Slickrock and Shadow

Saddle Canyon Waterfall and Chockstone Saddle Canyon is one of the best river hikes of the Grand Canyon.  Period.  The curve in the Colorado River allows an easy pull in for rafts.  The hike begins with a steady climb up an excellent trail.  Blooming brittlebush flowers were everywhere.  The beauty of Grand Canyon spring was on full display this year. Brittlebush flowers blooming in the Spring Trail higher up towards Saddle Canyon Gordon Smith in the flat plat of Saddle Canyon After the initial assent, the trail levels off for an easy saunter through the redwall canyon.  Photographically I found a few submerged stepping stones to be a colorful subject. Stepping Stones of Saddle Canyon The hike ends with a serpentine waterfall.  The thin silver strand of falling water made for a pleasant and satisfying end to this wonderful hike! Waterfall at the end of Saddle Canyon Gordon's hike rating: Hike Difficulty:   ...

Yoga in the Inner Sanctum of North Canyon, a river hike from the Grand Canyon North Canyon is the first river hike for many Grand Canyon trips because of beauty and its' isolation.  In the upper Grand Canyon there are not as many canyons to explore as the lower section.  North Canyon is a great introduction into the beautiful canyons to come.  One must climb significant rock rubble on creek left.  Nothing technical is required to reach the end but I hiked a full 30-45 minutes before reaching the end. A steep hike up the creek wall allows one to explore further up canyon. The reward at the end is an inner sanctum of molten sandstone that forms a natural bowl near its' terminus.  A tree grows in a room just before the water-filled end. Layers of Sandstone and small tanks of water in North Canyon, Grand Canyon A single tree in a natural shallow pocket within North Canyon Many photograph this location emphasizing reflections on the water's surface...

Mud Cracks and a Glowing Canyon Wall in Rider Canyon Rider Canyon is a short but lovely narrow canyon.  Most river trips pass by this gem but our group stopped for a quick exploration.  We hiked through a little mud and along a ledge before coming to the natural ending point.  I found the mud, water and glowing canyon walls to be the most photogenic elements.  Inverting my tripod allowed me an extra low angle to get this shot.