A Flash of Magic on the North Rim

This was written two days after the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim was destroyed by fire...

With so much sadness surrounding the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim, I wanted to share something brighter - one of my favorite images from the North Rim - a single lightning strike captured during a summer storm. It's my small reminder that, while structures may fall, the canyon itself endures. I am sure that even today’s views - especially at sunrise, sunset - remain just as awe-inspiring as ever.

This photo has a story, like most good ones do.

Rhonda and I were camping on the North Rim during monsoon season. We knew rain was in the forecast, but what we got was thunder, lightning, and a sky that could only be described as theatrical. Now, if you've read my ramblings before, you know I’ve always said: the most dramatic views in the desert come with bad weather. Storms don’t ruin the scene, they *complete* it.

On this particular day, we had driven about 40 miles from our campsite to a favorite overlook. I had my camera, but no tripod or gear - just me, the canyon, and a little luck. Most photographers know that capturing lightning without a tripod is nearly impossible. A typical lightning bolt lasts 30 microseconds - .00003 seconds. In other words, capturing it is unbelievably lucky. 

But somehow, I got it. I can’t tell you what I yelled when the image popped up on my screen, but it probably echoed across to the opposite rim. This was truly a flash of magic on the North Rim.

Later that night, we lay in our tent not far from where the strike in this image had landed. It was pouring - one of those storms where the ground shudders with every rumble of thunder. At one point, Rhonda nudged me and pointed toward the edge of the tent. Pressing her finger into the side we saw water several inches high, pooled outside. Inside? Bone dry. In the morning, we stepped out into a brilliant sunrise and a perfectly dry campsite.

Magic? I’d say so.

The destruction of the lodge is heartbreaking - for the memories tied to it, for the people whose livelihoods depend on it, and for the loss of such a historic landmark. But the North Rim itself remains unchanged in spirit. A new chapter in its long story is about to begin. It’s still wild, still vast, and still full of wonder.