Adult Under Construction: Describing the Indescribable

There are several places around the world that defy description. The Grand Canyon is one such place. To describe its sheer awesomeness – that's “awesome” in the literal sense of creating awe – is impossible with mere words. In fact, it is one of those destinations that so many people rave about, it's possible to take it for granted and lose interest in actually seeing the place. I have to confess, I had reached that point when I went to Arizona. The Grand Canyon was, to me, an amazing place that other people had told me about. While I would not have said no to a free trip there, I wasn't dying to see it either. In retrospect, I should have made it my top priority. Fortunately, my parents made it theirs.

After spending the night in Williams, on Route 66, we reached the entrance of Grand Canyon National Park at around 9 the following morning. Once inside, we parked and took our first look at one of the most unique and impressive sights I have ever seen. The Grand Canyon ranges from 4 to 18 miles wide (6-29 kilometers), carved out of sandstone by the Colorado River. But the basics of its geography only give a rough impression of its grandeur. From the South Rim, where the majority of visitors go, it is rarely possible to see the Colorado River itself. Not only is it miles away as the crow flies, it is also one mile down. In between the rim and the river, and continuing beyond to the North Rim is a series of colors and shapes for which the word “magnificent” is insufficient.

The Grand Canyon is big enough to keep even the most avid outdoorsperson entertained for weeks. We only had a day. It is very easy to get overly ambitious when hiking around the Grand Canyon, because it is deceptively vast and visually stunning. Furthermore, hiking into a canyon means the return journey is uphill, so the early stages will seem easy while the most difficult stages are at the end. And with the extreme weather common in the area – the Grand Canyon is at a high elevation and a long way from the mediating influence of the ocean – horror stories abound of hikers with more ambition than supplies who wound up as buzzard food. But I must give credit to the National Parks Service, who do a fantastic job of explaining the facts and reminding visitors not to be stupid (but in slightly nicer words). Keen not to become horror stories ourselves, we limited our walk to the first rest stop, where we could refill our water bottles and listen to other hikers talk about their journeys. While we sweated buckets in the 85°F heat, people passed us on their way out from Phantom Ranch, which is at the river. It had been 125°F down there.

Once we had gotten a taste of the canyon, we spent the rest of the day walking along the rim. No matter how tired we became or how crammed the free shuttle buses were, annoyance and frustration dissipated at the fantastic sight that dominated the landscape. As evening set in, we made our way back to Williams via Flagstaff. Although we passed through some strange and unique territory – we weren't far from the Painted Desert and Hopi country – nothing could shake my mind from the Grand Canyon. It was a staggering sight.