The weather looked like it might be iffy, with the low hanging cloud mixed with sun, but I was determined to remain optimistic.
When the we got to the park at 10 am, it was clouded and not looking too promising.
I walked to the rim and saw nothing but a thick layer of white cloud. It was as if I was at the edge of the world. There was just a vast nothingness, a void.
I was just so happy to be there, for the time I didn't care that I couldn't look into the grand vastness below. I took lots of photos of the beauty of the rock and trees in the mist. The sun looked like it was struggling to burn away the thick fog.
I just walked along the rim towards Hermits Rest, hoping that the view would improve. It didn't look like it would.
The hermits rest shuttle wasn't running and it was 12 km to the rest, but I just walked, and then I thought maybe I should hitchhike/catch a ride.
I met people along the way, people who drove their cars from viewpoint to viewpoint in hopes of catching some kind of view. The first was a local couple. The next were a couple from Texas who asked me to take a photo of them.
I actually enjoyed each and every opportunity that I got to take photos for others, perhaps because I know how much it mean to have people do so for me.
The Texas couple offered me a ride up to Hermits rest, which I gratefully accepted.
Once there I met the local couple again, Ken and Kathy.
I bought a tea to sip by the fire in the large stone hearth. It was lovely to sit and warm up. It did feel quite cool out.
Ken and Kathy than took me aboard their GMC to see if we couldn't find us a view of the canyon.
The cloud refused to lift. And I started loosing hope that I'd even get a chance to see the canyon floor from above, or any of the grandeur.
Ken and Kathy freed me from captivity and let me ramble along the canyon rim trail.
There were more people, all seemingly disappointed with the lack of view.
I got chilled and went into the geographical museum to warm up and look around. It was already 2 pm at that point.
Joined the geo-talk just to kill some time, but can't say I going it particularly interesting, mainly because the park ranger went on about theories of how the Grand Canyon got there.
It was at about 3 pm that I sat on a rock gazing over the inversion cloud covering the canyon and being real with the fact that I felt a sense of anticlimax at the experience thus far, that all of a sudden it lifted away, revealing the depths below.
The cloud came and went, and it even began snowing/raining at one point as I made my way to Hopi point.
Phew, all the walking tired me right out. I was glad I had thought to bring snacks to keep my energy levels up, but the cold was getting to me as well, so I called it a day about an hour before the shuttle was to return at 6:15 pm.
I went into Maswick Lodge to warm up and get a bite to eat.
Would've been nice to see the canyon at sunset but I was just way too tired and wasn't even sure I'd see much with the cloud that blocked the view on and off, so I rested.
Took the shuttle back to Flagstaff with two other passengers.
My hosts kindly picked me up just after 8pm and took me out for a delicious hit-the-spot Thai meal before we headed back to their home.
Had a full day of it!
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