Day 14: The Grand Canyon in the snow
It was a very cold night, last night. The temperature was down to about 7C below freezing but when we woke up the sky was bright blue and the air crystal clear.
We got an early start, left the motel about 8am and got on the road at Flagstaff leading up to Grand Canyon. The road is about 70 miles long and climbs steadily until it gets to the top of the plateau. The area is a National Forest with pine trees — Ponderosa Pines — across the hills and the plateau. Across to the east is a range of mountains containing the highest point of Arizona. The countryside was really beautiful, the air was crisp and had a crystal quality, the trees were a deep green colour but tinted with snow lying on the branches (Like Classic Christmas Trees) the sky was a deep blue (even at 8.30 am) and the snow, which was about 4–6 inches deep was a brilliant white.
All in all, the quality and depth of colour at this altitude (above 5000 feet) is remarkable.
We reached the Grand Canyon by 10am — the temperature was down to -5C but that wasn’t going to stop us. Apparently the previous 3 days had been ones of poor visibility — but that wasn’t the case for our visit!
We drove to Mather Point, the first view point that you come to as you approach the canyon.
As everyone says — it really is impossible to adequately describe Grand Canyon and the effect that it has on the eye and the mind. It just has to be seen to be believed.
It’s even impossible to say what aspects of the Canyon are most notable — they all defy superlatives — whether it’s the colours of the Canyon; the way the appearance changes even as you look at it; the shapes that you see and can’t believe were just caused by wind and water; or the sheer size of the Canyon
In fact, it is probably the size of the Grand Canyon which is the most notable feature.
As you stand on the South Rim — the Canyon stretches for over 100 miles to the West and East.
Across to the North Rim is between 10 and 18 miles of sheer fresh air.
Down to the Colorado River, in the bottom of the Canyon, is over 1 mile
But even statistics don’t tell the whole story of the Grand Canyon.
The Canyon walls and plateaus show up very clearly the different and distinct layers of rock which make up the Colorado Plateau.
Inside the Grand Canyon, there are acres of flat plateaus left following erosion, which are cut into deep, almost sunless gorges.
Even more amazing are the numerous peaks and buttes which are mountains in their own right — but which stand within the Canyon and are dwarfed by the Canyon itself.
The Grand Canyon is truly a natural wonder of the world and one of God’s most striking creations — standing on the rim of the Canyon makes you realise, decisively the power of the Lord to mould His world with a supreme hand.
We visited the Visitors Centre, watched a short film and then walked through a snow covered forest to the rim and then walked for about 2 miles along the South Rim. The view never fails to amaze and grab attention — a marvellous experience.
After a little bit of shopping and about 3 hours out in the open at below freezing — we left the rim of the Grand Canyon with considerable regret — to go to the Grand Canyon Airport.
For $60 we took a really good air tour of the Canyon in a 19 seater twin engined airplane. The trip took about 45 minutes and flew around the Canyon (avoiding the main south rim tourist area) and provided great sights of the remoter areas of the Canyon and the Colorado River which is very green and very deep in many places.
The view and overall experience of Grand Canyon is something which one would never tire of — it would always be different. I truly hope to visit Grand Canyon again in my lifetime — after being there once the though that I may never see it again is saddening. I also want to share the experience with Cath and the boys — although the boys may wish to discover it for themselves rather than being taken there by their dad. I hope that they will visit the Grand Canyon one day — it is too marvellous to miss.
We had some pizza before driving South out of the Grand Canyon via Williams and Flagstaff — we then took a very scenic road down Oak Creek Canyon — a National Park itself.
At Oak Creek, the road suddenly drops down a series of very tight loops down into the Canyon through high trees and tall cliffs.
If Oak Creek Canyon was anywhere other than 70 miles from Grand Canyon it would be regarded as a major attraction and area of outstanding beauty.
The road runs through the bottom of the Canyon winding through tall cottonwood and pine woods until it reaches Sedona.
Sedona is a rather quaint, artificial, artist’s town in a stunning setting with high rocks and cliffs which show up red in the sunrise and sunset.
Stayed at a really nice Best Western Hotel in the town centre. Still cold and sunny.
