Autumn Days at the Big Ditch

I spent three fine days at the Grand Canyon late last month...just now got around to loading the pix into the computer.  One day I hiked along the top of the South Rim, the next I ventured a way into the canyon twice.  This is the Bright Angel Trail, just below the rim, early in the morning.  The Lizards are taking a break here.

Deep into October, the low sun angle enhances light and shadows.  Pix are good most of the day except an hour or two either side of noon.

In the afternoon my friend Jeff and I hiked about a quarter of the way down the canyon on the Kaibab Trail...about a mile and a half horizontally, and 1100 feet vertically.  In our younger days we both trekked all the way to the river here...Jeff did the round trip in a single day!  Them days are gone over the hill, but we didn't do a bad job for a couple of Medicare guys.  The mule train was resting at our turnaround point.  Jeff and I can't ride the mules...you have to weigh under 200 pounds.  Even when I was in good shape thirty years ago I was marginal.  Now...no way.

The Lizards made this trip too.  They had an easy time of it...they rode down in my pack.

Gnarly dead trees always make fine pix in the canyon.

On the way back up the trail toward the rim, it was convenient to stop and every photo opp.

Fine, soft late afternoon light.

Looking down on the Kaibab Trail.  We hiked up that??

This picture was taken the day before when I hiked along the South Rim west of the Village.  

The Bright Angel Trail.

A gap in a juniper reveals the inner gorge.

A better shot of the inner gorge.  The black Vishnu Schist there is over one and a half billion years old.

Another fine gnarly tree.

This chasm is called the Abyss.

I love the canyon.  It's a power spot.  I enjoy just finding a quiet place to sit on the rim and contemplate the beauty and majesty.