SWF – Grand Canyon sunset

5:43pm

Our visit to the canyon shared with wonderful friends was highlighted Sunday night by a spectacular light show at Lippan Point.

 5:49pm

5:49pm

5:50pm

 5:55pm

5:56pm

 6:01pm

Goodnight Grand Canyon.

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

A winter visit(or) to the South Rim Grand Canyon National Park

San Francisco Peaks

Friday I drove up to the South Rim Grand Canyon to see a special friend and fellow Park Ranger...(read more)

Park Ranger training South Rim Grand Canyon National Park – Day 3 Part 3

Mike Anderson, historian, took us on a journey back in time during a special shuttle ride west on the Hermit Road.

Lt. Joseph Christmas Ives traveled by steam boat 350 miles (563 km) up the Colorado River in the 1850s. After the boat was wrecked on rocks he and the crew hiked up to the South Rim. Ives’ report to the Army stated, “The region is of course altogether valueless. Ours has been the first, and will doubtless be the last, party of whites to visit this profitless locality."

John Wesley Powell journeyed down the Green and Colorado River in 1869 and again during 1871-72. He led the first known successful navigation and scientific exploration of the river.

El Tovar on far left and Kolb Studio on right

By 1905 the Santa Fe Railroad reached the South Rim, the Kolb brothers opened their photographic studio, and El Tovar Hotel and Verkamp’s Store opened.

President Theodore Roosevelt established Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908 and in 1919 Congress passed the bill making Grand Canyon a National Park.

South Rim Grand Canyon training Day 2 - Mission Possible

“Your mission which you should accept because you don’t have a choice is to become familiar with the sights and sounds of the South Rim.”

  

Cloud shadows over the North Rim

This was our first day of training challenge... (read more here)

Scenic Sunday at Grand Canyon

Lookout Studio, designed by Mary Colter and built to compete with Kolb Studio in 1914, sits along the South Rim offering deck and balcony views into and across Grand Canyon. It is now operated as a gift shop selling books, postcards and souvenirs.

To view more scenes from around the world, or to share your own, go to Scenic Sunday by clicking here.

Beautiful day for a drive to Grand Canyon

I dressed for the occasion. Hey it’s cold at 7,000 feet.

Left the house about 11:30 this morning, no rush. Drove past the “lovers” boulders just before Prescott.

Then on past Prescott towards Chino, the other side of these mountains.

By the time I approached Williams signs of winter were quite apparent.

And then I headed north into the park.

I arrived about 4pm, parked and headed for the rim where I saw El Tovar throwing out a blanket of white.

That’s the North Rim over there showing snowy streaks of white down the canyon walls.