Grand Canyon North to South Rim Trip - October 2001

Participants: Dave and Lisa Pivin, Jeff Pivin, Mike and Angel Pennell, and Agnes Drogi

Click the images for larger views!

Day 1 - Getting to the North Rim (Grand Canyon Lodge)

(L) Jeff rides shotgun on the Shuttle ride -- just past Lees Ferry. (R) 14 miles as a crow flies or...

We chartered a TransCanyon Shuttle from Bright Angel Lodge to Grand Canyon Lodge. The trip takes about 4 hours. I think it is just slightly faster than going across by foot without a pack -- but how were we going to get that bottle of wine across? We had reservations at the campground at the Rim. However, temperatures were going to dip below 30 that night, so we checked for last minute reservations at the Lodge (despite objections from the burlier members of the crew). We were pleased to find that there was a room available for us. We dined at the lodge and chatted a bit with the seasonal staff that were about to leave for the winter. Our caloric intake in the previous 24 hours was now more than adequate for the entire Rim-to-Rim hike.

Grand Canyon Lodge from the lookout point. You can see this through binoculars from the South Rim (if you know where to look).

This was the first time to the North Rim for all but Agnes. (Always a safe bet that the resident alien in the group has seen more of Arizona than you.) It was well worth the trip! The aspen leaves had turned a bright shade of yellow and the view was spectacular (in my opinion much better than from the South). We could see the peaks in Flagstaff with a fresh coat of snow on the north face.

The panoramic view from the eastern deck of the Grand Canyon Lodge. You can see the Bright Angel fault line in the center which confines the creek and the lower half of the North Kaibab Trail. Off in the distance to the south, just left of center, are the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff. (Trust me, I could see them clearly sitting here -- snow on the tips)

(left) Fall at the North Rim -- pretty huh?
(right) Boots resting on the wall at the Grand Canyon Lodge. Imagine me with the camera in one hand and a Fat Tire Ale in the other.

Everyone but me snored very loudly all night, keeping me awake for long periods of time. I was actually looking forward to some tent privacy. Jeff complained about the rollaway bed; the next morning claiming that he had dreams of being folded to death by a giant clam.

The crew retreats to the cabin for the evening.