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Grand Canyon: Majestic Abyss
By : George Oxford Miller (Text & Photos)
Full of vistas that capture the wilderness spirit of the American West, the Grand Canyon makes any Top 10 list. Visitors from around the world make the American pilgrimage just to stand on the rim and peer into a vastness that, like a starry night sky, the mind cannot grasp.
For an introduction to the 277-mile long, 18-mile wide and one-mile deep chasm, trails along the South Rim connect the Village to Hermits Rest (8.1 miles) to the west and Yavapai Point (1.4 miles) to the east. The Rim Shuttle stops at every viewpoint, so you can make a day hike as long or short as you want. Trees provide shade, and water is available at the end points (but carry plenty of your own).
Interested in a bird’s-eye perspective of the majestic abyss? Buckle into a helicopter or aircraft and soar above the canyon along with the endangered California condors, which have been reintroduced into the park. The tours explore the breathtaking formations of the north and east canyons, because flights over the developed visitor areas are prohibited.
Seen from a distance, the Grand Canyon inspires, but to get an up-close look, lace up your boots and let your feet show you how grand the Canyon really is from below the rim. For the signature Canyon experience, hit the trailhead before dawn and backpack to the river. Don’t even consider a round-trip day hike. Hiking in the heat of the day is a killer, literally. As you descend from the ponderosa pine forest to the Sonora Desert at river level, temperatures rise up to 30 degrees, from 80° F to more than 100° F in the summer.
From the South Rim, most hikers descend the shorter but steeper South Kaibab Trail (6.9 miles) and return via the 9.8-mile Bright Angel Trail. Overnight at the river campground, or splurge and stay in one of the log cabins at Phantom Ranch. The 14.6-mile North Kaibab Trail drops from 8,200 feet elevation on the North Rim to the river at 2,440 feet. The rim-to-river trails define the word “strenuous,” especially the uphill return. Equally challenging routes connect with corridor trails that loop below the South Rim. Day-trip versions lead to plateau viewpoints and the Indian Gardens Campground (9.2 miles round-trip) where water is available.
Take the park guidelines and warnings seriously. Unprepared hikers die every year from accidents, dehydration and heat stroke. But with the proper precautions, you can take home spectacular memories.
nps.gov/grca
How To Get There: American Airlines provides service to Phoenix.
Book your trip today! Visit www.aa.com, call American/American Eagle reservations at 1-800-433-7300, or call your travel agent for more information.
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