My father-in-law Bob hadn’t seen the canyon in years, so we spent an afternoon at the south rim.  The weather was variable; when we arrived it was sunny and warm, but within 25 minutes turned to cloudy, dark, and cold.  Soon it began to snow.

A Raven presides over the incoming storm clouds.

Clouds slide into the canyon; snow in the foreground.

The San Francisco peaks – over two miles high and 90 miles away – float on the horizon over Grand Canyon Village.  Flagstaff is right at the peaks; they serve as a navigational point for the entire region.

In this view from Hermit’s rest all the way at the western end of the south rim road, you can see the Hermit Trail descending to the river.

An unexpected elk encounter.

Bob’s hand next to a perfect woodpecker nest cavity.

The view on the return drive: the San Francisco peaks lurk behind an ominous cloud cover.

Moonrise over the Kaibab National Forest, south of the Canyon on the way to Flagstaff.