Went to the GC today, the south rim to be precise. What a sight. If you get the chance to go, do it. Made me feel small. Which is good.
It was a spur of the moment trip from Vegas this morning. Left at 6:30 and just got back. Tell me more about this ranch you speak of so we can plan it in the future. You mean on the bottom of the canyon right? I so wanna go down there. It was windy as hell and there were people walking out on the outcroppings (or whatever you call them) Surefire death if they were to fall...yikes. I thought it was awesome though.
the phantom ranch. You can eat a meal or reserve a room for the night. If you go off-season, you don't have to reserve a spot too far in advance. The weather down at the bottom is VERY different. The last time I was there was about 10-12 years ago; it was in February and there was SNOW AND ICE at the top of the canyon--made it very slippery--but it was 70 degrees at the bottom. Reserved a room at the ranch the night before. If you go during the high season--say April through September--it is nearly impossible to reserve a room; they take reservations 12 or 13 months in advance. there are three meals you could order (you have to place your order in advance). The vegetarian stew is the best. http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging-704.html
I haven't been for 20 years or so, but I've had some great times there. Camped out alone on the north rim one night, woke to the sunrise filling the canyon. Hiked down to the river from the south rim once without packing any brains, we were almost crawling and dragging our tongues when we finally made it back up, well after dark and long after our water had run out. Luckily there was a cop at the trailhead who helped us find the nearest drinking fountain. That hike would probably kill me today. barfo
That is actually closer to Vegas but is on an Indian reservation and 18 miles of the drive is unpaved it seems. It said on wikipedia that it costs about 65 bucks per person with everything included. I would probably do it but my girlfriend wouldn't get within 8-10 feet of the edge today. Thanks for the idea Dumpy Barfo, the trail around the top made me sweat....I gotta go to the gym
