The small pebble I kick cascades down the canyon in a long drop. If I strain enough, I can almost hear its echo as it scatters down. I’m too afraid to peer over the edge, but I’m sure it still hasn’t reached the bottom. Taking a deep breath, I glance up to see that my family has moved on without me, huffing and puffing up the trail. Reluctantly, I trudge back up to them, falling into rhythm with their heavy, tired footsteps as we ascend the Grand Canyon.  

We’ve been climbing back up the canyon for four hours now. It was fun at first. My family and I had woken up bright and early, bundled in countless layers of thick coats and fuzzy scarves to combat the cold Arizona morning. We ambitiously began our descent down the canyon, fully stocked with water bottles and snacks. Descending the Grand Canyon was like leisurely strolling down a hill. I barely even broke a sweat and only stopped once or twice for a sip of water. Once the sun had risen, my family and I peeled off our coats and enjoyed the warm sun on our skin. After a mere two hours of trudging down the trail, we had made it to the bottom of the canyon.

The bottom was beautiful. Filled with shrubbery and wildlife, everywhere you turned there was something fascinating to see. The trickling of the distant streams of water and the chirps of nesting birds created a calming cacophony of sounds. My dad claimed a rickety picnic table under a shaded canopy and our family enjoyed the sandwiches he had packed earlier that day. After using the restroom and enjoying the peaceful bottom of the canyon, it was time to climb our way back up. 

Now, as I huff and puff with each heavy step back toward the surface, I am regretting ever coming on this trip. Who in their right mind would ever do this for fun? I can only imagine how sore my legs will be tomorrow. By now, the Arizona sun is blazing above our heads, burning my scalp and drenching me in sweat from head to toe. Abbie, my little sister, has drank all of our remaining water, and I’m sure that I’ve never been this thirsty in my entire life. The trail is so steep that with every step I take, I can feel my hamstrings stretching. My mom has befriended the young college girls behind us and has been chatting with them for hours. They even offer us some of their water, which I greedily sip on. As my sisters and I walk like zombies up the canyon, tourists on mules prance right past us, leaving dust in our path. I beg my dad to rent a mule for me and he refuses. Someone ahead of us tells my dad that we have about 3 hours more to go and my heart sinks. The climb is never-ending.

After a lifetime of dragging my feet for miles and miles, my family and I approach the last turns that will lead us to the surface. As we finally reach the top, I realize I’ve never been so happy to see a cheugy old gift shop before. Earlier that morning, my sisters and I had laughed and pointed through the gift shop windows at the ugly overpriced t-shirts, but now the mere sight of them is heavenly. Everything up here is heavenly. The flat ground and plentiful water fountains, what more could I need for the rest of my life? Although I will never take a second trip to the Grand Canyon, it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.