A cold chill ran down my spine as I peered over the railing, hundreds of mesas and buttes decorating the landscape as a majestic California Condor swooped through the Canyon. Down into the depths of the canyon we were going, far from civilization, wandering into the vast world of nature, untouched and preserved. Of course, there was a tiny problem. I had height-phobia.
Looking back, I’m glad I went on. My first few steps on the rocky path were tentative, like that of a frightened rabbit, but as my advisor egged me on, I started to acclimatize to the environment. Green trees dotted the mesas, and wispy white clouds ducked over and under the massive canyons. I smiled as I went on, admiring the scenery and ignoring the cliff part of it all (the part that really bothers me about all these hikes!). We hiked halfway down the mountain, to the point where we could see the Colorado River, snaking past the canyons which it had painstakingly carved out for millions of years.
We took many water breaks, which was great, because dehydration threatened us all during the strenuous hike. Especially while we were hiking up, we were gasping for air, reasons being the high elevation as well as the strain.
Reaching the top, my knees felt weak with relief. Cold sweat beaded my forehead, and I now realized what an unforgettably scary and cool experience that had been. I mean, it’s not like you hike down the Grand Canyon every day.
The rest of the day was awesome. I got to experiment with a Navajo Taco, and we had a long bus ride where I hung out and had fun with my friends. We sat down for a bit of journaling, and took a walk along the rim of the canyon, admiring the scenery that makes it a world-famous site. I marveled at the diversity of tourists, being pretty sure I heard Spanish, French, German, and the Queen’s English. That night, when I climbed into bed, teeth brushed and pajamas on, I smiled, unable to conceal my joy at completing the hike down the canyon.
The rest of my 7th grade trip to Arizona and Utah canyons was a blast, but I would never forget that day - the day I tackled Grand Canyon.
