As the multitudes gathered on the South Rim inside Grand Canyon National Park we sat in complete solitude taking in the magnificence of the great chasm at our feet. The rustic bench crafted by park service employees sat just off the Transept Trail and was all ours to enjoy the breathtaking beauty laid out before us. No matter where you view the canyon from it is a bewildering sight to say the least. The views from the south are spectacular but the throngs of tourists, bumper to bumper traffic and shuttle buses moving the hoards from point to point can get on your nerves rather quickly. To see the Grand Canyon sans extreme tourism and at much more appreciated summer temperatures the extra mileage is definately worth getting of the well trodden South Rim paths and venturing to the North.
From Phoenix it is a 5 1/2 hour drive (towing a travel trailer) to Jacob Lake, Arizona. Highway 89 leads north out of Flagstaff cutting through the Navajo Reservation as it rounds the eastern edge of the canyon. After mile upon mile of desolate landscape and the occasional mobile home or Hogan that sparsely populate the remoteness of the reservation suddenly the Vermilion Cliffs rise from the desert floor breaking up a monotone panorama. Turning west on 89A the drive comes to life as you pass over Marble Canyon and take in the Colorado River. Just past the canyon named by Major Powell the exit to Lees Ferry would take you to the white water rafting embarkation capital of the world. On up 89A roadside pit stops could also be made at either Cliff Dwellers, House Rock Valley and a historical marker or two but by this time the horizon dictates a sharp rise into the heavily forested North Rim country. Climbing up from the high desert floor the temperature drops and the windows are finally opened. Jacob Lake Inn was a curiosity stop on our itinerary due to their website proclamation of scrumptious baked goods. No false advertising was found. Cookies and pies are made from scratch daily. Christine picked up an assortment of cookies and I procured a peach pie to take with us for desert later in the evening. Just a few minutes from the Inn south on 67 is Kaibab Camper Village. We had decided upon this particular campground because it is the closest to the North Rim with full hookups for RVs. Although it is still another 45 miles to the park entrance we do enjoy having electric and water when we use the travel trailer. Not a bad campground, very quiet and plenty of shade. A word of caution however, there were a few complaints on their website about vault toilets, the staff even made me aware that the facilities were limited to vault toilets when I checked in. I was sufficiently mentally prepared and replied that I was aware of the situation. I have been to countless national and state parks and scores of them have vault toilets that are environment friendly and nearly as good as the toilet at home. The next morning I was to discover why folks had complained. Their vault toilets are the same port-a-potties found at construction sites across the country. Three feet below lies the, well you know where I'm going with this. If Kaibab Camper Village would update their website and state that they have port-a-potties they might not get any bad reviews. But if they upgraded to real vault toilets they'd have many more happy campers. The first evening we dined on marinated steak and as I sat outside an intrepid hummingbird hovered inches from my face for several seconds checking me out and then just as abruptly moved on. Darkness fell and the sky lit up with a star show reserved only for those that put the metropolis in their rear view mirrors. The night was cool and allowed for sound sleep in the quiet wilderness.
Saturday morning we had a lazy breakfast and coffee then made our way to the Rim. The drive through the worlds largest forest of Ponderosa Pine was reminiscent of driving through parts of Colorado until we approached the remains of the 2006 Warm Fire. Both sides of Highway 67 are still recovering and cast an eerie feeling of total devastation that creeps into your psyche. The scorched remains of towering pines contrast sharply with the white aspens that are infiltrating the forest and adding to the macabreness by creating a solid black and white tapestry. Fortunately the charred woodland gives way to the mixed growth of fir, pine and aspen dotted with meadows, ponds, grazing mule deer and wild turkeys the rest of the way to the park entrance.
We parked near the Grand Canyon Lodge just before 11:00 a.m. on August 15th. To be in Arizona in August and have the truck's outside temperature gauge read 73 degrees was exhilarating and yet another reason to celebrate the North Rim over the South. I don't mean to bash too hard on the south side but it is very heavily touristed and rises from the desert whereas the north side is heavily forested and 2000 feet higher in elevation. At 8800 feet the park is not able to stay open to the public year round due to heavy winter snows. Both Rims are spectacular but are also completely different from one another.
The view of the canyon draws your eyes right through the lobby of the Grand Canyon Lodge as you enter the main doors. Massive windows line the outer wall of the great room that is filled with couches and chairs in order to provide peaceful and unobstructed views for miles and miles of geological splendor. We sat outside on the back porch and drank it all in with our Teva clad feet propped up on the stone ledge. After a while we decided to venture out to a couple of the nearby trails and find a spot to enjoy the picnic lunch that we had prepared back at the campsite. When we left the lodge via the west patio in the back we passed the dining room and thought we'd just pop in see what it had to offer for a future visit. The lunch buffet was 3 types of pasta with 3 sauces to choose from and a nicely appointed salad bar. The tables all shared great canyon views so we decided to restructure our day. Lunch at the lodge and a picnic for dinner back at the trailer. Lunch was $13 each and included the pasta bar, salad bar and beverages. The wait staff was very attentive and obviously very happy to be living and working on the North Rim. Although not quite on the same scale as a pasta lunch in Napoli I would definitely eat there again and not exclusively for the view.
The Transept Trail then led us away from the lodge and towards the campground a mile and a half away. The definition for transept found at www.dictionary.com is "any major transverse part of the body of a church, usually crossing the nave, at right angles, at the entrance to the choir." Very appropriate, for this church is Grand Canyon National Park and the trail hugs the rim offering outrageous views in every direction. We came upon a bench that was vacant, as was the rest of the trail except for a handful of hikers, and sat in silence except for nature's choir of wind through the trees complementing the avian symphony.
Shortly after we drug ourselves away from the most wonderful rest spot on the continent we saw a Goshawk take flight and upon entering the campground a Kaibab Squirrel with its distinctive black body and silver tail scampered past us and up a tree. He was kind enough to sit on a limb and pose for a picture.
The campground is quite nice and we will definitely return for some rim side camping even if it is without hookups. The Bridal Trail also links the lodge and campground but does not follow the edge of the canyon. It is a well maintained path and travels past log cabins that are for rent near the lodge. After a full day at the park we headed back to camp and enjoyed our picnic with some tasty wheat beer and peach pie. The inquisitive hummingbird reappeared and we listed to the aspen quake as the wind rustled through the treetops.
The entirety of Grand Canyon National Park is a spectacular place. Last time I was there was for a solo backpacking trip 2 years ago from the South Rim to the river. This time seeing the canyon was much different. The views from the rims are breathtaking but there is nothing that compares to the view from the river looking up. If you want to see the canyon spend time and explore, don't do a drive-by on the South Rim like millions of others do every year. This trip was with our trailer and still a riveting experience. We'll head back up there again this year that much is for sure. We will be stopping for more desert at Jacob Lake too.
