Upon arriving at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we saw the word "deli" on the way to the lodge. After getting our first views of the canyon's depths from the paths surrounding the lodge, we got big sandwiches (polish sausage for Chris, portabella mushroom for Lisa). We were just in time for a ranger-led geology seminar on the formation of the layers within the canyon.
We took the Cape Royal Road, stopping at the overlooks and taking some of the short hikes to views that didn't (but SHOULD have) had a fence at the edge of the canyon. We also took a path to an ancient Pueblo. It used to take the natives two days to walk from the rim to their farms next to the river, on the canyon floor.
At the end of the trail, we met a couple from Georgia that were kindred spirits to Lisa's parents. Very funny people and great accents! Unfortunately, the campground was full so we headed out of the park and camped at De Motte - just north of the rim.
Up early again - we took the long road around the canyon to Wupatki National Monument. The Pueblos were similar but better preserved than those at Hovenweep. We stopped at three sites to tour the ruins. Our favorite was the Wupatki Pueblo which was a sprawling fortress with a ball-field below.
Our next stop on the loop was Sunset Crater National Monument. It was the site of a massive volcanic eruption around the year 1050. The cinder created fertile soil for the people at Wupatki. We stopped at some overlooks and took pictures but thunder overhead kept us from getting on the trails.
We headed south-west to Sedona, Arizona - our base camp for the next week (thanks Ma & Pa)! We'll be spoiled with access to electricity and running water!
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