A rush free and puncture free start today, very undulating describes the route we will follow. Around 25 miles long plus any detours to Grand Canyon viewpoints.

Some Grand Canyon facts

When we started out the traffic was very light (just floating past), even without any shoulder (all the national parks do not seem to have any cycle lanes on their roads, it is all about the car).  

Very quickly we detoured to Navajo Viewpoint, a few photographs later back on tbe road.

The views on this side of the canyon are far better than the North rim, it is much more open and panoramic.

We bypassed Lipan Point, to much uphill to get to it, but visited Moran Point again outstanding views.

By now we needed a toilet stop, so we had a break at Buggeln picnic spot (no quick wee behind a bush here, it is too busy!) Here we saw a Nuthatch, in fact a few of them, they are a lot larger than the ones we get at home (typical american thing).

No really the nuthatch is upside-down

A little further detour to Grandview Point, the site of the first tourist area in Grand Canyon baxk in 1898, remember it took one and a half days stagecoach ride from Flagstaff.

Only one climb up today, then a nice coast down to Yaki Point road, which is closed to cars. A little persuasion later we cycled to the end, again breathtaking views. On the way back you pass the Kaibab Trailhead, this is where you walk up to the top of the south rim if you are walking the 23 mile rim to rim. The mule rides also go down the canyon here, one arrived just as we got there.

They are mules down below

Then we picked up the rim footpath, you can cycle this for a short section about 1.5 miles long. If you are a walker you have 14 miles of it to go at, all paved as well.

The cycle path wound its way into the hubub that is the south rim then on to Mather Campground,  we were not worried about space this time as they have a hiker / biker sites always available to the likes of us. This is where we pitched our tent. Already there was Bill who had walked north to south when we cycled it. A big hello to him again.

All around the campground there are lots of deer, not taking any notice of man (but being very frightened of women!), in fact it is a $1000 fine for feeding wild animals.

There is a good grocery store here, and showers (clean again, that is three times this month). After all this we took a shuttle bus (we had to give it back though) to the visitor centre, as we are visitors. Then that was another day done.