I’m in the Grand Canyon!!

I figured that outburst was an appropriate expression of my current state of mind. That and:

Wow.

I got in around 9:45pm MST last night. Wiped from a day of travel, and the fact my body clock was still on EST, I crashed in my bed last night. The trip was pretty uneventful, all for the last flight. My final flight was between Phoenix and Flagstaff, which takes a grand total of 19 minutes in the air. This was the only flight I had a window seat for, and like a kid in the candy store I spent the entire flight with my face pressed against the window admiring the view.

Rusty red. It was the first thing I noticed when we took off from the airport in Phoenix. It was everywhere! I’m used to grass lawns, and brown dirt. Not red clayish lawns. The further we traveled from Phoenix, the more dark green started to crop up in the red.

Dark muddy rivers cut through the outcropping red rocks, meeting tributaries, and carving out natural phenomena I only remember seeing in my Earth Science textbook. We rode parallel to the clouds it seemed, level but they were at a distance. Finally rising through the clouds my view was cut off. Not only from the ground, but from the sky as well. We rode in the clouds.

What looked like small snow particles suspended in the clouds illuminated sharply as the strobe on the end of the wing flashed. Soon small drops of water vapor appeared on my window, and our ride became a bit more rough. Though I didn’t lose the contents of my stomach, I thought I might.

As we began to descent I wondered how the pilots had any idea where the ground really was. I remembered that Gary Larson comic where the pilot notices the mountain goat, and wonders what a mountain goat is doing in the cloudbank. I may have the artist wrong on that, but in any case, that’s definitely something Larson would draw.

With a strike of lightening I was sent from being thrilled to terrified. I didn’t much prefer being in a plane while there was lightening… I hoped we’d land soon. A few more strikes of lightening only tightened my nerves until finally I saw the ground and knew we were close.

The landing was… interesting, but safe. My cousin (with whom I am living this summer), was waiting for me inside the airport (smaller than my home church I think). After a trip around Flagstaff, dinner, and a few stops for necessities, she drove us the hour and half home.

After unpacking this morning, we tossed my cousin’s bike in the back of her truck, and headed off to the park headquarters, where she works, and where I will start work shortly. Inside I was introduced to a few other park rangers, and picked up information on bike trails and things to do in the village today.

One of the park rangers asked who I’d interviewed with. As if on cue, my new boss came walking down the hallway! We had only ever talked on the phone, so I introduced myself, and he was incredibly helpful and welcoming. What a great start to the day!!

Leaving the bike in the truck I hiked the four-tenths of a mile to the rim. The foliage is in sharp contrast to back east. Here everything is scruggly (I know I made that word up, but it fits), and mostly coniferous. The ground is that dusty rust color, which I still find pretty incredible. Soon I could see the beginnings of the canyon peaking through the trees. Immediately, and unconsciously an incredibly bright smile spread across my face. I’m not sure you can see the Canyon for the first time and not smile. It is amazing!

Standing on the rim trail I snapped a few shots with my camera, conscious of the fact I had left my cousin’s bike unattended. I couldn’t stay long, but I did manage to stand in awe for a few minutes. Heading back I picked up the bike, realized I finished my water and would need some lunch, so I biked back to the house.

Remember, the Canyon is over 7,000 feet above sea level, and in this altitude you need to keep hydrated. It was a bit chilly in fact. Typically the temperature here in the summer is mid 70’s. Pretty nice I think!

Deciding to hike some of the rim trail and check out an afternoon talk, I packed up my things again and this time walked into town. On my walk into town I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. There were 4 bull elk just walking along grazing. I stopped, snapped a few pictures, and kept my distance. They were huge!! A jeep drove up to one of them, and I was pretty sure the elk could have squished the jeep pretty quickly.

After changing plans, I decided to hang out on the rim trail for a bit, as opposed to hiking along it. I sat on a bench, looking out over the canyon. With a peaceful soundtrack of good tunes pumping through my headphones I pulled out my journal to write some. Note to self: Put a pen in your bag if you plan on writing.

Instead I sat and just watched. There was a storm brewing over the canyon, so in the distance I could see the start of rain, even though it was bright and sunny above me. A gentleman with a scope came up and asked if he might share my bench. I welcomed him and we chatted for over an hour about this, that, and the other thing.

He works tracking the condors in the area, and told me a bit about that. When a few raindrops landed on our head, and lightening was striking out over the canyon (oh I wish my camera could have caught that!) he said “We probably don’t look to bright sitting out here with lightening striking.” I told him that if lightening struck us, then we’d look quite bright!

I learned from him to stay away from the elk. Apparently in the past an experienced ranger spooked a bull elk by accident, and ended up with a smashed lower leg. He was only saved from being gored by the antlers due to his strength and training as a Navy SEAL.

Parting ways I headed back up to the house again to pick up a sweater and some more water. I hadn’t planned to head out again, but decided I should head over to the store. After getting directions from my roommate I set out. Apparently I need a GPS.

I started on a road called Center. Departing from there I followed a few trails, through the woods, between houses. The path was long, and although I didn’t know it, I was lost. I didn’t have any guidance, nor an idea how to fix this, so I just kept going. I thought I wasn’t going the right way, but figured I could be wrong. I was getting concerned when I notice a larger road with a bit of traffic. It had been about 45 minutes, and I figured I would have made it to the market by then. Stepping back out onto the road I found I was back on Center, only 100 feet from where I had started. I feel there is either a theological or philosophical story you could take from this (returning to one’s center), so take it as you will.

Deciding to go the way I know would take me to the market, I walked along the roads, into town, and hopped on one of the shuttle buses to the market. By then my legs were pretty sore, and I really just needed to sit for a while. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, thankfully.

One last little tidbit. On the road leading home there is a little homemade fort in the nest of some trees off to the side of the road. A child has written a sign to hang above his or her hideaway and it reads: “Black Fotted Ferret Club”. It made me laugh.

Well I’m off to cook some enchiladas for dinner!!