Grand Canyon North Rim Trip Report
Last week the Tripleblaze crew had a chance to travel west to southern Utah and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We even stopped off at Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam for good measure - hey, we were in the area 
In St. George, UT we met up with some local mountain bikers and biked the trails at Gooseberry Mesa and Church Rocks. The views of Zion National Park from Gooseberry Mesa were incredible and the trails themselves were challenging to say the least. We enjoyed the ride at Church Rocks as well as the trail took us over incredible red rock formations with 360 degree views.
From St. George we drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and it was an incredible drive. The scenery was mostly desert until we ascended the nearly 8,000 foot high Kaibab Plateau. On the plateau we found ourselves in a pine forest that seemed to go on forever - a stark contrast from the dry and open desert below. Just past Jacob’s Lake, AZ (our home for the night) the scenery became even more amazing: lush mountain meadows dotted with Aspen and Spruce trees and wildlife around almost every corner.
Inside the Grand Canyon National Park the lush mountain scenery continued all the way to the rim. When we arrived it was late afternoon and the shadows in the canyon were incredible - it really is tough to find the words to describe the sweeping vistas. As the sun went down we drove the 45+ miles back to our (tiny) cabin at Jacob’s Lake where our duplex-mate was already asleep at 7pm and snoring quite loudly.
The next day we made our way back down to the desert lands and took a detour off I-15 through the Valley of Fire state park and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The Valley of Fire was an incredible drive through an impossibly arid landscape. It was hard to believe the cool waters of Lake Mead were just beyond the hills on the east side of the rough highway. In the Valley of Fire we saw real desert oases with palm trees and all - who knew they actually existed!
We made a pit stop to stick our toes in Lake Mead and the water was actually much warmer than I imagined. From there we drove to the Hoover Dam where I was surprised to see a new bridge being constructed just below the dam to accommodate highway traffic. With all the people walking on the dam and crossing the road I imagine the new highway will reduce accidents while also improving security for the dam.
Our trip out west was action packed and full of outdoor adventures. Next time we’ll be heading to the north Georgia mountains for a quick weekend getaway - stay tuned for pics and reviews!
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