Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 20:16:20 -0700 (MST) To: ius-l@american.edu From: javiles@AZStarNet.com (Jennifer Aviles) Subject: more on getting to the Grand Canyon, etc. First, I don't know about you, but I sure as heck am not going to get close enough to a snake to see the shape of its eyes. I've already seen my first rattler this year - almost stepped on it, as a matter of fact - and have sworn off trails for awhile. The adrenalin surge is something else. Enrique and I went up to the Grand Canyon t his past weekend (I needed to go to Flagstaff on a business trip so ...). A new way, too. It was unseasonably warm and I'm grateful that we didn't plan to do a crossing as part of our adventure (it was 80 on the South Rim and 100 down at the River and it was only June 1!). It was my 13th trip to the Canyon and the 11th where I got out (down is a better word) on the trails. Such a beautiful place! We drove to Williams, Arizona (30 minutes west of Flagstaff) and boarded one of the trains of the Grand Canyon Railway. The train leaves Williams at 9:30 a.m. sharp and arrives at the Canyon at 11:45 a.m. It leaves the Canyon at 3:15 pm and arrives back in Williams at 5:30 p.m. One way tickets can be purchased (in other words you can go up one day and return several days later, if you wish). It was a fun ride and nice to leave the driving to someone else. For those of you who might not wish to do a double, you can then, at 1:30 p.m., board a shuttle van provided by Trans-Canyon Shuttle (520 638 2820). It takes a little more than 5 hours to make the drive to the North Rim and costs $60 per person. You'll arrive there at 5:30 pm. Make reservations at the North Rim, get up early the next day, run back to the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail. Then hop (hah!) the train at 3:15 and get back to Williams at 5:30 pm to pick up your car. There are plenty of nice places to stay in Williams, too. For more information on the train, call 1-800-The-Train (1-800-843-8724) or http://www.thetrain.com Update on South Rim lodging: Bright Angel $35-111 (on the rim) El Tovar $111-271 (on the rim and a gorgeous place) Kachina Lodge $96-106 (on the rim) Thunderbird Lodge $96-106 (on the rim) Maswik Lodge $71-103 (back from the rim) Yavapai Lodge $80- 94 [this is where we usually stay and is away from the rim). For same day reservations call 638-2631 or advance reservations 303-297-2757. If you want to stay down at the River at Phantom Ranch call 303-297-2757. The rooms are usually booked months in advance. Camping: Mather Campground - $12 per site per night. Reservations maybe made up to 5 months in advance by calling 1-800-365-2267. There are other camping areas. Finally, I also learned that there is a shuttle to Yaki Point from the main village on the Rim. Cost per passenger is $3 and leaves the Bright Angel Lodge at 6:30 a.m. so conceivably the real speed demons among you could stay at the SOuth Rim, take the shuttle to Yaki Point and then do a double by running down the Kaibab over to the North Rim and then come back via Bright Angel. Oh, by the way, there was a water main break during the time we were up there this weekend and so people needed to carry their own filters since the water had not been treated. Jennifer Aviles javiles@azstarnet.com who had hoped to be sort of cold this weekend......