A Few Quiet Days at the Grand Canyon

Spent the first week of April 2007 out in Arizona. The drive itself was part of the experience, cutting through canyons with red rocks and juniper before we even got to the park. The weather was consistently clear and sunny, with a deep blue sky that made the landscape feel even bigger.

Arriving at the South Rim is always a bit of a shock. The scale of the Grand Canyon is something you can't really hold in your head, or even in a camera lens. We spent our time just walking along the rim trail, stopping at the various overlooks. The air was thin and dry, and the light was bright and direct for most of the day.

From the edge, you can see all the layers of rock distinctly, and the Colorado River is just a sliver at the very bottom. It was quiet, apart from the wind. There’s not much to do but stand and look. You try to process the sheer size of it all, but eventually the different viewpoints start to blend into one vast, silent space.