End of the line … some campgrounds, buildings, cabins, a few parking areas, then a glimpse through the trees off to the east. Ohhh. This was when I really knew what "breathtaking" meant. Of course I'd seen pictures of it, flown over it. But nothing prepared me for what it felt like to be there. I literally gasped. It was the most incredible sight I'd ever seen, and probably ever will.

We checked in at the Grand Canyon Lodge, which is perched right on the rim — a wonderful, grand building with high ceilings and huge windows offering panoramic views into and across the canyon. The dining room is especially magnificent.

Then there's a patio outside where people were sitting in the sun, feet up, overlooking the canyon. They were very relaxed and oh, by the way, had the greatest view in the world.

A trail leads right from the lodge out to Bright Angel Point. That will be nice, I thought. It was that, and a lot more. It's actually a narrow plateau sliver that reaches out into the canyon. Whoa … no rails as the trail narrows and is bordered by steep, long drop-offs into the canyon.

Some (crazy) people were perched on rocks that line the route, right at their very edges. It was very windy and pretty scary just walking the trail, much less climbing the rocks. But it was spectacular, awesome, beautiful, as sunset approached and the shadows lengthed across the canyon. (Seen on the trail: a woman in a dress and heels. And children running and climbing the cliffs. Kind of unsettling.)

Time to check out our accommodations. Like the Bryce Lodge, the Grand Canyon Lodge itself does not have guest rooms; it's more the gathering place for dining, shopping, information, and ambiance. Many cabins of various sizes, a motel, and campground, all within walking distance of the lodge, house the visitors. We had a small cabin, a bit more rustic than I expected.

The positive spin is that the cabins are clustered together, very cute, in a neighborhood-like, pine-shaded area right on the canyon's precipice. A most beautiful setting. On the other hand, they are tiny, cramped, dark, with ancient bathroom fixtures and paper-thin walls. There's one large heating unit in the room that is either on all the time, or off — no thermostat. Oh well, we won't be spending much time in the room anyway …

We weren't able to get reservations for dinner that first night, so we signed up for the following night, and had pizza at a small cafeteria right next to the lodge. There aren't a lot of dining options here, only what the Park service offers; the nearest town is 44 miles away.

After a long, cold night in our TV- and radio-less cabin, we were anxious to get going the next morning. Peter went for a morning run, while I went for a walk along the rim, watching the morning sun rise above the Canyon. The light and shadows had the opposite effect of the night before. It's a constantly changing, always compelling vista. I could not believe I was in this wonderful place. Then a strange sensation hit ... what ... oh yeah! Happiness.

After a nice, hearty breakfast at the lodge, we were ready to attack. We were going to take the North Kaibab trail down into the canyon. Not being sure how to dress — it was about 40 degrees when we left — we put on a few top layers of clothes with shorts. Well, the layers came off pretty quickly. As we went down, the temperature went up. It was a beautiful, perfect day, and warmed into the 70s.

The fall is a great time to hike the canyon for a couple of reasons: one, temperatures are comfortable. (During the summer the canyon floor can reach 100 degrees and above, and hikers have died from the heat and lack of water. There are warnings posted about bringing enough water; there are few watering holes in the canyon itself.) And two, the fall colors — the reds, golds, and greens were beautiful, contrasted against the rock.

Then we began the long ascent back. We kept up a steady pace — what a spectacular backdrop for a good sweaty workout. We passed a group of mule riders, and very few other hikers. Again, so nice to have such peace and serenity in this extremely popular tourist destination. As we were almost to the top, another mule group passed us going down. Just a few minutes later, we heard the sound of thundering hoofbeats … a runaway mule! Up just ahead, Peter yelled, "Look out!" — moments before the mule appeared. I moved off the trail as much as possible (not easy, it was very narrow — long drop-off on one side, steep incline on the other). The mule galloped by, within feet of me. It turned out this poor mule was the only one left behind up top, and had broken loose, apparently wanting to join his buddies. One of the tour guides passed by several minutes later on the trail of his renegade.

Whew, back up and out. What a great experience. The day was still young, so we headed for other vantage points on this rim. Unfortunately, the plateau that juts furthest into the canyon, Cape Royal, had just been closed for controlled burning — a seasonal ritual. Darn. But we did go to Imperial Point, the highest viewpoint on the North Rim at 8800 feet. It was very cold and windy, just an hour or so after we were so hot and sweaty in the canyon. Beautiful, different views looking in all directions easterly, not only of the canyon, but of the country beyond in the Vermillion Cliffs area. A neat formation, Mt. Hayden (pictured), protruded skyward, out the top of a mesa, looking like the point of an arrowhead.

That night we were ready for a good meal, and got a great one in the lodge dining room. We also experienced the most beautiful sunset through the tall windows in this soaring room. Another special, lucky moment. Our cup runneth over.

So after another night in our "quaint" cabin, we reluctantly headed away from the North Rim. The great majority of visitors to the Grand Canyon never come to this side. It is more remote, but that made it more appealing to me. It's a wonderful, special place with a completely different atmosphere (we would find) than the South Rim. The North Rim access and facilities would close the day after, for the season. But the South Rim stays open year 'round … and that was our next stop.

To the Grand Canyon - South Rim >