From the Edge
My next stop on my adventure was the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
After spending a wonderful few days photographing the Buckskin Gulch Slots and the Wave, I headed off to the new destination.
The Marble Canyon portion of the Grand Canyon.
Using the IOverlander app, I was able to find a killer spot on the literal edge of the Canyon.
However, this was down a 27 mile, very dusty, very rough dirt road. The app warned of it, but said the view was worth it.
I am not convinced it was worth it, but I did have a pretty amazing experience out there. I do not think I would drive it again.
Certainly, out there, I was completely alone. Like NONONE was around.
Well, except for a family of Hummingbirds.
They were immediately attracted to my cargo box on the top of the van due to the vast array of stickers of assorted colors. National Park stickers from all the places I have visited.
For the remainder of the first day they hummed around the van and past me, occasionally making a landing in a short bush next to the front of the van.
Their company became even more entertaining the following early morning. I was up before they were shooting the sunrise.
However, after about 90 minutes of shooting photos and video, they came by for a visit.
Much more bold this time, they wanted to check out my hat, which they did while I was sitting at the rock you see in the photos. On top of that, they thought perhaps my gimbal microphone combo might be a flower. So as I sat to read and journal and drink coffee, they flew around the microphone, less than 20 inches from me, poking at it to test it out.
It was such joy to watch them. No fear at all of my presence.
Get this.
About 2 hours later, I was sitting in the sun reading on my phone and they came back.
2 of them wanted to see what was inside the van. So in slow hover mode (think Close Encounters of the Third Kind UFO scene at the end of the movie) they slowly maneuvered around the inside of the van.
After this, they began hovering around my head poking at my hat. So close that their hummingbird wind was felt all over my neck, ears, and face. Kind of like my drone when it is close.
One very curious little guy dropped down and was nose to nose with me for about 10 seconds just looking at me.
Shortly after, they were very curious about my phone, which has a red case. Two of them began flying around it poking at it…while I was holding it!
And then…get this… one of them decided to take a rest and landed right on the corner of my phone. Sat there. Looking at me. For like 30 seconds. Then off she went.
This experience was worth the trip out there!
And while I can’t show you photos of it. I did actually get my phone video camera turned on to capture some of this hummingbird folly.
It will be included in the video from this stop when I produce it later this summer.
I had planned to spend two days out there, but the weather looked iffy during the afternoon and it was nearing 100 degrees…with no shade.
I opted to head to higher ground in the North Rim forest.
I hope you enjoy the few photos I was able to attain.
~rob out
