Grand Canyon Trip: Fall 2018

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swalker

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Lori and I had the opportunity to go to the Grand Canyon this fall and had a wonderful trip.

As I have posted before, the trips are getting harder, so much so that I have considered cancelling each of the last three trips. I am so glad that I have not! The weather was spectacular and I was able to see some of the best sunsets I have ever seen in the Grand Canyon. It was a wonderful trip, though certainly very tiring for me.

A special feature of this trip is that Lori was able to spend a night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Phantom Ranch with a college roommate. They had a wonderful time and I was a more than just a bit envious that I was not able to find a way to get to the bottom of the canyon.

I stayed on the rim and had a wonderful time. I saw elk, deer, bighorn sheep, all sorts of rodents and a wide variety of birds. It is harder for me now to take pictures of wildlife, so on this trip I limited myself to scenic shots of the canyon itself.

My main wheelchair was in the shop for our Yellowstone trip that preceded the Grand Canyon trip, but we were able to get it back just in time to take it to the Grand Canyon. They were not quite finished with all the repairs, but it worked well enough that I thought we could take it to the Grand Canyon. I also took my backup wheelchair, just in case.

I used both wheelchairs, because when the batteries ran out on one of them I would switch to the other. I put over 20 miles in one day, and that really wore me out!

I spent endless hours riding through the beautiful ponderosa pine forests at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I also spent many, many hours riding rim trip along the edge of the canyon. It has spectacular views. I enjoyed looking down into the canyon at some of the trails I used to hike.

I spent sunsets and Hopi Point and Pima Point. I was fortunate to be there for a full moonrise. Here are a few pictures to show you what I saw.

1. Full moon rising over the Grand Canyon, as seen from Hopi Point on the South Rim
2. Sunset as seen from Pima Point on the South Rim. The sun had already set and the clouds over the canyon were just starting to pick up hints of color.
3. Another sunset as seen from Pima Point. The sun had already set behind the camera and the clouds developed an intense, beautiful color. It was spectacular.
4. A final sunset from Pima Point. This was taken about a half hour after sunset, when the light was fading from the clouds, but the reflected light in the canyon was still very vibrant.

Steve
 

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Nice pictures. Glad you had a great trip. We are going to our condo in Florida next week. Plan to stay until just before Christmas and perhaps go back mid-January if I hold up until then. Been exhausted, but I do good while driving. We are going to break the drive into 3 days instead of 2.
 
Wow!!!! Absolutely stunning photographs. I’m so glad you made the trip and will admit I’m jealous. Way to go!
 
Steve,

How wonderful that you and Lori could make this trip together. It sounds like it was very special trip and the pictures you took show how spectacular it was. PS your photography is pretty amazing . Thank you for sharing, Kate
 
Steve, these photos are glorious. You capture some really outstanding moments.

It sounds like a lovely trip. We spent a night at the Grand Canyon a few years ago on a road trip and it's one of those places I'd love to go back and spend more time to just "be" there for a few days. Your pics are further inspiration.
 
Such fabulous photos - I'm SO glad you went. Thanks for always sharing with us too - I love getting to go there with you each year!
 
Great!

You on your own when Lori was down in?
 
I am not going to lie. I almost choked up when I saw the Grand Canyon. It was surreal. Yellowstone is amazing too.
 
Steve, your pictures are always amazingly beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing with us. I love your descriptions of your travels and am so glad that you are able to enjoy these experiences.

Sharon
 
Steve those photos are spectacular. Thank you so much for sharing. I have never been there and it’s awesome to get a glance of it’s beauty. Made even more special as it was taken by a PALS. Thank you, thank you.

Hugs
 
Thanks to everyone for the encouraging comments.

Chally, I was by myself for about 36 hours while my wife went to the bottom of the canyon. It was great!

We camp using a travel trailer. I can still make it up the 3 steps into the trailer, so was able to do just fine by myself.

The trailer is becoming more difficult for me, so we are actively looking into alternatives for next year.

It is amazing to read how the canyon touches many people. I will share that the first time I went to the canyon was for Easter Sunrise service in 1976. I was a freshman in college at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, which is about 75 miles from the south rim. Friends and I drove to the south rim and had just a wonderful experience there. I never dreamed I would be able to spend as much time visiting and hiking in the canyon in subsequent years.

While hiking in the canyon is now out of the question, being able to ride along the rim and experience its beauty is truly a blessing.

Steve
 
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