1165 October 16, 2024 Marble Point

I had a nice walk this morning in the very small town of Fredonia. There is a Family Dollar and a gas station here.

The local policeman was busy this morning. I watched him pull over 5 different vehicles as I walked.

The view from the campground.

Today we had another adventure planned. I drove the first portion. We started on the paved Forest Road 22 toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The landscape changed as we climbed in elevation. In the beginning, there was barren desert. More vegetation, especially sagebrush began to appear. Junipers and pinyon trees grew as we went.

The road turned to gravel and at this point we passed though acres and acres of charred and lifeless trees. The terrain became rockier and more rugged.

We saw a gambol quail, some wild turkeys, several raptors including a red tailed hawk with a tasty morsel clamped securely in his beak, and a fat squirrel.

At 7,000 feet there were tall ponderosa pines. Aspen trees were dressed in golden finery, leaves quaking, the last vestiges of autumn.

We started at Parrisawampitts Point. We hiked at 8,000 feet. Initially we could only catch glimpses of the Grand Canyon.

We walked on the Rainbow Rim Trail and came to a clearing at the point. The entire time that we were driving today I was anticipating what we might see. The Grand Canyon takes my breath away every time that I see it!

We went back to the Jeep and continued on to our true destination. We zigzagged through Kaibab National Forest. There was good signage and the trails were all marked on our GPS. We also had great maps.

We drove toward Marble Point at an elevation of 8,900 feet. Here at this higher elevation, the aspen trees stood tall and naked. Aspen trees grow in stands. All the trees in one group share an extensive root system and are considered a single organism. The trees are all clones of one another. The oldest stand of aspens is more than 80,000 years old and grows in Utah.

It was Ranger Milton at the St. George Forest Office that recommended the drive to Marble Point.

We left the Jeep in the parking area and walked the very short distance to the edge. It was nice but not all that.

Tim was eating his lunch and I went wandering. I found the road out to Marble Point.

Such an expansive vista. We could see Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon. This is the beginning of the Grand Canyon.

It was 56 degrees and a little windy. Tim lit a fire and we sat in silence on the plateau, taking in the view before us. Shadows were cast by the clouds overhead. The beautiful colors and layers and rock formations were overwhelmingly lovely. I could feel the breeze on my face and the warmth of the sunshine on my skin. I could hear the wind whispering through the treetops. The air smelled of fresh pine and burning wood. This place was special…splendor comes to mind. My heart was full.

This is another place that few other people will have the privilege to explore and experience. This has been a theme of this entire trip. We have been searching for the scenic byways, for the Jeep roads less traveled and this search has led us to lots of amazing places. Thanks Milton!

We got an alert on our GPS for a Winter Weather Advisory in this area.

We made it back to pavement.

This was the view on our way back. From this vantage point, we v=could see all the steps in the Grand Staircase.

A perfect day!