The Canyon is not the only thing that changes in this world. We humans go through our lives gaining in one area and losing in another. Time changes us as readily as erosion wears down the Colorado Plateau. We become different individuals with new goals and aspirations. Sometimes we must leave behind those who meant so much in the past and push on, alone, into our personal future.

Several years after our cross canyon trip Arla and I were divorced. We had divergent trails to follow. We both remarried and journeyed on toward new, individual destinations.

After a time I found a new marriage partner, Anne, and was given the privilege of introducing her to the Grand Canyon experience. Although she had spent most of her life in Tucson, she had never visited the northern part of the state. So, one October’s day we packed up our Toyota pickup and headed north. When we left Tucson it was a warm, sunny morning. We both wore shorts, and had a wonderful trip to Flagstaff. Getting out of the truck to pump gas reminded me that October, at least for the northern reaches of our country, often signals the beginnings of winter weather. There was a definite chill in the air.

We drove on to the Desert View Campground and selected a camp site. This was also the first time Anne had ever camped, so she had a lot to learn. But she was enthusiastic, paid attention to what I told her, and soon became an expert. We had arrived late in the afternoon, so we set up our tent, arranged our camp, and fixed an early evening meal, intending to get our first view of The Canyon as the sun set.

As we prepared our supper, I voiced my amazement at how the campground had filled in completely. It seemed so late in the year for so many people to be doing the outdoor thing. I guessed they were people like us who wanted to get away from the crowds of the summer.

While we were sitting at the table eating, a twenty-foot RV pulled up next to our camp. It was occupied by a young couple from Germany. They had rented the RV in L.A. and were touring the western half of our country. We had noticed them circling the campground several times, apparently in an attempt to locate a vacant spot. Concerned by their failure, they stopped to ask about other facilities in the area. The closest campground that I knew of was the Mather Campground, 35 miles away, at the Village. But I wasn’t sure if they would have any better luck there.

It began to rain, so I suggested that they pull into our large parking area and share our spot. There was plenty of room for both vehicles. They liked that idea, and joined us, inviting us in for conversation once they had their camper leveled and stabilized. With rain coming down, and our chances of viewing The Canyon diminished to about zero, we accepted.

The fellow was not good at English, but the woman spoke very well. She translated a lot of what was said so that her companion would understand. Conversation was slow and deliberate, but it was interesting talking with the pair. They asked us a lot of questions about routes and places to see. We gave them the best information we had. Then we asked them questions about Germany and what they did for a living and that sort of thing. We had a nice time.

It continued to rain throughout that night, and on through most of the next morning. We stayed bundled in our sleeping bags, hesitant to even get out to use the restrooms. But finally Nature’s call forced us to grit our teeth against the cold damp air. We jumped out into the chilly mist and fog of late morning.

Eventually the rain stopped and we cleaned up, ate something, then drove to the Watchtower at Desert View to give Anne her first exciting view of The Canyon. That didn’t happen. The Canyon was clouded over, solid, by a dense layer of white and gray clouds that obscured everything. It was as if The Canyon had been filled in with white sand. There was very little she could see.

However, it was exciting to me, knowing what The Canyon looked like on hot summer days. I knew what was below that shroud. But for Anne it was just a chilly experience.

We drove toward the Village and stopped at a few of the overlooks along the way. We caught the same view from each location. Occasionally a thin spot would open, and we could see some color peeking through, but all in all her first impression was disappointing.

We spent the day visiting the shops along the rim, drove out to Hermit’s Rest, and still had a wonderful time. Unfortunately Anne had to wait until our next visit to see what was below.

Anne and I did visit the South Rim on other occasions, when the weather was better. One time we hiked down to Indian Gardens and back, and on another we took the shuttle out to Hermit’s Rest and hiked the six-mile South Rim Trail back to the Village.

We usually camp at the Desert View Campground, and it’s almost always full. It was there that we witnessed how selfish and uncaring some modern campers can be, and found out that, in the right situation, when it comes to preserving Nature, we can be snitches. On one of our trips we saw an older couple, with a 34-foot RV, actually cut down a fair sized bush and move several large stones from along the road, just so they could get their behemoth into a small spot designed for a tent. Rather than confront the criminals ourselves, we drove to the nearest Ranger Station and reported the incident. It was bad enough that people abused the forest lands, but we draw the line when it comes to abusing the National Parks. The selfishness and thoughtlessness of some people always amazes me. I believe the Ranger issued a citation.

On another trip we saw a couple of fellows climbing on top of their RV while their wives directed from below. Their vehicle was too tall to fit under a large branch on a tree that shaded the camp site they had selected. So the pair cut the branch from the tree rather than select another site. If that activity became acceptable there would be no vegetation left in the campground by the end of one season.

