Grand Canyon trip

[AZsix]

We hit the road at 6:45 AM Saturday, stopped at Waffle House for breakfast and headed out. We stopped in Williams, AZ and had lunch at the Pizza Factory. (Very good pizza) We arrived at Trailer Village cg early in the afternoon. Though they tell you that check-in is at 4 we were able to go right in. Trailer Village is a basic layout with rows of spots side by side. You do have a decent amount of space between spots and there are some decent shade trees. There are full hookups including sewer. There are restrooms, which were spotless but no showers. Showers are a very short drive or a 5-10 minute walk to Mather cg next door for pay showers. We didn't go there for the cg so for us it was perfect. We even used the shower in the pup for the first time. It worked out well. It is kind of cramped and in the morning when it's chilly you can't help but come in contact with the cold shower curtain. Brrrr. A small price to pay in my opinion. Upon check-in the attendant told me that if we had a sewer hose that the ravens my peck holes in it and may want to think about putting it out only when dumping. We had just a gray water hose that is the garden hose type with no holding tank so I wasn't worried. Most of the RV's with black water had their hoses out and I didn't see the ravens bothering any of them. For this trip I did by two stackable shelves for the counter between the stove and sink and they made a HUGE difference. We had three other shelves that we also used and it really helped with keeping the clutter to a minimum. Cost for the CG was $30 a night.

I was totally impressed and pleased with the whole set up at the park. Grand Canyon Village is actually a village with a General Store that has a supermarket, and also sells backpacking supplies, camping supplies, souvenirs, film, video tapes, digital memory cards and just about anything you could need or want. They even had a kiosk for printing out your digital pictures. My fresh water line was leaking where it screws into the pup so I went up and bought a new one. They also have tools and hardware. The prices are in line with a regular store so you don't have to cringe every time you buy something. The village also has a bank, a US Post Office, a ton of restaurants and snack bars, hotels, a judge (yes a judge) a medical clinic and free shuttle buses to take you all around the park. Once you get there is no reason to leave. The people that work there live there on housing provided by the company for a very small fee according to the manager of the General Store.

After we set up we boarded the shuttle right there at the cg and headed to the Mather Point Visitor Center. We then made the short walk to the rim. Like most of you I have seen pictures, have seen it on TV and have heard other peoples accounts of the Canyon. Non of that prepared me for actually seeing it for myself. I knew it was big but I wasn't prepared for the enormity and beauty of it. The word breathtaking is more than a saying. For me it was an actual physical feeling in my gut when I saw it for the first time. I could actually feel my breath leave me. A park ranger explained the exact same feeling when see reported to work there and saw it for the first time. Those of you that have been there will know what I mean. To those of you that have never been there, these words will fall far short from fully expressing what it is like to see it first hand.

The weather was perfect, low to mid 80's with a low of 42. I did light the furnace in the pup the first night at my wifes urging but it only came on once. I didn't light it the other two nights. It did get windy at times, though not real windy and it would come and go. The nights were calm. It does get chilly quick when the sun goes down so you need to be prepared for that. There are tons of squirrels along the rim to the delight of my children and they are not shy about begging for food or even getting on your lap if you are sitting on the the wall. A brochure they give you upon entering the park states that squirrel bites are among the most common injuries and it's also illegal to feed them. If you are caught feeding them it will cost you $250.00 and a trip before the afore mentioned judge. (I bet you were wondering why they needed a judge)

On our way back to the cg our first day we did see a couple of deer and Monday morning on a walk about 6 AM I had one cross the path about 20 feet in front of me. It stopped, looked at me, continued crossing the path, looked at me again and started eating.

There are a lot of activities, some geared for kids while others are geared for everyone. We did the Condor Talk and the Fossil Walk. We did see a lot of Condors and that was pretty neat. With a wing span of 9 1/2 feet they make an impressive site. Condors can reach altitudes of 17,000 feet, soar at 70 MPH for 350 miles without ever flapping their wings. The fact that in 1982 there were only 14 breeding pair while today there are 320 birds makes it even more impressive to see. They also have ranger talks on a wide variety of subjects and even concerts at the amphitheater. We had dinner at Bright Angel Restaurant the first night and the food was great. There is one restaurant where reservations are required but there are also cafeterias. For those of us with kids sometimes finding a place that serves things the kids will eat is a deciding factor. That is not a problem here.

