May 2, 2007

May 2, 2007

We reserved two nights at Phantom Ranch, so we have a free day at the Grand Canyon bottom to explore and let my poor aching hips recover. In the morning we hike north along the North Kaibab trail. It is fourteen miles long and ascends to the North Rim. We only walk the first few miles. The trail follows Bright Angel Creek thru a gorgeous pink granite canyon. The rock here would make a great countertop in Aimee’s future kitchen. If this side canyon were anywhere else, it would be its own National Park. Here it is one of many outstanding and inaccessible wonders. A nice bonus hike for us today. I try to pick up a small lizard by its tail to show Aimee, but the tail falls off and continues to wiggle in my fingers amazing Aimee. After this two-hour leg stretch, we sit in the ranch canteen, slowly eating our sack lunch, and write a couple postcards. They will be hauled out of the canyon on tomorrow’s postal mule service.

In the afternoon, we hike along the Colorado River. Coming off the Glen Canyon Dam, the water is ice-cold. We stop and chat with a guy on a canyon float trip. He is on day eight of an eighteen-day trip and it’s his sixth float trip. That is a common theme here. Almost all the hikers staying at the ranch have made this trip before. The bottom of the Grand Canyon must have a magnetic attraction for people.

After dinner we listen to a ranger talk on the geology of the canyon. Following the lecture he leads a small group of us on a scorpion hunt. He passes out black lights and unfortunately we see quite a few glowing green specimens around camp. Good thing Aimee and I both have top bunks!