| The next day still had low cloud and zero visibility from North
Rim across to South Rim, so we went north about three miles and took the
Fuller Canyon Road to Point Imperial and thence to Cape Royal in the hope
that the sun would burn off the mist by the time we got there. |  |
 | It is about five miles
to Point Imperial and seventeen to Cape Royal. The views were improving as
we looked first to the north east and then to the south east. Point Imperial
is at 8803ft, the highest point on the road. |
| We travelled on along the road and took shots from several of the
overlooks. Looking back it is hard to remember which was taken from where.
They are all both similiar and different. |  |
 | With the weather being
so variable it is difficult to know how far we could actually see, but it
was certainly over 100 miles.. |
| Closer to home there are views of the river below. At this time
of year it was almost dry. This is not the Colorado which is in the main
canyon, but a small tributary, one of hundreds. |  |
 | Water has performed
most of the erosion here but it is difficult to visualise this on a rock
pinnacle a mile high.. |
| This is one of the classic viewpoints at the Cape Royal end of
the road. This is Angels Window with the viewpoint on top. You can just see
the people. |  |
 | Another view looking a
mile down to the canyon bottom. Several of the canyons are also earthquake
fault lines although it is difficult to see where. |
| The canyon is so deep some part is almost always in shadow and
the clouds passing a few hundred feet above us also lead to a constantly
varying light source on the coloured landscape below. |  |
 | This is the view from
Cape Royal itself looking over towards the North Rim. It was possible to see
the buildings some sixteen miles away with binoculars but not with the naked
eye. |
| We just marvelled at the truly awesome views before us from huge
castles in the air to razor thin remnants such as this one here. |  |
 | We also stopped at
views on the way out such as Walhalla Overlook and Roosevelt Point. Each had
its own charm and the colours constantly changed as the sun finally broke
through. |
 | As you look east you
can see the Painted Desert and the Navajo Reservation, thousands of acres of
nothing. This is another painfully poor and worthless area. |
| But for the moment we took a last look at the eastern end of the
canyon before starting on the 5 hour, 215 mile drive to the South Rim, a
mere 10 miles away at North Rim - as the raven flies. |  |
|