Milestones
- 41st time camping in 41 months (SHOW ON MAP)
- 13th time camping in a National Park (SEE THE 12th)
- 2nd time camping in Arizona (SHOW 1ST)
Camping
The weather was perfect (between 50F and 75F). But, I was a little worried because I booked the Thursday-Friday nights just before Memorial Day weekend. It turned out perfect. The crowds hadn’t arrived yet.
I was surprised that there weren’t any bear-boxes. The park rangers warned me about the ravens, but nothing about raccoons or bears. That seemed strange to me.
I brought pre-cooked chicken, a whole bunch of raw vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms) and I made some unseasoned mashed potatoes. I made a fire, and roasted the chicken. Best quality camp-meal I’ve eaten on my own.
I immediately started planning my bike ride for Friday. I wanted to get as close to the canyon rim as possible.
Nobody talks about this, but it IS a part of camping…. digestive-issues. I had been constipated for 3 days prior to leaving on this trip. There wasn’t anything to do, just handle it as it comes. In the end…. everything came out fine…. wink wink. I’m used to camping while being sick with a cold, pooping too much, not pooping enough…. you know…. the daily stuff of life. Camping is just living somewhere else… somewhere beautiful.
Biking
After having coffee on Friday morning, I rode out from my campsite. The weather was so nice. I wore a single shirt without any other layers.
I had been to Grand Canyon as a kid, but I thought it was all desert and scrubs. And, I remember the gift shop. That’s what a 10 year-old thinks is important. This time, I had a totally different experience. The forest surrounding my campsite was beautiful. My goal was to head directly to the canyon rim road. I wanted see as much as I could. I asked a fellow bike rider, and he said there were lots of good viewings spots.
As I rode past the tourist “ahem”…. I mean visitor’s center…. I saw this mule that takes people down the canyon trail to the bottom. He had a big nose and looked very stubborn. IT WAS LIKE LOOKING IN A MIRROR!!!…. more on that later.
There is a road that parallels the South Rim, and it’s closed to only buses and bicyclists. This was my first view of the canyon. It’s just next to Grand Canyon Village.
I had no idea how many viewing places were available. Turns out…. a dozen!!! But, I didn’t know that. So, I stopped at every location and took a picture, like it was the last one I would ever see.
This is the view from Powell Point.
This is the view from Mohave Point. Yeah…. I know…. in California we spell it Mojave.
This is the only picture I have of the Colorado River. I took this near Pima Point.
This was the western-most end of my bike ride….. Hermit’s Rest.
I then headed back east.
This was the eastern-most end of my bike ride at Yaki Point. I then headed south back to my campsite.
Bike-Breakdown
After Yaki Point, I wanted to head down south and explore a little bit.
About 3 miles below my campsite, the bracket snapped that holds my bike-controller-computer.
This is important because I need it to run the motor. Only 2-wires were left holding it in place. Every time I would crank the pedals, the shaft would scrape through the fragile dangling components, and pull on the thin-but-necessary wires. If I break the wires, then I have to pedal manually for 3 miles back to my campsite. I’m not in that good a shape. So, I did my best to hold all my SH%T together, while riding on the shoulder of AZ Highway 64 with Memorial Day vacationers rushing to get to their spot.
I got off on a gravel road (for authorized vehicles only), and that dropped me onto the bike-path, which separated me from traffic. I made it back, but I was very stubborn… AND lucky. See? this is where the mule-reference comes in. I was relieved to be back at my car.
After a Long Day… then this happened
This ELK walked by my tent like I wasn’t even there. Pretty Cool.
Just think. For the last 30 years, I have lived only 7 hrs drive from this wonderful place. Not a hard day’s drive, but a completely different world.
Hey Van, my dear friend and distant business partner. Thanks for taking me / us on your adventures. Such a pity we live so far away from each other. We should really catch up sometime.
What a wonderful trip and such amazing scenary. One day perhaps I’ll get to se the Grand Canyon.
Blessings my dear friend
What an awesome adventure for you. I have been to the Grand Canyon several times and it never ceases to amaze me. Like you said it is only a 7 hour drive from Upland. Something we can do but don’t. Life has a way of getting too busy to take the time to see what is around us.
Van, those are some great pictures. Take Care
The diversity of God‘s creation continues to amaze me. Pictures are great, but I know you’re being on the rim and looking down into that canyon was a real thrill.. I always love the interaction details that you have with every trip.
I am jealous … yes, jealous … except for the crankshaft of death part!!! What a great trip, great adventure, great scenes and pictures you shared, and topped off with “the best quality camp-meal I’ve eaten on my own”!!!
It’s like you can’t outdo yourself and then you do!
In 1975 I flew over the Grand Canyon at sunset. From the plane, the entire place was bathed in golden hour light. It was bright orange-gold. Absolutely stunning!
Like you, I was there when I was about 12. And, like you, but much longer than 30 years, I have not been back.
Thanks for taking me there through this adventure! Absolutely beautiful!!!
Great write up and photos as always Van. 35 miles is no joke. Since when did you become fond of canned dolmathes (dolmas)? I am looking forward to our next opportunity to be together and swap GC stories. I have done Rim to River and North Rim to South Rim. Both trips allowing for a night at the bottom of the canyon. Amazing experience. Congrats.
Another amazing trip!
Definitely want to reinforce & protect those wires before your next trip!
What a trip: an immense landscape of desert beauty, an elk close up, a donkey even closer,… topped off with a 35-mile bike ride around the rim. And then with only 3 miles to camp, your bike falters with wires askew but you make a slow deliberate return home. Steady under pressure; you have it all over the donkey. He’s just stubborn, you’re quite something else.
What another great trip and more adventures. I stopped there on my way back east in February and followed the snow plow, early morning and almost had the whole place to myself. It was stunning.
Beautiful photos, Van. Thank you!