Day 11 - Definitely Grand and Definitely a Canyon

By Car - 83mi

By Foot/Paw/Other -  6.3mi

Car Entertainment - Just a short trip to and from the Grand Canyon.  An epic park called for an epic band.  The Beatles all day.

We all slept so well in our Under Canvas tent.  R&C loved it since the temp got down to about 55 degrees, and I loved it because it was cool enough for them to actually snuggle with me.

We did hear a pack of coyotes about 2AM, and I thought R&C would go apeshit, but they didn't make a peep.

Doesn't Charlie look refreshed and ready to tackle the Grand Canyon?!  Rhino...not just yet.

After an amazing breakfast from the restaurant here, we headed up to the Grand Canyon South Rim.  Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) 

Pups are allowed all along the upper rim and can walk on almost all of the paved paths up there.  We explored the eastern side of it today and will tackle the western side tomorrow.

Disclaimer on all landscape type pics:  I don't even know why I bothered to take them.  No camera of any kind can convey the unending vastness of the Grand Canyon.  So whatever you see here doesn't even come close to what it looks like or how it feels.

Here we are right at the start of our journey at Mather Point.

Then we walked along a timeline of the geological path making up the Grand Canyon.  There were items literally dating back more than 800 MILLION years!  

If Zion made me feel tiny, the Grand Canyon made me feel insignificant.  Not only in space, but in time as well.  The more I thought about it the more overwhelming it seemed.  Not to get all existential, but my existence is so minuscule in the universal timescale.  Not only my existence, but the whole human race and the world as we think we know it.  Humbling to think about puts a lot into perspective.

Along the way R&C were really curious but careful about exploring.  There NOT fences along most of the rim path!

Wonder what she is thinking at this moment.

Rhino was ready to get right up to the edge...but I wouldn't let him!

Again, what does she think about all this?

The lookout points were all very crowded!

R&C were like celebrities on the trail.  Everyone wanted to say hello and give them and ear or butt scratch.  They made friends with another Sheepadoodle headed to TN, two sweet girls from Romania and a Goldendoodle from Vancouver, Canda!

Charlie did her usual run to every piece of shade and lay down for a break.  

This time she also started digging up dirt to make it an even cooler place to lay.  Smart girl!! 

If you look closely you can see dirt all over both of them.

Rhino tried to copy her and finally figured it out!

It wasn't really that hot (about 82 degrees), but the sun was bright all day.  R&C were pretty hot and went through three Camelbacks worth of water.

After a very full day we headed back to camp.  Charlie took a nap under the water misters on the cow hide rug and Rhino hung out in the shower.

Then we headed out for some dinner and live music.  

Looking forward to another fun day tomorrow!