One thing we noticed on our first full day in the park is that people start early! We thought we were starting early too, but most of the people in our lodge building were already out and about by the time we got outside around 9:00am.
Unlike the previous day, the skies were clear and sunny. We were excited to head to the rim and actually see the canyon this time! The vibe of the visitor center was much different than the day before. People were out! There was a nice energy all around. We walked the short pathways to the rim at Mather Point and saw this:
In full daylight under clear skies, the canyon was as breathtaking as it was advertised to be. Pictures really don’t capture the whole scene; the way the air feels and smells, the magnitude and detail of the canyon, the sense of beginning to understand just how small a role we play in the universe.
The park’s bus system is very good and very convenient, so we explored the east side of the rim by riding along the route, hopping on and off at each stop. Once again as advertised, each new view presented the gorge as its own unique place. Only the upper portions of the canyon had retained yesterday’s snow, but the ground was still covered in several inches.
Bailey and I walked portions of The Rim Trail, which had been mostly cleared of snow, presumably by a work crew in the early morning hours. The trail hugs pretty close to the actual rim, making it easy for a person’s carelessness to end badly; very badly! We stopped cold around a bend and stared at several deer, munching away on snow covered plants about 15 yards from the path. We loved seeing them that close! They were ambivalent about us.
It was once again cold and windy with temps in the low 30’s, but it felt great!
After a snack and a little shopping in the visitor center area, we caught a lucky break. Hermit’s Road had been cleared of snow and open to traffic. Normally only the shuttle bus would be allowed on that stretch, but it was shut down for the season. We wanted to see the Western portion of the park and Hermit’s Road was the best way to do it.
So we hopped into the car and headed that direction, driving through the area known as The Village for the first time. We were surprised to see how much settlement and activity there was there, from the famous El Tovar lodge, to the train station and other historic buildings. This is the area that travelers had been staying in for over a hundred years as they explored and passed through the area. We passed through too, saving the exploring of that spot for the next day.
It was easy to see why you wouldn’t want to be driving Hermit’s Road in the snow. The views were excellent as we wound around fairly close to the edge of the canyon, but not close enough to make the drive uneasy.
The elk were everywhere! We stopped multiple times to watch them feed by the roadside. Sometimes they crossed to the rim right in front of us. Like the deer, they were as unmoved by us as we were excited by them. All appeared to be female. Between the canyon views on the right and the elk views on our left, it was a beautiful drive!
After stopping at nearly every scenic vista point over the next 8 miles, we came to Hermits Rest. We didn’t really know what the place was supposed to be, but since it was marked clearly on every map, we figured there must be something interesting about the place.
There was!
Hermit’s Rest was the most Flintstone-like building I’d ever scene, starting with he stone archway in the parking lot. From there, we walked the short, rim-hugging trail to the entrance of a building that seemed to modeled after Hanna- Barbara’s prehistoric designs, despite the fact that Hermit’s was much older. The whole place was stone. The fireplace/hearth area was huge! It was just a very unique and cool spot.
Nowadays, Hermit’s Rest is a gift shop and snack bar located on the rim trail at the western most end of Hermit’s Road. But back in the early 1900’s, the building was a popular resting place owned by a guy named Louis Boucher. He had the building designed by architect Mary Colter, and made to closely resemble the land. It served as a last rest for travelers about the head into the canyon. It also marks the western end of the Rim Trail.
We took our time driving back over the winding 8-10 mile road to our room at Yavapai Lodge. We spent over an hour freezing in a very strong wind in order to watch the sun set over the canyon. I don’t know if Bailey agrees with me but I say it was worth it!
When night fell, we hit the Yavapai General store for some supplies (and a few souvenirs), grabbed food at the restaurant across the parking lot, and went back to the room to watch more of the Olympics, and to rest up for the big walk we planned on taking the next day.
Part 3 coming up soon….
Five O'Clock Shadow 