Sweat poured down my face as we passed under an arch. The path was dangerously narrow here and a daring look down the edge showed us a steep seventy-five foot drop hampered only by a couple of shrubs. “Wait for us!” Mom called out from behind. I turned around to make sure my sister was keeping up. She, being the ignorant she sometimes can be, didn’t bring her old sneakers with her. She was wearing her new soccer cleats which I guessed were safe enough but not very comfortable. Turning back around, I steadily descended down the Bright Angel Trail into the depths of the Grand Canyon.
The sun was up in its entirety and lit the entire canyon up. Leaning in against the cliff face, my feet were sore and my face drenched in sweat but I had never seen a sight like it. The red rock opposite us shone out and below we could see groves of startling bright green trees. We were almost at the fool’s bottom, the name I had given the seemingly flat plateau that Indian Gardens rested upon. Foolhardy hikers looked down and thought the trail ended soon. Actually it continued for some five miles. Many people turned back before even getting to Indian Wells. By noon we had trekked to the three-mile rest house. A quick lunch and then we set off for Indian Gardens but not before we were passed by a pack of mules.
It was a quick journey from the rest house to the Gardens and we made good time — it was barely one before we started to turn back. I knew we had barely gone down half way to the bottom of the canyon but it was still satisfying. Back again at the three-mile rest house my sister and I were already tired. It was a grueling and arduous task to climb back up. Still we saw mountain goats and other wildlife. Every step I took felt good like I had really done something. It took us barely three hours to hike down but nearly five to get back up.
Passing under the same arch I had come down, I looked back and saw what we had climbed up. Mom was giving us an encouraging and proud smile. Dad reminded us to drink some water again. My sister made a face to me, showing me she was as fast as me. I must have been too tired to feel annoyed by her teasing. It actually made me feel happy, and proud. It was nearing six and a haze was settling in. The sun, dimmed by this, made the canyon all the more spectacular.
A little past six we were back up and watching the sunset disappearing from these dry lands. My sister was back with her normal self and talking about buying some souvenir again. A young couple asked us how the hike was. Chuckling, they told me I should have taken a helicopter or at least mules. “Oh, the sights that we saw! Descending into the canyon on that helicopter tour was so fun!” Shaking my head, I smiled at them. They thought a helicopter tour was efficient and left them time in the day. Yes, it must be spectacular watching the Canyon from the air. However, I knew better.
The Grand Canyon is not something that can be explored in a few minutes. Even on mules you don’t get everything. The work that you put into hiking down and coming back up is a thousand times more rewarding. Scarifies from your physical labor bring up the best satisfactions. But it’s more than that, it’s the time you spent with your family and encourage each other to continue the difficult journey make the whole thing memorable.
Daway Chou-Ren of Holmdel, New Jersey, won Honorable Mention for this essay.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
0 Replies to “Bright Angel Trail”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I love you, CJ!!
Thank you for sharing with us, I think this website truly stands out : D.
I will right away snatch your rss feed as I can not in finding your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me realize so that I may subscribe. Thanks.
Saved as a favorite, I love your blog!
Hello There. I found your weblog the usage of msn. That is an extremely neatly written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read extra of your useful info. Thank you for the post. I will definitely comeback.
Great job on this post! Kudos to the writer for delivering such a top-notch piece!
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this write-up
plus the rest of the site is also really good.
Good day! This post couldn’t be written any better!
Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate!
He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him.
Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the blog.
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest
but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later.
All the best
I loved Japan before I visited there– loved their video games, TV shows, martial arts, and amazing sword fights. But my only contact with Japan was through the Internet. Reading Japanese comic books (Manga) and watching Japanese cartoons (Anime) are my favorite pastime. So on Christmas day, when my parents gave me a book about Japanese culture, I was happy. When I opened the book and discovered the plane tickets inside, I was ecstatic.
In preparation for the trip, we took Japanese language lessons from a private tutor. By the time the trip rolled around I was eager to practice my new skills.
After landing in Narita airport, our first stop was the Zen Bed and Breakfast in Asakusa, Tokyo. My formal Japanese greeting impressed the owners. In the mornings, we had breakfast with them. I had never had rice and soup for breakfast before. Being a very picky eater, I rarely try anything new. But in Japan, I was determined to try everything. These home cooked breakfasts were the best meals we had on our trip.
Very good article! We are linking to this great post on our site.
Keep up the great writing.
Nice!
Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful if you continue this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Awesome post.
Hi there! I just want to give you a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here
on this post. I will be coming back to your
web site for more soon.
The article on My Family Travels about Galveston being a great destination for family reunions is informative and inspiring. It highlights the various attractions and activities in Galveston that make it an ideal choice for bringing families together. From the beautiful beaches and historic sites to the family-friendly accommodations and dining options, Galveston offers something for everyone. The article also provides practical tips and suggestions for planning a successful family reunion, including recommendations for group activities and accommodations. The personal anecdotes and experiences shared by the author add a relatable touch and make the article engaging to read. If you’re considering organizing a family reunion, this article will certainly give you valuable insights and ideas for creating memorable moments with your loved ones in Galveston.
Great post.
I read this piece of writing fully about the difference of most recent
and previous technologies, it’s awesome article.
Excellent post – thank you – there is a lot to digest. We did the Alsace tour last year, which was fantastic, to tour the Rhine too. It is stunning in summer, which I hadn’t anticipated – I’ve always seen it in photos, beautiful in winter with the snow all around.
Great article. I took some ideas for a trip to Cambodia.
I always admire reading high-quality content, which I discovered in your post. I am quite grateful for this post.
I would also recommend other Kids friendly vacation safaris in Africa so that you can explore more areas
Sweet blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Many thanks
Awsome! Thank you for sharing.
A cruise like this is fantastic, taking in many beautiful ports and coasts, but what it misses, is the vast amount of country and culture that is further inland. While the coastal areas of Europe are stunning, a family would be missing out on a lot of experiences further inland, like Toulouse, lakes of Croatia and many more
Thankyou for this terrific post, I am glad I observed this website on yahoo.
We absolutely love your blog and find the majority of your post’s to
be exactly I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content for you?
I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write regarding here.
Again, awesome web log!
Respect to post author, some fantastic information
Do you have any video of that? I’d love to find out more details.
Wonderful blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo
News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Thanks
bookmarked!!, I like yor website!
When we travel on road trips, getting our cars maintained is always our top priority! It’s never predictable what’s going to happen on the road once our car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. It was a very informative read, as well as the tips that followed!
If you make it out to Key West, definitely try to eat at El Siboney Restaurant. They have delicious, authentic Cuban food. Would highly recommend.
Good information. Lucky me I recently found your blog by accident (stumbleupon).
I have saved as a favorite for later!
Appreciating the time and energy you put into your blog and
detailed information you offer. It’s great to come across a blog
every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.
Excellent read! I’ve bookmarked your site and
I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
Morocco is a colorfull country and there are many things to see and do.
This topic is very helpful. Exactly what I was looking for
What’s up, after reading this awesome article i am also delighted to share my familiarity here with mates.
Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for!
Wohh exactly what I was looking for, appreciate it for posting.
Hi there, I discovered your website by means of Google while searching for a similar matter, your web site got here up, it looks good.
I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hi there, just changed into aware of your weblog thru Google, and found that it is really informative.
I’m going to be careful for brussels. I will appreciate in case you proceed this in future.
Lots of other folks will probably be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!