WOW was all I could think of as we stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon. Although I have seen pictures of it and thought I knew what to expect. The vastness and the beauty of rocks and light is difficult to describe.  It took me the rest of the day to fully comprehend what the Grand Canyon actually represented, a mile-deep slice through almost half of the geological history of the earth’s crust sitting perfectly flat, for the most part, one layer upon another – sliced through by the flow of the Colorado River. A perfect testament to the power of water over rock, given enough time.

We were wait listed for a permit to hike and camp at the bottom of the canyon. While waiting, we walked the trail along the southern rim on the first day and on the second day we walked down Hermits Trail. Hammer had walked down the canyon before so knew what to expect but for me the walk down Hermits Pass gave me some idea of what was ahead.  We were lucky to get a permit to walk down the South Kaibab Trail, camping at Bright Angel Camp at the bottom of the canyon on one day.

The next day we hiked up Bright Angel Trail and camped midway up at Indian Springs. At sunrise and sunset, the awesome beauty of the towering cliffs was on display as light moved across the eroded surfaces. We were dwarfed by the grandeur of the surroundings. While the trail was not all that difficult to walk the lack of shade during the day, combined with high temperatures especially at the bottom of the canyon, made for a challenging hike. This is the last hike on our Grand Vacation and what a grand way to finish. The Yukon and the Chilkoot Trail seems such along time ago.