Road Trip TwoGether: Day 30 Thursday 10-8-15 North Rim of the Grand Canyon

Today we left Marble Canyon and found our way to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. The North Rim receives about only 1/10^th the visitors as the South Rim does. A couple of reasons: First, most visitors arrive via Flagstaff which is closer to the South Rim; Second, it is a 150 mile drive one way from where you would leave the South Rim to travel to the North Rim. It’s not very convenient. Even when you come in from the north like we did, it still is quite a hike.

From Marble Canyon to the North Rim you pass the Vermillion Cliffs. It's good we are not using the old Kodak 12 exposure film. Linda would have used about three rolls on just the cliffs.

Hey! Where is everybody.
I'm ready to hit the road.

The Vermillion Cliffs. The Mesa just visible
on the far right is over 50 miles away.

Along the way to the Canyon the road climbs to a high plateau. There are vast meadows on the plateau with the occasional fenced in watering hole. The area wildlife share the meadows with cattle. The wildlife will jump the fence to get to the water. The cattle don't. They drink from watering troughs which they don't care to share.

There are animal warning signs for deer, elk, buffalo, and cougar. That’s about all the wildlife we saw…the signs. However, we did almost make coyote burgers out of one that dashed right out in front of us.

At the entrance to the Canyon there is the North Rim Lodge. Only at the extreme end of the observation points are there railings. If you get off the path you are a goner.

I wish pictures could show the enormity of the Canyon. Nearly 20 miles wide and a mile deep.
Forgive me if I duplicate pictures... I'm trying to stay awake!

Linda chose not to take the trail.

The wall on the left (down) is a shear
as the wall on the right (up).

On the way back out of the Canyon:

After you leave the North Rim you now have a 100 mile ride back to where you can find a highway to take you north or south. We chose south. We will spend the night in Flagstaff.

On the way back along the Vermilion Cliffs there was an area where there were large boulders. Some of them perched on their own pedestals. We stopped and Linda, who loves to climb on rocks (remember Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia?) did her thing and in no time was headed for the top of the mesa. While she didn’t make it very far up the hillside the young Navajo man who was selling jewelry thought this grandma was quite amusing.