Return to the North Rim

On Sunday Dennis again drove in to the Grand Canyon North Rim. We saw several deer in the meadows along the scenic route into the park. This time we went to the eastern end of the park, stopping at several overlooks along the way. We brought a picnic lunch which we ate at our first stop, Point Imperial, which is the highest point on the North Rim at 8,803 feet. We stopped at Roosevelt Point, where I took the short hike through a burned area while the others walked around the overlook.

At the Walhalla Overlook we viewed the Unkar Delta, where ancient peoples farmed during the winter months. Then we walked across the street to see Anasazi ruins that have been excavated, where some moved during the summer months when it was too hot in the canyon. Only the foundations are visible, but we felt a sense of the living history of the people who built them.

At Cape Royal we took the trail to Angel's Window, a natural bridge through which we could see a bend of the Colorado River. Dennis looked, but didn't spot any river rafters. A guy thought he'd said something about "raptors," and told Dennis about all the birds he had seen in the area.

When we returned to the Lodge area, we had some time before our dinner reservations. Ken and Dennis and I started along the Widforss Trail. The guys soon turned back because of the steepness. I continued for a way, hoping to see the mountain views, but finally turned around. At that point I became acutely aware of being alone on the trail and began to have thoughts of mountain lions and bears... Fortunately, I didn't see either.

We had reservations for dinner at the Lodge restaurant. We had some time before dinner, so we relaxed on the Lodge patio, where a cool breeze and some shade were inviting. When we went in to dinner, the young man at the desk (Brendan) smiled and told me he had a very special table for us. Calling one of the staff over, he indicated that we had table 40. Our table turned out to be at the windows overlooking the canyon. We had a great dinner with good friends--and spectacular views of the canyon.