Old Retired Guy Blog
November 28, 2009
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It's Still Quite GrandIn November 1973 Kathy and I camped at Grand Canyon National Park. We were there for about a week and were joined by some friends from Madison whom we had unexpectedly encountered the week before in Zion National Park. We not only enjoyed the beauty of the canyon from the South Rim but we also hiked to the bottom. We took the South Kaibab trail into the canyon and then walked along the Colorado River to Bright Angel Campground, where we spent the night. The next day we hiked up the Bright Angel Trail back to the South Rim. It was a wonderful experience.
This year, while making a trip to Arizona for my brother and sister-in-law's 50th wedding anniversary, we decided to make another trip to the Grand Canyon. This trip was much shorter, only two nights, but it was also much more luxurious. Instead of camping we rented a room in Maswik Lodge -- two comfy beds and indoor plumbing. We even had a TV. I wouldn't say that beats camping because I do still like to camp. However, when the temperatures dip below freezing at night there's much to be said for the comforts of the Lodge! On a celestial note, we were lucky to be at the canyon on the night of the full moon. For two nights in a row we watched the sun set and the moon rise over the canyon. One morning we watched the moon set and the sun rise over the canyon. One morning I overslept and missed the sun rise and moon set. Oh, well, three out of four isn't too bad.
So, you probably want to know if the canyon has changed much in 36 years. Well, I can tell you that it looks much deeper now than it did then. But, it still looks grand. The photos below were taken just after sunset from approximately the same location in 1973 and 2009.
End of 'It's Still Quite Grand' Entry |
