Grand Canyon, Zion and Lake Powell - May 2012
I did a two week RV/hiking trip to the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and Lake Powell/Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
1 - This is not the Grand Canyon. It's the Little Colorado, on the way to the southeast entrance to GCNP
2 - This is the Grand Canyon, the first view from the Desert View Visitor Center area
3 - The Desert View Watchtower
4 - Built in 1932, you can still climb the stairs to the top floor (not the roof)
5 - Lipan Point view
6 - Want to go rafting?
7 - View from the south rim
8 - View from the south rim
9 - View from the south rim
10 - Sunset from Navajo Point
11 - Sunset in sequence
12 - Flame throwers?
13 - Sunrise from Desert View, camped there two nights
14 - Sun continues to rise at Lipan Point
15 - The near extinct California Condor was introduced to the canyon
16 - They seem to like it here (see them on the rock?)
17 - This shows the route I took on my rim to rim hike last fall
18 - Many switchbacks to get up the canyon wall
19 - The bright Angle trailhead is next to the Bright Angle Lodge, top center
20 - View from the rim walk in front of the Lodge
21 - Plateau Point way down there is still 1300 feet above the river, Bright Angle goes down to the right of the plateau
22 - Me, a mile down the South Kaibab Trail
23 - Ooh Aah Point view
24 - The trail continues to the river to meet the North Kaibab Trail to the North Rim (hiked down it last year) or the Bright Angle Trail back to the South Rim further west (hiked up it)
25 - From the South Kaibab Trail
26 - View from the south rim
27 - View from the south rim
28 - View from the south rim
29 - Tanner trail, I wanted to do a rim to rim in a day but the north rim was still closed
30 - Tanner trail, I got a permit to hike/climb/camp on this trail
31 - Tanner trail, did not see anyone on the trail for the two days
32 - Tanner trail, Seventyfive Mile Saddle
33 - Cactus flowers
34 - Agave
35 - My GPS shows my tracks down the canyon
36 - After a delayed start and a noon nap under this base camp rock, I headed further down the canyon
37 - Looking back at the South Rim, see the tower? Climbed down the canyon 2/3's right
38 - This was my destination, but time and a raven looking for a meal forced me back to base camp
39 - Panoramic sunset view from my campsite. Tower upper right
40 - There it is
41 - Sunset brings out the colors
42 - Now I have to climb out
43 - The rock I slept under is visible about dead center
44 - Now to the North Rim, today was opening day, May 15th
45 - Me
46 - North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge
47 - View from the lodge
48 - Bright Angle Point Trail
49 - Desert View lower left, North Rim center, main South Rim area upper left, Point Imperial Yellow road middle
50 - Point Imperial
51 - Now on to Zion National Park
52 - Beautiful rock cliffs and formations
53 - Zion
54 - Zion
55 - Zion
56 - Zion
57 - Angles Landing, the main reason I came back to Zion, a wonderful climb
58 - A strenuous five miles
59 - You have to climb the ridge back
60 - Chains come in handy, but it's 1400 feet down on each side
61 - People with acrophobia, do not attempt this climb!
62 - The views from the top can't be beat
63 - 360 degree view
64 - Me
65 - This was my third assent. I'll be back
66 - The trail above the Zion tunnel
67 - View at the end of the tunnel trail, tunnel pops out middle left
68 - I think they call this flow rock
69 - Feed me!
70 - I say, just do it yourself
71 - Now to Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, great campsite
72 - The lake is created by the Glen Canyon Dam
73 - Produces 1.3 million kilowatts from the Colorado River
74 - Bigger than the Hoover Dam in some dimensions
75 - Glen Canyon flow rock
76 - The dam is upstream of the Grand Canyon. The Hoover dam is down stream
77 - Horseshoe Bend!
78 - Me
79 - Lake Powell, 1,932 square miles, marina on left, hundreds of giant houseboats
80 - And other craft
81 - I took a tour boat up Navajo Canyon
82 - Navajo Canyon gets pretty narrow
83 - It's amazing tour boats can maneuver the canyon
84 - On my way back to Colorado, I stopped on the centerline of the eclipse, see www.tomkisko.com/tom/eclipse for more pics
85 - Map of the two week trip
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