Hiking Havasu Canyon Mooney Falls Day 2 Part 3

The trail to Mooney Falls winds across steep sandstone walls and is not for the faint hearted.

Parts of the trail feel like caving past travertine formations left behind by a different waterfall from the geologic past.

Mooney Falls pours over 200 feet (60.96 meters) of rock less than .5 mile (.8 km) beyond the Havasu campground. It suffered the least change when a significant flash food swept through the canyon during August 2008, but the pool was filled with silt.

Workers digging out silt

A sandbag wall has been put in place and already it is being calcified and covered by travertine. The pools will regain their previous shapes, as the process repeats itself like it has been doing for millennia.

Reservation dog & Jake, note natural arch

The overlook where we took pictures from…

…provided great views of the falls and down canyon.

Yet the continuing trail to the base of the falls requires climbing rock steps through the travertine, holding chain while negotiating slippery rocks and climbing two ladders.

Workers coming up from pool

Cloudy sky with possible rain in the forecast plus the treacherous looking climb to the base of the falls put us off for the day.

Did we return?

Grand Canyon North Rim opens for the season

Welcome to Grand Canyon National Park, the North Rim. The gate will open at 7 am on Saturday May 15, 2010.

House Rock Valley and Kaibab Plateau looking west

Whether you drive into the North Rim from the east…

Kaibab Plateau looking south

…or from the north you’ll experience summer desert, then possibly winter on the rim.

Either way, you’ll junction at Jacob Lake. A good place to stop for a snack. They home bake a variety of awesome cookies, the milkshakes are huge, and they have an absolutely amazing gift shop full of many Native American arts.

You might also want to check out the Kaibab Forest Visitor Center next door. There’s as much to do and see in the forest as the park.

Or stop at the Kaibab Lodge for a meal about 20 miles (32 km) up the road. They have overnight accommodations quite frequently when the park is full.

The closer you get to the park the more it may still look like winter.

Be prepared to show your National Park Pass at the entrance station. What, don’t have one. Then it will cost $25 per car load to get in. Or ask about buying a pass. There are several different options.

Have reservations? Check in at the Grand Lodge after 4pm.

Then ask a porter to move the luggage from the parking lot to your cabin.

Take a walk out the Bright Angel Point trail…

…for magnificent views.

Brachiopod

You could even look for ancient sea fossils along the way but please don’t collect them so others may enjoy as well.

Roaring Springs Canyon and North Kaibab trail

Maybe you have a permit to hike across the canyon or just want to enjoy a few miles of the North Kaibab trail.

Trancept Canyon from Widforss trail

Or there’s other easier trails to enjoy the canyon views.

There’s also a 20 mile (32 km) scenic drive with multiple overlooks and the Cape Final trail is a gentle 2 miles (3.2 km) each way through Ponderosa Pine forest.

Sego Lily

You might see wildflowers along the way.

And spot a Kaibab squirrel.

Be sure to stop into the Visitor Center and get the latest scoop on what to do at the North Rim. Maybe I’ll see you there.

I hope you’ll get a chance to greet the morning from the lodge veranda as the sun highlights the colorful canyon walls.

And if you keep following my blog you’re sure to see a whole lot more of Grand Canyon as I work my third Park Ranger summer season here. Better yet, come for a visit.

SWF - Sun setting on the Drakensburg Mountains South Africa

Mountains tend to make their own weather. And during my stay in the Drakensburgs I saw these gorgeous green mountains turn from golden sun lit to drenched in life giving rain and back within about five minutes.

These shots were taken about 30 minutes apart from Monks Cowl camp. Then it rained all night.

The next day I went hiking into the Drakensburgs with the son of Jo from memorable meanders which I’ll try to post about soon.

To view more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.

Frankfurt Germany, a city of contrasts

I planned an 11 hour layover in Frankfurt on my way to South Africa this past March. And I hooked up with CouchSurfer Sue who really knew her history and gave me an excellent seven hour walking tour of the city. Old and new architecture exists in harmony.

Chinesischer Garten

The Chinese “Garden of Heavenly Peace”  in Bethmannpark was created in 1990 in memory of the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Shielded by thick walls, the entrances are guarded by
Chinese lions. The garden features a temple, pagoda and the beautifully carved Jade Bridge all designed according to the principles of feng shui by Chinese craftsmen. This isolated space in the city offers a place of serenity, for people and wildlife. Look closely for the heron being photographed.

Staufenmauer Wall

This is all that remains of the Roman fortification built around the city in 1180 to protect it from attack. This part was restored after the 18th century fire in the Jewish Ghetto.

Remnants of a Roman empire seen in these excavated ruins include parts of a Roman bath and a twelfth-century royal palace, thought to have been the favorite residence of the East Franconian kings during that century.

On one side of the ruins rises the mighty steeple of St. Bartholomeus' Cathedral constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundation of an earlier church. In 1867, the cathedral was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in its present style.

At the heart of the city lies the historic Romerberg which was reconstructed in the 1980s based on its original design of the 17th century city center which was completely leveled by bombs during WWII.

The River Main

This tributary of the Rhine provides navigation for the inland waterway link from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

Movie on the bathroom floor

There was much to see in Frankfurt am Main and too little time for it all. We only went into the Museum of Modern Art to use the restrooms, according to Sue a must see. I spent enough time to watch the entire short film clip of a woman dancing in a garden.

We got to the top of the center building just in time to catch sunset over what is called the “Mainhattan” skyline.

Located on the River Main, Frankfurt is the financial capital of Continental Europe and the transportation center of Germany. I didn’t venture into the modern part of the city, yet thoroughly enjoyed historic parts of Frankfurt. So now it’s on my “return to” list.

MWT - South Rim Grand Canyon training Day 1

When the staff left the North Rim on April 30th the snow still covered the forest and meadows.

We got down to the warmth of House Rock Valley and a white mosaic could be seen on the plateau.

The Vermilion Cliffs rise from the valley floor to the north.

The Colorado River slices its way from across the land carving Marble Canyon.

We took a side trip to Lee’s Ferry where a variety of boats transported settlers, missionaries, miners, traders, Indians and tourists across the river for 55 years before Navajo Bridge was completed in 1928.

Today, recreational boaters launch near the old ferry site to experience the wilds of the Colorado River.

Next we headed south through the Painted Desert.

And as we approached the turn off to head west onto the South Rim the San Francisco Peaks could be seen getting a new dusting of white. Would we never get away from the snow?

To visit more places around the world, or to share some of your own, go to My World Tuesday by clicking here.