The month of the September is the best time to visit the Grand Canyon. One of the most dry month in the year. There were still some clouds still, dropping its shadow on the majestic canyons.

Climbing up was OK for my knees. But the heat and constant uplifting was worth than I imagined. They say "it takes twice more time to come back." You will find this all over the Grand Canyon. On the wall of the hotels and restaurants, guide book, everywhere. Now I know why.

When we were taking a rest, a couple passed us by. They said they just came back from the Plateau Point. They seemed to be a very fit people, but they looked exhausted. They said it was even hotter at the bottom. Later we found it was about 105F. He said they left 6:30 in the morning today, spend 1~2 hours below, and came back. It was around 2:30 pm already. Even for fit people, it takes 8 hours for the 12 miles hike. "Leave 6:00 am next time. Then, you can avoid the heat down there."

Two hours after, a long and exhaustive hike had ended. It was only 4 miles we hiked. We needed a few hours of rest, and a gallon of water to energize ourselves for the next activity: East Rim Drive. According to my guide book, the East Rim Drive is the most scenic drive and the most dramatic view is at Lipan Point along the drive.

I think the book is right. At least this is the best views of the Grand Canyon without walking more than 5 minutes. The only problem I thought was the smog coming from the Los Angels and Phoenix. During most of the mid-day, the canyon is covered by a haze. The visibility is reduced to 50 miles, and it effects the photos. Still they are worth visiting, I think. I could finally see the Colorado river at the Lipan Point.

The green Colorado River and Inner Gorge from the Lipan Point. I can see how rapid the Colorado River is from the white water.

The Grand Canyon Village under the full moon. This is the only photo I could take with the moon light. Even my digital camera could not capture anything but the moon itself and illuminations. This photo is highly manipulated with software.

Do you want to see the Grand Canyon under the full moon? I do. So, I drove up to the Mather Point at mid-night. Yeah, I could see the other side of the canyon. Dim but definitely the full moon can shine these canyons. There were quite a few folks who was enjoying the scene. Most of them are young kids; boy scouts??? Anyway, it was a very interesting experience. On the way back, I dropped by the village and took some photos.