Category: Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

San Francisco Peaks

All it took was a phone call for a winter visit to the South Rim Grand Canyon.

Amanda, a special friend and fellow Park Ranger from Oregon Caves days has made her way up the NPS ladder and works at Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Alaska. She was in training at the Albright Training Center located within GRCA NP. Wow, only a four hour drive away.

I took a short walk along the rim then met up with Amanda for dinner and made a plan for Saturday.

We walked about 4 miles (6.4 k) along the rim trail stopping to gaze at the canyon and chatting away as if it hadn’t been three years since we’d seen each other.

The sky was clear so we didn’t expect a very colorful sunset but the light and shadow show never disappoints.

We ended up across from Hopi House (above) at El Tovar (below) for drinks and appetizers.

Then back to El Tovar for breakfast along with another friend who works on the South Rim.

Windy and too cold for me so went back to camp while Amanda walked the rim trail from Hermits Rest back to The Village.

Later in the afternoon we all reconnected and thanks to our friend loaning us her car we drove out to the Desert Watch Tower without having to move the truck/camper.

This far eastern view from the tower shows Cedar Mountain and across Navajo land to the shadowed Echo Cliffs.

We drove back towards The Village stopping at Lippan Point which juts out far enough to offer an almost 180 degree view.

Amazing views of the Colorado River up and down stream as the last light slipped under the low building storm clouds…

…turning the canyon walls to gold.

Cold wind increased as the last light faded. Time to head back to camp and say our goodbyes. In the morning we left the canyon under cloudy skies and a light bit of snow.