Grand Canyon - North Rim part III

Saturday, June 15 -  we packed a picnic lunch and took the scenic drive along the east side of the park. There are five named viewpoints to stop at, and several trails and viewpoints at each. This was our first opportunity to have a broader view of the canyon, and it left us both speechless (hard to imagine isn’t it!) The first stop is named for President Roosevelt, and there is a plaque placed near the trail commemorating his efforts in having the area set aside as a national park.

The best I can do by way of description is to quote a paragraph attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt from Marguerite Henry’s book, Brighty of the Grand Canyon: 

“The canyon fills one with a sense of awe. Under the naked sun, every tremendous detail leaps into glory; yet the change is startling from moment to moment. When clouds sweep the heavens, vast shadows are cast, but so vast is the canyon they seem mere patches of gray and purple and umber. Dawn and evening twilight are brooding mysteries over the abyss. Night shrouds its immensity, but does not hide it. And to none of the sons of men is it given to tell of the wonder and splendor of sunrise and sunset in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.”

Though President Roosevelt’s comments reflect largely on the canyon itself, it’s important to occasionally turn around and look at the other side, the rolling plateau, and the flora that populates it. From one view point to another the elevation varies considerably, and we noticed distinct changes in the trees, shrubs and flowers. This is a good time of year here for the plant life. Though it’s dry, the wildflowers are blooming and the woodier plants all look healthy.

We enjoyed admiring the wildflowers and watching the bees work the fragrant shrub and cactus blossoms. Some areas had been cleared by a fire in 2000 and are now filling in with young trees, such features in the landscape tells a lot about the recent history of the canyon. There are also the striking forms of trees long since dead, standing black and gnarled against the clouds and colored layers.

As we worked our way down the tour we noticed the clouds building. First, decorative little mare’s tails, then building to thunderheads, soon showing dark streaks of rain over the other side of the canyon. The shadows increased, and by the time we’d reached the last stop, our plan for lunch, it was growing chilly, dark and windy.

We picnicked on the tailgate and then explored the viewpoint. Soon we were being pelted with icy bullets, and thunder was beginning to roll in the distance. Not being particularly entranced by the idea of meeting lightening at 8,000+ feet, we made the decision to return to camp, and were reinforced in that decision when we saw ice pellets hitting the windshield on our return drive.

It was a long enough day, and we were happy to spend the late afternoon relaxing in camp, thinking about everything we'd seen and ready to plan the next day’s adventures.
More photos here.