Wow. Words can only go so far to describe some things, actually talking to the person is needed to see the light in their eyes as they search for a word that is so much more than "huge" or "mind blowing". Watching them smile and gesture randomly as they remember what it was like to first experience whatever it was is the only way we can catch on to the fact that the event was something More. So consider this my wild gesticulation, my stammering relation of what we saw today.
We drove from Phoenix to the canyon this morning, arriving around noon. We walked around a bit and got the info we needed (where is the longest trail we probably shouldn't attempt to do in one day?) and proceeded to the trailhead. I tell you these mundane things because they set up the juxtaposition that I felt as I went from walking on asphalt like any other along a path that seemed no different from the ones in other parks, to my first view of the canyon. From the normal to the incredible in three steps, I froze for a moment as my brain tried, and failed, to process the vast expanse before me. To be honest it was several moments and it marks the second time I have teared up on this trip, unable to control the raw emotion the sheer majesty and beauty the landscape pulled from me. The feeling of the land speaking to me came again as it did in the other parks saying "tread carefully here young one, you are not the master in this realm".
As we marvelled from the embankment my eyes immediately, after returning to my control, went to the farthest point of land connected, by my estimation, to where we were headed, and my mind said "I want to go there, the view must be incredible" I had no idea how far it was or what trail it connected to but as soon as I saw the thin line of what I thought could be a path I wanted to be on it. Turns out that's where we were headed. Now to be honest most people, on a day hike, cut out the last part, the part that I had seen, but we decided that 6.5 miles was about the same as 4.5 and we went for it. The views were amazing the entire time, my biggest complaint being that I couldn't look up the whole time because I would have tripped and died. Plateau point was well worth the extra trip and yielded great views of the mighty Colorado river and the surrounding canyon, which continued as far as anyone could see. Most of my 194 pictures I took on the way down and at the bottom, because the way back up was...fun. Probably some of the most, top three, intense switchback climbing I've ever done. The sun was setting on the way out so the views shifted into different colors, morphing the canyon walls into something still more breath taking.
We made it down in 2:45 and back up in 3:15. Six hours to do the eight hour trail. We are proud and tired. With only one day to see such a huge and gorgeous place I think we did alright with our decision to hike that particular trail.
An hour and a half puts me here in flagstaff, with a 24 hour drive starting tomorrow at 8am, destination Austin, Texas. Sleep time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment