Canyons beyond Canyons

Well, I’ve officially gotten to the point where I truly don’t know what day it is or even what time zone I’m in for that matter.  I no longer have markers like July 4^th in my mind to figure out the days and very often have to look at my calendar to make sure I’m headed in the right direction.  I guess since I’m leading this adventure, I technically can’t go in the wrong direction.  It’s been kind of nice getting lost in my journey, whether it’s a missed turn or not knowing what day of the week it is.

After soaking up all the dry heat hair days I could in Utah, Courtney and I headed down to Arizona to check out both Antelope Canyon and The Grand Canyon.  If we’re being honest, I’m sure my Arizona hair while not quite up to Utah standards will be light years better than what is to come once I hit Texas and the Deep South. 

Our first stop in Arizona was to restock the snacks, but after taking care of that important business, we headed to the famous Horseshoe Bend.  If the name didn’t give it away, it’s a bend on the Colorado River that is uniquely shaped like a horseshoe.  The views are spectacular and it’s only a quick hike in from the road.  After getting a few pics for posterity and the gram, we decided to check in to our motel to enjoy some late afternoon pool time.  I’ve been lucky enough to have checked into a few hotels and or motels in my day, but I’ve never quite experienced a place so set on their check-in time of 3:00.  It was 2:45, we thought we were safe or even could just change into our suits and then check in after.  We were met initially with a locked door and upon ringing the bell very “happily” reminded that check-in was at 3:00 and we needed to come back.  Alrighty then! After our “on time” check-in and a few hours in the shade at the pool, we headed out for dinner and to catch one of Lake Powell’s famous sunsets.  Turns out we were on the wrong side of the sunset, but still a great site.  Also, Courtney still having my back!

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The next day, our Adventures in Arizona took us to Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest that is part of LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.  In the morning, we visited the lower canyon and in the afternoon, the upper.  Being in the canyons, I was reminded how in life, sometimes things with cracks in them can be beautiful and by no means are they broken.  I was chatting with our morning tour guide, William, a young Navajo Native, about the canyon while he was showing us all the best places to take photos.  When William shared that the canyon was created from a crack, I turned and asked him when that was.  I’m not sure what I was thinking and if I expected him to say, “Oh yes, in the year 1904.”  It takes thousands and thousands of years to create the spaces and grooves in the canyons, this wasn’t something we’d have a specific date for…doh!   Over time, the passageway is eroded primarily by flash floods and rainwater during monsoon season.  What mother nature’s wrath leaves behind is nothing short of spectacular.  Sandstone shaped, hearts, mountain peaks, lion heads, sea horses and of course many of Microsoft’s screen savers.  In 2014, the World’s Most expensive photo taken here was sold for 6.5 million dollars.  Our guides mentioned that with the rise in social media posts, the Canyon has become much more popular and everyone is trying to recreate that perfect photo for Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.    Not sure who didn’t want to experience the magic for themselves and just shelled out all that money for that picture, but they are not only out 6.5 million, they are out of once in a lifetime experience.

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WARNING: IF YOU ARE AT ALL SQUEEMISH, PLEASE SKIP THE NEXT PARAGRAPH AND GO RIGHT TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH.

If you’re still with me, let me tell you a little bit about my experience hiking the Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon.  Prior to our hike, I’d printed out the mile markers and turn around spots.  I thought I’d researched it well enough.  I read all the warnings saying not to try and hike the whole trail in one day, especially in the summer.  Initially thinking while we probably couldn’t’ get to the whole trail anyway given the time we’d be starting, for sure we could do 8 or 9 miles of it.  The trail begins at 6480 ft above sea level and by the time we took a break for some shade and refueling stop around 3 miles, we’d dropped to 4720ft.  Both Courtney and I while maybe a little hungry and hot from the sun, were both feeling great and considering continuing on the trail.   When we first started out, there was this funny picture of a hiker getting sick on the trail and again the warnings of not doing the whole trail in one day.  At our rest stop, we asked Park Ranger Polly (her real name, not me trying to make a cool alliteration out of it) what the deal was with the “silly” sign.  “Oh yeah that’s Vomiting Victor”, she said with a smile.  In my mind, well if she’s joking about it, it must be to scare off anyone who isn’t in decent health to go too far, certainly not for us.  Polly also shared with us, that if we went much farther we might be getting back to the top after sunset.  We decided that after our peanut butter and fluff sandos and apples, we’d head back up. Hiking in the dark was not really on our lists. Although I was prepared with my headlamp in case! While I can’t speak for Courtney, after the first .3 miles back up, I was thanking my lucky stars for our decision.  It felt as if it was taking us forever just to go a percentage of a mile.  We made the decision that no matter how we were feeling, we’d stop to rest at each .5 mile marker.  We were being cautious.  Now what I didn’t know about Courtney is that when she wants something to be over, she charges at it at full speed and so I was just following her lead by ascending at a pace not much slower than our decent. At one of our stops, I could see she was ready to keep going but no part of my body was ready.  I quietly whispered, “I just need another minute rest” and she responded with, “Why don’t I carry the backpack for a while.”  Me being stubborn and thinking whatever you’re feeling right now will pass, get it together girl, I told her, “I’m fine carrying it.” She asked again, I told her no again and then finally she just said, “Give me the pack.”  And as I stood up to take it off, I said to her, I think I’m going to be Vomiting Victor.  She thought I was joking, but I wasn’t and quietly said, “I should probably puke to the side of the trail.” I still think Court thought I was joking at this point.  But then I proceeded to get aggressively sick, losing any ounce of food or water I had taken in that day. So yeah definitely not joking. You know how it’s cool to hear things echo down a canyon…this sound was not one of those sounds, the wretch heard round the world.  After picking up my head, I realized now on top of the already sweaty body, I had the puke sweats.  You know the ones that make your eyes water, your nose run and heat radiate from your body.  I was in no uncertain terms, a disaster.  I did have a slight reprieve from losing my lunch, so we continued on up, pausing so I wouldn’t pass out and also to make some friends along the way.  In speaking to one, she told us that it was taking her 4 hours to climb the same distance we just had climbed in an hour and twenty minutes.  I thought that maybe my math was off being so out of it, but nope we were moving at a clip.  At the top, while we waited in the sun for the shuttle, I started to feel that wave come over me again.  Luckily, we were able to score me a seat on the shuttle and then get back to the visitors center where we stocked up on Gatorade, ginger ale and saltines.  I mean I needed to rally if I was going to catch that Grand Canyon Sunset. And Rally I did.  I made it and even with a smile on my face (pictures to prove). The sun going down in the Canyon proved to be worth the hurt.  And in the end, I made my peace with  Vomiting Victor and dubbed myself Vomiting Victoria in hopes that he can forgive me for laughing at him and we can someday be friends.

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As Legs 5 and 6 come to a close, my time having Courtney on my journey also came to a close as well. I would be dropping her off at the airport and she would head back to Boston as I continue on to New Mexico. I was so lucky to have my dear friend by my side as I explored these magical places. Memories, I’m sure we will both treasure for years to come. Next up, New Mexico!

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