Sunset…

We wanted our 45th wedding anniversary to be cool. So we went north to the Grand Canyon. The north rim. Our first Time. We would be staying in a cabin in the pines. No Wi-Fi. No cell phone. No tv.

But, before that could happen we would drive, stopping for lunch at Two Brothers in Anthem, all the way to Flagstaff. The entire drive from our house to the cabin would take 6 1/2 hours. Too far for us. Besides we wanted to celebrate Dennis’ birthday.

After dinner with Dennis and Barb at Josephine’s, we retired to the Judge Jone’s Historic Home where we had stayed last month for my birthday (see the blog: seventy5alive.wordpress.com). This next bit is about how I ended up going down into the basement to retrieve my Gonzo t-shirt; a gift from Michael and left behind. It was a separation of one month in which we searched our home many, many times looking for the shirt. Upon arrival, Dan informed us that the shirt was hanging up in the basement. I was told that I could go and get it. In the basement. Of this historic house. So I did.

The Return of Gonzo

Reunited with my shirt, I wore it every day of the entire trip. I felt invincible.

I skipped over the part where we stopped to eat lunch at Marble Canyon Trading Post. If you have read our blog: Going East to Go West, you know that this is where I had my first fry bread. We were happy to repeat the experience of the best fry bread (made with Blue Corn Meal) as we neared the Entrance of the GCNR. The road was empty. The trees were green. The air was cool.

Alone in cabin 326, our retreat had begun. We had reservations for dinner at sunset.

And we had no reservations about celebrating our anniversary…

The next day, I was awake and out the door to greet the sunrise. The silence was pleasing. Fresh air and only the crunch of my shoes taking me closer to the edge. Shadow, as my only companion, led the way.

Shifting from darkness to light, I was careful to watch my step. I would explore trails later. Returning to the lodge for a cup of coffee felt right.

NORTH RIM OF GRAND CANYON

We drove to the highest viewpoint at the North Rim, Imperial Point. The air was thin; it was more difficult to breathe here than in the Rocky Mountains.

Like the South Rim, there are very few barriers between you and the drop off. Benches, old, worn and wobbly, were closer to the edge than necessary. You are supposed to sit, relax and enjoy the view, but in reality you sit stiffly, hand on the wooden boards of the bench and hope a big gust of wind doesn’t pick you up and guide you off the cliff.

If you look closely, you can see the winding, sandy trail that hikers walk from the South Rim to the North Rim. This Rim2Rim is a grueling 21 mile hike down the South Kaibab Trail to a 6,400 foot ascent up the North Kaibab Trail.

Back at the North Rim we met Ranger Dan who took our picture. He told us that for every 10 people who visit the Grand Canyon, 9 go to the South Rim and only 1 goes to the North Rim. The North Rim is only 10 miles from the South Rim as the crow flies, but it takes 4 hours to drive to it because you have to drive around the South Rim to get to the North Rim.

Back in the lodge, we continued exploring the history, fact and fiction, as we felt the awesome grandeur of what man and nature had made. Brighty has an interesting story. He was a feral mule that wintered on the South Rim and summered on the North Rim. The family that was the caretakers of the tent camping community at the North Rim in the early 1900s took a liking to Brighty and he to them. He let the children pet and ride him, but wasn’t so kind to adults who wanted to use him as a pack animal. He died in 1922, after which The Bright Angel Trail was named for him and the statue built. According to local lore, if you rub his nose, you’ll have good luck.

Paul was braver than I. He was ok getting closer to the edges and ledges, although looking straight down hundreds of feet did cause an adrenaline rush.

He walked Bright Angel Trail to get some beautiful photos, and then found out a teenage boy fell a day later from the same trail.

I, on the other hand, found it quite enjoyable to sit in the lodge and enjoy the magnificent views from an indoor vantage point.

Sunrise

Did you see it? Were you awake? There are 365 sunrises each year. Maybe 366 when it’s a Leap Year. Easy to miss when you’re busy living.

Whew! It is Time to move on. Plans made pulled us forward towards the Future. Soon we will leave this magical place and the very air will be different. Everything is about to change.

Backtracking our route in, we came to the Marble Canyon Trading Post and Restaurant for another fry bread meal. However, the restaurant was closed so we kept on going until we arrived at the Cameron Trading Post and Restaurant where we enjoyed a hamburger on fry bread. Our fry bread desires have been satisfied.

Our final stop that day was a hotel room in Flagstaff. We got up and dressed the next morning during a raging rain storm that included Milk Dud size hail.

We drove out of the storm quickly and the pine trees soon became saguaro. The temperatures rose, the sun beat down and we were home. Tux was happy to see us.