March 30, 2009

Canyon Connoisseurs


Steve just returned from a Spring Break hike in Grand Canyon National Park with our son Eric and Chris, Eric's friend from Denmark. March is early for hiking from the North Rim, but with snow pack 60% of normal, they were able to reach Monument Point, a great place to begin a trek into the canyon.

The trail looks almost like a sidewalk where slickrock is exposed, but in many places, the trail markings are slim to none.
Here, a cairn (on the left) marks the way.

Potholes on the esplanade (a flat section below the first cliffy descent) held enough water for pumping a fresh supply for a lunch break. Here, Eric and Steve pose with mushroom-shaped rocks.
Manzanita and this cactus were in bloom.

And this barrel cactus is impressive.
At Deer Creek Spring, water flows out of a limestone cave and falls at least a hundred feet to the ground. During maximum spring runoff, the volume would be greater.

The two young guys raced down to the Colorado River, while Steve rested up at camp. Stars that night were incredible.
The next day, they hiked back to the esplanade, where Eric and Chris took a side trip to Thunder Spring. I don't have Eric's photos from this trip yet, so here are some photos I scanned from May, 1999. Thunder Spring also emerges from the cliffs. What appear to be green bushes in the background are actually 100 foot tall cottonwood trees, to provide some perspective.

Here you can better appreciate the powerful cascades during spring runoff.

Steve and our sons (with my daughter and I tagging along on a few occasions) have hiked into the Grand Canyon by many routes, many times over the last 15 years. We have developed a special love and appreciation for this wild, stark country's unique beauty.
For view into other fascinating worlds, click here.

40 comments:

  1. Incredible..
    the mushroom shaped rocks, all them cacti.. the cascade.....

    Your blog's surely about exploring paths less travelled.

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  2. your photos are just breath taking!
    you have such wonderful adventures

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  3. Amazing - the photos are WONDERFUL!

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  4. i have heard a lot about this national park in california, hopefully someday i'll be able to see in my own two eyes what a wonderful scenery here and experienced the same trip too...


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  5. Simply stunning photos. My husband's wish is for us to hike the grand canyon; I don't think I'm well suited physically yet to tackle such an undertaking.

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  6. LOVE this post! I never thought of going there for Spring break. PERFECT idea. The photos are fabulous!

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  7. This post is so inspiring I would go for a hike right now if I were anywhere close to a mountain and it wasn't dark already.

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  8. Beautiful, breathtaking shots! Fantastic rocks! What a great trip! Thanks for sharing a part of "your world"!

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  9. Pretty pictures, it looks like a quite successful trip. The mushroom rocks make for an especially interesting picture.

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  10. What a landscape. Every week I am amazed by the rich colors and textures.

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  11. Janie: What a beautiful post on a place that is grand in scale. There is nothing that can compare to what you see. Thanks for sharing Steve's trip through the wilderness.

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  12. I was about 15 years old, when my English teacher told her journey to Colorado. I was thinking then - about 50 years ago - that it a place, where I want to go some day. I have been in many places in different countries after that, but never in Colorado and now it is too late, I think.( We are going to China after three weeks and I am a little worried, how we will manage there. )
    I want to thank you for these wonderful photos and a story !

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  13. When my son and I went to the GC in January last year I was a nervous wreck that one of us would slip and plunge to our deaths. And there you guys go climbing around. So daring! :)

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  14. What a beautiful hike. I loved this sequence. All of the shots were so beautiful.

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  15. Wait. That's your son? You don't look half old enough to have a grown son! (Not fair!)

    Between you and Louise at The Potted Frog I'm tempted to chuck everything and move to the Southwest. Wonder if I could take early retirement?

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  16. Gorgeous series of photos. I've always wanted to see cactus blooming. Guess I need to stick that on the mental to do list and do something about it! Thanks for sharing

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  17. Oh you have such wonderful country to travel, one day I would love to visit your part of our world. Thank you so much for sharing.
    Smiles

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  18. Fabulous shots, looks like it was a great hike.

    Have a great week!
    Guy
    Regina In Pictures

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  19. Excellent shots of a place I really want to explore and see for myself. Oh and I loved the Bison in the previous post. Thanks for sharing.

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  20. I'll repeat others. Incredible pictures. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. I've been to the Grand Canyon several times but never got very far from the parking lots.

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  21. I just can hold my breath. The country site is overpowering there is so much to see and admire. A wonderful hike never to forget. The red sandstone, the waterfalls, the wild flowers, nature at its very best.
    mine is on thisandthat)

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  22. You have more ground in the last few my world posts than all my island. It's another world to be wild and wonderful.

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  23. How wonderful to be close enough to such natural beauty to be able to take advantage of it on many occasions. Love the rocks and gushing springs as well as the flora.

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  24. I love that mushroom formed rock, so rare and beautiful.

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  25. Gorgeous pictures and how exciting to be able to hike there. I was there once about four years ago but we weren't prepared to venture into the canyon. I remember getting the willies just by looking over the cliffs! Such a powerful place.

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  26. Is that Thunder Spring of the famed Thunder River, one of the nations shortest rivers? I was just talking to somebody about it, and asking if they had photos! I understand it's only a quarter mile long ...

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  27. wow! i definitely would like to hike on that place. It looks so beautifully breathtaking.

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  28. Lots of my own memories there I went to school out there and enjoyed the area sooo much thanks for the memory reminders

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  29. I am always in awe of our Grand Canyon. Beautiful photos.

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  30. Lovely post!
    And those Cacti, I have never seen something like those before.

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  31. Great to see and hear about a different and less touristy part of the Grand Canyon. It makes me want to book at ticket to the US!

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  32. I STILL have never been to the Grand Canyon. We're hoping to get there with the kids when they get a little older.

    I LOVE the photos of the water emerging from the walls. Amazing.

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  33. What else I can say except...Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.......These are amazing and mind blowing photos. You knw janie, once in my life, Its my wish to visit Grand canyon with my husband...BTW I have started a new blog dedicated to my sketch work — Art on Sketchbook

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  34. Amazing place. I'm sure you enjoyed many beautiful family moments there.Great photos.

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  35. Janie, that is far more interesting than my walk in a flat country! Thanks for sharing! Have a nice day!

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  36. wow! such a wonderful place!

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  37. It's a lovely part of the world = so different from from where most of us live. ;-)

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  38. Wow Janie.... How gorgeous! I still have not seen the Grand Canyon at all--from any area (other than pictures). It's great that you all can and do hike in that area so often..

    You know me... LOVE those cascades/waterfalls... YEAH!!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  39. what a wonderful post of the canyon in all its glory...the rocks, the falls, the plant life.
    just wonderful.
    have a lovely afternoon.

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  40. What fun! Those are great photos. That really is a fat cactus!

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