that big hole in the ground... Feb 15

First off, I want to celebrate the fact that I've just crossed over into southern California and it's 80 degrees. And I celebrate this because while Bear and I were in the Grand Canyon, it was between 9 and 18 degrees the whole time.  FREEZING!!!

Although we had heavy coats for what we're used to trekking around in, we weren't quite prepared with gear to hike a whole lot down into the Canyon itself, so we kept to the edges.... which were beautiful!  It is definitely true that there is no way of capturing the essence of the Grand Canyon with a camera or even film.  I snapped a few shots.  I'll add some more pics later from my actual camera. These are phone pics for now.

We kept to the southern rim since the northern rim is closed in winter

On the way out there, we drove through a crazy blizzard in the mountains. The elevation is at about 7,000 ft and driving mountain roads in blinding snow was pretty intense. Having to stop for gas at one point, we slid pretty far down this incline at the station and had to get help to shovel and push lil' PriPri back up the hill.  Bear was a hero with that one.

Our first excursion out to the Grand Canyon's rim was in the heart of clouds. Seriously, you couldn't see into the canyon at all. So we watched the ravens duck in and out of the immense white wall we were surrounded by and wondered what they saw.  Walking down the rim's trail for a few hours provided to be extremely worthwhile, as we patiently watched the holes in the clouds get bigger and bigger, revealing this amazing geological landscape.  By the time we could see the other side of the canyon, our toes were soaked and frozen, but our hearts were light.  What a wonder.  Well, really, it's not much of a wonder, I suppose. There are signs everywhere explaining how the canyon was created, and a million other facts.  They were really interesting, but I still just gazed over the layers of red canyon walls in awe of this earth we live on.  And although it was a bummer that the cold prohibited us from more exploration, the snow within the canyon gave a special visual layer that most people probably don't see.  I loved it.

At another time, I'll add pictures of Desert View, which is a point on the rim trail that gives a fantastic view as well as being a really unique look-out building in and of itself.

We spent two days walking and driving around the rim, staying at the top, but jealously peering down at the speckles below that were groups of hikers and donkey-riders who were exploring the trails inside the canyon.  If I ever come back, I pray that it is higher than 9 degrees and that I can head into the canyon, and raft part of the Colorado River.  I would love to do those things!

So on the third day of our little excursion, we headed out to Flagstaff for the day.  For all those who go to the Grand Canyon at some point:  This is a place to enjoy the expanse of the canyon, sleep in a resort, eat overpriced food, and pick up microbrews at the gas station.  There is nothing else going on.  We did not realize this when we planned our trip. And all this would have been fine if it hadnt been so bitter cold.  But being driven into the warmth of the car or into the same geological museum over and over, we decided that branching out would be a good idea.

Flagstaff! It was so great for our day trip!  We wandered around downtown, shared a cigar, ate BBQ nachos and drank Highlife, hiked through Buffalo Park (pics later) and had sweet fro-yo with tons of toppings.  We also hit up Macy's coffee shop, which is exactly where my regular spot would be if I lived there.

We also saw this great Joe Sorren mural, which I'll post pictures of later. Joe Sorren is an illustrator who inspired my whole class at UArts throughout college and I was excited when I found out he's a native Arizonian, throwin his creativity on walls around town.  Flagstaff had a bunch of great murals. I was impressed and wondered if the amount of murals in a town is a good indicator of how much I connect with the town. Hmm. If so, Philly still wins.

All in all, I'd say our trip was a win.  I think I'd like to come back under different circumstances, but I enjoyed our time exploring and catching up, no doubt.

So now I'm off to Oak View, California, to help with the Institute I've been prepping for.  The drive from Phoenix to Oak View (an hour north of LA) is amazing. Truly desert.  I will acknowledge: the desert is vast. And very lonely.  And very spread out. And very big.  And very dusty.  And has Joshua Tree, which I'm passing by but not stopping in. Oh well. Next time.  HA!  "next time"... thats funny.