Can you make out the tiny people on the rocky outcrop in the foreground? It must be an amazing feeling to be standing there, assuming you’ve got a head for heights.
The natural grandeur seems to exert a powerful influence over creatures as well as humans. I’ve already posted a different shot of a blue bird surveying the canyon from this wonderful tree snag. If the branch starts to give way, the bird should be able to fly off into the canyon below.
The mountain goat’s in a trickier situation but seemed equally fascinated by the drop. The pictures aren’t great as I didn’t want to scare it: though clearly used to humans, I assume they can still be startled, just like us. In the second shot, the deer is aware of me, but still has a dreamy look.
The effect of weathering made some of the rock formations look as if their days on high were numbered, yet there’s at least one man standing on the edge of the precipice. I’m no adrenalin junkie but can imagine this place being rather too tempting for those who are. Very little of the site is fenced or inaccessible if you’re fit enough to climb.
We had planned to arrive at the canyon in plenty of time to catch the sunset, which we could see would have been glorious even from the highway. As we got held up in traffic, we had to ‘make do’ with the dawn. Hardly a tragedy!
Shared for this week’s photo challenge.
Susan Rushton 
Incredible shots!
Lovely picutres of this amazing canyon. (Suzanne)
Fabulous…..made me thirst to go there and I have never really seen it in photos from the wild side before. Thanks!
My pleasure – I hope you get there yourself before too long.
wow now that’s on my list of places to visit. Last trip down south I couldn’t fit it in thanks to the trade show I attended but next time I am so there!
My fingers are crossed for you!
I’ll get there eventually 🙂
It can feel very hard to squeeze in the odd day off to see some of the things that are tantalisingly on your doorstep when you’re travelling for work, but it’s rare you regret it if you do.
My thoughts exactly, hoping to be sent to vegas again 🙂
Beautiful. Even in real life, the canyon bemuses my eye. I can hardly believe what I am seeing!
It’s like seeing geography in action.
Absolutely stunning!
Breathtaking!
Hardly a tragedy at all! Beautiful pictures. My husband and I went a few years back and climbed out onto a jutting I really don’t think we were supposed to. To us, it was the only way to see it! But we moved back to more solid ground quickly.
I love your term ‘a jutting’ – that describes it perfectly!
Really great shots!
The light is lovely. What a place!
It is a very special place.
Those deer shots in particular are wonderful! Great post.
Eliza pointed out that it’s a mountain goat. I do remember seeing goats scrambling down the sides of the canyon, but I hadn’t remembered them being quite so elegant.
Oh! I wouldn’t have guessed that!
Beautiful photos, Susan! Those are mountain goats, btw. 🙂
Thanks Eliza – I’ll correct that above, so I don’t mislead people. They’re not like the kind of goats I see in England.
No, not like the domestics at all. 🙂 The billies can become huge and in winter have big fluffy coats.