Widforss Trail

Nancy and I woke up early - so what else is new? - dressed and headed for the breakfast line. Nancy was really feeling the effects of the dry climate - she said she woke up in the middle of the night barely able to swallow, her tongue so dry and swollen. I could feel the dryness but wasn't having the same problem. We ended up eating with Bill - the breakfast buffet was good and filling. With some time ahead of us, Nancy and I walked down the rim trail until we found a bench and sat gazing at the Canyon in silence for half an hour. I can hardly describe how exquisite it felt to sit there with my best friend and look upon this huge, majestic beauty, knowing we were actually going to walk from one rim to the other. A couple stopped to admire the view and we asked them to take our picture. Reluctantly we ambled back - as we neared the Lodge, we stopped near a small bridge where we saw two baby chipmunks - siblings - wrestling under the watchful eye of their mom. They ignored us and we walked right by them as they played. So cute.

Afterward, we geared up and loaded into the van for a short drive to the Widforss Trail. What a beautiful trail - 10 miles round trip - and such a variety of flora and fauna that I was almost in overwhelm from the wonder of it. We started off crawling down the trail - at least that's what the pace felt like. Mark was in the lead and he was moving so slowly I thought I was going to go crazy. Finally, after a short rest/picture stop, Nancy and I asked if we could go ahead and he said yes. Phew! What a relief! Nancy was going out of her mind - her patience with the pace even lower than mine. Heading out at our own pace was glorious - feeling the sun on my face, the warmth of the day, the strength in my legs. I was suffering from some pain on the outside of my right knee and had been for three or four days. I was worried how it would do. As I warmed up, the pain lessened, receding into the back of my mind.

I loved the forest - full of Ponderosa Pines, some very old, with bark that smelled like vanilla. And blue lupine - a shorter version than the ones we see in the east - tons of them. Our eastern forests are so dense - this western forest was sparsely furnished - low dry grasses, wild flowers, short bushes, and empty space dotted by Ponderosa Pines. Very cool. The trail followed the rim of a canyon called the Transept, a north rim tributary that flows into the Bright Angel Canyon we were going to hike the next day. At one point we stopped to take pictures and saw folks edging their way out onto a point of rock that was about ten feet wide at its widest and about 30 feet from the edge, with sides that went straight down for 800 feet. We stood in line as folks crawled out as far as their fear would let them before turning and smiling into the camera. When it was our turn, I went first, and although I do not like heights and can sometimes be completely undone by fear, walked out to the end where Nancy and I posed for our picture. Eventually the trail turned into the forest - again I loved it - so different from home - new bird sounds, new flowers, new trees - it felt great to be alive and exactly where I was.

We reached the point at the end of the Widforss Trail, took more pictures, and sat for a while, soaking it in. The view was magnificent. Meanwhile Bill and Mark prepared a delicious lunch - tabouli, chips and different hummus dips, a variety of breads and meats and cheeses, olives, and topped off with Fig Newtons. Nancy and I had thought to bring our sandals, having heard that it's important to take our boots off every time we have the chance. Bliss. After lunch, we cleaned up and headed back. Once again, Nancy and I were in the lead. Halfway back, Chris and Jenn joined us and thus was formed the A Team - we were compatible hikers in terms of speed and humor. Jenn is a young mother of three small children and Chris a software engineer, the more introverted of the two. Jenn is outgoing and optimistic, full of fun and energy. We liked them immediately and traded the lead from then on.

We reached the trailhead at 3:30pm and rued the fact that we had not asked for the van keys since inside the trailer sat a cooler full of cold drinks. We waited for maybe 35 minutes before the group joined us. The trailer was opened and cold drinks passed around - Diet Pepsi for me and a diet peach Snapple iced tea for Nancy. Bliss. Someone then noticed 4 Mule deer at the other end of the parking lot - they were so unafraid, munching on the grass, allowing us to get close and take pictures. They looked similar to our White Tailed Deer, only they had a small tail, not very white, and big mule-like ears. All four were does. So beautiful. Eventually the novelty wore off and we packed ourselves into the van for the short trip back to our cabins. We showered and walked to the Lodge to make a phone call home, check out the gift shop, and sit on the deck in a rare vacant chair.

At 6:30 we met at the van and drove down the road to a picnic area where Mark was busy preparing our BBQ dinner. Chicken in teriyaki marinade, salmon, fresh asparagus, and Portobello mushrooms. I was feeling a little standoffish, unwilling to mingle with the group, tired and feeling like I didn't fit in. That is such a tiresome place to be emotionally - that not fitting in place - but I stuck it out and no one but Nancy noticed anything untoward. Relief to get back to the cabin, pack up and go to bed.