This year marked our sixth in the last seven visiting the Grand Canyon.  We had cooler weather this time, and it actually snowed the overnight of our last night in the southwest. 

We also, for the first time, stayed at a lodge actually in the park boundary, the Maswik Lodge.  Not as quaint and historic as some of the other lodges, the Maswik was still comfortable and convenient.  It was also the least expensive of the park lodges.

We did two hikes this year.  The students all went on what has become the principle hike done each year, the South Kaibab Trail-Tonto Trail- Bright Angel Trail hike.  This is about 13 miles in length, where you go down on the South Kaibab for about 1/3 of the hike, across, to the west, on the Tonto for about 1/3 of the hike to Indian Garden, and then up the Bright Angel back to the rim for the last third.  It's a good day hike.  Just ask anyone who's done it.

The two profs did a hike along the rim this year.  While not at all trivial distance-wise at 8 miles, it is essentially level ground all the way.  This hike was from the Hermit's Rest end of the Canyon's roadways back to the Bright Angel trail and lodge area.

Just to make things interesting, we encountered a bit of snow our last day.