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Canyon are grand indeed. The
great chasm extends 277 miles across the state, with an average width of 10
miles. At the bottom, about a mile below the rim, the Colorado River roars
through 70 major rapids as it twists and turns through the canyon.
Incredible figures –yet they scarcely hint at the magnificence of the
spectacle itself.
No wonder that five
million visitors a year fly or drive to the Canyon, most to stay at the
South Rim. To avoid the crowds, I suggest you drive further to the North
Rim. Only about one in ten canyon visitors makes it to the North Rim.
A friend and I drove from
Phoenix, Arizona’s capital, a day’s journey. There is nothing quite
like travelling by car in the Southwest’s open spaces. Your
state-of-the-art rental car seems almost to drive itself, while you sit back
behind the wheel, no traffic to stress you. On your way to the Canyon, you
become intoxicated by the changing landscape. Searing desert dotted with
cactus gives way to the grasslands of the higher desert and onwards to the
ponderosa pines and ice-covered lakes surrounded by craggy mountains.
And there at the end of the
day, our first view of the fabled Grand Canyon. We see it at sunset
from the terraces of the North Rim’s Grand Canyon Lodge, where we’ll stay.
 To best understand how
geological forces created this natural wonder join the other guests on
the terrace of the Lodge for a ranger talk. He’ll explain that slicing
through layers of limestone, sandstone, granite and basalt the Colorado
River carved the canyon in the course of the past five or six million
years. But the work of the river was preceded by the formation of the
various rock layers themselves, formed like a many layered cake from deserts
and mountains and seas over the past two billion years.
Make sure to pick up a free
copy of The Guide and a map at the North Rim entrance that lists the
hiking trails, the ranger programmes, the wildlife to spot.
In the morning, walk to the
tip of the Bright Angel Point Trail. Here you can see the many
colourful layers. At the top, the youthful Kaibab limestone, containing
shells of animals that lived in an ancient sea approximately 260 million
years ago. At the bottom of the canyon, the oldest rocks exposed date to
two billion years.
Pueblo Indians lived in the
canyon until nine centuries ago. Stop off at the Walhalla Glades on the
Cape Royal Scenic Drive to get a glimpse of their way of life. Here are the
remnants of one of their summer villages at the top of the canyon rim where
they hunted and grew crops. When the winter snows came, the families
trekked back down to farm such sites as the fertile Unkar Delta at the
bottom of the canyon.
There are numerous hiking
trails both along the rim and into the canyon. Your North Rim Guide
lists many of these according to length and hiking time. The shortest is
0.5 miles, 30 minutes round trip. The longest into the canyon takes a full
day, 9.4 miles. But even a short hike into the canyon will be worth it,
though the trudge back up does literally take your breath away.
If you are feeling less
than sure-footed, you can ride a trail-wise mule down Bright Angel
Trail. This is a four-hour round trip for those of you with a sure seat and
a liking for a precipitous ride.
Follow the trails to spot
the diversity of life on the North Rim. Deer, mountain lions, coyotes,
turkeys, and hummingbirds live in the forests and travel through meadows
thick with wildflowers during the summer season.
You can only visit the
North Rim in the summer season. Snow blocks the access road in winter
and early spring. The very comfortable Grand Canyon Lodge is open from
mid-May until late October and provides the only accommodation within the
Park on the North Rim. It is the wise traveller who books well in advance.
Stay for two or three days.
Don’t rush your visit. Walk, look, pause, breathe in the beauty. Get up at
sunrise, walk again when the moon has risen. It is not difficult to imagine
that you are the only person in a primeval wilderness and you have
witnessed nature at work since the beginning of time.
To get the best of both
worlds and enjoy equally sybaritic pleasures, though more contemporary,
drive back to Phoenix to visit some of the world’s best museums and stay in
a spectacular resort hotel. In nearby Scottsdale, consider The Boulders,
which features your own casita/villa, two 18-hole golf courses, a driving
range, as well as three pools, tennis courts, trails and a spa. The
Phoenician offers similar amenities but boasts nine pools, and a 165-foot
waterslide.
 In Phoenix, don’t miss the
Heard Museum with its outstanding exhibits on the Native American Tribes
and lands of the Southwest. Courtyards with fountains and sculptures add to
your enjoyment of wandering through the museum. The museum shop, an
attraction in itself, has top-quality jewellery, art, crafts, dolls and
books. Here you’ll shop until you drop, buying perfect Christmas gifts and
presents for friends. And to take home, too, your own reminders of a trip
that is America at its best.
Travel Brief
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British Airways flies non-stop from Heathrow to
Phoenix. Through Trailfinders approximately £491 return.
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For information on the Grand
Canyon National Park North Rim, including accommodation at the Grand
Canyon Lodge (double room $80-$120):
www.nps.gov/grca . Also P.O.Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023, USA
Tel:. 928/638-7888
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Rental car agencies compete
for your business. Check for lowest rates.
www.hertz.com ;
www.drivebudget.com .
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For further information
about Arizona: Arizona Office of Tourism:
www.arizona-guide.com
e-mail: travel-info@azot.com
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You
have to see it to believe it… 
