Postcards From the West: Grand Canyon

Colorful rock formations in the Grand Canyon are framed by trees on the South Rim.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Sunrise paints the Grand Canyon with swaths of golden light.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The train from Williams, Ariz., pulls into the Grand Canyon station carrying carloads of tourists.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Dawn begins to illuminate the age-old rock formations of the Grand Canyon along the South Rim near Mather Point.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Visitors crowd onto one of the many viewpoints along Mather Point on the South Rim while the colors of sunrise begin to emerge.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Sunrises in the Grand Canyon reward early risers with colorful skies and great pictures, and don’t forget your ten-gallon hat.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A crowd gathers for sunrise at one of the many viewpoints along Mather Point.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A visitor interacts with the sunrise to make some impromptu art along Mather Point on the South Rim.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Visitors at Mojave Point have a 180-degree view of the Grand Canyon.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Visitors take in the view along the South Rim.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Artist Gregory Zeorlin smiles for a selfie on the South Rim.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Selfie sticks are popular nowadays at the Grand Canyon as visitors capture pictures of themselves against the famous backdrop.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A crow perches on a ledge on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon at Mather Point.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

An elk strolls across one of the visitor areas along the South Rim near Mather Point.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Late afternoon light illuminates the colors of the Grand Canyon.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

John Berry, the livery manager, watches visitors head out on his mules for a trip along Bright Angel Trail to the canyon bottom.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Mule riders begin their journey down the Bright Angel Trail en route to Phantom Ranch, more than 2,000 feet below the South Rim.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Mule riders on their journey down the Bright Angel Trail.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Snow and ice still cover areas near the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon on March 10, 2015.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Snow and ice cover a switchback along the South Kaibab Trail on March 10, 2015.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Wildflowers begin to emerge along the South Rim at Mojave Point on March 11, 2015.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The south rim at sunset.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The South Rim near Mather Point at dusk.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

From Mojave Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the meandering Colorado River is seen at twilight, still carving its path.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Located 330 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon, the El Tovar Hotel opened in 1905 as one of the original Harvey Houses. Designed by Charles Whittlesey, the architect for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, the El Tovar is next to terminus of the rail line from Williams, Ariz.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

It’s perpetually 1905 in the lobby of the El Tovar Hotel.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Rocking chairs await visitors to the 110-year-old El Tovar Hotel on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The dining room of the El Tovar Hotel is decorated with depictions of Native American culture.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Yippee-Ei-O! is a steakhouse in Tusayan, just outside the gates of the Grand Canyon.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The scene at Sophie’s Mexican Kitchen in Tusayan, just outside the gates of Grand Canyon National Park. The menu features traditional Mexican food as well as vegetarian dishes.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Renovation continues in March 2015 at the historic Lookout Studio in the Grand Canyon, where several structures are being restored and refurbished.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Wispy clouds float above the Grand Canyon on a late afternoon.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)