Monday & Tuesday- Grand Canyon!!!

Well we made it to the Grand Canyon, one of the top goals for my life! I guess I can now die happy! Even though we got there by 10am, the campground we wanted to stay in was full and we ended up staying at another one inside the park 25 miles east of the Village. It ended up working out in our favor though bc our end of the canyon (Desert View) was much less crowded and therefore, more peaceful. On our half hour rides up and down the south rim we also were able to see two separate bull elks, which were GIGANTIC, and a really small mountain lion! The canyon was so amazing. Just as many had told us, it was overwhelming (in a good way) and so SO much more beautiful and enormous than pictures can ever depict. For a geology lover like me, it was heaven! Since Joel was sick, and it was SO hot, we took it easy and stayed on the rim trails. A ranger told me that it can be up to 30 degrees warmer on the canyon floor than it was on the rim. It was already well over 100 degrees on top, so I was hot enough! As I said, now that I've seen the GC, I can die happy...but I didn't really want to die(of heat stroke) just yet! Speaking of that...kind of creepy..the very first overlook we stopped at was shut down right after we got there bc the rangers had to rappell (sp?) in and "rescue" a body. The body was no longer alive. YIKES!!! On our last night, I went and watched the sun set over the canyon..perfect way to end a visit there. Overnight there was some definite "mountain lion activity" in the woods behind our tent. It was pretty scary to listen to the cat "scream" nearby knowing that they can kill humans...but I survived. It was good practice for the upcoming time in Grizzly country!