Andra really liked the look of this uneroded spike. Although the rule of thumb for hiking in the Grand Canyon is that it takes twice as long to go up as it did to go down, Andra and I made it back to the car in only 20 additional minutes as compared to the descent. However, other hikers were clearly not having as much luck. The steep climb, coupled with the afternoon heat, left a myriad of exhausted hikers strewn along the trail as we made our return. Most took refuge in the few shady areas to rest, and I offered water to those who appeared to have none. I'd highly recommend this hike for anyone visiting the North Rim especially if the drought ends, but physical preparation cannot be overemphasized.
The next day we packed up and drove to the South Rim. We stopped at Desert View and I photographed the Native American artwork on the inside of the Watch Tower. Considering the extremely slow shutters speeds, I was pleasantly surprised with these handheld shots.
More artwork inside the Watch Tower.