North Rim

***Background***

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon isn't as easy to get to as the South but if you get a chance then it's really worth the effort. We really wanted to go and see this wonder but I'll start by saying that no amount of descriptive writing or photographs can prepare you for such a magnificent and unbelievable sight. They can of course give you an idea but the sheer vastness and beauty of rising towers of differently coloured rock covered by the lush green of trees is something that has to be seen in person to be completely appreciated. For those that just think the Grand Canyon is a wide-open space with the Colorado River running through it, they should go and take a look to find that it is so much more.

Leaving Las Vegas was quite easy after a couple of hectic days and we were really looking forward to getting back to some wide open spaces with the road stretching ahead of us. We decided to head up to a town called St George and then to come down through a little place called Hurricane before driving through Colorado City. Travelling on to Fredonia and then to Jacob Lake we followed Route 67 down to the entrance of the National Park where we paid our entrance fee of $20 for a pass that is valid for 7 days in all areas of the Grand Canyon Park, north or south. This area isn't open all year round like the South Rim, instead you will be able to access it from May - October.

There are a few different viewpoints that are well worth visiting and I'll go through the journey we took and a bit about each section as we come to it. We arrived in the Canyon area at around lunchtime so had the majority of the afternoon and evening to explore the area. We would have liked a little bit more time as we did feel that we had to rush a little bit to get to Bright Angel Point for the sunset.

***First Impressions***

As you enter this green area of National Park, you could be forgiven for thinking you had come into the wrong place for a canyon, because this area is part of the Kaibab Forest and the huge trees and grassy lakes are all around you. There are many places where you can park up and go exploring, but remember that the wildlife is there to be looked at from a distance and that you shouldn't try to feed or approach any animals. Of course there is the occasional time when some wildlife may approach or walk past you, so you should always keep your wits about you and your camera at the ready.

Deer are a very common sight and you do have to be very careful when driving on these roads, especially the small twisty ones, as they will literally jump out in front of you. We were lucky enough to escape this but we did see another car having to brake suddenly to avoid a collision.

I mentioned grassy lakes earlier and these are areas that have dried up over time or been turned into a clearing due to forest fires. If you have read my Yosemite review you might remember that I mentioned Siesta Lake, which still has water in it at the moment. The grassy meadow areas were a sign to us of what is to become of that lake in the future. It was while we had gone through some trees into a meadow that my hubby suddenly but quietly told me to turn round very gently. I have to say I was a little bit panicked to start with but as I did so I could see a large deer walking a few yards away from me. It knew we were there but seemed quite calm and even stopped to graze for a few minutes before calmly walking off again and disappearing into the cover of the high spruce and fir trees that filled the air with a lovely scent.

This experience was quite beautiful and breathtaking, as we are used to seeing a few deer in fields around the area we live from time to time, but we had never been that close to a wild one before. We saw many deer around that area but none as close up and the others all scampered off as soon as they saw us.

We saw other types of wildlife in this area too including wild turkeys, chipmunks and some sinister looking vultures. All this added a bit extra to the visit that we had not really expected.

***Cape Royal Road***

There are quite a few stopping places along this 20-mile drive from the turn off just 3 miles before getting to Bright Angel Point. It is a beautiful and pleasant drive as you head out on long straight roads before almost crawling round some seriously tricky corners with breathtaking drops at the side of you. Our first real view of the canyon came along the area past Greenland Lake where the trees separate and you realise that there is a massive chasm at the side of you. Vista points make stopping to park easy and it's not really a good idea to stop at the side of some of these roads, as it could be quite dangerous for other traffic. You also have to be aware that mountain lions and coyotes can also be found in these parts and it is very easy to lose sight of the road should you wander off a trail so care should be taken.

Our first main stop off was at Roosevelt Point, where like many of the other areas around here, has a proper trail that you can head out to. With most of our trip, we found that hiking just wasn't an option because of the intense heat, however this was advertised to be a short trip that should only take around 20 minutes to get round and that it was secluded through woodland. It offered us promises of spectacular views so we couldn't really pass up the chance. We were not disappointed and were amazed to see so many different colours and shapes of the rock formations. Looking down was quite scary for me with my fear of heights but I was determined not to let that spoil my enjoyment of the view towards the eastern end of the canyon.

Further down this road you come to a large stopping area called the Walhalla Overlook. This plateau was home to a group of people who lived on this site over 900 years ago. It is believed that this was an area that was a favourite for the Pueblo to farm on the land because it isn't as high up as other places surrounding the canyon and that warm updrafts of air helped melt the snow quicker in the winter here. It is thought they would then move back down into the Unkar Delta areas of the canyon, where the Colorado River flows, when the snow returned. There have been many archaeological digs over the years and artifacts found have helped to tell the story of the people who lived there. There are groups of stones that mark the ruined walls of one such house and information leaflets are available on site to show which area is which. At the parking area across the road from the ruins there is a great opportunity to look down into the Unkar Delta and to get a rare glimpse of the Colorado River, as it carves its way through the canyon.

