It all started with a wedding invitation. My cousin, who growing up was like a sister to me, was getting married in Denver. Of course I was going to go, but the question was how do I get there. I proposed a (frankly) ridiculous road trip to my mom, and she and one of my brothers agreed to join me on this grand scheme. If my memory serves me correctly, it ended up totaling around 2,500 miles driven in eight days. We ventured across the Nevada wilderness, traveled up through Idaho, traversed Yellowstone, drove across Wyoming in a terrifying storm, cutting through back roads in Colorado to make it to the wedding in the nick of time. I’ll never forget that Colorado had biblical level flooding that almost derailed our entire trip and nearly made us miss the wedding ceremony. Afterwards, we headed to Utah, crossed back over the unforgiving but beautiful Nevada desert to visit Yosemite, and then back home to Reno. My brother had also accompanied us on this trip, and he was in the throws of teenage angst. In all honesty I remember our incessant arguing and turmoil more than some of the beautiful swaths of the United States we saw. Nothing like a good ol’ family vacation to bring out the drama. But back to Zion. This is a place that holds great mystery to me, because I was only able to see the park on a short little drive through. Nothing more. We barely even got out of the car. But despite this, I can’t get this place out of my head. I’ve got my mind set on climbing those big walls someday.
Travel Stories
Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona. March 2019
Oh boy was this trip an adventure. In my 27 years of life I had never seen the Grand Canyon with my own eyes. To call it grand is an understatement. It is truly one of the most awe inspiring examples of the power of water, and the mind boggling age of our planet. And I got to see what felt like the entirety of it. My friends and I departed at 7am from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and in a single day, walked over 24 miles- with a 4,380 foot descent to the Colorado River and ended with a 5,760 foot ascent to the North Rim. That day was filled with 90 degree weather, and freezing rain and snow (and some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen). I have done some physically challenging things in my life, but this excursion takes the cake. I was plagued with blisters halfway through the hike, and I had literally no appetite. I look back at the last 4-5 miles that were hiked uphill in the depths of night, and in the rain and snow, and I am still surprised I was able to push through. There were some dark moments for sure. Our plan was to camp at the North Rim, but the weather had other ideas for us. We made it to the Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim around 11pm, hoping they’d have an open room but along with there being no power and no running water in the lodge, there was also no vacancy. Thankfully, the concierge, whom was sitting in the pitch dark, let us crash in the lobby. I have never slept on a more comfy couch in my life. This hike taught me several things. It showed me how much physical strain I can put on my body while still functioning. It taught me to get an earlier start. It taught me to not think of my bad knees as a hindrance, because they are capable of much more than I think. It showed me that those long through hikes I dream about embarking on are more of a reality. And it taught me that I am without a doubt, a type II fun kind of person, through and through.