Grand Canyon

Arizona.  I took a trip to see the Grand Canyon, hiking ten miles down the Bright Angel Trail to catch the rafts at eleven o’clock in the morning. On my second night, I wrote:

“Scattered cactus and scrub down here. This is an amazing place. There are mountains of layered ridges like puff paste of pink granite, shale, etc. The Colorado River is a creamy light brown, a mocha color. The water is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The guide said it will get to 60 degrees by the end of our eight day rafting trip. Everyone is very friendly. I forgot how courteous hikers can be until yesterday’s ten mile hike. Why do I let people spook me about hiking alone? Oh well. My life jacket makes a great seat. I plunk it down anywhere to enjoy the view. The mud here looks like it has become a permanent part of my footwear. I would have written last night but my pen was down by the river, and I had climbed some distance away to settle in my sleeping bag. They say all four desert environments on earth are found along this river. With everything I’ve seen thus far, it is incredible to think there will be so much more.”

                               Colorado River, Grand Canyon

“Politicians wanted to mine the Grand Canyon for zinc and copper, and Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘No.”—Douglas Brinkley

“There’s not a single person in Arizona today who would say the Grand Canyon was a mistake.”—Stewart Udall

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