Grand Canyon = Wow!

We rolled into the chilly south rim of the Grand Canyon around 3 pm, with just enough time to get a lay of the land, the parking, the trails, etc.   Of course we took a peak from an overlook...wow!  

Before we left home, we did a tiny bit of research and booked a 3-hour mule trip partway into the canyon.   After we arrived and Kasia caught a glimpse of the steepness and depth of the trails, we canceled it.   I can't say I blame her, and I was secretly quite happy to cross "mule riding on the edge of a cliff" from my list of activities.   

The colors changed with the sun and time of day. 

It was chilly and windy while we were there, but we came prepared with the right layers to hike as long as we wanted to.  In fact, we were lucky with weather...it snowed the day before we arrived.  At least we had sunshine!  We also had lots of water and beef jerky to comply with the numerous park signs saying to stay hydrated and eat salty snacks.

We spent the next two days hiking and biking like we were young and in good shape.  We spent the next two days feeling old and sore.   

The view of the canyon and the colors and the shadows all change with the time of day and your actual viewpoint. So hiking even 1 mile along the rim to another view can make it look totally different.  I'm including just a few of the pics here.   It was awesome.   If you have a chance to go see it, do it! 

Kasia was more comfortable facing the camera than the drop into the abyss. 

Hiking the South Rim exposed us to some amazing views. From this one you get a great look at the Colorado River below.

Elk roamed the park and didn't seem to mind people.