Another thing that has always amazed me is how people don’t read, or refuse to pay attention to what they read. It’s as if official signs are meant for someone else. “I’m sure this doesn’t apply to me. I’m special.”

Outside of the restrooms at the Desert View campground is a small stone structure that has a drinking fountain on top and a tap for fresh water on the side, with a grillwork beneath the spigot to catch water and drain it away. On this structure, posted on all four sides, is a clearly printed, official National Park Service sign, stating flatly: “FOR DRINKING PURPOSES ONLY. DO NOT WASH CLOTHES OR DISHES. NOT FOR BATHING.” Those instructions seem pretty clear to me. Yet every time we visit there are always people washing dishes, rinsing their clothes, bathing themselves, or washing their hair right there in front of those signs. I can understand foreigners, to some degree, if they don’t comprehend English to its fullest. But Americans, for sure, choose to ignore the warning.

After one or two visits to the rim of The Canyon it wasn’t hard to convince Anne to take the plunge and commit to hiking across that chasm. Since my first hike across went so well, I wanted to try a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim trip. Anne was willing.

On this trip we were staying in a commercial campground just north of Flagstaff. Our intent for the trip was to visit many of the smaller national parks and monuments in the area. However, we had heavy rain almost constantly since Thursday afternoon and it looked as if it would rain for most of the day. So we decided to drive from Flagstaff up to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We wanted to stop in at the El Tovar Lodge to see about rooms for an upcoming visit. We decided to take a different route to get there, driving along Highway 180, to Valle, then north from there to the south entrance near the town of Tusayan.

9:25 a.m.
Along the road to Valle we spotted a javelina running along the shoulder. The little critter was about the size of a small dog. With all of the years we've spent living and hiking in the deserts of the southwest, neither one of us had ever seen one in the wild.

10:35 a.m.
We arrived at Grand Canyon and took a parking spot in one of the lower lots between the Thunderbird and El Tovar lodges, near the railroad tracks. There were several spots close to the entrance of Bright Angel Lodge, but we decided to leave those for the tourists and those staying at the lodge. We walked through the railroad station, then headed up the steps to the El Tovar. There were a few people around, but nothing like what we’ve seen in the big tourist months.

The rain had stopped back before Valle, so we had nice cool weather. It was partly cloudy, with an occasional breeze.

In the El Tovar we talked to a fellow behind the counter and told him what we wanted to do. He showed us a standard room and a top end suite. We were impressed by the standard room. It runs for about $150 per night. There was more space than we expected. It was on the second floor. We think that is where we want to be. We also think that we would like to get a deluxe room, which runs about $190 per night. The deluxe room has a queen size bed, full bathroom, TV, dressers, and a couch and table and chairs and is a bit larger. Since it will be for our anniversary we think we want to splurge a bit. And, also, since it will be mid-winter and the days will be short and it will be cold, we might be spending more time in the room. So a bit more space will be worth it.

He also started to show us a suite, but the room was still occupied. Suites run for $300 per night, but there are two rooms and there is a balcony as well. In the winter I don’t imagine we’ll be needing the balcony, and unless someone else comes to stay with us, the suite would be too large for just the two of us.

1:29 p.m.
After visiting El Tovar we stopped by the Hopi House, which is a Native American themed gift shop. Right away we found several items that we just had to have. After our purchases we walked them back to the Tacoma and tucked them away out of sight. Then we walked back up to the rim, where we walked around and peered over the edge like we’ve done so many other times.

On this day, and I believe at this time of the year, the canyon looks especially wonderful. The air was crisp and clean and with the low angle of the sun and the few clouds to cast sporadic shadows, the canyon seemed to have a great deal of depth and relief. In the summer months it can look washed out and faded. I also imagine that if they got some of the recent rains the dampness made the colors appear more vivid.

From there we walked down to the Lookout Studio, where we found a door that led down to a multi-tiered observation area that we’d never, amazingly, seen before. So we spent a little time sitting there and enjoying the spectacular view. When we heard the train pull into the station we decided that we’d better go have some lunch before the lines got too long. We went, of course, to our favorite, the Bright Angel Café. And, of course, we had our favorite jalapeno poppers along with our favorite sandwiches.

After lunch we headed to the Tusayan Pueblo Ruins on the road toward the east entrance.

2:11 p.m.
At the Tusayan Ruins there is a museum, drinking water, and restrooms. This is a small site, with a pueblo partially reconstructed. But most of the walls are not tall, so you just get an idea of the floor plan of the small village. We had been to this site before, but it had been a long time.

3:26 p.m.
From Tusayan we drove past Desert View and out the east entrance. The entrance station is still under construction, but it looks nice. From there we drove out through Cameron and south and visited Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater National Monument on the way back to Flagstaff.