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Published: September 25th 2009
South Rim - Bright Angel Pt
Taken about 3 PM after the flat light of noon timeGrand Canyon - North Rim - Part 2
KC and I spent the rest of the day relaxing, taking photos at the lodge and Bright Angle Point, while visiting Betty spots. We returned to Cape Royal to take sunset. I walked out to the point, but stopped at Angel's Window and it was different. I caught the odor of sage and knew our dedication was at work. I went to Cape Royal Point as Betty and I had done before. I left the secure area to get open shots of the sunset and the canyon and could still hear Betty “you are to old to be doing that”. Yes this was likely true, but her warning had little impact and I know she reveled in my joy and excitement.
A family of 3 (mother, daughter, husband) seemed to be in many of the same places at the same time as myself. The mother came over the fence first and we talk about her bravery. Husband and wife soon followed. During our talking, the woman said they were from Romania and had come to the US for a wedding. They sneaked in this trip to the Grand Canyon before returning
Sunset
At Cape Royal home. As so often happens a Betty/Dennis memory came out and I complimented her on how well she spoke English in comparison with a Czech Republic student working in the park Betty and I met many years ago.
It was a clear sky to the west and the sun was hot on the horizon. The walls of the canyon were alive and were constantly changing color as the sun dipped below the horizon. I stayed about 15 minutes after sunset reminiscing of earlier days and after a 10 minute walk to the car, we drove back to Kanab. The meadows we passed this morning were lined with deer (estimating over 50) and to be safe I kept my speed under 45 which made it over a 2 hour drive. Sometimes you can't win for losing as Kanab is in Utah 3-4 miles across the Arizona border, but in a different time zone. It was an hour later when we got back and KC was one hungry little traveling companion.
I planed on photographing sunrise at Bright Angel Point which I did every time Betty and I were here. However, this time I needed to drive 90 miles and
Canyon AFter Sunset
After glow looking east the deer were out again in the early morning hours. We got to the parking lot with time to spare and as is so often the case at the Grand Canyon, the wind was blowing 20-30 and the temp was in the lower 30's (wind chill mid 20s).
KC stayed in the car - no dogs on the trails and I walked the trail as I had before, but Betty was not sleeping comfortably in our cabin or in the van. During this solitary walk on this cold September morning I stopped along the way thinking of how satisfying it had been knowing she would still be sleeping when I returned. I could put my cold hands around her shoulders to cries of pain and remarks about my ancestry. Usually, her first complete sentence would be “Coffee now!”.
There were fewer people at the point than in other years (wind chill casualties), but the sunrise did not disappoint. I did not have to elbow people out of the way or climb the rocks for better vantage points (like I am capable of doing that). When I returned to car KC was shaking, so I hugged him and took
Pre-sunrise
South rim and canyon a few minutes before sunrise him to potty. He always gets excited sniffing in new areas. Later we went down to the lodge passing by the cabins Betty and I stayed. This time of the morning few people reacted when I told KC of our previous adventures. We sat on a bench in the sun and I continued to tell KC of our days at the North Rim. As the morning sun got warmer, more people started walking by our bench. It is amazing to watch KC work the crowd for pats and scratches. I can truthfully say he is a con artist.
We left in the late morning knowing we would return soon. If we moved to Cedar City, there would probably be monthly visits to Angel's Window. On to Zion tomorrow.
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