Monday evening two of my boys and I went to Yavapai Point for the sunset. It's a popular spot and can get crowded. Some people brought chairs and cocktails to help add to the experience. As the sun sinks lower you can see the colors of the Canyon change and it's worth seeing. I had intended to make it to sunrise along the rim but never did. We were all so exhausted at the end of the day from all the walking that I couldn't muster the energy. I will make it a priority the next time we go.

We did hike a little ways down Bright Angel Trail where we did see some 3-5,000 year old petroglyphs that the ranger told us that most people don't even know are there. Bright Angel is the trail that the burrows take to the bottom so you are dodging burrow manure along the way. It is 9 miles each way. Kaibab Trail is 6 miles but steeper. I was told that most hikers take Kaibab down and Bright Angel up. You cannot do it in a day. You must stay overnight at the bottom. Hiking to the bottom has now become a goal for my wife and I.

When I was checking out the attendant told me that the average stay for a person at the Canyon is 4 hours. 4 HOURS! They get out, look at it, eat and then leave. These people are really cheating themselves.

To sum up, it was an incredible trip. It was well worth the 51 year wait. I have always heard that it's one of those places that you absolutely must see before you die and now I know why. The National Park Service really go this one right. The entire experience from the cg and the village to the majesty of the Canyon itself was a treat. Before we left home my wife asked me what we were going to do there for the three days. When we left she said she would have liked to say for another two. There is so much to do and so much to learn. If you get bored here you need to check your pulse.

For those of you that have never gone I have just one word for you. GO! It's a physical, emotional and spiritual experience, at lease it was for me. I know it's one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

For some photo's go here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/sixinaz/GrandCanyon

[miss kathy]

We hit the road at 6:45 AM Saturday, stopped at Waffle House for breakfast and headed out. We stopped in Williams, AZ and had lunch at the Pizza Factory. (Very good pizza) We arrived at Trailer Village cg early in the afternoon. Though they tell you that check-in is at 4 we were able to go right in. Trailer Village is a basic layout with rows of spots side by side. You do have a decent amount of space between spots and there are some decent shade trees. There are full hookups including sewer. There are restrooms, which were spotless but no showers. Showers are a very short drive or a 5-10 minute walk to Mather cg next door for pay showers. We didn't go there for the cg so for us it was perfect. We even used the shower in the pup for the first time. It worked out well. It is kind of cramped and in the morning when it's chilly you can't help but come in contact with the cold shower curtain. Brrrr. A small price to pay in my opinion. Upon check-in the attendant told me that if we had a sewer hose that the ravens my peck holes in it and may want to think about putting it out only when dumping. We had just a gray water hose that is the garden hose type with no holding tank so I wasn't worried. Most of the RV's with black water had their hoses out and I didn't see the ravens bothering any of them. For this trip I did by two stackable shelves for the counter between the stove and sink and they made a HUGE difference. We had three other shelves that we also used and it really helped with keeping the clutter to a minimum. Cost for the CG was $30 a night.

I was totally impressed and pleased with the whole set up at the park. Grand Canyon Village is actually a village with a General Store that has a supermarket, and also sells backpacking supplies, camping supplies, souvenirs, film, video tapes, digital memory cards and just about anything you could need or want. They even had a kiosk for printing out your digital pictures. My fresh water line was leaking where it screws into the pup so I went up and bought a new one. They also have tools and hardware. The prices are in line with a regular store so you don't have to cringe every time you buy something. The village also has a bank, a US Post Office, a ton of restaurants and snack bars, hotels, a judge (yes a judge) a medical clinic and free shuttle buses to take you all around the park. Once you get arrive there is no reason to leave. The people that work there live there on housing provided by the company for a very small fee according to the manager of the General Store.

After we set up we boarded the shuttle right there at the cg and headed to the Mather Point Visitor Center. We then made the short walk to the rim. Like most of you I have seen pictures, have seen it on TV and have heard other peoples accounts of the Canyon. Non of that prepared me for actually seeing it for myself. I knew it was big but I wasn't prepared for the enormity and beauty of it. The word breathtaking is more than a saying. For me it was an actual physical feeling in my gut when I saw it for the first time. I could actually feel my breath leave me. A park ranger explained the exact same feeling when see reported to work there and saw it for the first time. Those of you that have been there will know what I mean. To those of you that have never been there, these words will fall far short from fully expressing what it is like to see it first hand.

