Heavy winds in the area kicked up a lot of dust over the past few days which started to settle into the valleys below the basin, adding a bit of desolation to the view but also a feeling of floating above it.
I’ve decided that counter-clockwise is winning, which is backwards from what I did last time. That way it’s a 4 mile straight-shot from the basin out to the rim, then a stroll through the meadows and Boot Canyon, finishing high up on Emory Peak before a dramatic pile of switchbacks down to the trailhead.
And back at the trailhead, I discovered the store was still open. So I grabbed a beverage and went to the paved Window overlook for sunset.
I declare the Second Annual forced march of the South Rim a success.