Dad and Son Trip to the Grand Canyon

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If you haven't done it yet, you must travel to the Grand Canyon. My 22-year-old son and I flew into Vegas for five days. We drove to Hoover Dam, explored Red Rock Canyon, and topped off our trip with a sightseeing flight from Vegas to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We took ATVs from the little airport/lodge located on a working cattle ranch 10 miles into the canyon. We stopped along the way to have some interesting sights explained, as well as to learn some folklore, and to learn about the plantlife and the rock formations.

When we finally got to our destination, we were 700 feet above the Colorado River. There we roamed around and were treated to some humbling sights. I have never felt so small yet so connected to anything in my life! I don't think I have the writing talent to adequately explain the impact it had on me, but I am so thankful that I was able to spend the time there with my son. At an age when he is heading out on his own now, it's a nice thing to reflect on, and to relive now and then when we do spend quality time together.

In a word, it was a GRAND experience.

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Photos

Red Rock Canyon Trail
It's hard to tell how big this area really is, until you realize that the trails are flanked by bushes that are about half as tall as we were. It was faily steep as well, but thankfully it was only about 90 degrees and less humid than it tends to get in Vegas in the summer.

Red Rock Canyon Trail
Here's the same shot but with a bit of blue for contrast. I pulled back on the zoom too, so you can see more of what we saw. Now you can get a better sense of how big things can be out there amid the rocks!

Nicholas in Rock
Here's my son posing between a rock that must have a pretty dramatic time of it when it cracked.

Nicholas in Rock 2
Here's a better shot to illustrate the contrast in sizes of little humans and BIG rocks!

Mt. Charleston
Such a difference in climate from Red Rock Canyon at about 1,000 feet up to Mt. Charleston at 11,918 feet. From dusty desert to lush green forests, Mt. Charleston is a wonderful place to drive to if you are tired of the heat and noise of Vegas in the summertime.

Mt. Charleston 2
There are lodges and homes located up on the mountain, as well as a nice restaurant. It's very rustic, and a bit overpriced, but a nice place to sit, gather your thoughts, and relive the adventures of the day. This view is from the lodge/restaurant.

Hoover Dam
Talk about extremes! It was 114 degrees when we made our way to Hoover Dam. You get a real sense of how tiny we humans are once you stand atop that massive structure. With the heat and the raw power of the rocks that surround the damn, I am very glad that I wasn't want of the workers on the original structure. Even the parking garage is built as part of the mountains. It's amazing!

Hoover Dam 2
We took this picture after being in an air-conditioned area of the damn that is part of the tour, so we aren't sweating very much. Actually, even though we were sweating in the heat, most of it dried so rapidly that it didn't really become too apparent. We were glad, however, to get back into the SUV with a good air conditioner.

Lake Mead
As we flew from Vegas to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, we passed over Hoover Dam and then onto Lake Mead. Here is a neat shot of some land formations. It's really very impressive.

Bar-10 Ranch Airstrip
Believe it or not, this is the airstrip where the owner of the ranch, Uncle Bob, met us to deliver us to the ranch for some orientation. We weren't sure where we were landing as we were decending, but we figured the pilot knew what he was doing...he did.

Orientation
Here's Uncle Bob giving us some history about his ranch and that they are only one of three ranches giving tours into the Grand Canyon.

ATV Group
Once we got our orientation and told to stay a good distance behind each other, or eat a lot of dust, we were on our way. Thankfully, the ranch provides everything.

Echo Canyon
One of our tour guides, a student from MIT geology department doing a one-year internship in the canyon, shows us why this is called Echo Canyon. He dropped a bolder in and you could hear the echo run around the rim, rather like a good stereo system...very good system! It sounded like gun shots. It was a very powerful display of natural acoustics.

Rock Sheering
We were told that the government was going to come in and help this rock face sheer off. They are going to blast it so that the boating traffic on the Colorado River just below it won\'t be caught off guard. I would love to see it happen naturally, but preventing accidents is a good thing.

Colorado River
When God makes a ditch, he makes a DITCH! Here is a shot of the Colorado making its way through the canyon. It is an awesome view; unimaginably huge.

My Son and Me
This is what the trip is all about.