Beth and I had planned on sleeping in this morning, but everyone else in camp got up early, so we do too.  Oddly enough, this was the warmest night of our entire hike.  We get around and leave just after 7:00.  Right away we come to two pretty cactus in bloom.  The trail is relatively flat for a half-mile or so and then starts the steep uphill slog.

Prickly Pear Cactus 5-23-2014 @ 7:12	Prickly Pear Cactus 5-23-2014 @ 7:12	The view to the rim 5-23-2014 @ 7:27

     We make good time and reach the 3-Mile Resthouse in one hour.  They added a bathroom here a few years ago.

3-Mile Resthouse sign 5-23-2014 @ 8:04	3-Mile Resthouse 5-23-2014 @ 8:06

     When the Park Service mule pack team comes by, we stand to the side of the trail.  All the mules are carrying some prepackaged boxes of window blinds, probably for the Ranger Station.  In another hour, we reach the 1.5-Mile Resthouse where we take another break.  When you reach the lower tunnel, you get fooled into thinking you are almost to the top, but it takes about another thirty-five minutes from that point.

Park Service mule team 5-23-2014 @ 9:05	1.5-Mile Resthouse bathroom 5-23-2014 @ 9:19	The lower tunnel 5-23-2014 @ 10:08

     We pass a large Ranger-led group of kids who apparently are doing a day hike to the 1.5-Mile Resthouse.  There must be more than fifty kids and quite a few Rangers and parents.  I've never seen a group this large before.  When we are almost to the top, we look down at Indian Garden and see just how far we have come this morning.

Ranger-led group 5-23-2014 @ 10:18	Looking down toward Indian Garden 5-23-2014 @ 10:36

     When you go through the upper tunnel, you are really there.  We are pleased with our 3.5 hour time to get here, including breaks.  Beth and I stop at the Kolb Studio and look at the exhibits in the basement.  Since we got to the rim so early, we take the shuttle over to the Maswik Lodge for lunch.  Then we walk back to the Bright Angle Lodge and check in at the Trans-Canyon Shuttle desk.  We still have time to tour the Hopi House, the El Tovar, Lookout Studio, and shop a little in the Bright Angel Lodge.  It looks like there is a lot of rain at the North Rim. 

Beth at the last tunnel 5-23-2014 @ 10:41	Kolb Studio 5-23-2014 @ 10:43	Rain on the North Rim 5-23-2014 @ 12:51

     The shuttle leaves promptly at 1:30.  The driver did a good job of putting our backpacks in plastic garbage bags and covering them with a tarp on top the van.  Otherwise, they would probably get wet with all the rain on the North Rim.  We arrive at the North Kaibab parking lot at 6:00 in a pouring rainstorm.  Beth and I throw our packs in the car trunk and we're off.  It seems strange that there would be this much snow here in late May.

	Snow on the North Rim 5-23-2014 @ 6:13

     Beth and I drive to Jacob Lake for supper, then to Tuba City for the night, and on to Oklahoma City the next day.

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