Un-prepared for the Wow--A Grand Canyon Adventure

I was going to post a story of my day to you yesterday, but there is no internet service (or cell service) in the Grand Canyon. Guess it all fell in a hole, get a hole...Grand Canyon...

I got up early on Wednesday to watch the sunrise over the Canyon. I noticed it was a little cloudy when I got up. Oh, well. It's the desert. It can't rain two days in a row, right? So I headed up the rim and was ready. Only thing I could see were the clouds. I couldn't see the features around me, let alone the bottom or the far side of the canyon. Socked in with clouds. GRRR.

So I walked around and gathered info for our trip out this summer. I felt a little lost as I didn't really know where to go, so I just pressed on. I looked at things inside, attended a ranger program about the Canyon and the history, things like that. Everyone in the park kept saying the weather was going to clear. And I was ready for some good weather. It was cold and I wanted to see all of the Canyon.

After a good lunch, I decided to hit the trail. Certainly it would clear up. I set out down the Bright Angel Trail. I was going to hike about 1 1/2 miles, one way, and descend about 1500 feet. It was a highly recomended trail and it was going to clear up, right? I layered up against the cold and headed out. About a mile down the trail, a rain set in. I will admit that it was pretty to see the clouds in the distance of the canyon. But the clouds overhead brought a cold rain. I found shelter under an archway over the trail the mules use. Their "tracks" were obvious everywhere. Then the rain turned to sleet. I decided it was getting late, too late to compete with much more hiking to do and the cold. So I headed back up. Just I was about to the rim again, the rain that had turned to sleet turned to snow. It was snowing in the Grand Canyon and I was on the trail.

I reached the lodge and decided to find some hot coffee and dry out a little. Just I turned to head out the door, a group of Korean tourists knocked me over as they ran for the door to the rim. I looked to see what the excitement was about. There before was the thing we had come to see--the Canyon in all its splendor before us. It had cleared up in a just a matter of minutes and you could see for miles and miles and miles.

Determined to make the most of it, I stuck around the rim area and took a shuttle to see the sunset over the canyon. It was VERY cold. It was in the 20's--before the windchill brought by 40 mph gusts. The batteries in my camera were so cold I had to warm them before getting this picture here.

Today I went back to the Canyon for that sunrise. It went to the east side and could see the desert of Arizona, the Navajo Nation that I had just driven through a day and half before. It was a WOW moment.

These experiences have been wonderful, but I must admit--they feel a little hollow. Seeing wonderful things like this, alone, is a little of a letdown. I want to share them with someone. Then I receive the encouraging words from my Beth, my family, and my church family and it encourages me. It encourages me to know that some of you will one day share it with me and it is worthwhile.
I think the Christian Life is like that. I enjoy sharing the Joy with others. Go share the joys He has given you.

Be what He has called you, Believe what He has told you, Become what He has called you