Today Dean is fulfilling a special request of mine to see Horseshoe Bend. We’re strategic about our visiting time, as it has become extremely popular recently due to word spreading on social media. It’s about an hour’s drive from where we are camped and we arrive at 7:30 am. We pack a bunch of delicious breakfast items in a day pack and walk the three quarters of a mile out to the viewing area. It’s perfect timing because the sunrise crowd are leaving and there’s hardly anyone around as we arrive at the viewing area.
I am suitably wowed. It’s different than I imagined from the photos. Larger than life! Down below, we can see some tiny boats and tents right on the central island. I didn’t know you could camp down there. I start peppering Dean with questions about it, and pretty soon we are talking about going out there on a canoe trip next Spring! So exciting!
We want to find a nice spot to have breakfast and enjoy the views, so we are pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to wander away from the main viewing area and enjoy the place in private. It is easy walking along the rim and we find a spot that has views just as good, if not better, than the viewing platform. Sitting here and eating fresh strawberries is my favorite part of the trip. It’s gorgeous.
After relaxing, wandering around, and enjoying the place for a while, we return to the car and drive back towards Lee’s Ferry, stopping at a roadside pullout to admire the views. During the afternoon, we drive to Flagstaff to pick up our groceries before heading back to Grand Canyon Village.
The next morning I accompany Dean to the Backcountry Office where he turns in the abandoned pack. The other rangers are a little incredulous, and start talking about what might drive someone to leave all their things like that. There is also some talk of trying to track down the hiker, return their items, and ask them about what happened out there, but it seems like a long shot.
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