Wild-West Road-Trip: The Grand Canyon

It’s the edge, that line between what you know and what you don’t. That boundary can be hard to see, but you feel it in your chest the closer you are. Evan asked me just the other day, “why do we even need fear?” This is why, I think. Because being fearless can lead to recklessness. Recklessness will have you over the edge before you even have time to realize what’s happening. 

Today started with breakfast at one of the lodges, and included some really terrible coffee. It definitely wasn’t the camp coffee that I like, but that’s not important now. Better coffee is only six-ish hours away, depending on how quickly I can upload these photographs. It was raining, but we managed to reach Mathers’ Point without incident and snap this picture of Jen and the children. Shortly after that, I was looking for that edge again.

There are two pieces of kit that I brought that are not photographic in nature, but are nevertheless essential to what I do on the road. The first might be a little TMI, but I don’t care. Synthetic underwear are just the best. My preference is the UnderArmour Boxer-Jock because they are just so comfortable. I literally cannot imagine how awful it would be to travel around the country for five weeks wearing cotton underwear. Oh, and if you thought I was going to post a picture of that... lolz.

The second piece of kit, the one I mentioned on my snapchat earlier this week, is my Salomon hiking boots. They’re weight bearing, which helps to support my steps when I’m carrying my 40lb pack, they have locking lugs for keeping the laces secure all day long, they are waterproof above the ankle, and they are incredibly durable. I do not think I could do all of this walking and hiking without those boots. They are incredible.

I mentioned the boots because getting to some of these vantage points can be a little tricky. There are times when you have to jump, and you need to know that you’ll be secure when you land. There are times when you have to put all of your weight on the edge of your foot so you can climb back to the top of the trail. There are times when you have to walk through water to reach the best spot and you know you can do it without compromising your comfort and safety for the rest of the day. A good pair of boots can save your life.

After our walk on the rim trail this morning, we went back to the RV for lunch. Lunch was pretty standard. I had a PB&J and the kids had cheese, crackers, and strawberries. Everyone but Evan and Owen took naps after lunch, and I’m telling you, I needed one.

The internet is so slow here, it takes forever to load these pics, even after I resize them to load quickly. I’ve been going to bed later and later, and an afternoon nap is really nice. Anyway, after everyone was awake, we went to the Bright Angels lodge for dinner before heading out to our scheduled sunset tour.

Our tour-guide was Larry and he was a fast talker with a lot of info on all things related to the Grand Canyon. We stopped three times for different views that are normally closed to private vehicles. Each of the lookouts offered a slightly different perspective, but what I started to realize was that the canyon really is so large, it’s difficult to immediately see something new or different in the landscape. Even if we went a mile down the road, the features of the canyon are so large and so far away, their perceived position had only changed by a very small margin.

I got as close to the edge as I could. My wide-angle lens offers a field of view that is great enough to really emphasize the difference between subjects in the foreground and those in the background. I used my Platypod and some line to make sure that a gust of wind wouldn’t send my camera off into the abyss. Larry mentioned that the demographic that is most likely to fall off the edge of the cliff is the male between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five. I guess this is my last year to play that part.

At the final stop of our tour, Evan and I went as far as we could on the point northward. I wanted as much canyon as I could get to the left of the sun as it set in the west. While waiting for it to kiss the canyon rim, there were many other features that I felt photo-worthy. The Colorado river, the layering of various canyon walls, and Humphreys peak, which is visible over the western horizon, all contribute to the experience at the Grand Canyon. As much as I love to photograph, I know that no photograph can ever match the way I felt being enveloped within the rocks of the canyon.

Nothing feels as good as living in that moment, exhilarated by the open air, hearing the wind move around you, and enjoying the adrenaline rush that comes from sitting on that edge. I’m always going to want to be on that edge. I’m always going to be drawn to that place where being safe melts into experiencing something more. Getting closer, going a little faster, finding a new perspective, and making it happen are just part of my nature.

We’ll see what waits for us in Joshua Tree soon enough. We’re heading out in the morning and it’s another five-hour drive. These late-night postings have become nearly medicinal for me as I try to put into words how I’m feeling and what we’re all seeing while on the road. I’m so grateful for everyone who has read this series and left a comment or sent me a message about it. You’re the best:)

As always, take care!

- Wayne