The weather was perfect, low to mid 80's with a low of 42. I did light the furnace in the pup the first night at my wifes urging but it only came on once. I didn't light it the other two nights. It did get windy at times, though not real windy and it would come and go. The nights were calm. It does get chilly quick when the sun goes down so you need to be prepared for that. There are tons of squirrels along the rim to the delight of my children and they are not shy about begging for food or even getting on your lap if you are sitting on the the wall. A brochure they give you upon entering the park states that squirrel bites are among the most common injuries and it's also illegal to feed them. If you are caught feeding them it will cost you $250.00 and a trip before the afore mentioned judge. (I bet you were wondering why they needed a judge)

On our way back to the cg our first day we did see a couple of deer and Monday morning on a walk about 6 AM I had one cross the path about 20 feet in front of me. It stopped, looked at me, continued crossing the path, looked at me again and started eating.

There are a lot of activities, some geared for kids while others are geared for everyone. We did the Condor Talk and the Fossil Walk. We did see a lot of Condors and that was pretty neat. With a wing span of 9 1/2 feet they make an impressive site. Condors can reach altitudes of 17,000 feet, soar at 70 MPH for 350 miles without ever flapping their wings. The fact that in 1982 there were only 14 breeding pair while today there are 320 birds makes it even more impressive to see. They also have ranger talks on a wide variety of subjects and even concerts at the amphitheater. We had dinner at Bright Angel Restaurant the first night and the food was great. There is one restaurant where reservations are required but there are also cafeterias. For those of us with kids sometimes finding a place that serves things the kids will eat is a deciding factor. That is not a problem here.

Monday evening two of my boys and I went to Yavapai Point for the sunset. It's a popular spot and can get crowded. Some people brought chairs and cocktails to help add to the experience. As the sun sinks lower you can see the colors of the Canyon change and it's worth seeing. I had intended to make it to sunrise along the rim but never did. We were all so exhausted at the end of the day from all the walking that I couldn't muster the energy. I will make it a priority the next time we go.

We did hike a little ways down Bright Angel Trail where we did see some 3-5,000 year old petroglyphs that the ranger told us that most people don't even know are there. Bright Angel is the trail that the burrows take to the bottom so you dodging burrow manure along the way. It is 9 miles each way. Kaibab Trail is 6 miles but steeper. I was told that most hikers take Kaibab down and Bright Angel up. You cannot do it in a day. You must stay overnight at the bottom. Hiking to the bottom has now become a goal for my wife and I.

When I was checking out the attendant told me that the average stay for a person at the Canyon is 4 hours. 4 HOURS! They get out, look at it, eat and then leave. These people are really cheating themselves.

To sum up, it was an incredible trip. It was well worth the 51 year wait. I have always heard that it's one of those places that you absolutely must see before you die and now I know why. The National Park Service really go this one right. The entire experience from the cg and the village to the majesty of the Canyon itself was a treat. Before we left my wife asked me what we were going to do there for the three days. When we left she said she would have liked to say for another two. There is so much to do and so much to learn. If you get bored here you need to check your pulse.

For those of you that have never gone I have just one word for you. GO! It's a physical, emotional and spiritual experience, at lease it was for me. I know it's one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

For some photo's go here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/sixinaz/GrandCanyon

Unreal- the pictures are beautiful -

[dkutz]

Very cool.  We have been there, but not sure the boys remember.  I will have to put it on my list.  There are lots of places that I want to go with the PUP but the DW doesn't like the long drives.....maybe some day...

[austinado16]

Such a great description Ron....nice work.  You stirred my emotions, from just having been their last August and hiking to the bottom, overnighting in our tent, and hiking out the next day.  Now I want to go back even more.

We shared your emotional experience and then there's another rush you get, when you put on packs, step up to the edge and take your first few steps down into the beast.  Spiritual is all I can say.  

Yes, you and your wife should do it.  My wife actually cried as we walked out on day 2 because there was such a feeling of accomplishment.

