Winter Splendor

“The primal solitude of the place,” answers artist William S. Phillips when asked what it is he would most like to convey about the Grand Canyon. “On this particular morning, I was on the South Rim of the canyon between Yavapai and Mather Point and had hit the trail long before dawn. It was freezing, three to four degrees, with tendrils of moisture in the air and snow clinging to everything.

“As the sun rose, the northern walls of the canyon and the clouds above were illuminated with the warmest of light. It was only five minutes or so after the sun came up, so really there was no discernible change in temperature but the grandeur of the moment and the promise of a new day here in this beautiful place, warmed my soul.”