Visit to Grand Canyon - South Side

 We have visited the Grand Canyon, both South Side (most popular) and the North Side (only can visit in summer months), 5 times, all of the visits between May and August.  I wanted to see the GC in the winter months, to see snow.  We asked our friend, Bev, if she would also like to see it with us and she had also not seen it in the winter months, and she said sure!

Kachina Lodge (right beside El Tovar)

Look out at sunset first evening

Explanation of Yavapi Observation

Attempting to get a hotel room was very hard.  You can only get a room via the internet which I am comfortable with, but the problem was getting two rooms for 2 nights (3 days) was crazy.  Some of the hotels within Grand Canyon Village are not open in the winter months, and cabins were also closed.  However, if we wanted to, we could reserve a camp ground site - well, no, we don't have an RV anymore so forget that.  I booked 2 rooms at the Kachina Lodge for February 16 and the 17th. The other problem - only one restaurant was open and that was in the El Tovar.  Prices were a tidge more, but food was excellent.  Trouble getting reservations for dinner - again, all on-line, but we managed to get in and have delicious breakfasts and dinners.

Snow piled up against glass

Hope the ice doesn't break the glass!

Bright Angle Trail could be seen from window

Were we surprised at the amount of people! And it was bitter cold, icy, lots of snow.  We were planning on doing some walking along the Rim Trail which skirts the south side for 13 miles but the icy paths and the bitter wind did not allow us to do much.  However, the free shuttle that runs every 20 minutes and we hopped on it and took it to the Visitor's Center and then hopped back on it to get back to the Lodge.

Dave and Bev walking up to Yavapi building

Woman who worked for Fred Harvey Restaurants

Look at bridge over Colorado River - in middle of pic

Kinda glad now we did not stay in the main lodge (El Tovar) for a couple of reasons:  to haul up our luggage and snacks up flights of stairs would have been ugly; the price was almost double to be able to be in the same place and not go outside if we wanted to get meals (no restaurant in Kachina); and 'no room at the inn' which meant the rooms were booked out until May.  

Train loading up passengers for return to Williams

Blurry - but elk were everywhere

Observations:  ALOT OF PEOPLE!!! in the dead of winter.  Yes, the GC is just as awesome in the winter as in the summer.  Sunsets are beautiful, even in winter. Surprising the amount of people hiking down into the bottom of the GC to Phantom Ranch (need reservations and permit to do this - you cannot hike down and hike back up in same day)on the Bright Angel Trail.  We met a guide who was meeting 4 people to go down to Phantom Ranch and he showed us all the provisions he was giving to the people to make the hike bearable. Average hiking down is 4 to 6 hours and average hiking time up is 6 to 10 hours. Nope.  Did see the train that leaves daily from Williams, AZ and travels to the south rim, saw it when it was loading up to leave to head back (leaves at 3:30 for return trip). Talked with a woman at the Yavapi Point Geology Museum, she was a Harvey Girl in during the 1970's and she was telling people that she had hiked the Bright Angle Trail (to bottom) numerous times but now she's too old (was maybe 60??) - well, if she's too old, glad we did not go.  Lots of snow and bitter cold.   The main south road into Grand Canyon Village had been closed up to the day before we got there and on that drive in, they were snow plowing the roads in front of us.  Talk about timing.

Would we go back to Grand Canyon?  Yes, but for sure the North Rim since it's one third the amount of people that visit that side, but would really have to bribe me to go back to the South Rim.  Cannot even image the amount of traffic that is there now that the weather has changed.  Crazy.

Hunt for Basin Creek Waterfall

Monday we were torn on what to do.  We had visited Mesa Verde National Park a couple of times, been to other main attractions and thought we would visit a couple of state parks.  However, the ones we chose were closed to the public (on Ute Indian Lands and only open for hunting).  Found Basin Creek Waterfall as a waterfall that you did not have to hike to, could see it just yards from your car.  Let's go!

Traveled towards Durango and to the small town of Hesperus and turned north on a county road.  Some beautiful homes tucked into the sides of the mountains.  Traveled about 5 miles and the paved road led to hard packed dirt, some chuck holes from all the rain but still very doable.  Many national forest campgrounds on either side, we were climbing the mountains of Durango and Silverton.  Incredible views.

Passed a couple of waterfalls and kept going, the goal to get to Basin Creek first, could see the waterfalls we passed on way back down.  As we neared the last 3/4 mile, the road got very rocky and we just felt that we could not go on in our car, was near bottoming out at times.  Needed a high clearance vehicle to go on.  Bummer.  The picture on the internet looked fabulous, will trust it is beautiful, just wasn't our day to see it.

Stopped along the way back and took many pictures of the La Plata River.  And smaller waterfalls.  Enjoyable day. Saw a number of tourist companies, people stacked inside like safaris as they were leaving the area we were heading. Saw some cute retro RVs, old abandoned homes (cabins), the town platt of La Plata (just the meadow left - you had to imagine a thriving town in the 1880's), lovely areas to just watch the world go by.

Our last day at Circle K Ranch was spent driving back to Lizard Head Pass and sitting along the roadside and staring at the magnificent views.  "The hills are alive with the Sound...." Beautiful.  For some reason I stared into the forest edge and a deer came out into the open!  How cool.

Came back from the pass and pulled into a trailhead and looked around, then heard thunder in the distance, dark clouds coming, so we got into the car and snacked, watching the storm come in.  Torrential rain and lightning.  People who had been on the trail came running back to the parking lot, absolutely soaked. There were a number of people come running down the trail, hopped into the van and off they went.

On a side note.  I had a chat with the office manager of the Ranch we were staying at and found out some interesting things.  Why was the Dolores River (Spanish for Lady of Sorrows) sometimes a caramel color, and some times silver?  Her boyfriend who is working in Rico with upgrading their water and sewage systems, said the numerous mines from hundred years ago have contaminated the ground and runoff from the mines goes directly into the river.  The caramel color of the river is when it rains in Telluride, the trailings from the gold mines infiltrate the water, hence it's caramel.  If it rains in Silverton, the trailings from the mines there (silver mines) infiltrate the river and turn it silver.  By the time the river reaches the McPhee Reservoir in Dolores, the sediments have filtered out and dropped and therefore when you look at McPhee, you see blue clear water. 

And the horses - lots of them!  Stellar Jays and Magpies were very abundant.