The hike to the bottom and back out is actually doable in a day.....if you're in good shape.  If you go online, you'll see the great website done by a guy who not only did it and was out at the top by 2 or 3pm to have lunch with his wife, but he stopped and took something like 150 photos for his website in the process.  But, he trains.....big-time.

We took the Kaibab on day one and were at the bottom by about 11am having left the top at about 6:30am I think.  Day 2 was much harder coming out on the Bright Angel because we packed too much gear.  Won't make that mistake again.

Okay.....time to go enjoy your photos!

Excellent photos, beautiful family! You two would do just fine on a 2 dayer in and out.  Go for it!

[cjpoppin]

We have been there many times but each time it is just the same as the first! Always great......Seems like it changes all the time and each time we see something new. In our younger years we walked half way down and always said we would make it all the way down one day soon.......Didn't do that but it doesn't matter  it still has the picture perfect views.  Hope you and your wife make the hike to the bottom and write us the story you have a real gift of story telling.
Loved seeing your pictures thanks for sharing them with us.......carol

[campnagle]

Outstanding! A trip in your pup that will stay with you and your kids a lifetime.
Last trip I made we stayed at 10 X campground. I used to haul fuel to the Chevron station twice a week there, Allways enjoyed it even when fighting snow and Elk in the road.

[Shepherd]

Thanks for sharing such a fantastic story and the awesome photos!  Sounds like the trip of a lifetime.  Congrats.

[cyclone]

Fabulous pictures and you are right - even the best pictures don't do it justice.  That first glimpse of the canyon does take your breath away.  I want to go back and camp this time!  (I was, sadly, one of those day trippers on my only visit).  But, it was still awesome and I hope I'm able to experience it again one day.

[campnagle]

Aw,, more memories. Senior trip summer 76 Havasupi Grand Canyon for a week. Mesa Central,(old Mesa High)The place is a true Eden.   google Havasu falls.  Oh the stories but can't tell here, catch me at a campfire.

[AzRon]

campnagle i've done Havasupi twice, once in 1980 and once in 1986 fantastic time both times :sombraro:  Another good trip if you want to stay in Williams and camp in a KOA (stay in the one along I-40 NOT in the one on the way to the canyon, busses leave early in the morning  :yikes:  :eyecrazy: ) take the train up and stay in one of the hotels and come back on another day, you have to make reservations almost a year in advance tho.

[BuddyBear]

Beautiful pictures, Gary.
Thanks for sharing.
I always look forward to your narratives
of the journeys you set out on,
You out did yourself on this one. Fantastic job.

If you are thinking of planning a trip into the Canyon
check out Phantom Ranch, very cool.
Phantom Ranch

I'll second that, Havasu Canyon, Supai Village and Havasupai Fall (all the falls)
are also a must hike/camp/see..
Happy Trails
BB

[maromeo]

Gary,

Well you did it. I just booked us for 3 nights thinking about 4 at the Grand Canyon in August before school starts. We are also going to be staying at Trailer Village due to hookups. Just in case it is too warm we have A/C. DD was too young to remember when we were there last. I want to check out the ranger programs for her at the park. We are looking forward to it.

I am sure we will be contacting you for advice when we get a little closer.

Thanks again for the great pictures.

Mary Romeo

[austinado16]

We accidently discovered August is a great time to be there.  It's considered their "monsoon" season, but it translated to last year was some great clouds moving across the canyon, lower daytime temps at the top and bottom, some shade off and on throughout the day, and getting to watch cloud bursts move through.  I think we got sprinkled on during the night, on the third day, but it only lasted a few minutes.  The weather really made for a great trip because we weren't burning up the whole time.

[AZsix]

Thanks to all for the compliments on the pictures. I could photograph there all day, every day and never tire of it.

Mary-Good for you guys! I know you will have a great time. There is no way not to. Contact me anytime and I'll give you any information that I can.

All my life I had dreamed of seeing the Grand Canyon and I was not disappointed. It was even better than I imagined it would be.

[6fordaroad]

Hey Gary,

You think that was breathtaking, next time, go in early spring!!  The snow in the canyon is wonderful!  We didn't see any condor's there, BUT we couldn't go near the edge very much, I have 3 that are deathly afraid of heights.  I did take pics, but I had my camera on the wrong setting so they are like 120x120, way too small  BUT that means we'll have to go back and do it again.. hehehe