Biking the Grand Canyon ... Not The Best Idea!!

Energized by a beautiful sunrise at 5:00 this morning, I decide on a little exercise today.  Yes, this is real.  It looked like fire!!!!

I brought my bike with me this trip, a Giant off-road species with disk brakes!!!  Should be a breeze riding up to Hermits Rest and back.  Before I take off, I get specific instructions from bus driver Dan on how to load my bike on the bus for the trip to the beginning of the bike path.  I choose this method because I know the first mile is ALL steep uphill!!  It's a great path and easy riding ... that is except for the hills which I seem to have forgotten from last year.

I started out at Monument Creek Vista ... all along the way are vista points where you can get gorgeous images.  Signs state "No Bikes" at these stops  ... you can literally ride right off the cliff if you aren't careful!!  This route has one of the best views of the Colorado River.

This shows a good example of how the river made this canyon.  The dirt, sand and rocks washed into the river by the rains, flow down the river turning it dirty brown ... and that's what is grinding the canyon even deeper.

By now, it's past lunch time and my water bottle is on the table in the RV.  Huff puff huff puff!!!!  Gee ... I REALLY don't remember this being all uphill on the way back!!  I have 27 speeds, but am only using about 3 ... okay, I'm walking.  This wasn't exactly my best idea.  I blame it on the off-road bike (bigger tires), not enough air in the tires, no water and I'm exhausted.  After several rest stops, I finally hit the downhill back to the bus stop.  Only another mile and I'll be home!!  I finally make it to the Market where Patty was working, crawl through the door and beg for a pepsi!!!!   Least I can say I did it!!

The next evening, I wanted to try some night photography.  What better place than the Watchtower at Desert View.  This was taken about 6:30 ... just before the sun went down.

The sun setting on these rocks really brings out the color.  I'm perched on a small outcropping at the very edge with a death grip on my camera.  You know how you can feel dizzy at the edge of an overhang??

Didn't matter though, because I just couldn't stop taking pictures.  I LOVE this place!!!

So now the sun has gone down and it's dark.  I mean really really dark.  I wanted to take some images of the Watchtower with stars in the sky.  Tripod out, camera ready ... did I mention how dark it was??  This was taken with a 45 second exposure.

Bats are flying everywhere and lightning is flashing in the background.  I got none of it.  If I enlarge this image enough, I can see maybe 3 stars ... but now it's so spooky out there, I'm too nervous to stay.  I have a flashlight ... it's not big enough.  I make a mad dash for the car, but turn down the wrong path.  By the time I finally FIND the car, there are only two in the parking lot along with a couple of scary looking guys.  Okay, Patty was right ... next time she goes with me!!!