It is rare to feel so small and insignificant, but as we descended within the walls of the Grand Canyon on the start of our four day hike, this is exactly what we felt. The sheer magnitude, the grandeur of the Canyon overwhelms and the Canyon imposes its authority upon us. We are just mere specs and as the canyon walls rise forever up, we walk as if we are cupped in the hands of the canyon, providing protection and solitude.
The Canyon changes before our eyes. Ochre shades explode burning brightly; the mighty Colorado translucent in its glory shimmers its aqua canopy, rainbows form as the mist of the waterfalls plummet downward and we stare in awe at nature's power and beauty.
The trek provided us with the opportunity to reflect and to experience a world so alien and different to our own. Claustrophobic walls entombed us, river crossing beckoned and rock climbing challenged our nerve and stamina. We watched as the water ebbed and then accelerated across the river bed, building up momentum and speed and then arching, flying onwards across the rocky overflow and plummeting downwards. The force of the water crashing downwards deafens and the spray drenches us; exhilarated we march on knowing that we have experienced a unique aspect of mother nature.
The night beckons and a total blackness engulfs the camp site. This darkness is shattered by a blanket of twinkling, bright stars.
Lightning painted streaks of illumination across the sky and the bowels of the earth shook as thunder roared through the canyon. A torrent of rain spewed forth from above and within our little dome tent thoughts of flash flooding filled our heads. It was the calling of the river and its lullaby sound that rocked us back to sleep. We awoke to a sun that drenched us and a sky that seemed to have been photo shopped with brightness.
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