If I Were Going...: Happy Birthday at the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

For my birthday, Scott and I went to the Grand Canyon for two days.

Happy 68th!

It was a great choice for a quick half-way-vaccinated pandemic trip.

Scott on the Rim

Driving distance? Check (actually about 12 hours away) ...

And, it's a pretty drive to get there

Able to socially distance? Check (it's a BIG outdoor attraction) ...

Wide open space

Mask rules? Check(ish) (as a National Park, it has rules, which SOME people follow) ...

Scott with mask in hand and on his face

Snow and ice at Wolf Creek Pass

Because of a commitment I had in the morning, we were not able to make a pre-dawn departure like we usually do.

So, we drove to Durango and spent the night, arriving at the Grand Canyon the next day.

We didn't do much on the way, just a quick stop for some photos at Wolf Creek Pass.

Another quick stop to photograph some domestic Yaks just outside of Durango (I wonder if they supply meat to the Nepalese restaurant we ate at years ago -- it had Yak on the menu).

Durango Yaks

And a delicious Mexican dinner that we picked up at place in Durango called Gazpacho's.

Church Rock, Arizona, is on the route to the Grand Canyon from Colorado

It was probably a good thing we stopped on the way because our normal route in to the east entrance was closed.

You could reach the east entrance from the south, but not from the east

At first, we thought the road was closed for construction, but it turns out that it was closed to protect the Navajo Nation from Covid exposure. Most of the minor roads into or through the reservation are closed because the Navajo had experienced devastating losses due to the virus. There is a curfew and extremely limited access.

So, we had to drive almost all the way to Flagstaff (even though our GPS tried to take us on every dirt National Forest road) and then go up through Tusayan and into the south entrance.

We made it!

We stayed at the Kachina Lodge, which is conveniently located right on the rim in Grand Canyon Village.

I guess we aren't the only people who love the South Rim

It was recently renovated and now even has a TV and refrigerator! National Parks sure have changed.

The exterior still looks the same

Of course, the refrigerator come in handy since there were very few dining options open. We were prepared with food and a reservation at the El Tovar for a birthday meal.

El Tovar from an earlier trip

If you are planning on visiting the Grand Canyon and want to eat at the El Tovar, make a reservation as soon as you can. Scott booked about two weeks in advance and the ONLY time available was at 2:45 p.m. I saw lots of people trying to make reservations on site, only to be told that their only option would be dropping by at 4:30 in hopes of snagging a "open table" spot. And, of course 4:30 means coming at least an hour early and waiting in line.

Photo: The Arizona Republic

My one beef with the NPS' Covid rules was that they limited the number of people who could go into the lobby at one time, which was fine. But, that meant people lined up to get in (and our meal reservation was at hotel check-in time). Then, everyone bunched up and no one enforced the six-foot distance rule.

It made me glad we had checked in earlier in the day when there were no lines for the restaurant.

When we ate, it was easy to see why reservations were tough: there were very few tables to keep them far enough apart. The spareness plus the absence of any table settings (no flowers, candles, salt and pepper shakers or pre-set dishes) made it look like a banquet hall that hadn't been set up yet. But, still, we had a lovely lunch/dinner/whatever. Scott had trout and I had a halibut sandwich and we had some delicious wine.

Actual restaurant food -- in a restaurant!

It was my first restaurant (actually my ONLY so far) in a year. Nice.

El Tovar happiness!

Anyway, let's talk about the Canyon.

Incredible

I have posted multiple times about the Grand Canyon (most recent here), so I won't go into lots of detail.

Grand Canyon

The beauty of going back was that there was no pressure to see ALL of it.

A view of the Colorado River

So, we skipped the west side which requires you to take the shuttle. With only one shot of the two-shot vaccine, we weren't risking any exposure.

The east side is beautiful

With the pandemic -- and because it was early March -- it was the LEAST crowded I have ever seen the Grand Canyon. I loved it.

This was probably the ONLY time I have ever seen an empty trail along the Rim

The first day, we had some pretty -- but rather typical -- views.

Even a typical view is spectacular

But, the NEXT day was magical.

Scott taking in the magic

It snowed during the night and we woke up to fog ...

Early morning fog

And snow ...

Snowy Canyon-side

That created dramatic landscapes ...

Drama

That constantly changed as the clouds blew by ...

A beautiful view

And the sun played hide-and-seek ...

A little bit of sunshine

Until it finally popped through ...

Blue sky

I have been to the Grand Canyon more times than I can count.

And, why wouldn't you visit if you could?

Well, I can actually document 18 visits based on photos and National Park stamps and I know I visited many more time than that!

My Grand Canyon history

I have seen snow on the ground and I have seen rainstorms, but this was the first time I ever saw fresh snow.

Fresh snow

It was spectacular.

A stunning view

And, our timing was perfect, because by the next day, the roads were clear and the drive home (this time via the Interstate through Albuquerque) was a piece of cake.

There was little snow in Canyon; NPS helicopter

We didn't do much except appreciate and photograph the gorgeous Canyon ...

Scott appreciating AND photographing

... but we did do a quick walk (with crampons) on the snowy Bright Angel Trail.

Bright Angel walk

I was still struggling with fogged glasses caused by wearing a mask, as you can see in this photo. So, it was a bit of a tricky walk.

Mask issues!

I went back to the trailhead a little later in the day when it was warmer and the fogging was better and I watched mules emerging after their six-hour-long trek up from Phantom Ranch.