Today was the day we had been waiting for: our visit to the Grand Canyon! We met our guides at the Bright Angel Lodge and split into two groups: one half with Madeline and the other half with Moshe. Each group walked along the Rim Trail, which provided outstanding views of the canyon every few feet.
Here are some fun facts that we learned:
- Locals affectionately refer to the Grand Canyon as the "big ditch."
- The green colored rocks is actually a result of oxidized iron -- in other words, the rocks are actually rusting.
- The oldest layer of rock is almost 2 billion years old. The layers of the Grand Canyon are so old that many of them were not even formed where they are now; plate tectonics shifted them hundreds of miles from their origination point.
- There is evidence of people inhabiting the greater Grand Canyon region for over 13,000 years. Eleven different tribes can trace their ancestry there.
- Once nearly extinct, the condor (largest bird in North America) is now well populated in the Grand Canyon-- so much so that the park has hired "condor-scarers" whose job it is to ward off condors who get too close to people!
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| A raven (picture by Reid) |
After the Rim Trail, each group chose their own adventure. One group hiked into the canyon -- The Bright Angel Trail is about ten miles long, and we covered about one tenth of a mile. Our guide led the way to ensure that the trail conditions were manageable, but we had to very careful navigating the slush and snow. We hiked as far as the first tunnel and then turned back. Nevertheless, in just about a half hour, were able to get a sense of the scale, diversity, and majesty of the canyon.
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| A short hike into the canyon |
Meanwhile, the other group was able to get a personal tour of mules getting shoed. What is getting shoed, you ask? Garret the farrier explained that mules, like humans, need to protect their feet, especially the ones who carry cargo and people in and out of the canyon. He demonstrated how he shoes the mules, and compared the process to that of getting your nails clipped and adding an acrylic nail on top, so the mule doesn't feel any discomfort.
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| Shoe-ing mules |
After a short lunch & smoothie at a cafe, we exited the Grand Canyon to head back to Flagstaff. During a routine gas stop, one bus noticed a familiar face at an adjacent fuel pump: Will Ferrell, who appeared to be shooting a scene for a movie. The group was, understandably, starstruck-- and after a few minutes of staring, he not only acknowledged our presence but waved!
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| Celeb sighting |
We returned to the hotel for some brief down time before setting off for downtown Flagstaff, just a ten minute walk from our hotel. On our way, we stopped at the Code Talkers Monument, which bore much more significance to us after our visit to Tuba City yesterday. Once in Flagstaff, we gave students about an hour of free time to explore the shops. This city is so cute, walkable, and uncrowded!
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| Discovering the Code Talkers Monument just a few hundred feet from our hotel! |
At the bookstore in downtown flagstaff, one of the staff us a great recommendation for dinner: Cornish Pasty. She taught us how to pronounce the name (pasty, with an a as in apple) and said the meals were filling and seating with plentiful. How right she was! The pasty is something like a Calzone that originates from Cornwall, England. With tons of creative menu options and cool medeival ambience, this restaurant was perhaps the best one we've been to yet!
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| "Pilgrim" Pasty |
After dinner, we headed to a gelato/chocolate shop, where Courtney treated us all to scorpion-lollipops. In other words, these are lollipops which contained an embalmed scorpion. In a spirit of bravery, curiosity, and openness to new things, nearly everyone in the group decided to try it. Nothing worthwhile happens until we step outside our comfort zone!
Tomorrow, we head to Sedona, famous for its red rocks. We're hoping the weather holds, but no matter what - this group has proven themselves to be flexible and resilient. Cheers to a great day together, and cheers to another one tomorrow!
