How many times can it "Thundersleet"?

Evening, Campers! It's Silver Cliche' here again with you. Once again from the North Rim Campground in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

So... the Grand Canyon... The Grand Canyon. I was up before the chickens again. This time for three reasons 1.) Last night was our coldest night so far with no power and I was concerned whether the trailer batteries would carry us safely through the night 2. ) the sun was coming up and I was wanting to get some primo canyon pics at sunrise and 3.) I could hear the teeth chattering sounds from the tent campers all around us. I was afraid they were rounding up torches and pitchforks to use in an assault on our Airstream. Once I was awake I learned 1.) no worries, plenty of battery left 2.) maybe enough sun to warrant the drive/hike to the vantage point and 3.) the tent campers were immobilized by the cold and chattering in place... We were safe.

So I made up the coffee, read the WSJ (thanks, Verizon for giving us 4G LTE service almost everywhere we go!) then headed to watch the sun rise. The canyon itself was right where we left it yesterday afternoon and ready to be photographed. The sun, not so much. I'm not disappointed in what I got. I am disappointed at what I didn't get... endless postcard-worthy Canyon shots in perfect morning light. In places like this, patience and experience produce the award winning shots. At Mesa Verde, we met a professional landscape and outdoors photographer. We were on our fourth photo stop in under an hour (most of the photos of ruins I shared with you were taken in that hour). He was set up with his Nikon on a tripod focused on one of the lesser known ruins waiting for the perfect light. It looked like he had been there for hours. It also looked like he was only half finished with the job (that's an estimate based on absolutely no sign that work was being done and an extrapolation of how long it would take to finish a job of undetermined size when no effort is being applied). We chatted it up for about 10 minutes. He gave me a copy of the 2016 version of his annual calendar (eye popping pics) and we left. Here, take a look at some of his pics of this part of the country: http://turville-photo.com/portfolio.html So, when you know the area, take time and persevere, you get what Dennis produces. However, when you have one day to walk to the tourist lookout and pop a few pics, you can still get this:

Which was taken from here:

I should have read all of the clauses of my life insurance policy before we left. I'm guessing that Section R., Clause XXI says: "This policy shall be deemed cancelled at any point when the insured walks on a concrete protuberance over a gaping precipice when such protuberance reasonably might have been constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and apparently left unmaintained since its initial use".  Oh well, I'm still here and that was the best light, and therefore the best pic, of the day.

I walked out to Bright Angel Point. I think that name may be a pun... Or an oxymoron. Let me tell you why I think that. The trail to Bright Angel is paved, but narrow -- about four feet wide-- and in many areas there is a border of low, whitish rocks placed precisely so that people with bi-focals either can't see them, or perceive them to be part of the background landscape (don't ask me how I know that). Beyond the rocks is frequently... nothing but air for 100' feet or more. Occasionally there are rock outcroppings next to the trail or even taller rocks that people who have not yet seen enough stuff go horribly and unexpectedly wrong in their lives climb on. Beyond those things is... nothing but air. Here are a few pics along the trail:

 

So, the oxymoron in "Bright Angel" is that the bright sightseers don't become angels along that trail, while the foolish just might.

The Grand Canyon does not disappoint even in sub-par lighting conditions. Here are a few more shots. The last one is on the side of the trail away from the canyon. If you will, it's the "B side" of the record. It still comes through. Kind of like The Beatles "I saw her standing there":

 

 

 

 

So we chilled around the North Rim all day. Had lunch in the main dining room at the Lodge with its big windows looking at the canyon. Did a little shopping at the North Rim gift shop. No, we didn't get you anything. The order for shopping is 1.) grandchildren absolutely 2.) children maybe, but probably not and 3.) forget about it.

As we headed back to the trailer it started sleeting. Regardless of what any locals might have said, I can honestly say of the 3:00 hour at the North Rim "it always sleets here then... 100% of the time" based on our two afternoons here. Oh, and it thundered, too... yes... "Thundersleet".

I looks like tomorrow will be cold and rainy. Today's high was 54 and its forecast to be 42 overnight. I'm thinking tomorrow will be even less "Floridian friendly" than today. We have our house on wheels. Although we are scheduled to be here one more night, maybe we'll roll to lower ground (lower = warmer to the constant ratio of 4 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet of elevation). So, if we could head from 8,000 feet where we are camped now to, let's say, 5,000 feet we can turn the mid 50s into something close to 70 and start enjoying the west again.

Until then!

SC'