Twilight View of North Rim’s Grand Canyon Lodge and Beyond

Sunset at the North Rim ©2014 Bo Mackison

Sunset at the North Rim ©2014 Bo Mackison

A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” ~ Dennis Waitley

Early Morning at North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim in the Morning

North Rim, Early Morning on the Veranda ©2014 Bo Mackison

I didn’t get to the North Rim for sunrise. 5:20 am. But I was there, coffee and camera in hand, a bit after 6.
Early enough to share the veranda with only a few early risers.
And catch a few shadows as morning was waking.

Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim in the Morning

Early Morning at Grand Canyon National Park North Rim ©2014 Bo Mackison

A view of the Norht Rim, shooting west,
and capturing the Grand Canyon Lodge.
Rock and copper and just a touch of timber.
(After fire destroyed the first lodge, a wood structure,
the second edition relied primarily on stone.)

Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim in the Morning

Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim in the Morning © 2014 Bo Mackison

More sunlight, more shadows and definition.
Mid day, and the canyon will be pale in comparison
to the early morning or late evening color.
Still, it was hazy. The San Fransisco Peaks, 60 miles away near Flagstaff,
I could easily see the day before, this morning they were barely visible.

Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim in the Morning

Point Imperial Overlook © 2014 Bo Mackison

Two fellow travelers and I drove to Imperial Point, and stopped along the way.
They had hiked rim to rim the day before, and wanted to see the North Rim.
No shuttle is available, so we explored together, all of us with cameras in hand.

Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim in the Morning

Morning Blues Panorama and Point Imperial © 2014 Bo Mackison

What a grand opportunity for vistas!
More photos to follow. Wouldn’t I love to
explore this bit of heaven for an entire summer.

First Day Exploring Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim

Overlook - Kaibab National Forest

Leave Kanab Utah. 6:42 am Utah time, 5:42 am Arizona time.
Partly cloudy, dulls the red rock, but sun rays streak and shimmer in the early morning.
Coffee at Jakie Leigh’s Bakery.

Street plaque commemorates the movie filming of Apple Dumpling Gang and Don Knotts.
Color Mountain Motel
Purple Sage Inn

Kanab Airport
Flagman. Traffic stops.
Time to study the layers of rock – red, yellow, white, with forest lines interspersed between the colors.

Arizona State Line.
Fredonia Arizona
Buckskin Tavern State Line Bar
Welcome to Arizona Strip District Public Lands

Moose Next 12 Miles.
Entering Kaibab National Forest
Fire Danger Moderate.

Why did the coyote cross the road?

Kaibab Lookout. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1938

Kaibab National Forest

Jacobs Lake 9 Miles
Flagstaff 173 Miles
Open range next 10 miles.

Stands of naked lodgepole pines, forest fire remnants from 2008.
Please Do Not Litter.

Junction 67. Jacobs Lake.
Jacobs Lake Inn. Elevation 7925.
cafe – motel – curios – store

Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center.
“In Memory of Theodore Roosevelt. “Teddy.” Protector of Arizona.”
Grand Canyon 45 Miles

Deer next 30 miles.
Cattle next 30 miles.
Don’t Drink and Drive.

Why did the chipmunk cross the road?
Black and white stripes on tree toothpicks, old fire damage.
Elevation 8400 feet.

Meadow, Birches just leafing.
Crane Lake, surrounded by a fence to keep the cattle out and allow the wildlife access.
Kaibab Lodge. No Vacancy.
DeMotte Campground. No Vacancy.

Grand Canyon 4 miles.
I keep reminding myself to breathe!

Grand Canyon - North Rim Entrance Station

I am here.
Grand Canyon North Rim Entrance.
Elevation 8250.

Icy road next 11 miles.
Only a few piles of snow, deep in the cover of the forest.
Wriggly aspen trunks – snow pressure during growth.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

And the North Rim opens to view.
I am standing at the edge of the canyon.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

Lookout over the rim.
To take in this view would require a lifetime.
Grateful that I have even these two days.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

Rocks, rocks, and rocks.
A geologist’s haven.
And heaven, too.

Condor Talk, Park Ranger, North Rim Grand Canyon

Condor ranger talk.
Park Ranger Gaelyn Olmstead demonstrates the proper way to build a condor nest.
Cliff edge or shallow cave. Scratch. Scratch. Done.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

These rockers are put to good use.
Hiking is hard work. And glorious.
But at some point the feet say, “No more. Sit down.”

Temple, North Rim of Grand Canyon, at Sunset

Sunset on the veranda.
Friends from the sometimes amazing social media introduce me to Gaelyn.
Nature lovers, photographers, wanderers.

We choose to sit and chat, watching the Grand Canyon.
Another reason that Grand Canyon is so grand – the people.

Sunset approaches, the canyon does its light show,
shadow, light, red, purple, yellow.
Sunlight on the Temple.

Grand Canyon - North Rim Sunset

And the after sunset glow.
Grand Canyon – North Rim.
Views of infinite grandeur – the canyon, the sky.