"I consider it a challenge before the whole human race, and I ain't gonna lose..."

Day 23

Grand Canyon National Park in Tusayan, AZ  (6,860 foot elevation to 4,748...and back)

Standing at the top of the Canyon, along the Rim Trail, embarking upon a day hike sounded like a great idea. Grand even. Who wouldn't want to descend into the depths of this geological wonder for a more intimate experience?

I was nervous but excited to take this further step outside of my comfort zone. And then we ran into a fellow traveler who had done the hike the day before and was eager to share the details of the "incredibly steep" and "rugged" trails. And then he described the drop-offs along the trail with a hand gesture that suggested a high likelihood of falling off a cliff. By the time we reached the trailhead, I would have preferred to stick pins in my eyeballs than descend into the Canyon (note the deeply fake smile in the picture below).

Despite some early trepidation, as we declined ever further I soon gained comfort and began to trust that I was not one foot fall away from my demise. Nerves a bit calmed, I was able to pause along the way to appreciate the immense beauty that surrounded me. And beautiful it was.













It took us three hours to descend three miles along the Bright Angel Trail and another two hours to return to The Rim. It was a physical and mental challenge for me each step of the way and I was so proud of myself when I finished, particularly as athletic feats are not usually in my wheelhouse. It was a very different girl standing on The Rim at 4pm than the one whose feet were on it at 11am.

                                                    


 




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