A Breath of Life in the Canyon
Describing this trip as a once in a life-time experience hardly does it justice. The group of people we were with definitely contributed to how amazing the trip was, but the river guides truly blew this experience out of the water.
I have never been so fully immersed in a place before. The sights took my breath away; and the knowledge the guides contributed and the stories they told of the guides who had gone before, of people who had lived there, of how the rocks and the Earth itself has changed...I just can't speak highly enough of them or their love for the canyon and what they do. My dad and I have always enjoyed learning and exploring, but this took it to a whole new level. There was a two hour period one day where we did nothing but ask questions about the geology of the Grand Canyon and the surrounding area to Evan. His thorough knowledge of and enthusiasm for the river and the canyon were so riveting. Not only that, the guides were clearly a family. They have such respect for each other, the outdoors, and all the guests. Steve, Evan, Newty, and Lat truly inspired me.
I had forgotten how much I love being outside and getting out of touch with everything for a while. I'm already planning adventures at my state parks like Mohican and Hocking Hills for the summer and one or two bigger trips for National Parks over the next year. If nothing else, just having a chance to really be outside and experience the grandeur of our National Parks in such an intimate way makes this experience impactful beyond words. It is nice to have felt more alive for a week and to bring that feeling home with me. Thank you, so much.
