10/17 Day 3

San Francisco Mts., about 20 miles outside of Flagstaff

Finally got myself to the Grand Canyon, though later than intended (as usual).  I did a little more hanging out with Jessie and Catharine before leaving and picked up a tempeh BLT with avocado for lunch.

First view of the canyon.  I said to a woman standing nearby, "you know, they tell you it's big, and you see it on TV and in pictures and all that, but you just can't grasp how really HUGE it is until you're here."  It's that gorgeous, too.

Just as I was about to get on the South Kaibab trail, I heard huffing and puffing and looked up to see Stefan coming off the same and giving me a bewildered look.  He'd been hiking with a Frenchman and a German from the hostel and the three of them had plans to head up to Kanab [UT] next.  After a short chat, I began the 3-mile descent to Cedar Ridge (6120 ft. down from 7260 ft.) and I'm pleased to report that I made the return trip in roughly 40 minutes.

View from Cedar Ridge, 3 miles along the S. Kaibab trail 

Makes me feel pretty confident about doing the Bright Angel Trail (up to 12 mi) tomorrow.  The elevation didn't affect me too much at all.  I was concerned about having plenty of daylight to find a campsite in Kaibab National Forest but I made out all right.  I found I actually had really good cell service there and in my nervousness, successfully resisted the urge to call either Clara or Jesse.  That is, until I heard shrieking in the distance.  I called both.  Clara, being the more likely to help, didn't answer right away, so Jesse made sympathetic sounds at me until Clara called back.  She knew what it was immediately: coyotes, known to scare the bajeezus out of those toughest and manliest of Americans, the cowboys.  And Clara knows plenty about cowboys.  Satisfied that I wasn't going to become a snack for some wild cat, I finished my dinner, got out of my rental car (yes, I was hiding), and went to bed.  Addendum: but not before seeing a shooting star!

Post-hike permagrin