After a restful night in Page, Arizona we did a little "backtracking" and headed south on US-89 toward
Marble Canyon at the very edge of the Navajo Nation Reservation. We needed to cross the Colorado River to make our way toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and that was the location of the nearest
bridge. Actually, from the town of Page, Marble Canyon is not that far (probably less than 10 miles) - if you go by boat!!! In a car it is a forty mile drive!!! Anyway - we skirted the southern rim of Glen Canyon and headed toward the little community of Jacob Lake where the entrance to the North Rim is located. Let's pause for a minute to explain a couple of things about this
particular park. Now I'm not even going to attempt to give you a thorough run-down on what all is here. That would take months!!! But, let it suffice to say that this is, to me, one of the most awesome places on the planet and the views are breathtaking. But- Grand Canyon
National Park is separated into the South Rim (which has more facilities and is more heavily visited) and the North Rim which is much more isolated and less commercialized. From one rim to the other - directly across the canyon - the distance averages 10 to 15 miles. But from the
North Rim to South Rim park locations by road is a drive of more than 375 miles!!!!! We have visited the South Rim a few times and it is a wonderful place to spend several days. There are restaurants, hotels, shops and museums of all kinds and lots of naturalist tours available. But, it is a very busy tourist area. The North Rim, on the
other hand, is extremely tranquil and secluded. We found it beautiful and spiritually uplifting. As we entered the nearly 10 mile long entrance road we immediately spotted herds of deer grazing in the meadows on either side. The Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim is a magnificent
structure originally built in 1927-28 and re-built after a fire in the mid-1930s. When reconstructed, as much of the original stonework as possible was used in building the current lodge. It is a beautiful combination of the native Kaibab
limestone and Ponderosa Pine and the results are spectacular. Native American artifacts are used throughout the buildings and their cultural
influences are very evident. The thing I really appreciated about the lodge was that it offered a
wide range of services - restaurants, gift shops, lounges, book stores, museums - but still preserved the intimacy you might find in a remote, private hideaway. We had a great meal at the lodge and relaxed for
a while - soaking up the rustic surroundings and talking about the history of the place. Shortly, however, we had to do some exploring so we headed out to one of the patios overlooking the canyon. This area of the North Rim and
 |
| Trail to Bright Angel Point |
the name commonly used in describing the location of the Grand Canyon Lodge is "Bright Angel Point." The actual "point," however, is a little further out into the canyon. There is a trail to the
very end of the point and I decided I had to walk it. It was a surreal experience!!! The views from the end of the trail were awesome. To describe the sensation of
standing on the rim of this enormous earth-sculpture is just beyond me folks. As you walk to the edge, the cool crisp, pine-scented air
refreshes you in an unbelievable way. The ever-present wind occasionally transports the distant call of birds but more often simply surrounds you with the sighs of a million years and the spirits of countless people who have lived in and loved this land. The blue of the sky serves as a perfect back-drop for
an astonishing array of colors encompassing every shade and hue of every color of the rainbow - and then some!!! The subtlety of the transitions from grey to white to beige to yellow, from pink, to mauve to
purple, from orange to red to burgundy defy understanding. It is a work of art on the grandest scale imaginable, a composition that would bring tears to the eyes of Remington, Renoir, Bierstadt, Corot, Church, Cole, van Gogh or Levitan. In fact, Levitan perhaps put my feelings into words better than anyone else ever could when he said "...What can be more tragic than to feel the boundlessness of the surrounding beauty and to be able to see in it its underlying mystery ... and yet to be aware of your own inability to express these large feelings." Right on Isaac!! The beauty here is, indeed, boundless and our visit was one we
will treasure for all time. If you ever get to visit the canyon please make sure you give yourself enough time to be able to relax and absorb the
textures, tastes and sensations to be found here. And - if you are adventurous (and in good shape) you might consider hiking one of the hundreds of trails - ranging from moderate to extremely strenuous. Some folks also bring along a hiking partner to help with the load! Amazingly, we have some other canyons we are anxious to visit so get your hiking boots on and come on back. See ya.
