After landing on the Heliport, we were set loose by
our pilot to enjoy the surroundings for a few hours.
I had selected the helicopter trip that allowed for some
time to explore the West Rim before heading back to Vegas.
There are shuttle busses that run on a continuous loop between
the Heliport, Guano Point and Eagle Point.
The Ranch was closed due to Covid, so that wasn't an option for us.
First stop: Eagle Point
Do you see the Eagle?
It's on the right side of this picture.
Fantastic views of the West side of the Canyon.
And lots of crows flying around! They were fun to watch.
I had taken the option to walk on the Skywalk.
This picture is from their website.
No cameras or phones allowed by visitors.
You may lock your stuff in the lockers available for your use.
There are camera folk available to take some pictures of
you and your family (to sell to you in the gift shop).
You are also asked to put some cloth booties over your shoes,
so as to not damage the glass.
I did enjoy taking in the view, watching the crows, and
watching my feet walk over the canyon.
It's kind of like the glass platforms at the Willis Tower in Chicago,
but instead of feeling like you'll fall to the street, you instead
feel like you'll fall much further and be badly injured tumbling
down to the bottom of the canyon.
Before hopping on the bus to ride to Guano Point, I take a moment to walk
the short path outside. The path winds around a stage area, where some
Native women were singing and talking about the area.
The path takes you through a Native American village to
see housing, ovens, and sweat lodges of several tribes.
Joshua Tree?
There wasn't anybody else on the path, so I took a moment to myself.
I love the desert. It's stillness and quietude. There's life there, but it's
hidden and exquisitely adapted to the harsh environment.
For several minutes all I heard was the faint music from the women
on the stage and the wind in my ears.
Time to head to Guano Point.
Back to the bus and a short drive later, we're there.
Let's take a walk. Or a hike.
Either way, watch where you step because the rocks aren't always stable.
And it's a long way down.
The view halfway up the tiny mountain.
The path gets a bit fuzzy after this point, so there's a fair amount
of scrambling to reach the top. Go slow and be careful!
Almost at the top!
What a view!
The summit!
Taking in the views from my perch.
A side effect of the pandemic is very few other visitors.
I had the top to myself!
The Colorado River winds through the Canyon.
After even more carefully scrambling back down the rocks, I walk over to the main ridge.
At the top left of this picture you can see the red thunderbird in the mountain.
I had to ask the pilot on my return to the heliport what this structure was.
It used to be a tramway to convey guano from a cave down below.
It was used for a short time, had several mishaps, then was shutdown.
The structure remains as a reminder.
I guess that's why it's called Guano Point.
Better view of the thunderbird.
Crows being funny.
Time to head back to Vegas.
See the top of that mound of rocks? Where those people are. That's where I was!
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