Friday, May 29, 2009

Payson, AZ, the Grand Canyon and Bright Angel Trail

May 29, 2009

We decided to leave Tucson for a quick trip to the Grand Canyon. On the way we stopped for the night in Payson, AZ. That part of Arizona is where the high desert and the forest meet. They call it the Rim Country because of the beautiful rock formation of the high plateau. The weather was cool so we decided to camp at Payson RV Campground. One strange thing about Payson in the 24/7 Elvis radio station. I mean, Elvis' music is good but not 24/7 good.


The next morning we headed for the GC not knowing if we would get a campsite inside the park. We shouldn't have worried because it was not as busy as we've seen it in the past. The main reason we traveled to the GC was to hike the Bright Angel Trail.

Anyone who has done that hike knows it is tough. We hike the 4.6 miles, 3,000 ft elevation change, down to Indian Gardens campground and had breakfast (yogurt & bananas) then hike back up to the top. We lucked out this time with cloud cover. It can get brutally hot down in the canyon and make the trip back up almost unbearable. We were at the trailhead at 5am. It took us 2 hours to hike down, then a 20 minute breakfast, then 2 hours 40 minutes to the top. Much better than last time.

I wanted to get my revenge on the trail. In 1992 we hiked the BA Trail and it almost killed me. Pat handled it well, but it was very hot and I struggled the last couple of miles. When we finished we headed for the McDonalds where I happily paid $3 for ice cream cone. I would've paid a $100. I slept for the rest of the day.



Looking down on to the Bright Angel trail.









We have been to the GC 4 times and each time we can't believe how breathtaking it is.

Sunrise in the canyon.








Pictures can never do the Canyon justice, to experience it's enormity and beauty you have to see it for yourself.






We staying are in Flagstaff tonight. Technology is wonderful. We pull into a town and find a coffee shop and internet connection...then I use Priceline or some other website to book a hotel room cheap...we put the address into our GPS...then a few minutes later pull up to the hotel and get our room.

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