a day at the Grand Canyon West

Still playing catch up on my travel posts...

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Where the Diamond Bar Road ends is where the Grand Canyon West begins. Private vehicles are not allowed beyond the parking lot, so to reach the viewpoints and the SkyWalk, tourists have to take the hop-on-hop-off shuttle from the Visitors' Center. Tourists there are given a few options depending on their budget; in our case, we opted for the Legacy Gold Package. The $87.81 per person (tax inclusive) rate includes visits to the viewpoints and entry to the SkyWalk. The meal was included in the bill too.

Eagle Point

At first glance, I didn't get why this place was called the "Eagle Point". I saw robins and ravens, but no eagles (yet). I got Biboy's telephoto lens ready just in case I see interesting wildlife while at this site. Indeed, the wildlife is very different from what I'd see in the tropics: I was on all fours chasing after squirrels and what looked like mayas on the grounds. But the biggest animal of all was staring at us the whole time across the river and we never noticed...

The eagle's wings outstretched.

... until the photographer at the SkyWalk pointed it out.

There are other highlights in Eagle Point too: an ampitheater where the Hualapai demonstrate traditional dances and a teepee (but I'm not sure if it's for tourists or it acts as the backstage for the performers).

Grand Canyon West SkyWalk

Perhaps because I've experienced Cebu's SkyWalk Extreme, I felt that the Grand Canyon West version wasn't so scary. I mean, we didn't have to wear a jumpsuit and we were not attached to a safety cable in  the Grand Canyon West. All we did for glass safety was to put on booties! I wonder what happens when the wind blows fast here.

Lockers are provided for storage of personal items. Bags, cameras, and even coins and keys are not allowed up at the SkyWalk. To ensure that there are no stowaways in people's pockets, visitors pass through a metal detector before being set free to walk on the glass.

Group shot before we went to the SkyWalk.

Along the ramp to the SkyWalk are trivia about how the structure was built, the forces it can withstand, and how far people are from the bottom. For people who love adventure, these tidbits heighten the excitement. For people who fear what lay ahead (and were there on a dare), the information just might fuel their fear. At the end of the ramp: open sky! We were so high up! Just to put things into perspective, from one's viewpoint at the SkyWalk, helicopters halfway to the water on the other side of the canyon look like dragonflies! The SkyWalk is a fascinating place to be on, specially because one can look down through the floor and see the water or just shadows (depending on the time of day). Nevertheless, people with a fear of high places may still feel queasy at seeing the Colorado River about 4,000 feet below their feet AND with only a few inches of glass preventing them from falling.

Guano Point

The second viewpoint at Grand Canyon West is called Guano Point. According to the historical marker, this is where people used to mine guano (bat dung) for industrial uses. Relics from the mine's heyday are still standing at the edge of one of the cliffs.

Climbing "Highpoint Hike" is worth the effort because the summit offers an uninterrupted 360-degree view of the Grand Canyon West. The Colorado River is much more visible here than at Eagle Point because the canyon is much wider here. The ruggedness of the terrain is also much clearer here because of the vantage point. It's fascinating, for me, to see that the mountains comprising the Grand Canyon are flat topped. The river appears to have carved its way through the mountains, leaving all those striations on the sides of the mountains.

View of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River from
 "Highpoint Hike" in Guano Point.

Aside from the hike, Guano Point also has a canteen. The food there was really good. Since the eating area is outdoors, the temperature can go really low, really fast. So it's best to bring thermal gloves, bonnets, and jackets, particularly in winter even when there's no snow. 

Biboy and I had a field day staying on the edge while our parents had hypertensive attacks. Hehehe.

That's really me sitting on the edge of the canyon. No stunt doubles.
No optical illusion. Just a clean drop. Photo taken by Biboy. 

There's another viewpoint called Hualapai Ranch. We opted not to go there since the sun was on its way down by the time we got back to the Visitors' Center. We still had about 30 miles of unpaved road to drive on, plus about a hundred more miles before we got back to Las Vegas. 

Even as the sun was setting, the view was still stunning! The landscape became one big silhouette while the sky took on and indigo orange hues. Their silhouettes made the Joshua trees even more noticeable in the darkening horizon.

Joshua trees in silhouette.

Anyway, aside from the tours at Grand Canyon West, the more adventurous visitors can also stay at the Hualapai Lodge for a day of whitewater rafting. I would've loved to go for it but I got there during the off-season. The rafting adventure is available from March to October only; I missed it by just a month!