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| A lone tree stands tall in the Mojave Desert |
The
summer of 2009 was among my most memorable ever. A trip to the US, night outs
of bone jarring raw hard work and a spectacular adventure called the Grand
Canyon. Stationed out of Santa Ana, California, after 6 weeks of continuous
work and doggone weary and sleep deprived, I finally get a weekend off. Given a
choice between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, I easily opt for the latter.
There is something about the wilds that gives peace to the soul. From Santa Ana
to the Grand Canyon's south rim in Arizona is somewhere near about 400 miles and almost 9
hours of drive. Most of the ride is through the Mojave Desert. The roads are
smooth and the desert ride is delightful. Nowhere in the world can one feel the
taste of freedom as you do in the USA. You can just take off in a rented car
and traverse for hundreds of miles, living in lonely motels in middle of
nowhere and stuff yourself on a healthy diet of French fries, burgers and coke.
You also get to spend quality time with yourself...To me, that is living a
dream.
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| The Mystique of the Canyon |
I read up on the Grand Canyon. The canyon has been carved by the Colorado River a lot many years back. Maybe a million. And boy what a carving. 10 miles wide and a couple of miles deep in the ground and a few hundred miles in length. Its late afternoon by the time we check in at a hotel a few miles away from the Canyon. There is an awesome I-MAX theater that plays a 30 minute clip on the history of the Grand Canyon. It's a story of the early pioneers who dared to explore the canyon. The movie is wistful and very lifelike on the gigantic I-Max screens.
The
trip to the rim of the canyon is filled with woods. We park the car and take
off in a bus to various points overlooking the canyon. The view across the Grand
Canyon is staggering. The sheer vastness and scale is unlike anything I've ever
seen before. Miles and miles of jagged mountain peaks and valleys. The sun hits
the Canyon Mountains and sends showers of dazzling rays of red, brown and gold.
I am mesmerized. We go from one point to another soaking in the sight. Late in
the evening, we watch the sun setting in the canyon. As the sun sinks beyond
the peaks, the skies are washed with gold and smoke. I close my eyes and utter
a prayer. This is the closest I've come to seeing god. I sit alone with my
thoughts for a long time.
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| The Hiking Trail in the Canyon |
Next
day, we set off for a 5 km trek into the Grand Canyon. The trail is well laid
out and the walk down the canyon is a song. If the view from the top was
spectacular, hiking inside the canyon is something else. The air is still, it's
warm and the views close up of the ridges and valleys in the canyon is awesome.
It's spread miles and miles. A lone eagle glides in low and silently from the
sky. It's evident we are in middle of a once in a lifetime experience. Immersed
in the magic, we walk on at least a mile and a half beyond the original plan.
Soon, there is not a soul in sight. We are in the wilds. No phone signals. No
shade. No emergency services. No Nothing. One can glimpse the Colorado River
far below. We decide not to push our luck further and turn back. Within 5
minutes, I realize we are in trouble. Walking down is one thing. Climbing back
is entirely something else. The air is thin and one runs out of breath in less
than 5 minutes. The climb back is an endurance test and full of pit stops. We
have run out of water long back. Finally 5 hours after we started, we are back
up where we started. As I double over gasping for air, a sign stares at me - Do
not underestimate the Grand Canyon!! Sigh, I’ve never learned to read signs in
time.
