#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream
Good Morning, Grand Canyon
“Even when nothing seemed to be going our way, he held fast to the belief that something absolutely marvelous lay hidden within the folds of each disaster, and that if we kept our wits and maintained our senses of humor, we would sooner or later be permitted to partake in the magic.”
― Kevin Fedarko, A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon
As planned, we rose early for our mule ride along the rim of the canyon. Our hotel was right in the park at the Bright Angel Trail. This morning, we walked out into a spectacular view, dressed in layers. It was quite chilly at 7:00 a.m. as we walked from breakfast the few minutes to meet for the mule ride. Mules! So sweet. Mine was named Berry. The guide was an absolutely adorable young man who reminded me of my nephew. Moved here to the park as a sophomore in high school with his parents from Oklahoma. Unhappily. Missed playing football. But once he started learning various jobs he started to adapt. And when he discovered, in a mule ride up from the bottom of the canyon where he had gone to do landscaping, how much he loved the animals, he changed jobs and has worked with the mules ever since. The scenery was spectacular, of course, and the morning gradually warmed. It was a great balance to our hiking yesterday, to enjoy the scenery from a seated position! Then we left to return to Sedona, driving out of the park at noon. Frank took the scenic route into Sedona and the red rock and the golden aspens and cottonwoods under the cloudless blue sky, and the evergreens, it all was amazingly dazzling. Our resort is outside the town, remote and in hiking territory and quite gorgeous. We had a quiet, delicious dinner, and Frank told the server it was my birthday (because this IS my belated birthday gift trip) and we shared the amazing chocolate mousse cake that she brought me with a candle. Every moment is a moment of renewal on this trip. And I’m grateful for it. And humbled and uplifted by the visit to the canyon.
