Just a Big Hole in the Ground

People always talk about how awesome the Grand Canyon is and I was always like “yeah sure, a big hole in the ground…ok”. It was truly the prettiest thing I have ever seen! It was so cool to see the different plants and animals that live there!

We camped off of a forestry access road in complete seclusion on some BLM land. We didn’t have to worry about noise or neighbors and we camped for free! Even though there was no bathroom (except for the pit toilets we had to dig), it was still worth it!

Elk wandered through our campsite early morning and woke my Mom up early grunting and honking right outside our tents.

Our camp setup was a little different this time since we knew we’d stay for a couple of days. We set up a canopy and attached two smaller tents to the sides. Jack and Colby camped in their enos hanging from two giant Ponderosa Pines.

Cool tip about those beautiful Ponderosa Pine trees….

Find the sunny side, where the bark has been warmed and lean in for a big sniff! They smell DELICIOUS! I’m sure they’re not, but they smell really good! They have a butterscotch or vanilla smell. We thought they smelled a lot like cream soda. It was kind of addictive and after we learned the tip from a park ranger we spent a lot of time looking like weirdos with our noses glued to the trees.

When we weren’t sniffing trees, the boys whittled walking sticks.

Here, Jack demonstrates how to climb into a high placed eno.

We later hiked Horseshoe Bend which is a spot where the Colorado River curves around and makes a horseshoe shape.

We found a beautiful secluded spot to watch the sunset right off of a backcountry hiking trial on the South Rim. It was too beautiful for words! I guess pictures sometimes express more than words, so please enjoy these collages and I’ll wrap up by saying that I loved the Grand Canyon and really hope I get to go back someday.