Apologies for posting this entry late. The cell service on the North Rim is weak, and the wi-if, which isn’t much better, is only available at the general store a mile from our cabin. Uploading photos was painful.
The boys got an early start today. They wanted to do a longer hike—Kaibab Trail—and I think we noobies are a bit of an anchor for them. I got up just before dawn and walked the Bright Angel Trail again. I got there just in time to see the sun crest the South Rim. The light in the morning is pretty different than the light in the evening, and it was nice to see the difference.
Mark and I puttered around for a short time after I got back, and then we hiked the Transept Trail. Like the Bright Angel Trail, the Transept Trail starts at the lodge, so it was easy to get to. Unlike the Bright Angel Trail, however, the Transept Trail is much more of a walk in the woods. We got some nice shots of the canyon, but the interest was more in the flora and fauna. We saw five deer with ears like rabbits, though they stayed in shadow and the photos aren’t spectacular. I think the thing we appreciated most was the peace and quiet. Nothing but the wind for the most part, though at one point, we heard this spooky creaking; it turned out to be a dead pine tree leaning against a live pine and moving oh so slight slightly in the wind.
I noticed yesterday that I seem to have inherited my mother’s fear of falling. She once told me that she felt pulled to the left or right when walking down a straight sidewalk, and that made her feel unsteady. During the hike yesterday evening, I had to creep along because I was terrified that I’d stumble or misstep and fall over the edge or drop my phone. I felt much more steady on my feet today; I hope that sticks!
The boys are just getting back, so we’re off to have lunch and then perhaps another hike. We could only get dinner reservations for 4:45 tonight, but I suspect that the timing won’t work and that we’ll cancel and do something else.
…
Instead of another hike, we all decided to drive to some vista points. I think we’re all tired or have sore feet. Our dive was basically all a climb from the altitude of our cabins; I think we topped out at 8803 ft. above sea level.
You can’t tell, but in the photo of Mark and me with my neon yellow shirt, I was terrified. The drop off was around ten feet behind us, and I refused to get any closer. I crawled to where I am in the photo, and Mark had to help me stand up straight.
The food available here is not terribly satisfying. Unless we’re willing to drive 30 miles outside the park, we either eat in the dining room (expensive, and too fussy for me, though I admit my pork chop last night was tasty) or at the “deli” (low-quality food that none of us would recommend; nothing is made to order), where for lunch I had a hot dog and macaroni and cheese. Their chocolate chip cookies are good, though. Tonight, it’s probably going to be a slice of lackluster pizza at the deli for dinner.