Nature's Beautiful Canyon

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After my family and I went our separate ways after Carlsbad, I kept on heading west to visit one of the most impressive natural marvels in the world, the Grand Canyon. I've never been there. Traveling through the Americas I visited plenty of national parks. During these experiences I realized that I really haven't visited any national parks in the United States. Why??? No clue. I guess I just took them for granted that they would always be there and someday.....someday I would visited them. Well, making my way back home I decided that it was time I appreciated some things that are within my own country. I decided to camp out for a few days at the Canyon, so I packed my blanket and tent. I took the Greyhound from El Paso to Flagstaff. There's a shuttle company that offers service from Flagstaff to the Canyon, so I was set. No need to rent a car. The shuttle van was driven by a guy named Clifford. A pretty cool and funny 60 year old dude. His family roots are Spanish, so he spoke both English and Spanish. I sat shotgun to the Canyon and we talked about our experiences traveling and living. He was good company and made the trip pleasant.

After arriving at the Canyon, I was able to maneuver around using the shuttle service. Easy to use and extremely helpful to get from place to place without too much walking. I planned on two days of hiking, so I had to preserve energy. First day of hiking took me 6 hours. It was amazing. The beautiful views of the Canyon were incredible. How was this canyon carved by a river??? That wasn't the only thing that formed the canyon, but it played a big part. I hiked by myself, which the park rangers didn't recommend, but I've been on enough hikes to know what is dangerous and what my body can handle. So, I did it anyway. On the second day of hiking I went on a 7 hour hike. There weren't many if any tourists on this hike, so most of my time on the trail was spent alone...wandering down the canyon. I loved it. I just made sure I watched my back. Mountain lions do roam in the canyon and do have a nature of attacking people. I made sure I made plenty of noise and always paid attention to my surroundings. As I took on the trails many thoughts ran through my head. Thoughts about my year away from home, the experiences I came across in my travels, the people I met, and my adjustment in coming home.....and of course, what lies ahead of me. The journey was definitely fulfilling. However, it's not over. I have many more things I want to experience and accomplish.

Hope you enjoy my pics.
love,
alex

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Photos

Runt
This little bastard tried to steal snacks from my backpack. I threw him down the canyon.

Grand Canyon
You can see the mighty Colorado River.