In mid December it was c-c-c-o-l-d on the rim of the canyon, under 10 degrees F! El Tovar was all dressed up with wreaths, lights, a Christmas tree and live piano music. The clear sky made for good viewing of the Geminid meteor shower. An afternoon hike to the bottom of the canyon was easy, not slippery at all because the snow stayed so cold that it didn't make ice. A nice warm bed at Phantom Ranch was my home for the evening, giving a good rest before walking back up the following morning in beautiful light. http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/262/234351833_Y33Ga-Ti.jpg http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/gallery/4026127_C2sev/ 2007-12-20T02:32:20Z Copyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved. SmugMug <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234349886_oyhta" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/001/234349886_oyhta-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:13:24Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/001/234349886_oyhta-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234349915_yxfYf" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/002/234349915_yxfYf-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:08:29Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/002/234349915_yxfYf-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234349941_juXr3" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/005/234349941_juXr3-Th.jpg" width="150" height="112" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:18:37Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/005/234349941_juXr3-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234349964_WCWdb" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/008/234349964_WCWdb-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:13:23Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/008/234349964_WCWdb-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350416_RJ53c" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/012/234350416_RJ53c-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:11:18Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/012/234350416_RJ53c-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234349995_VU3LH" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/026/234349995_VU3LH-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:13:01Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/026/234349995_VU3LH-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350819_EeEmW" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/028/234350819_EeEmW-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:17:02Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/028/234350819_EeEmW-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350776_RQWGX" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/029/234350776_RQWGX-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:09:09Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/029/234350776_RQWGX-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350798_pkdfj" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/031/234350798_pkdfj-Th.jpg" width="150" height="112" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:11:28Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/031/234350798_pkdfj-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350027_UptNb" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/027/234350027_UptNb-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:06:30Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/027/234350027_UptNb-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350860_o52R2" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/101/234350860_o52R2-Th.jpg" width="150" height="112" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:14:17Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/101/234350860_o52R2-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350885_LA3Dy" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/105/234350885_LA3Dy-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:09:34Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/105/234350885_LA3Dy-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351002_t5nYn" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/107/234351002_t5nYn-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:10:09Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/107/234351002_t5nYn-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350949_bkLBk" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/116/234350949_bkLBk-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:19:12Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/116/234350949_bkLBk-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350931_ub8nn" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/110/234350931_ub8nn-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:06:49Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/110/234350931_ub8nn-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351025_Vifgg" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/108/234351025_Vifgg-Th.jpg" width="150" height="112" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:18:02Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/108/234351025_Vifgg-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350960_T9cit" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/132/234350960_T9cit-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:18:50Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/132/234350960_T9cit-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351113_5Yq9d" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/142/234351113_5Yq9d-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:12:39Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/142/234351113_5Yq9d-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351129_G69uk" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/150/234351129_G69uk-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:11:44Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/150/234351129_G69uk-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234350983_VbSaH" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/134/234350983_VbSaH-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:17:03Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/134/234350983_VbSaH-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351154_QDgfk" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/162/234351154_QDgfk-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:10:57Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/162/234351154_QDgfk-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351177_d4Eyq" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/211/234351177_d4Eyq-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:16:28Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/211/234351177_d4Eyq-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351082_Yc5VN" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/215/234351082_Yc5VN-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:09:35Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/215/234351082_Yc5VN-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351097_t7uVb" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/222/234351097_t7uVb-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:07:54Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/222/234351097_t7uVb-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351850_oGFsL" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/236/234351850_oGFsL-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:17:39Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/236/234351850_oGFsL-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/4026127_C2sev#234351833_Y33Ga" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/262/234351833_Y33Ga-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-01-25T05:11:09Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-December-2007/262/234351833_Y33Ga-Th.jpg