Up a little earlier today to catch the train up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Overnight my cunning new plan with respect to the water situation worked; I switched on the heated cable on the hosepipe and did nothing else. I must learn not to over think theses things and just apply the K.I.S.S. principle.
The theme for the whole day, at least while were traveling on the train was light hearted humour. This started just outside the station where there was a mock Western town setup to host a “gunfight”.
Build Up to the Gunfight!
After the excitement of the gunfight we walked onto the platform and found our carriage. We were traveling Northbound in a Pullman Car, and would return in a Coach Car. There were also some First Class carriages with armchairs and observation windows, but the cost was a little extreme! I always thought that Pullman cars were a step up from Coach, but it seems the opposite is true, at least cost wise.
Car Attendant(a Biology PhD)
Restored 1923 Pullman Car
Entertainment
The trip up took us through ponderosa forests, high desert and pine forests. Before we reach the canyon, here is some trivia:
- Length in air miles: 190
- Length in river miles: 277
- Minimum width: 600 feet at Marble Canyon
- Maximum width: 18 miles
- Average width: 10 miles
- Average depth of Canyon: 1 mile / 5280 feet
- Minimum width of Colorado River: 76 feet
- Average width of Colorado River: 300 feet
- Maximum depth of river: 85 feet
- Average depth of river: 40 feet
- Number of rapids: 160
- River average gradient: 8 feet per mile
I had some idea of what we would see when we reached the canyon, but what we actually saw was way more than I expected. It is almost impossible (for me) to describe, the sheer size was amazing.
As before the pictures will do most of the talking.
The Colorado River
In the picture above the river is about 300 feet wide and a mile below us, yet you can still see the rapids… must be pretty ferocious.
A Rare Sighting!
Hopi House
Hopi House, and a number of other buildings in or above the canyon were designed by a female architect, Mary Jane Colter between 1910 and 1935. This particular building was designed for the Hopi Indians as a place to sell their wares to early tourists.
We toured around the Southern Rim of the canyon on a free shuttle bus that runs as a Hop-on-Hop-off service. This service runs from March through October, and during those months no other vehicles are allowed access to the roads. The shuttles run every 10 minutes, and stop at a number of viewpoints and trail heads.
The return trip was (obviously) similar to the out bound, except this time we were in coach, which had slightly more comfortable seats than the Pullman.
Hotel at Grand Canyon Village
Early 1900’s Steam Engine
The Grand Canyon Railway has one operational steam engine that operates once a month in the summer. Although it has been converted to run on recycled vegetable oil, it is still deemed a source of pollution, hence it’s limited operation.
First / Observation Cars
Carriages for the Financially Challenged.
The Power Horses
On the way home the train was stopped / boarded and “robbed” by a gang of thieves who arrived on horseback!
Overall, a fantastic experience, and as the title suggests you have to be their to believe it. Tomorrow we are heading back up there by car to see the bits we missed today. Hopefully I won’t inundate you with as many photos.
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