One of the easternmost South Rim trails, leading to an old copper mine
1 GRANDVIEW TRAIL
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4 The trailhead sign
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6 9 am: First view over the rim
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13 Starting down. The descent is very steep.
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18 The first section is the trail is conventional Parks Service stairstep construction
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27 We will be aiming for a small notch to one side of this conical hill
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37 The original stone corduroy construction, designed to allow ,ules sure footing with heavy loads of ore
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42 Beside the mound, the "photo tree" is our first break
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56 Pause for a group shot
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60 The trail will take us alomg the mesa on the right side of this picture
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62 Starting here, a series of large rockfalls ripped out the original corduroy and makes for tough going
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67 The trail flattens out onto Horseshoe mesa
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71 The Last Chance Mine. The original shafts are now mostly backfilled, and a new helipad has been constructed right behind us
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73 Backfilled shafts. Though the mining operation was for copper, there is considerable uranium mixed with it, leading to radiation hazard postings in the area
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75 Vesiges of the old shafts are kept open for bats
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87 A black tarantula
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89 These were built as bunkhouses for the miners
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91 We head out to the northern end of the mesa
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102 Our lunch stop and turnaround. We come out by the same route.
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121 The rockfalls, many of them from the big storm of 2005, make for the toughest going
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125 Rich plant life at a seep
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130 Back at the photo tree!
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150 In the Canyon, the last part is always the steepest
