The Endless Canyon

I think most people are drawn to the Grand Canyon simply because it is famous and a "must see" attraction. As I may have previously related, my first memorable visit to the South Rim at Grand Canyon Village involved getting out of the car, looking at the Canyon, getting back into the car and driving onto another location. It took a few years for me to appreciate what I saw and what I would see on subsequent visits. My initial visit was highly influenced by the number of people on the South Rim. Despite the crowds, if you are willing to drive and/or walk, and if you want to find solitude, you can really get away from it all at the Grand Canyon. Particularly on the North Rim, where this picture was taken, we have spent almost an entire day and seen no more than twenty people, and most of those were driving on the dirt roads, rather than walking around.

Once you drop below the Rim this whole perspective changes. There is nothing but the Canyon. On the corridor train between the North Rim and Grand Canyon Village, there is a constant stream of hikers and people on mules, but leave that heavily traveled trail and you may not see anyone in a week.