4 Wheels 4 Girls

Saturday, April 2, we left Grand Canyon National Park and made our way northeast toward the Navajo Nation. We drove through the painted desert, which was stunning. We drove along the Echo Cliffs, then back to the upper end of the Grand Canyon along the Vermillion Cliffs. All, stunning.

We crossed the Colorado River at Navajo bridge, a mere 450 feet above the river (compared to the 5000+ feet drop at the Nation Park center). On the north side of the river was the “balanced rock.” Look closely, and you will see Stella, Ellie, and Ana at its base in the photo below:

The Balanced Rock near Navajo Bridge

We made our way upriver to Lee’s Ferry, which is effectively the mouth of the Grand Canyon and the only place you can drive to the river. There were a couple of rafting companies preparing for the trek through the canyon; it was impressive to see how much gear and provisions they were packing into the rafts for the 18-day journey downriver.

We camped in the state park there, alongside the river. In the picture below, you can see the Colorado River left of the trees on the left and our campground at the end of the road to the right. The Vermillion Cliffs are in the distant background.

The View at Lee's Ferry

As one might expect, the Colorado River was icy cold in early April. Cold, fast, and beautiful.

On the Colorado River at the Mouth of the Grand Canyon