Getting Deep at the Grand Canyon

June 9th - 11th, 2021

After the great fire scare of Lake Powell, our next couple of nights would find us in Fredonia, AZ. I’m not sure what Fredonia is notable for, other than being frustratingly close to Utah where the time changes an hour ahead, and seemingly where at least half the cell towers our phones pinged off of were located. Yes, every other time we picked up our phones, it was a different time… but I suppose that’s always true. We reverted to solutions learned during a particularly challenging retreat we hosted in Morocco. One when the clocks should have sprung ahead, but 3 days prior the King decided there would no longer be daylight savings; a time when even British Airways was unsure when, exactly, its planes would be landing. Rather than setting alarms on phones with faulty clocks, we set long timers. “Siri, set me a timer for 8 hours from now.” Hey, it works. Also, the Sox won the World Series that year, which besides scheduling busses and meals, was the top priority for attendees to sort out, as in fact, “when are the Sox on?” was pertinent.

So we arose when we arose, at the Country Rose RV Park, and packed up for a day trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. By now, I’ve started to develop a taste for these mom-and-pop RV parks. They are quaint, peaceful places, if not simple. I never met the woman that booked me in over the phone, but I waived at her through the office window as I arrived. The 80-year-old gent who had sold her the park recently was the first to answer my phone call requesting a spot, it's his cell number still listed on the website after all. I wonder how many such calls he takes? Not enough to have the new patron’s cell number memorized, he read it to me from a note in his wallet. This kind gentleman would be obligated to greet me during the stay. I’d had to rearrange cords and plugs related to the WiFi router in order to plug in my extension cord (see previous blog about not having our normal electrical services available), and at some point in time, the WiFi had gone out. He discovered my modification, and step one in trouble shooting is: put it back the way it was and see if it works. Apparently, it did. I asked if he’d sold the place to enjoy retirement. “I’ve retired 5 times already” he responded, somehow letting the words out even more slowly than he tread his cowboy boots alongside me. As I said, I’m starting to get a taste for this… life.

Grand Canyon… right. The 1.5 hour drive to the trailhead was quite nice. It’s always fun to rip Phoenix Tigre down the road, all 10 cylinders firing, without the 6000lbs of Destiny in tow. We’d head for the Kaibab Plateau, passing through the Kaibab National Forest. Once again, we were greeted with the aftermath of a massive 2019, or 2020, forest fire. I do believe that if we saw this sort of stuff first hand in New England, we’d think differently about the phenomenon, its scale, severity, and perhaps even, it’s root causes. We arrived at the trailhead and there was plenty of parking, always a relief. The weather was cool at 8000’ during the morning, especially so under the shade of towering pines. Kristin wore 3 layers! I toughed it out in a tee shirt, my blood not yet fully thinned out by the altitude and sun. The hike was amazing; 10 beautiful miles along the rim of a tributary canyon, then rolling hills where bison roam and leave patties in their wake, leading to a panoramic viewpoint over the Grand Canyon that held us in awe for a good 45 minutes.

During our lunch at the Widforss Point viewpoint, we engaged in conversations with a couple groups of folks. A nice couple from South Carolina, and a group of 4 hikers that would provide, hopefully, a glimpse into our future. Thirty years our senior, the two couples were long time friends, who still come together and go hiking in beautiful places. Making new memories, while keeping the old ones alive. The husbands were pirates of sorts, having met captaining sailboats in the Caribbean after dropping out of "normal" life. One of whom actually wore a gold hoop earring, and did so in style. What fun it was chatting with them all. 

During this day a feeling crystalized in both Kristin and I independently, and we’d discuss it on the ride home. We have missed random conversations with strangers. Especially within the unique theater of traveling. Each traveler sharing their recommendations from the road, tips and tricks for a smoother run than they’d had, and tidbits of their life’s story, earnestly. On the other side of the conversation, an audience that is present, engaged, and interested… earnestly. In their COVID forced absence, neither Kristin nor I had even been able to identify how much we’d missed these connections. Over the past weeks on the road, we'd both felt how much they mean to us. 

Getting deep at the Grand Canyon indeed.

There isn’t much point in trying to put into words the baffling beauty that this wonder of the world presents. So look at the pictures, and repeat to yourself, “the pictures don’t do it justice.” Then book a trip, meet someone on their journey, share your experience, listen to theirs, and look at the canyon with your own eyes.

Next stop, Bryce Canyon National Park.