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Published: April 18th 2010
Hoover Dam
Overlooking the new bridge (almost finished(We left the fun-loving Las Vegas on Tuesday morning, with our stomachs full from yet another (all you can imagine) breakfast buffet, although, i think that we also left a small piece of our heart there as well. But it was time to move on and back to our trusty tent. It was going to be a long drive to the Grand Canyon as we also wanted to make a stop at Hoover Dam.
It was all going well til we got stuck in traffic close to Hoover Dam - they are constructing a new bridge to bypass the tourists viewing Hoover Dam, and today they were blasting. So i think we were stuck for close to an hour. But this did not dampen our spirits and we got to enjoy a good stretch of the legs whilst we walked along the dam wall.
As we got closer to the Grand Canyon, we noticed a sprinkling of snow on the ground and the temperature dip. I am SO glad that we visited REI to buy camping gear to suit the cooler weather, but i think that Duncan was in for a shock to the system.
By the time
we got through the Park gates and found our campsite, it was after 6pm. This was the first time any of us was camping in the US and in particular a National Park. We noticed a few differences from the campgrounds we had become accustomed to; firstly and most importantly - there was no electricity, which means that once the sun goes down thats it, your light goes as far as your headtorch beam (and we needed new batteries for ours!) Plus the facilities are a bare minimum, no kitchens and NO hot water. Now, i know that we were expecting this, but it was still a bit of a shock.
We managed to set up our tent before it got dark and then tried to get a glimpse of the Grand Canyon, but we would have to wait for the morning as it was too dark to appreciate the vast expanse of the canyon. By now Duncan and i were beginning to feel the cold - Billy (my trusty hot-water bottle) not really. Billy used our new gas cooker to make our dinner, whilst Duncan and i tried our best to get warm. The temperature must have dropped
Grand Canyon view
Duncan being daring and causing a few hearts to flutter to at least -4'C that night. We were quite tired from our long drive, so we decided to call it a night. I was quite glad to get into my sleeping bag to warm me up, along with my thermals and long socks. How am I going to survive in Yellowstone? We will have to wait and see!
After an extremely cold and sleepless night - we only got comfortable once the sun started to 'warm' our tent! We decided to spend the day exploring the park using the shuttle service. What we hadn't planned for was that it was the Easter school holidays and the park was packed. Fortunately, it was not snowing and it looked like it was going to be a sunny day. Yay, this meant that we would get lovely views of the Canyon (last time Billy and i were here, it snowed and there was low cloud, obstructing our view of the Canyon). During the busy seasons the park has a shuttle service, and cars are restricted to certain areas of the park, which takes you to all the stops along the Canyon.
Firstly, we caught the shuttle to the visitors centre (to
choose a hike for the next day) and then we stopped at Pipe Creek Vista. We decided, as it was such a lovely day, to walk along the rim of the canyon and just take in the amazing scenery. There was still plenty of snow and ice along the pathways and upper canyon slopes. We spent most of the day viewing different areas of the canyon all the way to Hermit's Rest. And by the end of the day we were quite tired from all the walking, but were very happy with all we had seen.
We settled down for another cold night, but this time we decided to light a fire (to make our supper) and to keep us warm. This went down very well and kept our moods up. The next morning was an early start as the walk we were doing was 20km and they estimated between 8-12 hours. After watching the sunrise, we began our long descent. I really wanted to walk to the Colorado river, but it is strongly discouraged to hike to the river and back in one day, so we had agreed on Plateau Point, which winds us 940m down the canyon
to Indian Gardens (a small oasis amid the desert plants, due to a natural creek) and then a further 2.4km to Plateau Point which overlooks the Colorado River. We were soon dwarfed by the walls of the canyon and only then did we really grasp the sheer enormity of the canyon. Once we reached Plateau Point we relaxed and enjoyed our surroundings. It was quite amazing to see the river - we were so close we could see the rapids coursing the river. After having some fun taking photos, we begrudgingly started our ascent. As we had just climbed 940m down, we knew what to expect and were not looking forward to it. With most hikes it is normally up before down - so the hard work is over first. But it was surprisingly quicker than we had thought - i think that the beauty around us helped. It took us just over 7 1/2 hours (with breaks) and we were exhilirated and a bit tired. I was content now, as this was what i had wanted to do the last time Billy and i were here. Not only was it a satisfactory hike, but it was in one of
the most dramatic hikes i had done. (I think Kilimanjaro is still the number one for Billy).
We ended our time in the Grand Canyon with one last stop at Grandview Point, which summed up the Grand Canyon for us in one amazing view. What a spectacular finish and how awesome is the Lord for creating all this beauty for us to enjoy.
Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to Duncan. I cannot believe how quick his 2 weeks have gone. But i know that he had a brilliant time and will hopefully have memories to last forever. It was great to spend the time with him and get to experience all we have. Thanks for all the fun and good memories Duncan.
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hayley bruton
non-member comment
aah feeling teary just looking at the photos..not sure why..maybe the beauty...maybe cos you have had such an awesome time...or maybe you should just come home cos i MISS YOU! SAnds...enjoy your last few weeks of the 20s!!