Sandra and Paul, the daredevils, went on a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon today. So we split up and did different things.
Early morning views from just outside our windows at Bright Angel. We were right on the rim:
We started out with a Ranger led walk/talk about fossils. He took us along the rim to a fossil area where hundreds of fossils from 250 million years ago show that the area was under sea. There are no dinosaur fossils as the land that old has eroded away a long time ago.
Then we did the Hermits Rest shuttle bus and got off at various viewpoints. You can't get the grand ute or colours from the photos so just imagine 10 times more spectacular. It is 1.6 kms deep and 16km wide. The Colorado at the bottom of the canyon is 300m wide.
First was Powell Point:
Then we walked to Hopi Point where you can see the Colorado (the mud coloured stripe in the right hand side of the photo- brown because of recent rain from muddy side rivers).
The big cliff in shadow on the right is called The Battleship. You can see (in Rons photos) a black hole which is the cave where the Condors are nesting wi their one little chick . No one has seen the chick yet but the pair come and go regularly so they think there is s chick.
Then took the shuttle to Mojave Point:
Three views of the Colorado - it's like Where's Wally but one of those Rapids down there is called The Grand Rapids:
Hermits rest is the end of the line:
We had lunch at Maswik Lodge then we went to Mathers Point right down the other end of the Canyon:
Then we walked down into the Canyon on the Bright Angel trail. If you want to walk to the Colorado River this is one of two trails to take. We walked to the first tunnel and halfway to the second tunnel and returned. It is fairly steep and narrow with huge drop offs to the next level way below.
View of the tunnel we will go through )the dark dot on the left):
Ronnie in the tunnel:
Sunset:
Sunset:
Dinner at Maswik Lodge. stayed at Bright Angel Lodge.
