Our trek has allowed us to delve ever so briefly into the lifes of our hiking companions. Sharing 4 days together, made for an enviroment that was a tad smelly but also filled with reflection and reverence but also it made a recipe for stimulating conversation and many hearty chuckles.
As Lea would say, 'It was gooood!'
So a big thank you goes out to Greg and Rhonda, Marti and Ellie and our amazing guide Eddie. Cheers guys.
To reach the base of Mooney Falls we were required to scale down the side of the Canyon. Lea having a little bit of a height phobia struggled with this.
The start of this testing climb was to scramble througha couple of tube like caves to get to the descent of a slippery clay surface with foot and hand holes loosely dug out. A chain ran along each side for hand grips and random iron pegs protruded outwards at random intervals. Slowly, slowly, deep breaths. Don't look down. One foot after another. Adrenaline flowing, heart pumping as we made the way down to the worn wooden ladder and then down to the base of the waterfall. Hi 5's for a job well down. Challenge met. The only problem was, the only way out was to ascend the way we came.
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.
When hiring a car, we find it essential to hire a navigation system. A handy tip is to take a photo of your hire car and rego that way when returning after parking the car you can always find it. A pic of the street sign of parking lot can be useful too. Always check what side of the road you should drive on!
Reluctantly crouched at the starting line, engine pumping and thumping in time. The green exit flashes and the gears go up, churning and burning we yearn for the Canyon. We're going for distance, we're going for speed and we're all alone in our time of need, and what a time of need!
500 klms to be covered from Las Vegas Nevada, to Flagstaff Arizona on our own and then another 120 klms to the south rim of the Canyon.
Sometimes our journey was on the wrong side of the road; sometimes cars over take and Brad looks across and notices that the person next to him is alseep. Brad screams that the person is alseep at the wheel doing 120klms and then the realisation hits that he is looking at the passenger side as it over takes. Often the Nav Man screams recalculating and do a U-Turn immediately, often Lea screams, keep me in the gutter, tighty righty and loosey lefty and you're going to hit it. Sometimes we go the wrong way up a one way street and to add spice to it on the wrong side of the road as well and finally driving at night and thinking every headlight coming your way will be the last that you will ever see.
But guess what, we made it and tomorrow we do it all again.
