Kilted @ THE Kanyon

[Retro Red]

Whew, finally got around to downloading the pics I took last week up at the Grand Canyon. We had a Japanese guest staying with us & she wanted to see the canyon. It had been a few years since my last visit, so this was the first time for me to go kilted there.

My wife & I & our guest went up the day after the last major winter storm passed through, so there was still some snow there. It was pretty nippy in the morning, too, about 14ºF (-10ºC), but being a clear, sunny day, it warmed up nicely to the mid-50s (~12.75C). I wore my military box-pleat Black Watch tank & was very comfortable.

As it was Spring Break, there were a number of families with children there. I had several opportunities to respond to overheard questions of "Daddy, why is that man wearing a skirt/dress?" I also got several positive comments, but mostly just a lot of astonished looks. Obviously, kilts are still a novelty at the Grand Canyon.

We did a lot of hiking along the rim trail, from the Bright Angel Lodge to Mather Point. Then we took the shuttle over to Yaki Point, hiked back to the Kaibab trailhead, then took the shuttle over to Hopi Point to catch the sunset.

I took lots of pics & there's just such amazing scenery almost everywhere you turn there, it was hard for me to whittle the pics down to just a few, so instead of posting individual pics, I'm posting slideshows, plus the 4 panoramic pics I took.

Every visit I've had to the Canyon, there's been some kind of wildlife encounter, & this time I had the special privilege of seeing a couple of California Condors; you'll see 3 pics of them in the first slideshow. Also had a close encounter with a bull elk, - I was on the shuttle on my way back to Hopi Point with the jackets my wife & our guest had left in the car & the bull elk was at the side of the road munching on a bush not more than 15 feet (4.5 meters) away but I wasn't able to get a picture because I'd left my camera with my wife. I knew elk were kind of big, but not that big!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the show...

To view the slideshow, just click on the pic, below, & I'd recommend clicking on the "full size" button once you're there which will display the pics at 100% rather than 80%. Since everything at the Canyon is on a "grand" scale, the bigger the pic, the better to appreciate all the detail. If you move your cursor toward the lower right-hand corner there are buttons to control the slideshow.

slideshow1



slideshow2



slideshow3



Panoramic pics work well to give some idea of the immense size the Grand Canyon & even then you only capture a small part of the place!

panorama1



panorama2



panorama3



panorama4



That's all, folks!
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[Livingston]

Reminds me of the trip my wife and I took there a couple years ago. The only way to accuratly describe what you see there is "WOW!" Anything else just seems not to be enough. We were not as lucky on the animals but since my parents live outside of Rocky Mountain NP, we get to see the elk often and have 2 antlers at home from their yard. Great pics RR and thanks for refreshing the memories.

[Finn]

Wow! Thanks for sharing!

[Dirk Skene]

Those pix took my breath away & made me a little dizzy. I have never been there in person. Thanks for the vertual tour. It was very beautiful.

[The Wizard of BC]

Do you see that little bunny? Right there in the third panorama photo, just left of center on the opposite side. Very cute. And look, he has one blue eye and one brown eye.

[Galician]

Wow! Yeah, thanks for sharing. I've seen the GC from the air several times, but never on the ground.

And you certainly make going kilted look cool!

[Retro Red]

Do you see that little bunny? Right there in the third panorama photo, just left of center on the opposite side. Very cute. And look, he has one blue eye and one brown eye.

Bartender, I'll have whatever he's drinking! int:

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[BoldHighlander]

Great photos Retro Red, thanks for posting

You know, back in the summer of 1970 my family took a driving/camping trip thru all the western states (except Nevada). In Arizona we stopped in at the Painted Desert & some Indian ruins and over at the Petrified Forest, but I'll never forgive my ol' man for not taking us to see the Grand Canyon (he was in too much of a hurry for some reason).

Maybe one of these days if I ever make it back that way....(sigh)

[Riverkilt]

Jeez Red,

Sneak into my back yard and don't say anything!!

Hey, wear your kilt to the North Rim once it opens (mid May I think) and people will ask you if you're the piper. Seems there's a piper at the North Rim who pipes the sun down in the evening.

And for sure elk are big...and delicious! Seeing the condors is a special treat. Have been roaming the canyonlands for seven years now and have only had one sighting of three flying together up Glen Canyon to the damn dam, then looping around and gliding back...amazing creatures.

Next time hollar up. We even have a Sushi Bar in Page...

Ron

[Prester John]

SOoooooooo

Where's the kilt?