We're off on our next adventure, this time heading north, to northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Our first day was lots of driving with a few sights at the end of the day. Our first real stop was Navajo Bridge, which opened on January 12th, 1929. At the time it opened, it was the only bridge across the Colorado River for 600 miles. Prior to the opening of this bridge, the crossing was at the bottom of the gorge at a place called Lee's Ferry. It was a hand pulled ferry owned and operated by the Lee family who lived on Lonely Dell Ranch by the river. There is a very nice rest stop at the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center with restrooms, a gift shop, and a chance to walk across the pedestrian bridge. This first picture shows the final link being put in the bridge back in 1929.
Today, the Navajo Bridge is used by cars, and directly adjacent to it is a pedestrian bridge that allows you to view the original Navajo Bridge.
A pair of California Condors were hiding out under the Navajo Bridge, trying to escape the heat of the day. California Condors became extinct in the wild in 1987 when all of the remaining wild birds were captured to ensure the survival of the species. Scientists are now reintroducing California Condors into the wild. You can see the tags on the wings of these birds. California condors are the largest North American land bird with an average wing span of 9.8 feet, and weighing up to 26 pounds. This appears to be a fairly young pair since they have grays heads that are just starting to get their pinkish/orange heads.
It was such a treat to get to see these rare birds. Once we left the condors, we continued across the pedestrian bridge to see the Colorado River below.
The Navajo Bridge spans the Marble Canyon, which is where we will be spending our first night tonight, just a little further south.
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