March 20th-22nd
Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona
The Grand Canyon in 2 days!!
The Grand Canyon is in Northern Arizona just north of Flagstaff. This park is massive and beautiful and it houses one of the most amazing wonders of the world. We only had two full days to spend at the park, so we packed in as much as we could. The weather was chilly with patches of rain, but we had a blast exploring the Grand Canyon National Park!
We stuck to the South Rim area, the most popular area. The South Rim has the hotels, large visitor center, and a shuttle system to help one get around. We asked around for hiking recommendations and the two trials that had a lot of feed back were The Bright Angle and South Kaibob Trails.With the weather being a little chilly and potential for rain we figured it was a good idea to have places to hang out inside. For it being our first time at the Grand Canyon the South Rim is a great place to start.
The Drive There
When driving North towards the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, you’ll spot Humphrey’s peak over Flagstaff. Arizona’s tallest peak. As we entered the Flagstaff area the barren landscape of shrubs and badlands turns to pine trees and snow.
First Impressions of The Grand Canyon
We first arrived at the park late in the afternoon. This was a chance for us to find our way around, figure out our to do list, and get our first glimpse of the canyon.
Who let these nerds out of the truck? We are so excited!
Mandatory stop in the Visitor Center to get the lay of the land.
After checking out the visitor center and doing a little research on trails and where the best places to take sunrise and sunset photos we walked towards the rim.
Now, we’ve all seen a million photos of the Grand Canyon. The canyon has been featured on multiple TV shows, movies, National Geographic. Poems have been written about its beauty and people come from all over the world to see it. We already had a pretty clear of idea of what to expect and then you get here and it is still over whelming just how amazing of a place it is.
When you first enter the park you are surrounded by trees and a slight incline of a hill going up in front of you. You park your car, get out, walk to the visitor center and still really can’t see anything. From the visitor center you follow a path with signs saying, “Mather Point” .5 miles this way. You go a little further up this hill, heart pounding with excitement, and then then the world drops down in front of you as you reach the edge of the rim. In front of you is the biggest crack in the earth you have ever seen. It just goes down and down. Every layer of rock has a different color. The light from the sun creates dramatic shadows and contrast on the rock surfaces. Pictures of this place can only do so much. Being present, in the moment, with the canyon in front of you is absolutely wonderful. It was one of the best moments we’ve had on this journey of ours.
Honest to God, this place is so magnificent that we started to tear up when we saw it. It was a bucket list item checked off for Camrin. This is a view from Mather Point.
Some of the outcroppings have railings so you can see out into the canyon further but they are fairly crowded. And there always crowds here. Be patient and kind to your fellow travelers and a perfect spot to take a photo will open up. Also, we recommend to get here early if you want a good parking spot or you can always take the bus shuttles.
Studying the map. If you look closely at the middle of the photo you can see jagged line going down into the Canyon. That is the Bright Angle trail and we will be hiking it on our next day at the park.
Here is a clear map of the South Rim area. The colored lines are the different shuttle routes. A very handy map!
Shutterbug in her element.
We got to the Grand Canyon a few days after a snowfall. It was chilly and the spots where no sun hits are still covered with snow.
Take it in! Take it all in!
We camped for free .5 miles outside the entrance of the park! You heard that right! The park is surrounded by National Forest and if you know where to make the turn to go down a dirt road there are tons of free places to camp. It’s rustic, but with no reservations at a park that is almost always booked up it was perfect for us.
Here’s our campsite just outside of the park. Airing out our bedding. Sand gets everywhere when you camp in the desert!
First Full Day
Sunrise!
We packed up camp in the dark and arrived in the park at 5:30 AM! We chose Yavapai Point as our sunrise spot because, according to the map, it had long unobstructed views down the canyon facing East. We weren’t sure if there was going to be a crowd of people at the look out point, so we got to the park extra early just in case. It ended up being not too crowded. Maybe a couple dozen other people. Here is Laura standing dangerously close to the edge, all for that sunrise shot. It was a bit cloudy for our sunrise, but a little patch of sun made it through.
Laura’s shot.
We prepared to spend the entire day from sun up to sun down in the park. So that meant making breakfast in the parking lot. Thankfully a company called Mountain House Meals makes great instant meals ready to eat. Just boil water, pour it in the pouch, and let it sit for a few minutes. This breakfast was biscuits and gravy. Yum!
Walking past the burrow enclosures. Aren’t they cute?! We hope we see them on the trails.
Making our way to the trail head. A little art gallery sits above the canyon rim.
