North Rim Splendor

I stayed at the north rim of the Grand Canyon for two days. It was only my second visit to that rim...the first was in 1975, so I was due for a return trip. I've been to the south rim 6-8 times, something like that. Though it's busy right around the village where the cabins and restaurants are located, it's easy to get away from most of the people and overall the north rim is much quieter than the south...it receives only about 10 percent as many visitors. Like the south rim, the rock formations and colors are fantastic, and they change constantly with the angle of the sun and the weather. August is a particularly good time to go as the monsoon thunderstorms really accelerate the changes in the canyon scenery.

Here the afternoon thunderstorms are firing up. They're spectacular; lightning flashes, thunder rumbles through the gorge, and of course the light changes every minute. I found myself a good spot near the rim, and enjoyed listening to the wind whistle through the trees around me as I gazed out over the canyon. Fine sensations of peace and grandeur. However, such a vantage point must be chosen carefully; you don't want to be alone out on the rim with no shelter, and you don't want to be under the tallest trees in the area, as these spots are where the lightning usually strikes.

I just liked the colors in this picture. The canyon is most luminous at sunrise, sunset,and when there are a lot of clouds around to create a complex light pattern.