Originally published in D Magazine, December 2000
It was 6 p.m. and already below freezing. The sun was about to set and a long day's worth of driving from Amarillo through the mid-February chill had gotten us to a place that could only charitably be described as the middle of nowhere. We were smack-dab in the middle of northern Arizona, miles from the nearest building, person or water source.
The pinyon pine and juniper woodland typical of this bump in the earth known as the Coconino Plateau1 surrounded us on all sides. We were alone in a tunnel of trees, traveling fast along a thin slab of asphalt that curved back and forth, following the slight rises and depressions of an area that is only slightly less flat than the western regions of Texas.
A few miles and minutes pass and the sun is gone. Except for the immediate area illuminated by our headlights, the world around us has gone completely black. There is absolutely nothing to see. We are following the dotted white line by faith alone.
Another few minutes and the small town of Tusayan comes into view and fades just as quickly. We find ourselves back inside the night until the south entrance of Grand Canyon National Park appears before us. We approach a set of gates which during the height of tourist season can be as full as the entrance ramp to Disneyland. A sign asks us to go on through, ignoring the recently raised $20 per car entrance fee as the attendants have all gone home. We do so gladly. We move through a little more forest and finally up on the right we see our destination, the dimly outlined silhouette of the El Tovar, which is, according to David and Kay Scott, authors of "The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges", one of the finest places to stay in the entire National Park system.3
The El Tovar is the quintessential National Park lodge. It was built to blend in, not compete, with its surroundings. It was designed with strong, low, horizontal lines, its walls assembled with body-sized boulders and shored up with rough-hewn timbers. Its architect, Charles Whittlesey, created a building in 1905 that presaged the so-called National Park "Rustic style", a type of architecture that drew on native materials and attempted to harmonize with and reflect on its surroundings.
As you enter the building itself you notice that the rustic theme is carried on throughout the interior - the walls and ceilings are log cabin-style, the interiors are dark and calm. Bruce Brossman, the director of sales and marketing for Grand Canyon National Park Lodges describes the spirit of the place as "elegant, quiet, peaceful -- not the type of hotel to go to for activities, but a place to relax." Guests walk slowly through the lobby, needing to get nowhere fast. Small groups carry on quiet conversation in the sitting room in front of the roaring fire. The building begins to work its magic on me. Stress becomes a dim memory. I absorb the relaxed atmosphere like a sponge.
I look through the large windows of the sitting room but can see only my own reflection. The canyon itself is supposed to be just beyond the glass, the El Tovar being perched on the knife's edge of the South Rim, but I can see nothing but pitch dark.
A hundred years ago I would have been exhausted. Getting to the point where I found myself the next morning - the center of Grand Canyon Village on which the El Tovar borders - would have been quite a daunting task. Early tourists had to really want to come here. Catching the stagecoach would have cost you 20 bucks and taken up an entire day to travel the 70 miles from Flagstaff. (An alternative would have been to join the Coconino Cycling Club, a group of men that made an annual bicycle run to the rim of the canyon. This group was short-lived, only completing four trips, the mountain biking craze still about 60 years off.)
Mining this area had been tried early on but it was quickly determined that tourism was where the real money was to be made. And tourism has defined the shape of what used to be called Grand Canyon City ever since. The earliest accommodations were at the Bright Angel Camp, which began construction in 1903, but the El Tovar, astonishing for the amount of luxury it offered in this forbidding desert area and completed in 1905, wasn't far behind.
During these early years claims were staked and buildings were erected haphazardly - multiple groups vied with each other for tourist dollars. But as soon as the area came under the single ownership of the U.S. and gained National Park status, the need for more careful planning became evident. The central goal of the recently created National Park Service was to manage the spectacular landscapes given under their care and "leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations"8. But at a time when Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" wasn't even a gleam in that conservationist's eye, "unimpaired" meant, simply, "don't spoil the view".
To this end Grand Canyon Village was planned and constructed as, quite simply, a work of art. Each individual part had to contribute to the effect of the whole and the whole, like the El Tovar before it, had to measure up to the incredibly high standard of the surrounding landscape, carefully fitting in and complementing, not competing with, the area's natural beauty.
One of the ways the landscape architects went about assuring this was to construct buildings that used native materials - colors and shapes would then automatically match their surroundings. The Grand Canyon administration building is a perfect example of this. Looking at its facade you notice that it fits in perfectly - the Kaibab limestone used for its outer walls was purposefully cut rough and random to reflect the layers of rocks you see when you look into the Grand Canyon itself. The upper level, covered with darkly stained wood, matches the color of the surrounding forest. (However, it is truly a facade - the rocks and timbers are only for looks. Surprisingly, none of them bear any structural load.)
This building, created by the renowned architect Daniel Hull, was one of the first of its kind, and began the establishment of the "Rustic Style" of National Park architecture. Its growing influence caught the attention of other park architects, and has eventually become the defining style throughout the entire National Park system.
But enough of what man had made. I was ready to see what God had done, and experience first hand the reason approximately five million people from all around the world visited the area last year. I wanted to see the Grand Canyon itself.
Hiking is what this place is really about. And trails are available here spanning difficulty levels from wheelchair accessible to some of the most grueling in the world. A good place to warm up your hiking legs would be the South Rim trail. This is the place to go if you want the most scenery in the least amount of time with the least physical strain. It is perfectly flat, and the eastern third of it is paved. It has a total length of 9.5 miles, but it closely follows the West Rim Drive where, during the summer months, you can catch the free shuttle bus if you run out of juice. (And during the summer, that's an easy thing to do. Make sure to bring a sufficient supply of water, as over-heating in the desert sun - it can get above 100 in the middle of July - is a real possibility.)
