There are a few places in the world where nature can make a person feel insignificant, the Grand Canyon is one of them. I took up hiking as a personal hobby in earnest in 2013. As I blog here I plan on recounting some of my adventures along the way. The trip to the Canyon is one of those adventure stories that cannot be told in one sitting. So we begin with the prelude and the start of a yearly tradition that I hope to maintain for years to come.
One spring day in 2015 my co-worker and friend Craig caught me as I delivered a test run to another lab and informed me that a group of 6 to 8 co-workers were talking about pooling resources and renting a van to drive out to the Grand Canyon for a few days of camping, hiking and sight seeing. He wanted to know if I would be interested in joining the group. I had never been out west and the economical travel plans really appealed to me so I said sure, add me to the list. Every time I ran into Craig we would talk about the trip, and it seemed that every time we talked the number of committed adventurers shrank until finally Craig and I were the only ones left.
Anyone who works with a group of people knows that gossip and rumor mongering are favorite activities among old and young, male and female alike. I told Craig that much as I wanted to venture out west to see the canyon it probably wasn’t in our best interest to take off cross country just the two of us. Our respective spouses both said they didn’t have a problem with it but it just wasn’t their idea of a good time. My beloved spouse’s actual comment went something along the lines of “Ok, let me get this straight…you are going to drive 2 days across the country so you can sleep on the ground? You’re crazy! I am not driving all that way to sleep on the ground.” I said, voice filled with awe, “It’s the Grand Canyon!” He shook his head and replied. “I’m not sleeping on the ground.” If I remember right Craig’s wife agreed with my husband, just not her idea of a good time. I was really wrestling with my desire to go and my reluctance to put myself in the position of being the subject of destructive rumors. We really needed another adult or 2 to accompany us to make it happen. Craig asked friends and companions outside work and I did the same.
My beautiful daughter-in-law and sometimes hiking and backpacking companion Danielle was at the top of my list of desired companions. My mother was driving Danielle and I to a trail head on the AT. I dropped my vehicle off at Carver’s Gap and mom was dropping us off at 19E for an overnight trip that is a delightful tale all its own, When I told Danielle that it looked like my trip to the Grand Canyon was going to fall through because we couldn’t find another soul willing to accompany us; Mom, looking straight ahead at the road, said quietly, “I could go.” I just looked at her. She was 70, retired, in good health, getting around and taking care of her business. I said “We are going to be camping out in a tent.” She smiled and assured me that sounded like a real adventure, she hadn’t ever tent camped before but it sounded like it would be fun.
I went back to work and told Craig that my Mom wanted to go. We were set. Craig’s daughter Abby decided to go if she didn’t have to hike. She could hang with Mom and do touristy stuff while we hiked. So now there were 4 of us. And so we got a tent sight at Mather Campground. Mom and I gathered supplies. This included getting her a 5 man tent she could stand up in and a cot so she didn’t have to get down on the ground and get back up. We discussed the trip and what we would like to be able to do while there. Still caught up in the notion that renting a vehicle to drive there and back was the way to go we found a full size pickup truck with a bed cover to haul our gear in. We figured we could trade out driving between the 3 adults and not have to stop. We had all kinds of things figured out and like all plans that lasted until the rubber hit the road.
My better half took us to the Tri-cities airport where we picked up the truck then followed us to Craig’s and helped us load the behemoth with our gear. There was not an inch of space to spare. Were we only going to be gone a week my dearest wanted to know, we had enough stuff for an indefinite leave of absence. I don’t know if he was worried or hoping and I didn’t ask for clarification. Some things are better left in that hazy state of the unknown. Packed up and brimming with excitement, we headed towards I40 and Arizona.
Driving across the entire length of the great state of Tennessee is a journey in itself. From Kingsport to Memphis took us over 8 hours. We all realized that the idea of driving without stopping all the way was not practical for our little company of adventurers, a teen-age girl, middle aged lady, and a genteel elder lady, made the marathon drive totally impractical. We soldiered on though, through Arkansas finally giving in to the inevitable in Oklahoma. We got the last two rooms at a roadside inn off of the Interstate in the wee hours of the morning.
The next day’s drive saw us enter into a new geological environment. I had never been in the southwest before. The terrain was an alien wonder. We finally gave up the ghost in Winslow, Arizona. And yes we had to take the obligatory picture on the corner in Winslow, Arizona. Go ahead and hum the tune and sing a few lines…I am. From Winslow we drove to the Canyon itself and Mom got a senior citizen’s lifetime pass to the National Parks for 10.00, thereby securing her inclusion in further adventures. We parked in the main Visitor lot on the Southern Rim and walked out to Mather’s point for our first sight of this Wonder. My first impression standing on the lookout was that it didn’t look real. I couldn’t grasp the sheer immensity of it!
We found our campsite and set up our tents. The Ravens are something else. They have no fear and will raid your campsite for any unprotected foodstuffs or even just to see if they can unprotect your foodstuffs. We found our way around the village and checked out the visitor center. We found the ranger station and I checked on getting a couple of backcountry permits for an overnight trip below the rim. Having read up on the Canyon I didn’t have much hope of securing permits but it turns out they were readily available. The Canyon was experiencing record heat down in its depths and only die hards and novices were signing up to experience what it must feel like to stand outside of Hell’s gates. Sign me up…I had been doing some strenuous hiking in the heat and humidity of the Appalachian Mountains. I figured with the proper hydration and snacks it was doable. Craig, a former Marine, insisted he had been working out and this was why we had come, to experience the Canyon not just look at it. Like our road trip our plans were flawless. Unfortunately, the Canyon likes to make fools of those who think. Part 2 will detail the hike, Bright Angel Campground, the return and Ranger intervention.
MrsSmithsLifeUnexpected 