lifeless and yet full of life and great expanses, incredible colors, I feel like when most people think of the desert they think of brown or tan but there are so many colors of desert it hurts my head just contemplating it again. I could prattle on with superlative after superlative but I truly feel like to really understand this part of the world you have to visit. I implore you.
I stopped for a short bit after horseshoe bend to observe a wide open expanse that had appeared before me as the road started down off of a plateau. To the north I could make out the Vermilion Cliffs and off to the west and south a bit the Kaibab Plateau and between it and I, the Colorado River carving its way through Marble Canyon. An alien world, sand and rock but across the valley I could see the trees atop the Kaibab, a dark conglomeration not quite green but definitely not red, brown tan or grey of the rocks. The road took me down into this valley and then across the Colorado and to the base of the Vermilion cliffs, around them and finally across the last bit of expanse before climbing up the side of and onto the Kaibab Plateau where the brown and red gave way to tan and yellow with trees and shrubs clumped here and there and finally up onto a forested wonderland.
A winding road through a beautiful thick forest gives way to a carpet of young Aspen trees and old charred remains, a former burn slowly recovering, a stark reminder that this is still the southwest and even though I was surrounded by green the lack of rain and snowfall makes it very susceptible to fires.
I’ve decided to take a break from campfires anywhere that isn’t an absolute humid jungle almost, I’ve seen too many wildfires even in my short time in the west to let myself risk in even the slightest way contributing to one. I have a single burner camp stove that can run on butane or propane and I plan to use that and that alone unless fire danger is completely zero. I hope you all think similarly in regards to campfires but especially in the delicate climates where droughts have long taken hold.
After a while the trees once again gave way to a verdant meadow and up ahead I could glimpse the entrance to the North Rim. My giddiness started to bubble up and over as I sat in line steadily moving toward the pay station. A flash of my park pass “Yes I would like a map and a brochure”. I always love the small interaction with the park ranger, so full of passion and happiness. Onward I go into thicker forest and into a cut that almost felt like a gorge, tall tree cover from the hills on either side of the road but little by little I caught glimpses. Peaking through the trees here and there, by picnic spots and scenic viewpoints but I wouldn’t stop to look I was on a mission to Bright Angel Point and finally I reached the parking lot for the Visitor Center. I lucked out and it only took two laps to find a place to park. Surprisingly though the lot was full to the brim it didn’t feel that crowded and once I had been through the gift shop and wandered out to the edge then over to the trail there might as well have been no one else in the world. I was enthralled by my view.
A deep gash, an expanse seemingly never ending, slight cloud cover and a sky that was a bit hazy added to the mystique. The Grand Canyon, I’ve heard multiple places referenced as similar to it, but no. Nothing can compare to its grandeur, it’s stunning magnificence. I spent some time staring at it from Bright Angel Point, a busy spot but again I hardly noticed the people around me the spell this place had cast upon me was too great.
After a time I headed back to my car, not quite sure what to do next but as I walked I overheard a ranger discuss the drive to Cape Royal as an idea to explore if someone had time and so I decided since I had nothing to do that night other than find a spot to camp I’d head North and then East to catch a glimpse of Cape Royal. It didn’t disappoint.
Angel’s Window was the first thing I saw after starting down the trail, a gorgeous squared off natural arch of yellow and gold sandstone. Through it I caught a glimpse of the river.
Then came the view from the cape itself and it was simply marvellous. People complain about places like this, that everything looks the same or it’s just a big hole but the subtleties they miss are what makes places like this (even though there really isn’t anything specifically like this) special. You’re staring at time. Looking into the past, each inch down is another year back, rocks that have been eroded for millennia, nay eons, are laid bare at the bottom. Over a mile down to the river in elevation. It’s no wonder Spanish conquistadors thought this was the end of the world and some native tribes believed this is where man first emerged from the underworld.
I lingered here for quite some time, just staring out into the canyon and across it taking in the view under the bright Arizona sun. Finally I headed back to my car and wound my way back out of the park and into the National Forest, taking a right and heading east to the edge of the plateau to camp. I didn’t think the views could get any better but as with most of this trip every time I thought I had seen the best I could see I found out how wrong I was.
I parked my car and camped at a trailhead for a remarkable looking trail called the Saddle Mountain Overlook, at the edge of the canyon. Just a few hundred yards from this breathtaking view, as the sun began to get lower in the sky a small storm blew through and made for an unforgettable scene of rain coming down into a canyon being overtaken by shadow. The day had been long and sleep the night before nonexistent so I made my bed and turned in just after 7 that evening quickly finding a peaceful rest. Only waking every few hours to add another layer of bedding, but sleeping at 8400 or so feet in elevation will do that.
In the morning I woke early to catch the sunrise and once again found myself speechless. I sat watching it and staring out into the canyon again as the suns beams slowly crept into its nooks and crannies.
I’ll not soon forget this place and I long to go back. Do yourself a favor and see it at least once in your lifetime. You may find it’s even more wondrous than you can imagine.
Wandering Toto
– 2021
The Wandering Toto 