Capturing the Moment

The Grand Canyon A geologist's dream   It is hard to put into words or to capture with a camera the immensity of the Grand Canyon.   Stretching for 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile 6,093 feet it is easily visible from space. It has been named one of the natural wonders of the world and the National Park and Indian reservations that encompass the canyon draw millions of visitors a year. 60 Mile View Long Shadows in the Canyon   There are several ways to experience the canyon. Most visitors drive in to the Grand Canyon National Park and peer over the edge from the South Rim. A small fraction of these test their limits by hiking down almost a mile towards the canyon floor. This is also where some adventurous visitors start, by rafting the mighty Colorado River. Famed for its incredible view and notorious rapids, one could spend close to a month rafting through the canyon, never seeing th...

   A lot of people come to stare off into the vastness of the Grand Canyon. Many venture down one of the trails leading deep towards the canyon floor. Most turn back after a mile or two, and some might even make it down to a solid turn around spot like Indian Gardens. Even though I knew I would be here for almost two weeks I knew I wouldn't have much time for really big hikes. So with one of my extreme team campers from Catalina I ignored all the signs warning against hiking from the rim to the river back up the rim in one day, and off we went. Bright Angel Trail Head The Long Way Down   The Bright Angel trail is considered the premier hiking trail into the Grand Canyon. It starts on top of the South Rim in Grand Canyon Village, just behind the historic Bright Angel Lodge. Going from rim to river to rim is warned against for very good reasons. The total elevation change is around 9,000ft down and up over the span of 16 miles. You can find water along the way at ...