Cape Solitude is another one of those places that took me some patience and multiple attempts to get to.  One attempt I was tired and bit off more than I could chew with the itinerary that weekend.  On another occasion, the weather was bad, and the chance of a lightning storm was a bit more prominent than I would have liked.  Needless to say, this special place and experience came with effort.   I acquired my Backcountry permit at the “BIC” or Backcountry Information Center across the railroad track from Maswik Lodge in the Historic Grand Canyon Village.  This weekend my sites were not on a Mountain Summit but of a secluded view of the Colorado Rivers Confluence…. Far below is the Beamer Trail and Escalante Route.  The Temple of Cinewava is off in the distance.  On this day I slept in after a long work week in the Grand Canyon.  At the time I supervised a Snack Bar on the edge of the South Rim.  I grabbed some Starbucks in town and then packed my bag to head out.  My drive from the Historic Grand Canyon Village would be around forty minutes to Desert View to the East.  After my dive, I heard out down a familiar path… Cedar Mountain Road winding mile after mile in front of me.  For around four miles until it splits toward the Navajo Reservation and Cape Solitude Trail.  I took a left on the Cape Solitude Trail and headed into a special type of solitude.  The isolation felt here is unique.  A hiker does not go below the Rim on this endeavor but stays on top…  Running the National Park Boundary and the Navajo Nation Boundary.  Mike, after a mile,, you split off.  Once at Cape Solitude, a hiker will be 15 miles in one way and be directly above the Colorado River Confluence.  Rain slurries dancing over you on and off.  Not another human was on site during this special experience.

After some dinner, refilling my Nalgene bottles with my MSR Dromedary Bag, and taking some Sunset Photography I called it a night.  It was quiet all night.. a quiet desert wilderness would know.  The wind was fairly strong and one of the tent poles for my MSR Access 1 snapped.  I would not realize this until morning when I was packing up camp.  The night before, I could hear a light rain on my Rain Fly, and the next day, I was greeted by some Elk that ran towards Camamche Point when I startled them.  Fifteen miles of solitude later I was back at my trusty Jeep “Oliver”.  It was time to eat and edit photographs!

-Sky