Grand Canyon – Ooh Aah Point

When I looked down from the top of the South Kaibab Trailhead into the canyon, I saw the dusty trail ahead. Obviously, when you hike down into the canyon, you eventually have to hike back up. I was not looking forward to that hike back up. Nope, not in any way, shape, or form. I knew that it was not going to be easy. So, I chose not to think about that and just enjoy the views on the way down. Denial – it can be a beautiful thing – at least for a little while. **grin**

We took our time heading down the trail. The nice breeze that was blowing kept the temps from feeling too hot. Thankfully, we’re used to the high temps here, so that had conditioned us for higher heat than we were actually experiencing. Others weren’t so lucky as they were used to cooler temps. We took pictures and chatted while we walked.

When we made it to Ooh Aah Point, we decided to take a break, enjoy the view, and eat a snack.

We quickly decided that grandma would not like how close to the edge that we were standing. Even though she wasn’t here with us this time around, we could hear her cautioning voice. **grin** Don’t worry, grandma, we were careful.

After we rested for some a little while, we debated whether we should turn around or go ahead and continue on to the next point.

We eventually decided that we had gone far enough that day which ended up being a very wise decision.

We took turns snapping pictures with the sign and took a picture for another couple who had stopped to eat their picnic lunch before starting to make our way back up to the rim of the canyon.

One last look at the beauty of the canyon with a discussion of how the canyon was formed and the upward climb began.

Unfortunately, the climb back up was not a pleasant experience for me. The altitude combined with my asthma made for a very slow, painful climb. I had to focus on controlling my heart rate and breathing which meant that several stops were involved. Neither Daddy nor Munchkin minded the extra stops. Even though I was struggling, I did still manage to take a few pictures, but not nearly as many as on the way down. **wink**

By setting small goals and not focusing on the entire climb, we made it to the top. Boy was that a welcome sight. While I did not regret the hike, I was certainly thankful that we chose not to go down deeper into the canyon. I gratefully sat at a picnic table on the canyon rim and rested for a little while before we caught the bus back to the Grand Canyon welcome center where we parked. D’s knees and back held up, but he was feeling it by the end of the hike as well. We all were happy to rest for the remainder of the day.

Once back at the campground, you can see how one of our dogs became a grasshopper hunter.

More adventures for this trip:

Grand Canyon South Kaibab Trail

Exploring Williams Day One

Exploring Williams Day Two