Friday 9 November 2012

Just how grand is The Grand Canyon? 12.10.12

Well, as it turns out, pretty darn grand.

Imagine the grandest thing you have ever seen. Then double it, add your age, multiply by the year England won the world cup (For those who can remember that far back. if not, contact Ralph Hare) and you may be getting close to how just how grand the 'GC' is.

 

 

 

 

It wasn't all sunshine and roses. Well, two days were, with the one in between a very snowy day. 50' visibilty, but still very magical. Actually, the conditions quickly became quite difficult, and we would have been 'uncomfortable' in such weather --- But we were not, because we had met up with friends from British Columbia, in two camper outfits, who did a sterling job becoming our support wagon. Thanks, Team BC!

Yes, our tent. It stood up remarkably well, and our sleeping bags did there job too.
"Yes, Gail, you can take one more photo. Take your time, the weather is lovely"
This is what 50' visilbilty looks like. Behind Team BC is an 11mile wide. 1 mile deep canyon. Trust me. I met a

gynaelcologist once.





(Yes, I know there are two similar shots, but Sarah likes trees).

And Team Bc in more clement times.

A times their behaviour was cause for concern.

 

But for me there was only one star of the show.

 

Don't let people tell you that "It all looks the same". Rather like a fine woman, different viewpoints provide very different perspectives, very different experiences.....
A member of Team BC checking it is still there.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

I was mesmerised. The stats are only a whisper of the story infront of you - 6000' feet to the bottom, 11 miles across (The view in the large photo), a thousand foot difference between the north rim (the higher side) and the south rim. All just numbers, numbers, numbers.

There is something about becoming aware of that great big, simple, void. (Editor; sounds just like Fatboy Wallace).

That may not sound very glamourous, but trust me, looking down into that amount of defined, empty space? That is as glamourous a void as I have ever seen.

(I like this picture so much, I am going to show you it twice).

To be honest, I cannot imagine Old Mother Earth ever looking more radiant, more glamourous.

 

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