April 7…. It’s just a gully

Ok, so it’s a BIG gully.

Today we arrived at Grand Canyon National Park. We hadn’t even finished setting up the camper and already spotted some wildlife. Several elk were just walking around the campground.

After finishing the setup and some lunch, we rode our bikes over to the rim, and got our first look at the canyon. Susy expressed her emotions again with tear filled eyes at the beautiful sight. The big ditch can do that to a person. I’ve been here maybe 5 times now and still stand in awe every time I see it. When you get here, you have no view of the canyon till you finally walk up to the rim, and suddenly the earth drops away in front of you.

Looking deep down, it seems like the bottom is right out there. Oh look, you can see a trail way down there. And then you see people on the trail and your perspective shifts as you realize how far away that really is.

Find a place and pick a spot below you, then toss a rock at it. You’ll see how far away that really is as your toss lands laughably short of your target. Throw it as hard as you can, and again you’re nowhere near. It’s so hard to judge the size of what you’re seeing without an object to compare to. Unbelievably large. Immense. Beyond belief. Words cannot express the size of it all.

We have a week here, to experience as much as we can. It’s a big place. I’m not sure we have enough time.

Oh, and we also visited the El Tovar Lodge, the original hotel for visitors to Grand Canyon National Park. Susy and I have dinner plans there for Saturday evening, and as I walked through the lobby, I immediately felt connected by seeing my spirit animal displayed.