Day 9: 06/26/10 Weekend Wonders Pt I

USPS still hasn’t come through.

Rode my bike through a herd of juvenile elk and Russian tourists on the Greenway as I made my way to the South Rim for a read in the shade. The trick is to find a ledge that goes off the Rim trail for a ways since most people will not diverge from the trail. I had a few folks wander in (one on his cell phone talking real estate) but they were respectful of my space and view.

Returned to the trailer for more reading and fell asleep in the “easy chair.” If only it had a foot rest. It is rather small as far as easy chairs go so one gets somewhat folded up in the thing. Finished Desert Solitaire. Abbey had me riveted through several accounts including the story about Charles Graham and Albert Husk—uranium prospecting and murder, where Abbey and a companion explore Glen Canyon (prior to it becoming flooded by the Dam), Abbey and yet another buddy do “The Maze,” his attempt to capture the moon-eyed horse, and when Abbey goes a little bit nuts during his stay in Havasu Canyon.

I drove out Desert View Rd to the Watchtower, (cautiously circumventing poorly parked tourists out capturing more elk with their telephoto lenses) which was still partially under renovation, but afforded spectacular architecture and views nonetheless. It was the furthest east I had been and offered an opportunity to see some of the same buttes and plateaus from different angles. The inside of the Watchtower is magical. Mary Colter had Hopi artists recreate petroglyphs and murals on the walls using colored sand and traditional dyes.

While watching the sunset at Lipan Point I saw my first lizard (a small one—no Gila monsters) and endured a large family from India capturing the moment on camcorder while the children squabbled over the prettiest pebbles, some of them lobbed over the side of the canyon. I kept hoping this rather forward raven would swoop in and scare them (the children) back to the car, but no such luck. Ahh, sharing primitive moments with the masses, nothing like it.