Bright Angel

An early morning mule train walks toward Phantom Ranch. This shot was taken from one of the campsites at Bright Angel Campground.

The very refreshing, cool, and clear water of Bright Angel Creek with one of the pedestrian/mule suspension bridges spanning the Colorado River visible in the distance.

Mammatus clouds after a brief thunderstorm passed over our heads.

Bridges over the Colorado River.

Leaving Bright Angel

The illuminated peaks watch over the muddy Colorado.

A stream next to the Bright Angel Trail.

This cactus seems to be the inspiration for a certain imaginary mouse.

Stormy skies approach.

Canyon Storm

There were a number of thunder storms that came near us. We never had much rain except just before leaving Bright Angel campground when we waited for a couple minutes under a shelter before starting out. However, this was the best storm of the day, it just missed us but it sure hit hard not far from where we were.

One of my favorite shots from the trip.

The other end of the arc.

Mammatus Cloud formation.

Metamorphic rock layer.

Stream crossing.

A pretty trail side waterfall just below Indian Gardens.

Garden Morning

At sunrise I hiked for a little while toward Plateau Point to get a different vantage point of the sunrise. This is the overlook the plateau, the point is about another mile across the plateau.

The cliffs to the West as seen from Indian Gardens.

Quent, Christina, Sara, and Pat pausing at a switchback.

The rim is getting close. We could see condors soaring near the rim.

Up, Up, and Up Some More

Hiking up the switchbacks not too far from the top of the Bright Angel Trail.

Looking back over what we've hiked. The Bright Angel Canyon leads deep into the north rim. Indian Gardens is in the patch of green far below.

This must be the most photographed tree in the Grand Canyon. I recognized it from several different pictures I've seen over the years.

Sunset on the rim. Christina kept talking about a nice steak at the end of the hike and it didn't take long for me to start thinking the same thing. So after sunset we went to El Tovar (the south rim lodge) for a big juicy steak.

South Rim Sunrise

I took the bus to the end of the line and watched as the colors changed as the sun climbed higher in the sky. This was one of the stops along the way.

The good ole' 100-400 mm lens working its wonders. Sure beats walking down there to get this shot.

Two Colorados

The Colorado River is visible from this point on the rim.

The plaque says, "Sing to God, sing praises to His Name, lift up a song to Him who rides upon the clouds; His Name is the Lord, exalt before Him." Psalms 68:4

The Little Colorado River winds through its own canyon on the way to a meeting with its big brother at the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon.

The beginning of the Vermillion Cliffs.

Bridges Over the Colorado

The old and the new.

The Colorado River is just beginning to mix with silt and appeared green on top and a muddy brown underneath.

Standing on the Navajo Bridge.

View from a scenic turnout looking at the Vermillion Cliffs.

Night Scenes

We camped at a Forest Service campground just outside the entrance to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It got pretty chilly and this fire provided some welcome warmth.

The fire light illuminates the trees around our campsite in this long exposure.

Good night world!

I decided to sleep on the picnic table so I could look at the stars. There were only a few meteors that flashed through the sky while my eyes were open, which wasn't a long time.