Across The USA by Dodge
Chapter 28
The Grand Canyon. As Richard Nixon is misquoted as saying -- that's one grand canyon. No matter how many television documentaries or photographs you've seen before you get there nothing can prepare you for what you actually see with your own two eyes. It's awe inspiring and just so ... huge!
This was the closest I came to death in America.
I decided to hike down into the Canyon on the Bright Angel Trail and I tell you, I saw a few angels waiting for me to pass away on the ascent.
The trip going down was OK. The total distance to the bottom of the Canyon is 4.5 miles, with a water stop and primitive shade about each two miles. I hiked down to the first stop with a Chinese-American named Michael Chang who seemed like a real nice guy. (He asked me for a game of tennis the next day but I declined as I had other plans.) Upon reaching the first water station he decided he'd ingested enough dust and I went on to the next stage by myself. By now it was around noon and I tossed up in my mind if I should continue to the gardens at the bottom or turn around.
I decided to go on and made the bottom still feeling in good shape. I ate the lunch that I'd taken in my backpack then after a half-hour rest started the ascent -- back to the top of the hill!
Oh boy, it didn't take long to realise, even with a lightened backpack, that going up was about four times as tough (at least) as I struggled for air and strength with aching legs.
I finally made it back to the second water station and drank and splashed some water on my face. The relief didn't last long
and I felt a little uneasy when I saw half a dozen buzzards circling overhead waiting for me to fall to the ground.
After what seemed an eternity I made it the first water stop and drank some more and re-filled my water container then pushed onwards.
After numerous rest breaks I finally made it to the arch and realising I had a chance at survival crawled the last remaining 200 feet to the top of canyon and flaked out on a bench.
I was wearing a white shirt that day and it has a permanent red-dust stain across the back as does the bottom of my backpack -- just so I'll never forget.
By now it was dark and time to go home where I fell asleep immediately.
More chapters will be added soon ....
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