'Twas Grand
I finally made it to the Grand Canyon, and whaddya know? It lives up to its name.
The day started out dark. Not only because yours truly is an early riser and is usually up before Our Mr. Sun, but because Flaggo has a dark skies ordinance on the books due to the proximity to Lowell Observatory. (Yeah, Flaggo just to continue my practice of “o”-ending diminutives, in line with FoCo, MoCo, Bendo, etc.) Any streetlights (and there really aren’t that many) have to be orange, and pointed down. Business lighting is greatly muted as well. It makes for dark starts, which is not a bad thing. I walked the grounds of the observatory, a bit when I first arrived, but didn’t pay for entry. I was going to do that when there was a clear night so I could return after dark and see the telescopes in action. Sadly, my entire time here looks to be cloudy afternoons/evenings. Dang. Sometimes things don’t always work out. But that just means I’ll have to return. That’s not a bad thing.
In my paranoia of not having overt permission to enter Grand Canyon National Park, I had arranged to borrow a pass have in the car since I was passing through the gate long before it was staffed. Unnecessary, but thanks Jess, for indulging me!
In what might have been mildly against medical advice, I decided to go down the Bright Angel trail a bit. My advice was to limit activity for a week and not get back up to “normal” for at least two. I adhered to the letter of the law, since yesterday was a week…and a day since surgery. The hematoma had nearly disappeared, so I was confident of things. I did turn around before I really wanted to, so there was that bit of adulting in action. I dropped down 2.5K and turned around despite there always being yet another enticing spot juuuuuust ahead.
The climb back up was better than the descent. Going down these days hurts my knees a bit. Getting it up is just cardio. I can do that, even post surgery. I did force myself into a slower-than-usual pace, and stopped a few times when I previously would have simply huffed harder and pushed. Once again, perhaps showing signs of maturity? I look it, I may as well act it once in awhile.
I noticed my heart rate while walking uphill isn’t a lot different now than pre-, but my resting is a lot higher still as things heal and settle out. It’s a bit like my heart is on antidepressant SSRI meds: all reactions are flattened — highs and lows both. On my way back up, I spotted this desert bighorn just off the trail, completely unbothered by passing hikers.
After the down and up, I chatted up a guy who was looking for birds , specifically a California Condor. I’d spotted three new entries on the life list while on the Bright Angel, so yay me! He is a phD candidate in History, specifically on the history of national parks in Europe. Interesting stuff. He told me about a spectabulous vantage point a bit down the Red Shuttle line. I thanked him and took a look at the route map for the shuttle. I decided to walk the Rim Trail instead. Very pleasant walking, and not a lot of climbing. The view didn’t disappoint. It’s the one at the top of the post. BTW, I didn’t see a condor. Dang. I’m unsure about Daniel’s success.
I kept things easy, and called it a day after about 12K of walking. On my way out of the park I stopped by the entrance to buy a lifetime pass to all the national parks in the USA. A great deal for only $80 (one day entry into Grand Canyon is $35).
I closed out the day with a wonderful dinner with Jess and Jim. I’d been missing meeting up with them for a few years. Every time I’d arrive somewhere they had been, they’d have just left, or wouldn’t be arriving until after I’d left. After three or four of those situations, it became comical. It was really pleasant to enjoy some nice Thai food, a Galactic IPA, and most excellent conversation. We may get together again later today. That’d be nice.
I’m heading northerly on Monday. There are a few other places to check out as I make my way to my dentist appointment in Carson City next Monday.
Be kind and take care of yourselves. If you can, care for someone else, too.
Slang, out.
I believe that I have a selfie from almost the same spot. (Me and millions of others, right?). When the ticker is full tick, there is a trail to the prominatory overlooking the river in the middle of the image. Totally worth the walk.