Cape Royal Point is the ideal place to see all around the canyon. At 7685 feet above sea level, you are guaranteed spectacular views of the east, west and south. A half hour round trip walk will take you to an arch in the rock, which is known as Angels Window. The views from this area really are something else.

***Point Imperial Road***

The turn off for this road is 15 miles back along the Cape Royal Road where you head a further 3 miles to get to it. This is the highest point along the North Rim of the canyon at 8803 feet above sea level and offers even more breathtaking views. The first thing that really catches your eye is a tower of pale rock that stands on a red base surrounded by trees. This is quite a sight to see as it seems to come out of nowhere and is in fact Mt Hayden, which is a spire that is made up of sandstone and is left over from a vast desert covered land over 260 million years ago. It certainly made us think about what a short and insignificant time we have in our lives and that every moment should be lived for today.

Imperial Point is a great place to stop at as it overlooks the many colours of the Painted Desert and the eastern side of the canyon. You can see where the Marble canyon starts and the red and black rock layers that make it so beautiful.

***Bright Angel Point***

This is the most popular point of the North Rim and it's easy to see why when you arrive, as it offers the most wonderful views all the way over to the South Rim. This is one of the areas where you can follow the trail right down into the canyon and it is possible to go from North to South but it should be remembered that this is a long trek and will take you much longer than a day. It is around 14 miles to the Colorado River from this point and there is little shade from the heat so be prepared and follow the rangers' advice if hiking is something you want to do. It is also possible to take mules into some of these trails, although if this were something you would like then be prepared to book months in advance.

Bright Angel Point stands 8225 feet above sea level and is the area at the North Rim that has Lodges and refreshments, although despite this it was still reasonably quiet at sunset and it wasn't long before the sights took our breath away. The reason for the name of Bright Angel is because when you look across to the south, you can see a white formation in the red rock that looks like an angel with outspread wings. It reminded me a bit of the Angel of the North sculpture but of course this Angel hasn't been man-made and is a natural work of art.

As the sun started to set we could soon see the rocks changing colour from an orange/red hue to a deeper purple shade. It wasn't long though before all you could see was a tiny speck of sun peeping out over the edge of the western face and amazing colours of gold and red filled the sky set off against the darkening blue. If you were heading towards this area then I would advise trying to be there at sunset as it was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

As we headed back along the road that would take us back past the entrance of the park and on to Page for the night, we also encountered another common occurrence in that area. An amazing electrical storm rolled in and flashes of lightning and loud crashes of thunder stopped us in our tracks as we pulled off the road to watch for a while. There are warnings about the electrical storms in this area and you are advised that you need to be away from the rim when they occur, as there is a good chance of you being struck. Cars and buildings are the best places to be and we were well away from the edges at that point on an open road. You should remember though that a lot of roads in this area have rocky edges to them and there is a danger from falling rocks when the storms are accompanied by heavy rainfall. We saw this first-hand, as a car drove slowly towards us with the lights flashing warnings to us. Round the corner there were a few large boulders that we had to negotiate in this extremely dark area.

***My Thoughts***

I thoroughly enjoyed our time at the North Rim of the Canyon and would love to go back someday to see the Bright Angel again and perhaps stay in one of the lodges too, as they looked very cosy. If you are looking for a more out of the way place to go to see the canyon then the North is definitely better. We didn't know at that time but the South is much busier and more of a tourist spot, where as the North is relatively untouched by all that.

We saw lots of wildlife that we hadn't thought about seeing and this also helped to make our visit special. Sharing a moment together with the sunset is something every couple should try to do at some point in their relationship and to see one in such a beautiful place is something we'll remember forever. Of course we also have lots of photos to remind us of this special time too and this area is really a photographer's dream as it was so easy to get good shots.

What amazes me is that it is so cheap to get access to such natural beauty and calmness. $20 was well worth it for our trip not only to the North but to the South too. At each area you get different newspapers telling you all about the areas and warning you of anything you should be aware of. There is a lot of useful information about the formation of the canyon but I've tried to stay away from the geology side of things in this review, as I'm sure websites could tell it in more details than I could.

Finally I'll add the important information that if you are planning to do even a short hike in the summer months, it is important to take plenty of fluids with you. Although not as hot as the 116 degrees we encountered in Death Valley, the temperature gauge didn't really drop below 100 very often on our trip and sun protection needs to be a priority. If you do get a chance to take in this spectacular place then I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.