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Published: August 20th 2006
On the way from Canada to Chile I stopped in Santa Fe for a workshop and since it’s only about 700 kms away from the Grand Canyon and other interesting parks, I decided to pay it a visit, even though it was the middle of winter. But hey, that’s a good chance to test all my new gear. It was going to be essential in freezing Patagonia…
So I managed to get hold of a huge Dodge (I booked the cheapest car I could find but luckily that car never turned up and the rental car guys didn’t have another car available and thus not choice but give me the biggest car they had! Lucky me!!) and off I drove to that spectacular piece of earth (must be one of the most outstanding landscapes in the world).
Up there it was a little colder than in sunny Santa Fe but the gear lived up to its promises: During the night the thermometer dropped to -10 degrees Celsius and the only time I got cold was when I had to get out of my sleeping bag in the morning! (Funny though how you can get your body to hold on
Grand Canyon
on the way downtill the sun comes up before you dare go to the loo!!)
The next day I spent hiking down into the canyon. The initial idea was to get down to the bottom but I soon figured out that it wasn’t going to happen in one day only. (Quite a few people, amongst them a marathon runner from Germany, have perished in there just because they totally overestimated themselves. That thing IS bloody BIG!!). So unfortunately I don’t think I even made it half way down, but the experience to be IN the canyon, even if not very deep, still blew my mind. And I really do think that pictures will never be able to do it any justice; it’s impossible to capture the dimensions of this geological wonder. My tip though: If you ever have the chance to go there take MORE time, apparently it’s really worth getting down to the bottom; you can stay on the camp ground or in the hotel / hostel. Book ahead though (Dorms at Phantom Ranch, book through Bright Angel Lodge at www.brightanglelodge.com) and DO NOT attempt this in the middle of summer, you’ll get barbequed alive!
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Stephen Paul
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Up and Down?
Cool to hear a perspective on the landscape of the Four Corners region of the USA from someone so well travelled! The Canyon is amazing, did you happen to notice the ravens? They aren't crows, the ravens are twice as big, very smart and very vocal. Sacred to all the Native Americans! For the record, the elevation in Santa Fe is 7000 feet- and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is lower at 6800 feet. Furthermore, the Grand Canyon is nearly due west of Santa Fe! so it s not really "Up There" but really "down and over there"! :)