Canyon de Chelly

“Someone had to be airlifted out of Canyon de Chelly this past weekend”.

“Ruth, Evelyn, and Polly do this hike three times a week; it’s nothing guys”.

Yesterday morning, as we drove the short drive from Ruth Roessel’s house to Canyon de Chelly National Park, I had no idea what to expect from the five-hour hike ahead of us. Every member of our group pounded down water and stocked up on applesauce as we neared the point of no return. Backpacks strapped on and sunscreen applied, we began our descent to the canyon floor. I immediately knew our hike would be the most amazing part of our trip. We were guided by a Navajo man named Andrew who spent his childhood summers on a sheep farm in the canyon. He knew every bend in the path, every river and stream, and every ancient cave carving by heart and for the five hours we spent in the canyon, gave us an intimate look into this sacred land he calls home. As we briskly walked through the sand to keep up with our guide, we watched tour buses and jeeps filled with other tourists crawl by. Each passenger looked out with a puzzled visage, confused as to why a group of thirteen teenagers and four adults were trekking barefoot through the canyon’s streams.

It was clear to me that our hike was a unique and coveted opportunity. As I listened to Andrew explaining the meaning behind a cave drawing of a turtle, I had a bit of a revelation. I removed my face from my camera’s eyepiece (sorry, mom) and abandoned the old “take a picture, it’ll last longer” idea. I wanted my memories of the canyon to be captured in my heart rather than my memory card (cheesy, I know). The result was a success. It was simply humbling to look down at my bare feet stepping lightly through a stream of clear water and rich orange sand and then look up to see herculean rock formations and an (fortunately slightly cloudy) open sky. We walked through this network of oasis for about two or three miles, stopping periodically to meet up with Ruth, Evelyn, and Polly who treated us with water bottles and popsicles. By the time we reached our bus, we had been in the canyon for over five hours, were windswept and slightly wet, and had never felt so connected with nature before. I will always remember our time spent in the canyon as the most spectacular hike I have every experienced. I’m still a bit exhausted, so goodnight for now!

Olivia