Tuesday, September 12, 2023: A wonder of the world!
Info:
The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Over the last six million years, the Colorado River and its tributaries have carved into the rocks, exposing their layers. Officially, the Grand Canyon is 446 km long, starting in Lees Ferry and ending in Grand Wash Cliffs. Since the river flows in a very narrow gorge, it can be seen from above only from a few places. It rises in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado at 3,700 m above sea level and flows 2,300 km through several canyons on its way to the Gulf of California. The north and south rims of the Grand Canyon are only 16 km apart, descending 1,500 m from 2,100 m above sea level, with the north rim and surrounding land 300 m higher than the south rim.
My opinion:
Although this was my third time at the Grand Canyon, this landscape left me speechless again. Speechless and infinitely grateful.
Diary:
I had booked a spot for Annie Way at the Village Campground in Tusayan, a village located near the entrance to the National Park that offers the usual tourist stuff, but in a surprisingly pleasant way.
Shortly after our arrival I booked a flight for the next day and then we were already on our way towards the Grand Canyon, not to miss the sunset. At this time of year, it gets dark very early.
There are huge parking lots near the Visitor Center in the National Park. While I was busy photographing the surrounding plants, I walked a little further and …
… and suddenly stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Stunning. So much so, that a few tears ran down my cheeks.
At first it was cloudy, so that the colors of the rock appeared only muted, but just before the sun set, it shone into the gorge and transformed the landscape into something so indescribably beautiful and so gigantic in terms of dimensions that it was simply inconceivable.
As the sun sank, the shadows on the rock faces moved upward, changing colors until only the tops of each layer were illuminated – and eventually these, too, went dark, while a glorious evening glow appeared in the west.
I had a little trouble finding my way back to Annie Way in the darkness. Along the edge of the canyon runs the Rim Trail, and I hadn’t remembered where to turn off to the parking lot. But finally, my sense of direction told me that I had gone much too far in my enthusiasm. In principle, there is nothing against going too far, but in the dark at the edge of a gorge, it may not be so smart.
The next morning, when I just came back from the shower – still in my sweat look and bathing slippers – the neighbor talked to me, who drove a camper, in which – had it not been a camper – easily fifty people could have sat comfortably. He was from Saskatchewan. I told him that I had enjoyed it so much there and that I had been to Regina and Grassland National Park. He said he was at home farther north, near Saskatoon. He kept horses, and his wife bred dogs.
Then he pointed out to me that Annie Way’s right rear tire was underinflated and looking a little flat. I took a deep breath.
The neighbor came back with a meter and told me there was quite a lot missing. The giant bus obviously had a built-in workshop, and so he was able to pump up the tire. His wife invited me to Campfire for the evening, because she was eager to hear about my great adventure.
Annie Way shouldn’t have identified with me that much! Just because I was still limping a bit after my stumble at Lake Tahoe, she didn’t have to show solidarity!
The neighbor said he would come back tomorrow to measure so we could see if it was a one-time thing or if Annie Way actually had a patch. I fervently hoped for the one-time thing. When you stand in front of the Grand Canyon, even Annie Way is allowed to lose her breath!
Punctually three quarters of an hour before departure, I stood at the airport and checked in. In a small plane, which held nineteen passengers and was equipped with extra large windows, we set off in the direction of the canyon.
Unfortunately it was cloudy again, but still … indescribable! From above, the Colorado River could be seen winding its many curves through the canyon it had created.
When I was here with my son more than twenty years ago, I had told him his birthday present was his plane ticket. He thought I meant the flight to Denver. But on his twelfth birthday, we sat in a similar small plane and flew over the Grand Canyon – an experience that was unforgettable.
After landing, I hurried to get back to the national park. I hiked a bit along the Rim Trail to Yavapai Point and Geology Museum, because I was curious about how the canyon was formed and what rocks formed the individual layers that the Colorado River had painstakingly exposed.
Nowhere on earth can you see the rock layers and their formation as well as on the walls of the Grand Canyon, because the individual layers run horizontally. However, they are not complete, because in some periods weathering was faster than buildup, in others no deposition occurred.
Still, the view of the canyon’s rock walls is a glimpse of Earth’s history. The youngest rock is found at the edge of the canyon – the Kaibab Formation, formed 270 million years ago as a deposit in a warm sea. The further down you look, the older the rock is. The lowest layer is up to 1.8 billion years old and consists of slate, gneiss and granite.
Where so many people roam, animals nevertheless also live – comfortably, it seems, and without being disturbed.
On this day, the sunset was again an incredible experience.
This time, however, I hurried to get back to Annie Way as quickly as possible afterwards, so as not to have to search for the right way in the darkness again. But it was clear, I absolutely had to come here again in the morning before I left.
Afterwards I spent some comfortable hours at the Campfire with the couple from Saskatchewan, although it became sensitively cold.
The two left in the morning. When I got back from the shower, Annie Way’s tires were being re-inflated so I could make it to the nearest town. There was no discussion – I had to go to Flagstaff immediately. Even I saw that, where I usually tend not to make sensible decisions.
In Flagstaff, Annie Way was freed from the nail stuck in her tire, and by the time I returned from a short walk, the tire was repaired and mounted. I was wished a good trip and asked for nothing.
So much helpfulness all at once! Thank you, Brent and Judy, for your attention and spontaneous help! You have at least saved me from more serious trouble, but perhaps also from an accident. And many thanks to the guys in Flagstaff!
As for the Grand Canyon, which I hadn’t gone to in the morning because I was afraid Anny Way would run out of air … It’s considered a wonder of the world.
Yes, that’s exactly what it is.
A wonder. A miracle.
