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Desert View Watchtower

Grand Canyon
August 28, 2017

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I turned around at the mile and a half mark on Bright Angel Trail while Em continued on down. It was the right decision: as I reached the rim, I thought, This is just about right: a morning's exertion, but nothing I'll suffer for later.

Jen & Ellie texted from El Tovar Lodge, where they had a breakfast table with a pretty awesome view. I joined them, hiking sticks in hand.

After breakfast, Em caught up with us for a ranger talk along the rim, on the subject of women pioneers at Grand Canyon. We heard first about Ada Bass, who met and married early pioneer and tour guide William Bass and lived out a harsh life hosting 19th century tourists along the rim. Then at El Tovar, the ranger told us about Mary Colter who designed the lodge to look like a European hunting lodge, to attract tourists from the continent. Colter also designed the Desert View tower, where we stopped on our way out of the park -- amazing view of the canyon, the Colorado River pouring into it, and the high plateau, which we headed out onto, on to Monument Valley.