Anyone who knows me knows that the Grand Canyon is at the top of my places to visit list.
It’s been a busy year for the family and me. Between working on my doctorate and all the responsibilities of school and ministry, I haven’t gotten much time out and about. But, when I get a chance to visit the Grand Canyon, I’m taking it. I love visiting the canyon. The cliffs and crags change all day long as the light dances across its edges. Pair that with the sheer size of the canyon, and it’s one of those magical places you have to visit. Theodore Roosevelt would agree.
Leave it as it is. You can not improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American if he can travel at all should see.
President Theodore Roosevelt
This particular visit came at the end of the year. The canyon rim sits at a higher elevation than my home in Colorado Springs, so even though it is a desert climate, it can get cold. However, evening was not so bad as we watched the setting sun’s light change the hues of the rocks in the canyon. As dusk settled, a vibrancy emerged from the walls as the different layers lent their color to the palette.
One thing that stands out to me about dusk at the Grand Canyon is the way the sky settles in winter. I’ve seen dusk in every season at the canyon, but winter seems to produce very vivid cool colors. When the purple sky starts to rise in the east, it is especially vivid, and the sky takes on a wonderful backdrop for the rocks below.
As I hiked back from Yaki Point, the clear sky started to reveal the stars, and it made me think about all the people who had walked there before me, before the canyon was a park, before America even was a country. What was their lives like? What was their experience with the canyon? This massive gash in the Earth’s crust standing as a testament to the power of water, but showcasing its majesty to anyone near it. I could only wonder about the power of the creative work of God at that point.
New Year’s Eve
We headed back toward Williams for the night. I was hungry to enjoy some good food and stroll down Route 66. After an hour’s drive, we made it to town and settled in. The food was good, but the biting cold of the evening made me change my mind about taking any strolls. Next morning, Titus and I scurried out before sunrise and headed back up to the canyon. This was the last day of the year and a perfect excuse to catch sunrise before we headed home.
We got to the park just as the sky was warming up at dawn. The last time I was at the canyon for sunrise occurred at the beginning of the COVID pandemic and no one was there. I remember sitting on the edge of Yavapai Point and not another soul was in sight. Even Mather Point, the typical hangout for everyone since it’s so close to the visitors’ center, had only a few souls around. Not this time. Mather Point was packed with folks waiting for the sun. We were literally shoulder to shoulder standing on the edge, getting whipped in the face with a brutally cold wind. Not the ideal situation to be in when trying to get a good angle for a shot. As Titus and I tried to work our way to a good point on the ledge, I noticed a spot no one was standing at. I moved over to it and realized it was because there was a good wind tunnel coming up from the canyon at that spot. However, I found just the right distance from the edge so that it didn’t affect the camera, and we waited…
And we waited. It seemed like the sun was taking forever to come up. Last time I was here, it didn’t seem like the sun had a problem showing up, but this time, it was like the light was slowly getting turned up. So slow, it was becoming agonizing to wait on it.I racked my brain for the reason. Then, it dawned on me as I was judging the angle of the sunlight hitting the cliffs. The soft light was coming from the southeast. Last time I was at the canyon, the sun was coming straight at us from the east, but this time, it was so far south from the tilt of the earth that the light was diffusing slowly over the curve of the earth. That’s when the light started to settle at a beautiful angle and this scene unfolded.
What a site! The soft, warm colors of the morning, blending with the cool hues of the night still lingering in the canyon made a perfect transition. We just stood there in awe as the camera snapped pictures from my input. You couldn’t paint a better scene, and Titus and I just had to sit there and praise God for His wonderful work. For me, it was a great finish to the year in one of my favorite places on Earth.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy my posts and pics. If you ever find one that catches your eye, drop me a line on the contact page by clicking the link below and let me see what I can do for you. Aside from taking the photo, one of my greatest joys is being able to share it with others. Whether it’s a fine art print, canvas, metal, or acrylic, I can help you showcase a picture that will liven up your space and bring the beauty of God’s creation to you.
