What more could we ask for? Perfect dry weather, pure blue skies, the magic of the steep, dark beauty of Black Canyon of the Gunnison, good health, each other's company, and for the topper, it was our 47th wedding anniversary.
A couple of weeks ago we visited the north rim of Gunnison. Today we hit the south rim. The park contains 12 miles of the 48-mile long Gunnison River. The national park itself contains the deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon, but the canyon continues upstream into Curecanti National Recreation Area which we will visit tomorrow. The canyon's name owes itself to the fact that parts of the gorge only receive 33 minutes of sunlight a day. Some canyons of the American west are longer and some are deeper, but none combines the depth, sheerness, narrowness, and darkness, of the Black Canyon. When we arrived, I swore to myself that I would stifle the urge to capture more pictures of this place. We've visited a few other times and we have lots. But at the end of every trail, there it was, the incredible grandeur of the canyon. I didn't keep my promise.
We stopped at every little trail that leads to the canyon rim, and stopped for lunch at one overlook 
parking area, and pulled out our lawn chairs to lounge in front of the car on the road. Our only risk for the day in covid times was in using the vault toilet here. I've become expert at using a tissue to open the door, not touching any surface in the toilet, using tp to open the door on the way out, and applying a liberal amount of hand sanitizer after.
parking area, and pulled out our lawn chairs to lounge in front of the car on the road. Our only risk for the day in covid times was in using the vault toilet here. I've become expert at using a tissue to open the door, not touching any surface in the toilet, using tp to open the door on the way out, and applying a liberal amount of hand sanitizer after.
The views from each vantage point are fabulous, and the overlooks get you right next to the edge of the canyon. When you're at the railing, you can usually look straight down the sheer rock wall on top of which you're standing.
We ended our visit here with a drive down to East Portal, a former town located down on the Gunnison River at the bottom of the canyon created by people who built the power plant there. A more peaceful spot doesn't exist. We sat for a while in the complete quiet of the place just enjoying the perfect moment. The sky was so blue that the jagged tops of the mountains around us looked like cutouts against it.
It was a very happy anniversary for us.
Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CbdPofSUbVDH4ggRA
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