Grand Canyon – Tanner Trail
WILDERNESS
It was a tough decision. While knowing full well that wilderness was not my strongest field, I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon – one of the greatest natural landmarks in the United States. Now, I was given the opportunity to not only visit, but also to hike into the canyon and spend nights in it. After weighing my options, I decided to choose the middle ground: signing up for the trip though for only 4 days instead of 5.
In terms of packing, this trip was better than the orientation one as I already knew what I needed and what was missing last time. Hiking was a different story. We began by hiking down, into the canyon, instead of up like last time. This used more of the leg muscles which tired them out for the remaining days. I used the same tactic as last time, coming up with new conversation topics and games for us to play along the hike. As we took turns saying city names in the place-name game, I got to know more about my co-years, many of whom I had never talked to before.
After we reached our site next to the Colorado River, we gathered together to decide on the use of each area. As a group, we agreed to turn a small patch of sand under a big tree into the kitchen area as the tree branches could also serve as hooks for equipments. We then moved in rocks from areas we cleared out to set up tents to use them as kitchen stools. Our entire campsite location became a small house that we all constructed together.
That night, I found myself looking up at the sky full of glistening stars – a sight I would never thought was real if I hadn't seen it myself. With my prior interest in photography, I took out my camera and decided to learn a new photography skill. I experimented with the aperture and shutter speed and tried to capture the stars as accurately as possible. Never did it before, I struggled for a good while before I was able to find a setting in which I was satisfied with.
On the second day in the canyon, the same problem that seemed to be following me on all my wilderness trips arose again. I woke up to the sound of raindrops hitting the tent fabric. Gray clouds blanketed over the Grand Canyon, a location also known to be one of the driest. I hated being in rain. The humidity made me uncomfortable. However, that was at a personal level and we had a bigger problem for the entire group as we would not be able to complete the full route as planned. After a brief meeting with everyone, we all decided to not move to a new campsite and instead go for a short hike for the day.
In spite of my hopes, the weather did not get better on the next day. Now, we could not waste more time staying in the same place as we would run out of supply before we get back to the rim. The only way out would be to begin hiking in the rain. Understanding the situation, I pushed my discomfort and complaints aside, covered myself with more layers and rain gears, and set out in cleaning our site and packing the tents and equipments. As we hiked further away from the area, the rain also began to falter and eventually stopped.
The hike back was also a challenge. As we got up higher towards the rim, the trail was covered with thick snow. While it was exciting seeing snow, especially since it was my first time, I also did not know how to properly walk on them, leave alone hike. The trail also got steeper to the point that I had to use my hands to help hold myself. After the struggle, I successfully hauled myself up to the rim where we all started without slipping.
Looking back, I am glad I took the chance and joined this trip. I think it is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The trip has introduced me to a lot of new people, many of whom are part of my closest friends until today.
