Snapshots, like rainbows, are forever...

What a great day - we had some business to attend to this morning, so we didn't break camp right away.

Overnight, the temperatures definitely got near freezing, if not there, but by 10 am the sun was in force and things were warming up. We headed out for our easy 1 hour drive to the Grand Canyon South Rim entrance.

We passed through another 20 miles of dangerous Elk territory, but they apparently hadn't been informed - still no sightings for all of the warnings.

It's so wild driving up from the south towards the rim (let me tell you, after snickering 10 times about all the 'rim' this and that, you get so tired of that word). You are driving through not so remarkable topography, and scrub pine and juniper forests - it's not unpleasant, but we've been spoiled lately. However, you know it's just the 'lobby' and that when you hit the 'theatre' or 'gallery', that the sensation will overwhelm because it's just so dramatic. Well, it is...

A brief side: could the National Park Service suck any worse, or could they have privatized with a worse firm than Xanterra?? My god, this job should go up for bid - you pay (without a NP card) huge fees to enter; prohibitive to most Americans. Then, you get in, there is no parking, no access to the areas that you are told there are access to, all kinds of bullshit. It's really remarkable, or I wouldn't remark on it.

Don't get me wrong, they've got beautiful pieces of the planet put aside for our use - the problem is that they are not prepared for it. This is the off-season, I can't even imagine what it was like a month ago!!

So, we stopped by the new Visitor Center, which does a great job of orienting one to the area, as well as warning you about all of the dangers. Photos tell the tale: Kel-e, I hope you are reading; a vomit warning ,"oh my legs", and even the line 'the ultimate price - death' in an illustration... Shittenslappen, for sure!









Mule rides weren't going to happen here, they were booked for the day we could go, and started way too early unless you were staying at their lodge... I guess they book a year in advance; once we saw the route, we weren't too bummed out - you'd have to do the overnight to the bottom to make it worth it anyway. Oh, well.

We set out to take the Hermit Shuttle (because they have closed the road to vehicles, but you wouldn't know that 'til you drive there...). It was an out and back loop service that stopped 7 times on the way out to Hermit's Rest, a cool ole lodge - that's me in the inglenook...

We got off at Pima Point and walked the last mile to Hermit's rest along the RIM. It is right on the RIM - closer than The Judge walked. But so beautiful and worth it - I'd say Marge and I passed or met about 5 people in about 1.1 miles... NICE!

After checking out Hermit's Rest, we took the shuttle back down, but did the same idea. Got off at Mojave Point and walked back to Hopi point, about .7 miles, but also right along the RIM.

For my former colleagues, this plant (growing everywhere here, but this one pictured below, right on the RIM) is called locally Mormon Tea. Mormon's are proscribed caffiene, so they drank this as a stimulant. You may know it from its Chinese Medicinal name, Ma Huang (which I'm willing to bet translates as horse's tail); or from it's botanical name, Ephedra. Yep, that's ephedra, and if you have this and a rave and the FDA, watch out!

The best parts of the day were where we got away from everyone and just saw some world... unfortunately, today was a day that didn't make me love people or have faith in the world. I heard people call a Turkey Vulture a Condor and I heard a man describe how Glaciers helped form the Canyon. It's time to walk away down where the path doesn't let the wheezers go.

Also, when did they pass an ordinance saying that you had to be over 60 and over 250 pounds to ride a Harley??? The world really has moved on.

Roadkill:
Rabbit - described as tasty
Raven

Live:
Burros
Pronghorn
Donkeys
Big 'Fro - on a lil' fella

no gas today, thankfully -

love to all
Harve