The Grand Canyon!

Two and a half weeks ago—on Saturday, September 18th, to be exact—my family and two dear friends (adopted grandparents, as we say) embarked upon what promised to be a vacation for the ages. What transpired was very much what we anticipated, though the particulars differed from the plan, as they always do. Our grand tour of the western United States encompassed nine states—four of which I had never visited before. Nine western states are a challenge entirely unknown on the East Coast—I assure you!—and we drove over 50 hours altogether during this vacation.

Our travels took us through Idaho and down into Utah, where we had the pleasure of dipping our toes in the Great Salt Lake. It’s a grand thing to see, but also a peculiar site as well, where everything stinks of sulphur, and great gusts of wind blow hardened crystals of salt into your skin like so many miniature daggers. The water does not sting even the freshest wound, but the taste! Oh, the taste! Unbearably salty, is the Great Salt Lake!

Sandi and Ron, the friends who traveled with us.

We zipped along the Utah interstate well below the posted speed of 80 mph—yes, 80!—and spent the next two days visiting Zion and Bryce Canyons respectively. The only thing to sully these spots of paradise was the never-ending propaganda—whether we glanced at a sign, or sat in on a twenty minute documentary, or listened to a well-meaning ranger, or paid attention to the script of our bus driver, all had the same story to tell: “Millions of years ago, this canyon began with a tiny stream…” This, of course, is their way of saying, “I don’t wish to be accountable to a just God, so I’ve chosen to reject Him and His commandments, which forces me to also reject that He created me and the world, and that He destroyed the earth with a worldwide flood (which, by the way, would be the perfect explanation for the formation of this canyon, but never mind that). Thus, I have no other choice but to follow the invention of man along with thousands of others, and subscribe to the theory of evolution.”


Thankfully, we were blessed to have located, bought, and downloaded a series of audio tours from Answers in Genesis, and narrated by Dr. Snelling, who has a PhD in geology. These took us to each vista point and bus stop, but presented us with the Biblical perspective on the formation of the canyons. For example, do you see that arch, way up in the distance (in the photo above)? This is a rare and exceedingly delicate phenomenon, and one which the signs and rangers proudly direct tourists’ attention too. What they neglect to mention, however, is that this arch never could have survived millions of years of erosion and natural forces. Instead, a much more logical explanation would be that this arch is only a few thousand years old, formed along with the rest of Zion Canyon in the flood.

Beautiful Bryce Canyon!

The tree bark smelled like butterscotch--no kidding!

We did a day hike at both Zion and Bryce Canyons.

Monument Valley and Four Corners (the only place in the United States where four states meet at one point) are tucked in the remote, eastern corner of Utah, and we covered many hours of driving time getting there—but what fun it was to be in four places at once!

Finally, we reached the crux of our trip—the Grand Canyon. Driving through the south rim park at 11 PM was maddening as trees would suddenly disappear and this great, black expanse would open up before us. We could just make out the skeleton of the Canyon, but strain as we might, we couldn’t get a sense of its grandness just yet. The next morning, however, when our shuttle bus passed one of these clearings, tears sprang into my eyes at the awesomeness before me. Pictures felt like a hopeless, thankless task—how could we ever, ever, ever capture the incredible 180 degree view before us? As Mr. Ken Ham (president of Answers in Genesis) reminded us on our audio tour, the official story is that the canyon was created by a little water and a lot of time…but Christians believe it was a lot of water and a little time.

It was such a relief to see this plaque glorifying God with Psalms 68:4 amidst the dozens of signs extolling humanism!

Micah is attempting to point out the trail we plan to take!

We toured the Canyon all day, but that was nothing compared to the next day. Finally, after months of talking, planning, training, and assembling, we rose at 3:30 AM to make it to the Canyon by 5:45 AM to begin our descent at the cool, dark time of 6 AM. Yes, we hiked the Canyon. This hiking the Canyon is no small potatoes—it took us 12 hours down and 10 hours up, struggling over rock slides, and terrain so rough that we often relied upon little stacks of rock to point out the path. It took us on a path that dropped 5,000 feet in just 11 miles, and a path that got hotter and hotter near the bottom (100 degrees a the bottom, to be exact, when the rim was only mid-80s).

One of the many fossils we found!

With the glaring sun, the strenuous exertion, and the rationed water, it was one of the most difficult things I have ever attempted. Ron and I both suffered from heat exhaustion in the canyon, and I threw up twice that evening at the bottom of the Canyon. Papa also succumbed after we reached the top. Thankfully, however, we successfully made it out the next day, and we have no regrets that we did it. To see the glorious Canyon close up and personal was a privilege few experience.

No neon flashing lights on this path! Just good, old-fashioned, hard-to-find piles of stone to mark the path.

Now of course, there was the journey back home, which in itself took a week and was filled to the brim with exciting adventures. That story, however, will have to wait for Friday and for Lauren.