Marble Canyon at the very edge of the Navajo Nation Reservation. We needed to cross the Colorado River to make our way toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and that was the location of the nearest 
bridge. Actually, from the town of Page, Marble Canyon is not that far (probably less than 10 miles) - if you go by boat!!! In a car it is a forty mile drive!!! Anyway - we skirted the southern rim of Glen Canyon and headed toward the little community of Jacob Lake where the entrance to the North Rim is located. Let's pause for a minute to explain a couple of things about this
particular park. Now I'm not even going to attempt to give you a thorough run-down on what all is here. That would take months!!! But, let it suffice to say that this is, to me, one of the most awesome places on the planet and the views are breathtaking. But- Grand Canyon 
National Park is separated into the South Rim (which has more facilities and is more heavily visited) and the North Rim which is much more isolated and less commercialized. From one rim to the other - directly across the canyon - the distance averages 10 to 15 miles. But from the
North Rim to South Rim park locations by road is a drive of more than 375 miles!!!!! We have visited the South Rim a few times and it is a wonderful place to spend several days. There are restaurants, hotels, shops and museums of all kinds and lots of naturalist tours available. But, it is a very busy tourist area. The North Rim, on the 
other hand, is extremely tranquil and secluded. We found it beautiful and spiritually uplifting. As we entered the nearly 10 mile long entrance road we immediately spotted herds of deer grazing in the meadows on either side. The Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim is a magnificent 
structure originally built in 1927-28 and re-built after a fire in the mid-1930s. When reconstructed, as much of the original stonework as possible was used in building the current lodge. It is a beautiful combination of the native Kaibab 
limestone and Ponderosa Pine and the results are spectacular. Native American artifacts are used throughout the buildings and their cultural 
influences are very evident. The thing I really appreciated about the lodge was that it offered a 
wide range of services - restaurants, gift shops, lounges, book stores, museums - but still preserved the intimacy you might find in a remote, private hideaway. We had a great meal at the lodge and relaxed for 
a while - soaking up the rustic surroundings and talking about the history of the place. Shortly, however, we had to do some exploring so we headed out to one of the patios overlooking the canyon. This area of the North Rim and 
very end of the point and I decided I had to walk it. It was a surreal experience!!! The views from the end of the trail were awesome. To describe the sensation of 
standing on the rim of this enormous earth-sculpture is just beyond me folks. As you walk to the edge, the cool crisp, pine-scented air 
refreshes you in an unbelievable way. The ever-present wind occasionally transports the distant call of birds but more often simply surrounds you with the sighs of a million years and the spirits of countless people who have lived in and loved this land. The blue of the sky serves as a perfect back-drop for 
an astonishing array of colors encompassing every shade and hue of every color of the rainbow - and then some!!! The subtlety of the transitions from grey to white to beige to yellow, from pink, to mauve to
purple, from orange to red to burgundy defy understanding. It is a work of art on the grandest scale imaginable, a composition that would bring tears to the eyes of Remington, Renoir, Bierstadt, Corot, Church, Cole, van Gogh or Levitan. In fact, Levitan perhaps put my feelings into words better than anyone else ever could when he said "...What can be more tragic than to feel the boundlessness of the surrounding beauty and to be able to see in it its underlying mystery ... and yet to be aware of your own inability to express these large feelings." Right on Isaac!! The beauty here is, indeed, boundless and our visit was one we 
will treasure for all time. If you ever get to visit the canyon please make sure you give yourself enough time to be able to relax and absorb the
textures, tastes and sensations to be found here. And - if you are adventurous (and in good shape) you might consider hiking one of the hundreds of trails - ranging from moderate to extremely strenuous. Some folks also bring along a hiking partner to help with the load! Amazingly, we have some other canyons we are anxious to visit so get your hiking boots on and come on back. See ya.
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