Personal Narrative: The Grand Canyon And Monument Valley

Awakened by a bump in the road, I looked out the window to see two 700-foot high sandstone rock slabs on either side of the car while we made our way uphill to our destination, Zion National Park. When we stepped out of the van the warm breeze hit our faces as quickly as the realization that my family and I were finally here. Our trip to Zion had begun, with Bryce, The Grand Canyon, and Monument Valley to follow.

The campers and hikers around us were a buzz with discussions of what trail they should take for the day, how much gear they should bring, and how much water was necessary for their hike. Just like the others around us we took out our map in order to find our trailhead. We had only one trail planned in Zion, Angels Landing, an iconic

While my mom decided to stay behind because of her fear of heights, my dad and I began our last half-mile of the hike that took us forty five long minutes because of the difficulty and precision needed to reach the peak. The last part of the hike was all uphill and seemed to be more bouldering than walking. Hikers who had come before had left cold metal chains in order to help others reach Angels Landing. With my father only a few feet in front of me, I hiked in silence in order to concentrate so that each step I took kept me on the trail and not falling off into the 1488 foot drop that was only inches away from my toes. With every step taken, in my now dust covered hiking boots and my hand grasped forward to reach the metal chains, I propelled myself to the top. Finally, I could rest and enjoy the promised astounding view.

Standing now at the top of Angels Landing, my stomach began churning, my head was dizzy, but I could not stop smiling. Every gust of wind felt like a freight train trying to push hikers off the ledge and down into the plain below us. Although the surroundings were risky, the view was worth it, one could turn in every direction and see hardy green pine trees and blood red rock faces jutting out to meet the indigo blue sky. Gazing at the landscape right before me I knew the difficult hike was well worth it and I would remember this moment for the rest of my