The Bright Angel Trail
A lot of people recommended the Bright Angel trail for the views. With the recent snowfall, the upper part of the trail was still very icy and steep so we made sure to pack crampons.
This whole section of the trail that’s in the shade was glare ice due to the melting and refreezing of the snow. They’re not joking about the need for crampons.
If you’re on any of the trails below the rim this sign has some good trail etiquette for you. The drop offs on the side of the trails can be very very steep. Take precaution when passing other hikers or being passed by mules. Never ever kick rocks off the trails! A rolling rock only picks up momentum as it goes down where there could be more people.
These guys saved our butts literally. We saw a lot of people slip and fall. YakTrax can be found at most outdoor gear shops and only cost $20 for a pair. Of course, there are several more fancier styles of crampons, but we found this brand gave us the most bang for our buck and they fold up into a small bundle when being stored.
That’s one beautiful pit toilet clinging to the side of the rock at the 1.5 mile rest point.
Water is very scarce through out the entire park. Always pack water on hikes, but conserve it when you can.
“Down is optional. Up is Mandatory.” Truth! The trails are super steep here and the temperature gets warmer at the lower elevations. Be careful, bring water, and be prepared to go back up.
Camrin having a good time on the trail.
We made it 3 miles down. We enjoyed lunch near the rest station and enjoyed the views from half way down the canyon.
We walked down, now we have to go up. Straight up! 3 miles of stairs and incline. Approximately 1,300 feet up.
By midday it was a lot warmer and we were down to t-shirts.
Made it back up! That’s one of the fancy park hotels on the right.
This is what the bottom of the YakTrax looks like. Its just coiled wire around some rubber.
After our day hike its time to relax and enjoy the views until sunset.
Sunset!
Ok. Yes, we bought a couple of beers at the little grocery store in the park. They were a nice treat as we waited at our Sunset spot.
Here’s a better photo to send home to our parents 😉
Go Away Clouds! This is our view from Mohave Point. This area of the South Rim Can only be accessed by the shuttle buses.
Our Sad sunset. With more rain in the forecast it will be our only chance to try and see the sunset during our visit.
And then we pack onto the shuttle back to Tina in the parking lot.
Second Day
Stopping to say “Hi” to Smokey on our way into the park. He’s by the entrance stations to the South Rim.
There really is a water shortage in the park.
“Every Drop Counts” Words to live by!
Hoping on the Hiker’s Express shuttle to the South Kaibab Trail Head.
We love the shuttle system in the busy National Parks. They cut down on car traffic and the stress of finding parking through out the day.
South Kaibab Trail
Starting our hike in the rain.
It’s a lot of switchbacks to the bottom.
OOH AAH POINT!!! And a cute Camrin! And the rain has cleared up 🙂
We get asked all the time to take other peoples photos.
Still a longs ways down.
Yay! One of Laura.
Just about to our lunch spot and stopping point. We wanted to keep going, but we knew it was a long way back up.
Donkey Time!
Donkey Train!! We were hoping to see them! And we were probably way too excited to see them.
We want one! As a pet!
These are the pack mules that carry supplies to the guest ranch at the bottom of the canyon. What an awesome job for the mule riders?!
Back to us! Aww… How sweet?
A graphic warning! Gross! Seriously though, don’t hike without water and proper preparation.
Going back up!
Saying Good Bye to the Grand Canyon
We spent our last few hours in the park driving to several look out points, reading all the information boards, and seeing the historical buildings.
The views are amazing the whole way. At Moran Point there is a really good view of the Colorado River one mile below, still carving the canyon.
Our last stop in the Park. This is the Desert View Watchtower. It was made by early park employees. It is heavily influenced by local First Nations culture.
Great views and an escape from the winds.
Hello Appropriation!
Saying “good bye” to the crowds… till the next park.
Our final view of the canyon before we exit.
Though our trip was brief we were blown away at how awesome this place is. Yes, it was crowded. Yes, the weather was kinda crap for us. But the scenery and views more than made up for the couple of bummers. The dramatic light on the rocks, the colors, the history, the geology. It’s all wonderful. We will absolutely come back some day! Maybe we will be richer and we can take a donkey trip to the bottom of the canyon and stay at the famous guest ranch. We took so many photos it will be hard to choose which one to print and frame for our future home… if we ever live in one again.
With only a month left on our trip before we must return to Wisconsin, we sadly leave The Grand Canyon.
Thank you for reading our blog! Up next… The Instagram famous, Horseshoe Bend!
