As the sun draws near the horizon, colors we didn’t know existed pop out of the canyon walls. Bright golden hues on the North Rim lead our eyes down to vibrant reds, deep crimsons, and guttural purples at the bottom—an entire gradient of colors dancing in a single scene.

February 11–13, 2024

We’re starting off our tour of Grand Canyon National Park with a bang—perhaps even the highlight of the entire trip according to our expectations. Having just visited Petrified Forest National Park, we leave Holbrook, Arizona, around 11 a.m. and head west on I-70 toward Flagstaff. Even though we have plenty of time, we can’t be late for our 4 p.m. tour over the Grand Canyon with Papillon Helicopter Tours, making our first view of the canyon from the air. And boy is it a bang. With the tour buckled and strapped, we life off in a smooth motion over the pine forests of the South Rim. We chuckle to ourselves watching trees shoot by as Star Wars music plays over the headsets.

And suddenly, there it is before us. Without warning, the forest gives way to an enormous drop off and the largest canyon we have ever seen—so large we almost wonder if it even is a canyon. The tour crosses the the 12 miles of rugged topography, reaches the North Rim and circles back. Ridge after ridge shift into our field of view like parallax layers. A tiny ribbon of silver, the Colorado River winds its way through the far reaches of the canyon floor. Before we know it, we are back at the airfield wishing for more time in the sky fueling our imaginations for the hike into the canyon the next day.

After checking into Yavapai Lodge, we grab some dinner and head back out to the various overlooks for sunset and stars. Anywhere along the rim offers a great view of the canyon, so we simply park at the Yavapai Geology Museum and walk the Rim Trail toward Mather Point. No amount of time at these viewpoints could ever satiate our wonder and awe of this place. As the sun draws near the horizon, colors we didn’t know existed pop out of the canyon walls. Bright golden hues on the North Rim lead our eyes down to vibrant reds, deep crimsons, and guttural purples at the bottom—an entire gradient of colors dancing in a single scene. If ever there was a sunset worth stopping time, this is it. Much too soon, blue hour takes over and stars peek from the night sky. It’s cold here in February with a good 6 inches of snow blanketing the rim, so we linger just long enough to spot the Milky Way reaching overhead and make our way back to the lodge.

For us, the next morning starts before morning. A special perk of spending the night inside the park allows us to roll out of bed and onto the trail. We park at Pipe Creek Vista and begin the day with a 6 a.m. 1-mile hike to South Kaibab Trailhead, the starting point for our trek to the river and back. We are bundled up in snow pants, boots, hats and gloves and still the early morning air is crisp and cutting to the touch.

After a mile down South Kaibab Trail, we reach Ooh Ahh Point just as the sun is cresting the horizon. Our timing couldn’t be more perfect. We are greeted with panoramic views of walls and spires bursting into color at the rising sun. We see hikers making their way up from Phantom Ranch on the trail far below. The trail begins to thaw as we continue our way along Cedar Ridge and around O’Neill Butte. It’s surprising the difference a little sunlight and altitude makes. We start shedding layers with each drop in elevation.

Reaching Skeleton Point, we really begin to descend into the canyon. Switchback after switchback we push on, a little intimidated by the thought of returning back up this steep grade. But we shove that thought aside for the goal of reaching the river. The luxury of downhill and few rest stops afford us a fairly quick pace (if it weren’t for all the photos taken along the way). We’re nearly halfway and only 2 hours into our day.

Another 1.5 miles and we come up on the Tip Off, a final ledge before the trail dives into the river canyon below. Just as we dip below the edge, we hear rustling in the bushes. All morning we have been hoping to run into wildlife. Given that our trip coincides with the off-season, we are optimistic wildlife will be more visible with fewer crowds, but so far we haven’t seen so much as a single bird. But this rustle has us raising our eyebrows. Quickly, I switch lenses, and slowly continue along the trail. We scan the foliage and spot it. A female (or juvenile) desert bighorn sheep pokes up above the bramble. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Not willing to let it pass, I snap pictures in rapid fire all while inching forward. She pauses long enough for me to nail the composition and darts off uphill, completely unaffected by the steep incline.

Grateful for a significant wildlife showing we press on downward. At this point in the trail, we can see the remainder of the path snaking down to the canyon floor and the thin line of Black Suspension Bridge spanning the river to Phantom Ranch. On our way down we spy a train of 8 mules working their way up the canyon toward us weaving in and out of rock shadows. Eventually we meet and step off the path to let them pass, a fun glimpse of early transportation in the canyon.

Nearing the river, the trail dives underground through a rock buttress and promptly emerges immediately on Black Suspension Bridge, reaching 440 feet to the other side. Down on the bridge, the magnitude of the Colorado River is fully felt. What appeared to be a small thread of water from the rim is now a mighty immovable highway of water. We cross to the other side and hike the short half mile up to Phantom Ranch. Normally, the ranch is hopping with activity, but due to waterline renovations the lodging is temporarily suspended and the area is desolate except for a lone helicopter running supplies back and forth from the rim.

Stopping for a short lunch under a tall cottonwood, we calculate the long hike back up to the rim. It’s 11:30 a.m. and we’ve been hiking for 5 hours. At this rate, we will return after 4:00 p.m. so we pack up and head out quickly. Unlike the many mountain hikes we’ve experienced, the way back to the car is the harder part. What seemed like an enjoyable stroll down the canyon suddenly turns into a gym workout on the way back up. Thankfully we settle into a groove and accept the pain of the exercise. Soon we find ourselves near the top. Apparently, because we didn’t stop as much as we anticipated we are flying up the trail and reach the top well before 3:00 p.m.–a record I’m sure.

Back at the top, we hike along the Rim Trail and almost run straight into a herd of elk. About 10 females and a few calves graze among the melting snow under the pines. Completely undisturbed by nearby hikers, we scoot by on the trail surprised by how close we pass.

At last, 9 hours and 17 miles later, we reach the parking lot and give our legs the rest they deserve. Our plans for the rest of the day are simple: eat, rest and get an early night’s sleep. . . but not before a quick sunset visit to Desert View Watchtower and Navajo Point on the eastern side of the park.

We watch as the sun bathes the tower in orange light, capping off our time at Grand Canyon National Park. We have to leave early the next day so we soak up every last bit of light before it slips below the western rim. Its hard to grasp the amount of activity we have packed into barely 36 hours. . . that is, until we try to walk with our stiff muscles. That’s when we truly feel the weight of our time in Grand Canyon—an uncomfortable, but cherished reminder.