Bright Angel Trail and a Last Look (Post # 49)

August 9

The weather was perfect for a hike this morning as we started down Bright Angel Trail.

 We had to wait for these guys to head down the trail ahead of us.  And, yes, we had a lot of side stepping to do as we descended!

Here we go!

 The sun was just coming up above the mountain.

 It's a long way down!

When we're hiking, we always remember to stop and look at the beauty around us and not just the trail ahead of us.

Our goal is in sight!  The first rest stop which is a mile and a half down.

  Time for a snack and restroom break.

 Yes!  I am hot and tired!

This little fellow was talking to us!

 We made it!  One and a half miles down and one and a half miles back UP!  After our hike we went back to the RV, took showers, had lunch, and rested a while.  Then we took the shuttle back to the rim intending to hike the rim trail for a couple of miles.  As we started on the trail, we saw the dark clouds beginning to roll in.  Not far down the trail it started thundering and lightning.  We knew there were no shelters on this section of the rim trail, so we made a wise decision to turn around and go back.  We didn't quite make it back to shelter before it started raining, but we soon found some shelter and waited it out for a bit.  From the picture below it looks like the rain might have helped the fire situation, thankfully.

Sunset

We decided that since our hike was cut short we would go down to the El Tovar Lodge and get an appetizer and maybe a dessert at their restaurant.  Both were very delicious, especially the Chocolate Moose!  The El Tovar is famous for their desserts!  On one of our trips here we stayed at the lodge overnight and had breakfast at their restaurant.  Their French toast is absolutely amazing, too.  Now, every time I have French toast, I always have to rate it in comparison to the El Tovar's.  None have been able to compare so far.  We took the shuttle back to the RV park and turned in early for our drive to Tucson in the morning.  We had hoped to sit outside and watch the stars like we did last night, but the clouds were still hanging over us, so they weren't visible. Tomorrow is a special day!  We get to see Tim and his family!