For some reason, we are still running on Kansas time – which means, that we are 3 hours ahead of everyone else. Consequently, we rose from our beds around 7:30 a.m. our time – 4:30 a.m. here – and after a quick shower and in-room breakfast we were ready to head into the park.
Turns out, arriving early is an excellent plan. We got to park entrance just before 7:00 a.m. We parked by the North Rim Visitor’s Center and headed straight to Bright Angel Point. This trail, which leads out to an overlook and one of the best views of the canyon, is about 3-4 feet wide and paved. The relatively easy trail also features some sections where both sides drop away into miles of deep canyon – stretches without the comfort and safety of guard rails. We quickly discovered who was and who was not afraid of heights.
This was our first view of the canyon and it was superb. Because of earliness of the hour we had the trail almost entirely to ourselves. The storms from the night before had cooled the air to the point where even a jacket was necessary. On one side of the observation point – which we did have all to ourselves – we could hear Roaring Spring
s 5,040 feet below – on the other birds and blissful silence.We had broken with tradition and didn’t go to church this morning – partly because we were unable to locate where the park ministry was holding services. But, standing as a family out at the very end of Bright Angel Point at 7:30 a.m. listening to birds and watching the rising sun change the colors of the canyon rocks was an experience we will never forget.
“Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth…O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty…I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” Psalm 8 & 104From the Bright Angel Trail, we headed to the Visitor’s Center for a Park Ranger led early morning Nature Walk. We met with Ranger Gaelyn (pronounced Gay-lin) for a one hour walk through the Ponderosa Pine forest. At the end of the day, we all agreed that Gaelyn was the best ranger we have encountered in the National Parks thus far. Her long, steel gray hair was tied into a ponytail. Her bright eyes smiled from behind small gold-framed wire glasses. Her energetic tanned fingers were covered in turquoise and silver rings. She was a student of nature – a true wise woman – who was willing to go off-topic for teaching moments as they presented themselves. And we enjoyed learning from her very much.
On our 1.5 mile walk we stuck our noses deep into the bark of pine trees and discovered to our surprise that, up close, some of them smell like vanilla. We learned that the nut hatch is the only bird that walks down a tree looking for bugs instead of up, and we learned about the Kaibab 
(pronounced Kī-bâb) squirrel and its symbiotic relationship with the Ponderosa Pine.Right after she showed us her “very favorite Ponderosa Pine in the park,” she taught us all about the kooky little gray squirrel that can only be found on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Kaibab squirrel eats only Ponderosa Pine flowers and bark. It can smell if the tree is sweet or sour. And, it helps the tree repopulate by spreading its seeds around with its “poop trails.” When she was finished and as if on cue, one of the little guys appeared in the forest right by where our group was sitting. It posed quietly allowing some of the families to take pictures and then scurried off. It was a great walk.
We left the group when the walk was over and headed down the rest of the 3 mile long Transept Trail. There were more terrific views of the canyon, meandering paths through the pine forests where we looked further at pine, oak and aspen trees – smelling several along the way. There was even an ancient Pueblo ruin.At one point on this trail, we popped over a hill totally focused on the canyon side. When we turned to head back down the path, we found ourselves not 20 feet away from a grazing mule deer. We
froze and watched as the deer munched on a lazy breakfast of grass and slowly wandered deeper into the woods. You just can’t plan moments like this.After that, the best part was, it was only 10:00 a.m. Arizona time. And, since we were still on Kansas time – we were hungry! So, amidst the stares of those around us, we sat and ate a full lunch from the lodge café.
After our meal, we jumped back into the car and, at Ranger Gaelyn’s suggestion, headed out to Cape Royal. We hiked down the 1 mile round trip path with other tourists where we caught the only glimpse of the Colorado River that you can get from the North Rim. We also saw another Pueblo ruin and learned a bit more about the ancient Anasazi Indians who once lived in that area.
From there, we drove back towards the lodge and stopped at the trailhead of the North Kaibab Trail. This is the only trail that you can use on the North Rim should you wish to hike to the bottom of the canyon. Because of the nature and composition of the Bright Angel Trail, there were those in our group who weren’t so sure about braving this one. But, we were all pleasantly surprised to find the trail wide, soft and shady – despite some pretty ripe smells left over from earlier mule traffic.We hiked 1.1 miles round trip (.7 miles down & .7 miles up) to the Coconino Overlook. This is the first official stopping point on the trail and a Park Ranger was there to greet us and make sure we weren’t going any further without the proper provisions and water. When we explained that this was our destination point, he relaxed and began talking about life as a park ranger in the Grand Canyon. When asked how often he had to go down and rescue people on the trail, he said
that he normally had to at least once per day. But, that usually all he had to do, was go get them, “fluff them up,” and send them on their way with a little encouragement and hand holding. Fluffing up became our new phrase for the rest of the trip.As Ranger Gaelyn said, “Going down is optional, going up is mandatory.” In the .7 miles that we walked down the trail, we dropped some 1,000 feet into the canyon. Getting back took nearly twice as long because we rested frequently along with all the other breathless hikers on the way back up. Both boys did beautifully and our water fortunately held out. Who knows? Maybe someday we will return and hike 5 miles down to Roaring Springs or maybe even all the way to the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch. As for now, Isaac was by far the youngest person we saw on the trail and we were all proud of what a trooper he was throughout the experience.
After that, we were ready to sit. So we drove back to the lodge and had a cool drink and some ice cream. Then, we headed over to the back porch of the lodge and heard all about the reintroduction and repopulation of the Great American Condor. It was here that Isaac learned how to do the Condor mating dance. You should ALL ask him to show it to you sometime.By this time, Isaac had completed his junior ranger booklet and we
all watched him be sworn in by Ranger Gaelyn. Then, it was back to Jacob Lake for dinner and a much needed shower.The weather was fabulous, the crowds on the North Rim low and the pace was definitely laid back – just like we like it. But, we also all agreed – Yellowstone is still our favorite National Park. Sorry, GC, but you are going to have to settle for 2nd in our hearts.
