13- Isabella V: Looking Up

 

I went to the Grand Canyon twice last year. The first time I went I was in the Canyon rafting down the river and the second time I went I was at the top of the canyon looking in. Both were amazing trips but two very different experiences. On my second trip looking down upon the canyon I could help but feel spoiled. Looking down on the canyon is an incredible sight but it is nothing like being at the bottom of the canyon looking up. 

In the canyon you get to experience how the Grand Canyon behaves when no one seems to be looking. The Canyon creates its own weather one minute it’s 100 degrees in the shade and the next minute there is a flash flood warning. A storm in the canyon is so cool to experience. The thunder echoes down the canyon like beating drums as it rolls down the canyon like an open flood gate. You can see the thunder heads form and two seconds later the lightning starts flashing white, purple, and green before the rain starts to pour.This rain is not like any rain you have ever seen in Vacaville, no this rain is dumping to where it stings as it hits your skin. It feels like hail but when you cup your hands the rain drop fills your hand.

Everything that lives in the canyon seems harmless but don’t mess with any living things that are in the canyon. At every camp you would have to get used to the ants and the ants would bite and the bite would sting and it would just add to your Grand Canyon experiences. There were these cute little bugs and they were fluffy and little, but yes those cute little bugs could drop you to your knees if bitten by one. Lets not start on the tarantula hawks that flew around like military helicopters.  

Now even though a lot of these things seem horrible and who would ever want to put themselves in that situation. There were a lot of amazing things that overlooked the bad. Fresh waterfalls with crystal clear water that you could drink from. Going to sleep and waking up in the middle of the night to see a blanket of stars and a bright moon. Or not being able to sleep becases the thunder was down the canyon and you could see the lightning flash in the distance, and the rain sprinkling on your face. Sitting in the raft all day gazing up at all the red rock hundreds of feet above you and just the overall peacefulness of the canyons just doing its thing.

I encourage everyone if given the chance to go down in the canyon and experience the amazing things the Grand Canyon can do because it definitely is quite the adventure. 

Word Count: 475