Grand Canyon - North Rim

       Two adventures in one weekend, boy, am I exhausted!!! But so happy I went :). Today, I took a trip to the Grand Canyon, which is a little more than 90 minutes away from Kanab. It's a beautiful drive through thick forests and meadows; it reminded me of PA actually! Once I got into the Grand Canyon National Park, there was a photo op right away! 

These pictures are not zoomed in!!! There were bison grazing about 20 feet from my car! They're so huge ...and fuzzy.

     After I got done admiring the bison, I drove farther down until I got to the Grand Canyon Lodge. I decided to park here and find a trail to hike. My first hike was on a short trail called Bright Angel Point. Definitely a good place to start :)

       After I finished walking the Bright Angel Point Trail, I decided to follow the Transept Trail, which is close by. I probably walked along this trail for about 2 miles until I realized it wasn't taking me anywhere interesting, so then I turned around and made my way towards the lodge so I could drive to the next trail. Once I got in my car and started driving, I decided I would try the Kaibab Trail; which I saw on my way in. The Kaibab Trail, if you want it to, can take you all the way down to the bottom of the canyon with the Colorado River! (Starting at 8,250 feet, ending at 2,400 feet!) In the brochure I was given upon entering the Grand Canyon National Park, there's an entire page dedicated to the Kaibab Trail and all of the risks and dangers of this trail! They strongly recommend that you don't try to do the entire canyon in one day. Knowing my own limits, I decided to only go down to the first tier, which is at 7,450 feet elevation and about 3/4 of a mile into the canyon. And I was perfectly content with my decision! :)

Just walking down the canyon was fairly tiring, so I decided to sit down and enjoy the view for a few minutes! It was an awesome spot to take a break! Once I felt energized again, I trekked back up the canyon! Although it's a short distance... 3/4 of a mile feels like 34 miles when you're climbing up the side of a canyon! My legs were shot by the time I reached the top! Then I got back in my car once more, and I decided to do one more short hike on the Cape Royal Trail. On my drive to Cape Royal Trail, there's a few scenic overlooks that you can stop to take pictures.

This was my first stop at Vista Encantada.

This was my second stop at Roosevelt Point.

And this was my third stop at Walhalla Overlook! After I stopped here, I went to the Cape Royal Trail. The rest of these pictures were taken while I hiked there!

      In the last picture, that hole in the rock is called Angel's Window. Pretty cool!! God only knows how many miles I walked today, but who cares... I got to see the Grand Canyon! It was such an awesome experience, and who knows when I'll get the opportunity to be out here in the Southwest again! Please don't ask me what my favorite park was because I honestly can't answer that question! They're all so drastically different and unique, it's impossible to pick a favorite. I'm beyond blessed that I was able to make it to Zion, Bryce, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and the Grand Canyon!! I know that I'll never forget these experiences. I can't believe I'll be home in less than a week. Woohoo!!!! :)