From Mather Point To Hermits Rest

Today was another excellent day. The temperatures at night are in the 40’s so we have yet to run the air conditioning. The morning air still has a fall-like crispness to it and the lack of humidity makes for some real comfortable sleeping. Our goal today was to hike the remaining portion of the western rim trail, from the village to Hermit’s Rest. The overall journey is over 7 miles one way and the trails go from paved and smooth to un-maintained and quite scary in places. Since we had already hiked from the village to a place called Trail View overlook, our plan was to catch a shuttle bus back out to the overlook, head west to Hermit’s Rest and then shuttle back to the village. We geared up and were headed for the shuttle bus when we came across a park ranger who offered up free some advice on how to best enjoy our hike. There is a 4 mile stretch of trail from Mohave Point to Pima Point that is nothing but forest. He said that the trail veers away from the canyon rim during this stretch and it kind of defeats the purpose of the hike. So we took his advice and decided to catch the shuttle from the south village to Pima Point and then hike from Pima to Hermit’s Rest. Then we would bus back to Mohave and hike the entire rim back to the village. This would add back the extra miles we lost buy excluding the section of wooded trail, while ensuring that we saw most everything of note along the way. When the bus dropped us off at Pima, we knew that it was going to be a far rougher go than what we had experienced to that point. We did not know how much rougher it would get but we were about to find out. After a brief trek through some trees and scrub we came to a fork in the road so to speak. Wanting to get great views of the canyon we took the path that headed towards the rim. This trail proved to be a true test of nerves for me. My wife and I could easily and enjoyably navigate the narrow trails and sheer drop offs with no problem. However with two young boys, whose overall coordination is questionable even on a flat sidewalk, I have to admit that my nerves could not take it. It did not feel safe to proceed along this trail with them, particularly my youngest. So we scaled some rocks and proceeded along a ridge overlooking the rim until such a point where the trail was wider and the margin of error was no longer non-existent. The remaining hike was awesome. We had some of the best views of the canyon, while the fairly rough terrain made the hike more interesting and more physically demanding. We came across dramatic overlooks, caught glimpses of the Colorado River and saw the remnants of an old uranium mine sitting precariously on the rim. It seems that at one point, the Grand Canyon was the richest source of uranium in the country. It has long been closed and the area is fenced off so you can’t get too close. The shuttle bus driver said that it has been closed ever since the National Park Service came into existence and that the NPS would not allow mining in any of its parks. Interestingly enough, while hiking past the old mine there appeared to have been recent activity going there with what seemed to be new mining materials stacked up along the site. One of those things that make you go Hmmm. After we finished our hike we proceeded directly to the Bright Angel Lodge for some ice cream, an adult beverage and some well deserved rest. The kids finished their Jr. Ranger books so we needed to head east to the Canyon View information center in order to get them sworn in and for them to receive their badges. We took the shuttle to Canyon View which is adjacent to Mather Point, one of the most famous overlooks in the park. The kids received their commissions, took possession of their badges and we departed Canyon View the proud parents of two Jr. Rangers. Getting our second wind, we decided to head out to Mather and hike back to the village, hitting the Yavapai Observation center on the way. This would be an additional three miles on top of the miles we already hiked earlier in the day. Everyone was up to the task and it was well worth the effort. The sun was setting over the canyon and the hues and colors of the canyon walls seemed to change with each step we took. It was as if we had the canyon to ourselves as there was hardly anyone on the trail at this hour. It certainly took extra effort but in the end it was well worth it. We got back to the RV feeling a sense of accomplishment. After a hot shower we grilled a few burgers and contemplated the agenda for tomorrow…our desent into the canyon itself.