I have never experienced such a remote and isolated place surrounded by a palpable silence as Jumpup Point, a narrow peninsula of land jutting out into Grand Canyon.
The drive
44 miles of gravel road in the Kaibab National Forest removed me from civilization. The last 10 miles along FR201 are a brutal drive over a rocky road that appears not to have seen a grader for a while. It took me 1.5 hours avoiding the potential tire punching pointy rocks and crawling over slickrock boulders. But the reward at the end was entirely worth it.
From high plateau pines and meadows a drop of 2500 feet (762 meters) in elevation brought me through the Juniper and Pinyon to a low elevation of heat and seeking shade amongst the sparse desert environment.
Definitely need a high clearance vehicle to make the last 10 miles.
Being there
I went alone to be with my cluttered brain thinking about the future, or at least what I plan to do at the end of this summer season. Yet what I discovered was just to be in the NOW of this most amazing place.
It took a while to settle in to this absolute silence surrounded by a canyon so vast. I felt disoriented to my place here. What is the name of that point, drainage and temple? Hey, I’m into geography.
Yet after I set up camp and had dinner I finally settled in and watched the late sun rays glow off canyon walls and create shadows in the depths.
No signs of human activity within the many miles of sight. The western wind brought a scent of dry desert.
I talked out loud to break the silence yet felt intruded upon by the distant sound of an occasional jet which I could not even see.
Pre-sunset a sundog appeared high above mountains on the distant horizon.
And as sunset blazed across the western sky a sense of calm finally came to me.
I was HERE, NOW, and that’s all I needed to be.
Oh NO!!!!!!! You should NOT have shown me this Gaelyn!! I am more than jealous!! I want to be tere too!!!!!
And I Want to share this place, and many more with you.
What an amazing experience, Gaelyn. You are a lucky woman! Grace (in Tucson)
Thanks. I feel blessed.
Just no words. This is quite overwhelming just to see the photos. Intensely jealous, but grateful you shared!
The place is really beyond words.
So poetic – both words and photos. A place removed. I’m glad to know such places still exist. The moose ambled through our property this AM. I’ve not seen it since last winter. Guess I should stay alert now on the trails!
The place is magic. Cool to see the moose and do please be alert.
I have no words for this. Just . . . Wow! I can’t imagine being that alone. Loved this post.
Was truly magic.
That you even know of this gorgeous place is amazing in itself. But to be there all alone and take these simply spectacular pictures, I just can’t think of many things more wonderful. It makes me breathe very deeply and sigh with longing.
This place is amazing. If it wasn’t so hard to get to, I’d go every weekend.
I’m glad that you eventually got a “state of calm”. Such a beautiful place Gaelyn…… I would love to visit there one day.
It did take a while to become one with the place. Grand Canyon should definitely be on your list.
Wow, what an experience. It has been decades since I’ve been in such an utterly quiet place.
Not easy to find this kind of isolation.
What can you tell us about the trail in the Canyon shown in your picture #8? It looks like it would be a trail taken by “The Man Who Walked Through Time”.
That’s Jumpup Canyon trail which crosses the Esplande in a ‘U’ around Jumpup Point. Am told there’s a lot of old cowboy camp artifacts along it. Although intriguing would be Very hot this time of year.
I could feel the isolation in your images. What a place!! I hope the mystical feeling calmed you . The NOW is where we are—each of us. grasp it! MB
It took a while for me to find the calm, but I did, and was in the NOW.
Spectacular photos! The sunset shot is fantastic!
An amazing place…..thanks for sharing it.
Oh, this is so wonderful. I’d like to have made that trip; such peace and serenity. Indeed being in the now is the only way.
That said, I remember our attempt to take a back road this summer and tire trouble! There’s a reason for everything. I hope to be back visiting regularly now.
Thank goodness I now have good and worthy tires for backroading. We’ll get our chance.
Oh the marvelous beauty and solitude of this special place. The absolute awe this inspires makes me happy, and a bit envious not to be there!
I’d return every weekend off if not such a gruesome drive. More than special.
All that beauty leaves me totally speechless!!
Talk about being in the middle of nowhere. But everybody needs alone time to recharge their batteries and minds.
I’m off to the Tsitsikamma for a couple of days for an educational with my assistant. I told her I want to get into the forest for at least an hour or so to do exactly that.
Yes, being alone with nature is very rejuvenating. Hope you get that chance with the Tsitsikamma forest.
These photos are just gorgeous and I love the dirt back roads – one of my favorite things to do – take the dirt road to anywhere. We love the Grand Canyon and have been fortunate enough to have made it there twice, I wouldn’t mind another visit or two, or three! It always seems as if there is somewhere new to explore though. This year we made it Arches and Monument Valley, both of which were spectacular.
Thanks Patti. Backroading is one of my favorite pastimes. Don’t think you can go wrong in our National Parks.