Hermit Trail—Grand Canyon I can sense but not see their number. Night introduces them as individuals, complementing the quiet serenity accompanying me on this trail. They seem to be comfortable with the cool, dark air, enjoying their brief respite from a reality of too much sun and too little water. More come into view, morning … Continue reading Hermit Trail–Grand Canyon
Pictures, photographs, images—words describing a dimensionally-limited medium, one that constrains our senses and reduces our world to a flat, motionless image. Yet, given the right tools, an artist can weave emotion and imagination into her work, an artist can replace time and distance with depth. With proper framing and lighting a frozen image can become … Continue reading The Future of my Past
My alarm was silent but I was awake. Awake, lying in bed and thinking, waiting to start my morning. Giving in, I sat up and took the first of what would be many steps on this day. I would walk into a Canyon full of memories. Mirrors are always part of my morning, but on … Continue reading TOGETHER IN TIME
With each step, I am closer to the river, farther from the rim. The drumbeat of my feet marking my progress, my heartbeat not yet matching my pace. In their own way, each marking my progress through time. I’ve been here before, I’ve done this before, the rhythm is steady. The rising sun reveals diminishing … Continue reading SOUTH KAIBAB TRAIL
The South Kaibab trail twinges in my calves, a gentle reminder of slope rather than distance. An active mind and the irregular cadence of an unknown snorer disrupt my sleep. Five bunk beds fill this small two room cabin; ten of us enduring close proximity, giving up privacy for the privilege of time at the … Continue reading Phantom Ranch
His physical being has been reduced to ash; the weight of the loss is a far greater burden than the small portion I carry in my pack. My headlamp keeps me on the trail; the horizon will hide the sun for another hour. Dark skies are appropriate for the sorrow I feel, but my … Continue reading Moose in the Grand Canyon: Chapter Three
He had thought about this day, had walked this path in his mind; thought he knew what it would be like. Now he finds distance and depth eroding his imagination as the reality of the South Kaibab and Grand Canyon slowly reshapes the landscape of his mind. This man, who has motivated thousands from a … Continue reading Moose in the Grand Canyon: Chapter Two
One last tug secures my instep crampons; winter’s ice makes them necessary. Our destination is almost one mile below us, just over seven miles by trail. I have been there before; they have not. My eyes move quickly, glancing at the trail, the ice, their equipment, their faces—they are ready. Pausing for a moment, I … Continue reading Moose in the Grand Canyon: Chapter One
The river appears dissatisfied. I have just walked 7 miles down the South Kaibab Trail for another visit with a temperamental artist. Seven miles of panoramas, panoramas revealing a small segment of this masterpiece called the Grand Canyon. The river, not content with its work, continues its relentless search for perfection. It continues to carve … Continue reading Below The Rim