(Travel hint: plan your Grand Canyon trip for the middle of winter like I did. In mid-February the temperature during the day is in the 40-degree range and doesn't usually get below 20 at night. Most people don't realize how livable the Canyon is during this season and stay away. Don't make the same mistake. It's a truly incredible experience to feel like you have the entire Grand Canyon to yourself. National Parks are best experienced in solitude, which can be found even in the height of the tourist season. More on that in a moment.)
The South Rim trail has plenty to offer. Walking east from its connection to the El Tovar you should make a stop at the Kolb Studio. Emery and Ellsworth Kolb began a photography business11 here and became the first to make a motion picture of an entire Colorado River rafting trip. Your hike will also take you past many so-called "points" - areas where the rim juts out to its furthest extremes over the canyon. Pima Point, near the western terminus of the trail, will allow you a good view of the Colorado River frothing into the Hermit Rapids whitewater just about a mile below you.
Just to the west of the Kolb studio is the beginning of the Bright Angel Trail, one of the so-called "corridor trails" - pedestrian thoroughfares that are actively maintained by the Park Service. You can use this trail to test your mettle - walking even a few miles on it will give you an excellent idea of what it would take to backpack this rugged terrain. (Just keep this rule of thumb in mind - owing to the steepness of the trail, it will take you twice as long to climb back up the trails as it did to walk down. And again, bring enough water. The recommended average is a gallon per person per day.)
The trail was actually created long ago by beings wiser than mere mortals - it follows paths decided upon by the ancestors of the big horn sheep that currently populate the area. As you step off onto the trail you leave civilization behind and begin to be immersed in the Canyon itself. A person standing on its rim simply cannot understand what it's like to actually be down here - on one side you are blocked by walls so steep and tall you could never hope to climb them and on the other you are left unprotected by the shear depth of the notch the Colorado River has torn. This odd combination of boundaries and no boundaries has its effect on you, causing simultaneous nervousness and contentment, moving you with a thrilled peace. Walking through the canyon itself brings to you the realization of why it has attracted the attention and fired the imagination of so many throughout the years.
In the summer, however, during the middle of tourist season, this trail is often jam-packed. If you find that to be the case there are better places to experience what the Grand Canyon has to offer.
When I asked the ranger behind the information counter how to get to Shoshone Point, he replied, half-jokingly, "Oh, that's a secret!" This unmarked trail is not on any of the official park maps, not often found by the casual tourist, and will therefore afford the adventurous hiker all the solitude he or she could want. To get to it drive east on the East Rim Drive. Eventually you'll see a sign that marks the turnoff to Yaki Point. Keep going 1.25 miles and you'll see a small parking area nestled below some trees. The trail that leads from this parking area is easy to find and after a mile or so of mild terrain you will suddenly pop out of the woods, with the entire Canyon spread out beneath you. Be brave and follow the trail all the way out to the point, the place marked by the large white balancing rock, and leave the crowds and civilization and its discontents completely behind.
It's been a long day. Night again covers the area completely and I retreat back to the El Tovar. I fill myself with food from the excellent restaurant, wander through the gift shop, and end up back before the great fireplace in one of the sitting room's well-used chairs. The picture windows are still black but I've lost last night's sense of emptiness. I know what's out there now, can feel, even from here, that hole in the ground I'm perched on the edge of. I lean back in the chair, close my eyes, and contentedly fall asleep. The other guests notice, understand, and walk quietly around me.
WHERE TO STAY
El Tovar Lodge - P.O. Box 699 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023,
303-297-2757; $114-$279 The El Tovar is the only lodge in the park with concierge and room service. The best canyon view suites should be booked a year in advance.
Bright Angel Lodge - PO Box 699 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
303-297-2757; $70 More rustic than the El Tovar, but still very nice.
WHERE TO EAT
El Tovar Dining Room - El Tovar, 520-638-2631
Their Culinary Institute of America trained chef has just unveiled a new menu including dishes such as Trio of Buttermilk, Blue Cornmeal and Buckwheat Pancakes with Honey Pistachio Butter for breakfast and Fresh Atlantic Salmon with Red Bell Pepper Marmalade for dinner. Not bad after a day in the wilderness.
Arizona Steakhouse
The place to eat after a hard day on the trail. It offers steak, chicken, pork and seafood as well as a selection of wines and beers.
WHAT TO BRING
Hiking boots, sunscreen, water.
WHEN TO GO
Be brave and try traveling here in the winter. The crowds are gone and you have the place to yourself. As a compromise, autumn is also a great time to come. The crowds have substantially diminished, but the weather is still generally excellent.
FOR FURTHER READING
The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges, by David L. Scott & Kay W. Scott
A husband and wife team tells you everything you want to know about the National Park Lodges from cost to which are haunted.
Grand Canyon National Park, by Jeremy Schmidt
A very readable, but complete guide to the flora, fauna and geology of the park.
Grand Canyon Treks I-III, by Harvey Butchart
The quintessential guide to trekking in the Grand Canyon. The patron saint of Grand Canyon hikers, Mr. Butchart gives beautifully no-nonsense descriptions of the best places to hike.
