The Kaibab Lodge is certainly rustic.  No TV,  no Wi-Fi  and no cell service.  During the night, the room heater would make load, popping sounds for several minutes before firing up.  We ate breakfast there, the only restaurant in town.

Just a short drive and we drive through the gate into the Grand Canyon NP – North Rim.  We stopped at the Kaibab trailhead but the lot was full. Then drove to the Campground to show Matthew where I had camped six years ago.  The rickety bench at the point has been removed.

We drove to the Visitors’ Center and walked to the Lodge, and hiked some rim trails including Bright Angel Point.

Finding parking at the Kaibab trailhead, we booted up, packed some trail snacks and grabbed our Trekking polls for a little hike down to Coconino Overlook.

Just before we started, a tour group on mules took to the trail.  Several hikers followed the mules closely but we hung back from the cloud of dust.  Before long, the mules had stopped to allow the handlers to adjust equipment and we hiked past them.

Breaking out the tortillas, nut butter and pretzels at the Overlook, the mules soon passed by.  But soon after, as we enjoyed the snack and the view, the sound of hoofs pounding the trail and a yell startled us and others at the Overlook. A runaway mule came around the turn.  A meal and a show. Soon a Ranger came riding after.  The runaway had been stopped at the group of mules and the ranger soon was taking him back to the corral at the trailhead.

I made better than expected time going back to the rim. Both of us were a little hungry so we stopped at a bench at the rim and cooked a backpacking meal to share and enjoy the view and breeze.

The temperature was dropping and on the way back we had some rain and stopped when a buffalo was by the road, rolling on his back, kicking up a cloud of dust. He then charged across the road and meadow and into the forest.

As we arrived back at the Kaibab Lodge we saw that a hailstorm had been through minutes before our arrival.

What a great way to end our hiking adventures, punctuated with a little rain and hail, but only after we were back off the trails!