The Canyon Run: Part II
The sun was up before me as usual, but my sleeping bag would not let me get up at the same time. I fought it away and pulled on my freezing cold clothes to get breakfast going. I had to be swift. Lucy got her walk, and I got my food before hopping into a not-so-warm shower (thanks to the fellow in the shower stall next to me). Lucy would not touch her food. I was growing concerned, but I knew she was not a big fan of that specific kind. I would make sure to get something for her at some point, but I was still worried it was something else. The sky was nearly overcast as I got everything packed up in the truck. I made a final pass to double check, then we headed out to make our slow drive up the canyon and venture WEST.
The Last View of Palo Duro
35mm Fujifilm Superia 200 - Canon AE1
On the way out of the park, I had to stop a couple of times and admire the view from up top. It was not visible when I entered the canyon at 3am the day before so I had only those few moments to soak up that view. I made sure to document it in 35mm. It will not be forgotten.
North first, through Amarillo. I stopped at the pet store to see if I could get extra warm clothes for the pooch, but none were available. I still bought food and snacks for the precious beast. One day I will have to write about her, but I digress.
Everything that was a necessity, we had. All that stood between us, was 673 miles of road and a rugged landscape of red earth. We were already beyond halfway to The Grand Canyon. There was no sense in turning back now. Onward.
As we neared the border of Texas on I-40, we reached a pass that seemed to open as if it were a gateway to the Wild West. We descended into a land of vast emptiness that was oddly beautiful. Once again, my attempts to capture the moment on my iPhone only yielded poor results. But I had to try. We soon entered New Mexico. I hear it’s just like Old Mexico, but I can neither confirm nor deny. Mesa landforms littered the horizon. Some were close enough to see their towering structure looming above the highway. It was difficult to keep my eyes on the road as I was glued to scenery of the red rocks sprinkled with snow.
Somewhere in Northwest Texas
Shot on iPhone 13
The odometer spun wildly as the miles passed. At one point I noticed there were no cars passing on the other side of the interstate. It was somewhat eerie to see an empty stretch of road. Miles later, the reason made itself known as an overturned 18-wheeler on the other side of the median had essentially blocked all traffic on that side. The rubbernecking on our side of the highway was beginning once I was close enough to see the issue. Traffic was backed up for miles. I felt terrible for the driver of the truck, but I was thankful the blockade was not on my side of the highway as I was nearing the end of my fuel.
Through the Rusty Gates
Shot on iPhone 13
As I approached Albuquerque, I realized how enamored I was with this part of the country even though I knew so little about it. I wondered why I had never considered visiting this area before. Mountains, desert, snow – it almost seemed like a fictional landscape. I rolled on through, wishing I could stop to experience the location, but that was not my destination. “I can visit another time,” I said to Lucy as she looked up from her bed.
We barreled into Arizona, around 5pm. The sun was preparing for its meeting with the horizon. It shined brightly into my westward facing eyes making the drive just a little more strenuous than it already was. I had never looked so forward to driving at night. Just before the night took over, the sun painted the land with a wash of deep red orange below a pink and purple sky. I wondered if the other drivers on the interstate comprehended this beautiful transition of power.
Just after dusk I reached Flagstaff. Humphreys Peak, looming in the distance, seemed to wait on me to see it before it was too dark. Its snowcapped crown was like a beacon – visible for miles around, signaling that I was so close now to my destination. I began feeling a sense of excitement that I had not felt in quite some time.
I decided I better stop and get gas before I made the final hour push to the Grand Canyon. Another Love’s truck stop and a very kind long-haired fellow named, Todd, from Las Vegas of all places. He saw my tag and let me use his membership card to get a huge discount on gas. He said I could probably use it if I had driven all that way from Mississippi. He was not wrong. I had miscalculated how many gas stops I would need to make on this journey. As I pulled out of the gas station, I noticed how much snow was on the ground. It made me a little more excited but also a little concerned with the roads and how cold it would be for Lucy.
The road from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon was a dark, two-lane highway. It meandered some but was straight. Signs for “Elk Crossing” reflected in the dark every few miles. I hoped to see lots of elk, but not at this time. Closer and closer I neared the park. Snow along the road looked thicker each mile forward. Through the dark, I finally saw it - the entrance! GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK! I could hardly believe that we had made it.
There was no attendant at the gate, but I paid for my pass and entered the park to head toward my campsite. It was only about 8pm but you would have thought it was past midnight as there wasn’t a soul in sight stirring around. I arrived at my campground – finding that the office was closed, and my reservation was nowhere to be found on the board outside. “Well, I’ve got to camp somewhere tonight,” I spoke out loud to myself like a lunatic as I stood there in the frigid air. I hopped back in the truck, put it in four-wheel drive, and found the campsite that I had reserved anyway. At this moment, I was extremely glad I made the trip in my own truck. Snow nearly covered up the site marker as there was almost 12” on the ground and ice all over the roads. The Park Service did their best to snow-plow the roads, but I doubt they had time to make it perfect.
Once I had parked in our spot, Lucy and I emerged from the Tacoma. I don’t recall if she had experienced snow before, but I do know that this was her first true experience with snow. She absolutely loved it! With it being late and the camp site being covered in snow, I decided it was best to sleep in the truck at least once more. I fixed up a freeze-dried meal and readied myself for bed. My last decision of that night, however, proved to be a terrible one.