We lingered at the summit for quite awhile, but eventually the apprehension about the descent got the best of us. Down-climbing turned out to be far easier than I anticipated, especially because we could aid each other with directions, like “There’s a foothold six inches below your left foot.”

With extra time to kill before sunset, we chose to hike to the east arm of the mesa – another place neither of us had ever been.

A raven was already there, waiting for us.

I found that the tip of the east arm was better than the seemingly more-traveled west arm. It offered a commanding view of virtually every major landmark in eastern Grand Canyon. Mike described his exploits on the Old Hance Trail, with its route clearly visible from our vantage point. It looked like a crazy hike!

I took it all in, knowing that this would be my last “moment” below the rim of the Grand Canyon for quite awhile.