On Tuesday we got to the Grand Canyon where we rented a tent and little plot of land. Tent construction was an adventure in itself, and we won’t admit to how long it took us. We were halfway through setting up the tent when we decided it was too big for the area. We didn’t want to sleep on roots, so we scooted our work over a bit to softer ground. After we’d finally gotten the tent up and decorated the inside with our sleeping bags, one of us geniuses noticed where we were ACTUALLY supposed to put the tent. We’d basically set up our tent in the pathway between campsites and the bathroom. The spot where the tent SHOULD have gone was very spacious, very soft, very rock and root free. This tickled us, especially Caroline who got into one of her fits where she begins laughing and isn’t able to stop until long after anyone remembers the joke. We sure are an embarrassment to the world of the outdoors.
Our nice neighbor came by and offered us lots food and firewood that he wouldn’t have time to finish before his 3 day descent into the Canyon the following day. We accepted the offer, but do not fret; we only drank the unopened orange juice. Later that night, we went over to say thanks again and good luck the next few days. He was sitting all alone by the fire, and seemed caught off guard when we came over. When the 4 of us were telling ghost stories in the tent before sleep, Casey and Greer became convinced that our neighbor was the CANYON KILLER. We’re alive now, so we were probably wrong, but he might have just decided we weren’t worth killing, or perhaps he only kills people by pushing them off cliffs. Guess we’ll never know.
It was so good to see our Furman friend Meredith Yingling who is working in the park for the summer. She brought us to the cafeteria for a few meals (letting us use our 50% discount for icecream, which helped settle Caroline's nightly cravings!) and we watched the worship service she helps lead on the edge of the Canyon at sunset. The day we left, we had just dropped her off at her dorm room and were trying to back up to turn around when a huge Xanterra truck rammed into our side. No one was hurt, and the car just has a minor dent next to the gas gage, but everything is complicated in this day and age so we had to stand there for about an hour while park rangers/police people inspected the scene of the crime and made us sign witness forms, etc. We were all bubbling with curiosity over whether or not one of the rangers – Shannon Miller – was the famous Olympic gymnast. We were all too chicken to ask her, but we checked the internet a little later and decided it wasn’t her anyway......Ranger Miller was way prettier.
We hiked a little down the Canyon later to the terrific view at “OOO-AHH” point, and back up the treacherous half mile or so. We mountain-women sure were tired on the ride to Phoenix that afternoon. We stopped by Hoover Dam on the way into Arizona, and it was a bit disappointing.....the water level is really low and it didn't look like much of a dam at all! That night we stayed at another of Rachael’s aunt and uncle’s house (thank you, Rachael’s grandparents, for having so many children and giving us places to stay on our trip!), met even more of her nice family at a pizza place they took us to for dinner, and slept like rocks on the soft mattresses in the artificially cooled, bug-free, guest rooms, which we needed after a night on the frozen ground sleeping next to the Canyon Killer.
Our nice neighbor came by and offered us lots food and firewood that he wouldn’t have time to finish before his 3 day descent into the Canyon the following day. We accepted the offer, but do not fret; we only drank the unopened orange juice. Later that night, we went over to say thanks again and good luck the next few days. He was sitting all alone by the fire, and seemed caught off guard when we came over. When the 4 of us were telling ghost stories in the tent before sleep, Casey and Greer became convinced that our neighbor was the CANYON KILLER. We’re alive now, so we were probably wrong, but he might have just decided we weren’t worth killing, or perhaps he only kills people by pushing them off cliffs. Guess we’ll never know.
It was so good to see our Furman friend Meredith Yingling who is working in the park for the summer. She brought us to the cafeteria for a few meals (letting us use our 50% discount for icecream, which helped settle Caroline's nightly cravings!) and we watched the worship service she helps lead on the edge of the Canyon at sunset. The day we left, we had just dropped her off at her dorm room and were trying to back up to turn around when a huge Xanterra truck rammed into our side. No one was hurt, and the car just has a minor dent next to the gas gage, but everything is complicated in this day and age so we had to stand there for about an hour while park rangers/police people inspected the scene of the crime and made us sign witness forms, etc. We were all bubbling with curiosity over whether or not one of the rangers – Shannon Miller – was the famous Olympic gymnast. We were all too chicken to ask her, but we checked the internet a little later and decided it wasn’t her anyway......Ranger Miller was way prettier.
We hiked a little down the Canyon later to the terrific view at “OOO-AHH” point, and back up the treacherous half mile or so. We mountain-women sure were tired on the ride to Phoenix that afternoon. We stopped by Hoover Dam on the way into Arizona, and it was a bit disappointing.....the water level is really low and it didn't look like much of a dam at all! That night we stayed at another of Rachael’s aunt and uncle’s house (thank you, Rachael’s grandparents, for having so many children and giving us places to stay on our trip!), met even more of her nice family at a pizza place they took us to for dinner, and slept like rocks on the soft mattresses in the artificially cooled, bug-free, guest rooms, which we needed after a night on the frozen ground sleeping next to the Canyon Killer.
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