Who knew the Grand Canyon was so, well Grand?

First things first...as promised... a picture of the srf crib!


So... I've always heard that the Grand Canyon was something you just had to see... but now I understand why. We had a bit of a sleep in whilst in Barstow California and the drive over the mountains to the Arizona border took a fair bit out of my jet-lagged body, but we made it all the way to Valle, Arizona... and the only place to park the Surf Crib was "Bed Rock City" where everything was Flintstones inspired... including the office and shower block. Something tells me that 30 years ago it was the coolest place in town, but it hasn't aged to well, nor maintained what-so-ever, but for $15 bucks we got to "Hook Up" the RV and recharge all our necessary batteries, phones, cameras etc before our morning trek to the Grand Canyon. The howling of the coyote's kept Matt awake, but I slept like a champion as I had worked hard at keeping the RV on the road.

So, enter Grand Canyon. Can I just say that at no time on the drive to the Grand Canyon are you prepared for the dramatic drop-off at the rim. You appear to be driving through mundane flat-lands and then all of a sudden, you get this glimpse through the low twisted junipers and pinyon pine of this gaping rugged hole in the ground. The park is well planned, and the construction they are doing will make traveling to this canyon a whole heap easier. The free shuttle services take you to all the great points and then some of the off the beaten path points that avid back-country hikers enjoy. The paved rim trail goes for miles in both directions and can suit any ability level all while offering some breath taking views. The bus drivers all have a wonderful sense of humour and they entertain the passengers with great information with a sarcastic twist that both Matt and I found hilarious.


The campground services were great, while lodging was ample in the surprisingly good November weather. The clear blue skies brought mild and perfect hiking conditions. Visibility was above average and we could see up to 120+ miles from the high plateau. We spent 3 nights there and did two day hikes into the canyon only traversing 1,640 feet in elevation or 500 metres. Going down the trail is easy... it's going up that is the killer! Only 5 miles round trip, we did the Santa Maria Springs day hike in about 3.5 hours, including lunch break. We also hiked Cedar Springs, though that elevation change was much less and the trail more established and maintained. Both offer excellent close ups of the terrain, the change in rocks and the vegetation. We managed to see a bull elk taking a nap under a tree and a few mule deer along side the road, but the highlight was the chipmunks and squirrels--Just kidding... it was the view of course! :)