… in four simple steps:
1. hike several miles
2. go to saloon and drink one Arizona beer
3. proceed to get slightly drunk off said beer
4. go prance on thousand-foot cliffs… with shoes untied… and 35 mph winds
But well, as you can guess, I didn’t die. I was extra careful. When prancing on the cliffs, I thought to myself, “You know Sarah, you really could die here if you’re not careful. Your shoes are untied, you’re a little drunk, and it’s ridiculously windy. You might not be afraid of heights, but this is one instance where you should probably sit down.” And that I did. And here I am typing this… very much alive and well.
I’ve lived here for almost an entire year and Saturday was my first time to the Grand Canyon (that is, unless you count a childhood trip the South Rim, which I don’t). The North Rim is about 70 miles from here, with the park entrance only about 45. When I found out the North Rim was closing this week for the winter, I knew this weekend was my last chance until next year. I later found out that the road is still open through November, so maybe it wasn’t really my last shot, but I wanted to go anyway.
Molly and I decided to go on Saturday because it was supposed to snow and we thought that’d be way cooler than seeing the big kahuna in bright, boring sunlight (we’re photographers… we hate bright, boring sunlight). So we’re driving there, and can’t help but notice there isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s really sunny… and really stupid. And then it gets stupider when the road we want to go on is closed due to extreme winds. It may have been sunny out, but it was still cold and windy. Really cold. 30s. All day. And windy. Lots of wind. Cold wind. We putz around at the visitor center (I buy a book), and then we take off on a nice little 5-mile hike to Uncle Jim Point. It weaved through the woods, filled with ferns and aspens, and you couldn’t help but think how this is so not how you imagined the Grand Canyon. In fact, it’s ten times better than you imagined the Grand Canyon.
When we get back to the car, we’re cold. We go to the saloon to get some hot drinks but just get beers instead. By the time we’re finished, the sun is beginning to set, and it’s time to take some pretty pictures before heading home. We explore the main trail at the North Rim, to Bright Angel Point. It’s mind-blowingly beautiful at sunset. We take little off-shoots from the path and I nearly kill myself (but not really). I sit on this rock, just in complete awe of what I’m seeing and feeling… my feet over the edge, the cold sobering wind on my face, the last slivers of sunlight on the canyon. I think about how this definitely makes the top five. Definitely.
It finally started snowing on the drive back home, just as we got out of the park. It was dark by then, but you could see the flakes sparkle in the headlights. The moon popped in and out of the snow clouds throughout the drive, and we blasted the stereo. When we got back home, we ate at the best and most expensive restaurant in town, because like the North Rim, it too is closing for the winter.
It was just a short trip to the Grand Canyon, but at least I got to see it. And it will hold me over until next year, when I definitely plan on doing some hiking below the rim.
(photos of me by Molly)
