Yep It's a Big Canyon, It's a Grand Canyon

Starring Into the Abyss of the Grand Canyon

I'm not sure what I was expecting from Grand Canyon National Park.  I know I was expecting beautiful vistas and awesome hiking.  I was not expecting to spend less than two hours, including lunch.  

My first view of the Grand Canyon at the South Rim Visitor's Center.

  The Grand Canyon is a natural wonder, created solely by the mighty Colorado River combined with the uplift of the Colorado Plateau.  Which is to say in non-geologist speak when to tectonic plates (large plates formed of the earth's crust that float atop the mantle and continually move around) smashed together, they crumbled somewhat under their own forces and created a big heap of rocks piled on each other (the Rock Mountains).  As the mountains rose due to the plates piling on top of each other the area around them rose too (the Colorado Plateau).  The Colorado River which flows from the Rock Mountains westward began to erode through the now jumbled up rocks creating the Grand Canyon which slices through the rock pile, with majestic views of its work.

Happy and cold at the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.

We drove to the Grand Canyon, located in norther Arizona, the day after visiting Zion National Park in southwestern Utah.  After entering the park through the south rim visitor's center we ate some lunch and looked at the majestic view.  Then we walked twenty feet to the right and looked at the majestic view.  Then we climbed the watch tower and looked at the majestic view.

Another great view of the Grand Canyon.

After a while looking at the majestic view of the south rim visitor's center we got back in the car and drove about fifteen minutes along the southern rim drive to the next view point, where we got out and guess what?  We looked at the majestic view, which actually looked quite similar to the last view point, but maybe with a few more snow flurries (I said it was cold).  Herein lies the crutch of the Grand Canyon.  It is so big, that to see a different part of the canyon visitors have to be willing to spend a lot of time in their car driving until a different part of the canyon is actually visible.  Meaning the views from one viewing point to the next are pretty much same.

The watch tower at the south rim visitor's center.

The Grand Canyon was also lacking in hiking trails that I actually wanted to hike.  All the trail hike down into the canyon, which means a steep hike all along which the view doesn't change.  I've conducted my share to strenuous hikes (see my posts about Lassen and Haleakala), but usually they have a specific end point other than just a tough hike right before I plan on spending another several hours in a car with someone I love and don't want to torture with my smell.

A fifteen minute drive from the visitor's center and the view while still majestic has not changed much.  

Trying to figure out what to do about our Grand Canyon boredom conundrum I scoured the internet for tips on my phone.  What I found was a cluster of three National Monuments (smaller versions of national parks) between the Grand Canyon and where we were staying in Flagstaff.  Since we had the America the Beautiful pass which grants one year of access to all National Parks and Monuments, admission would be included in our pass.  So we waved goodbye to the Grand Canyon and headed off to visit Sunset Crater, Wutipaki, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments before they closed.  We made it to Wutipaki and Sunset Crater, but left Walnut Canyon (which was especially cool) to the following morning.

How about a photo of the two of us with the majestic view?

Although a short visit, I am still glad I got to admire the geological work of the Colorado River as it continues to expand the Grand Canyon every second of every day.