The Epic Journey ended with a visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This visit is a perfect example of our definition of an adventure – Things don’t always go well. It’s all part of the adventure.
Halfway View
The trip to the North Rim Tuesday morning was mysterious and wonderful. It was mysterious because we were never quite sure we were on the right road. There were plenty of indications we were doing the right thing, but we expected to see a lot more signage than we saw. And we experienced a lot less traffic than we expected when approaching such a well-known site. As it happened, we were on the right road all along. The wonderful part was a continuation of the amazing landscapes. The picture shows a panoramic view about an hour from Pipe Spring, and half way to the North Rim. After we decided to stop, we also saw there were toilets, which made the rest of the ride much more comfortable.
Our view of the North Rim
By the time we arrived at the North Rim, rain had set in. I heard the rain was caused by hurricane Paine. We spent some time at the ranger station psyching out trails and viewpoints. By the time we were through with that, fog had set in. The entire day was spent inside the lodge common areas looking for a place to sit and for something to do while we waited out the weather. The lodge had every room reserved. Many of us were waiting until the rooms were available for us to check in. The ranger presentations had record-high attendance. The geologist, who has been doing this for 4 years, said this was the first time he was obliged to do his presentation indoors.
Clearest view all day
Danita had been experiencing some difficulty with one leg. She had pain starting in her hip that occasionally went all the way down to her foot. She was taking it easy and taking Aleve. For no apparent reason, after the geology presentation, she experienced extreme pain in her knee, to the point that she had difficulty walking even with a walking stick on one side and me on the other. We ended up requesting a golf cart to take us the short walk from our cabin to the common areas so we could have dinner.
When we woke up Wednesday morning, the weather was much better. It was still cloudy, but there was no rain and the fog was gone. However, Danita was still having so much difficulty that she couldn’t walk from our cabin to get a quick glance of the Grand Canyon. We confirmed our intention to leave very early in the morning so we could get to the hospital in Kanab before 9 and get some medical help. (Kanab is 2 hours from the North Rim and half an hour from Pipe Spring. It has the closest hospital to Pipe Spring.) Their doctor examined Danita and they took some X-rays. Then they gave Danita a steroid shot. That’s all they could do in Kanab. They ordered an MRI in St. George, which we will get done Friday. In the meantime, Danita’s taking it easy but back on her feet.
I visited the more popular South Rim of the Grand Canyon on my first Epic Journey. Danita and I took the kids on a Western tour and visited the South Rim again. Both times we enjoyed excellent health, excellent weather, and amazing views. Based on my limited experience, I definitely recommend visiting the South Rim.