Expoordition 2011 Thread
- Thread starter cbradley
- Start date
cbradley
Adventurer
Thanks Peter!
cbradley
Adventurer
Day 08 - Jerome to the Grand Canyon
I am just feet away from the greatest precipice I have ever seen. As I peer over the edge my stomach gets that uncomfortable jolt of fear and adrenaline reserved for instances of immediate and unanticipated danger. I am but a single misplaced footstep from plummeting to my death, but the sights before me draw me closer and closer to the edge in hopes of drawing in ever so slightly more of what I see and experience before me. Some of the small rocks at my feet tumble off the edge, silently falling to their new resting place thousands of feet below. Except for a small finger of land behind me that was my footpath to my current spot, there is nothing but space before me. I am surrounded on three sides by the majesty of the Grand Canyon.
.
The sun is setting, painting the northern edge of the canyon with the reds and oranges of its light. A tiny luminescent speck begins climbing the sky to the distant north— Jupiter beginning its slow ascension to prominence in the swiftly approaching night sky. Soon the great carving by the finger of God below will set into the shadows of the night to be replaced the thousands of stars above untainted by the moonless night. I can think of but one word to describe the experience of the Grand Canyon today as I stand at the edge of Havasupi Point: sublime. No other word I can think of is fitting, yet even sublime conveys noting of the experience itself. Words are insufficient tools at this point. Attempts at conveying the experience would be akin to trying to cut a steak with a hammer - —nothing but a foolish endeavor.
I am just feet away from the greatest precipice I have ever seen. As I peer over the edge my stomach gets that uncomfortable jolt of fear and adrenaline reserved for instances of immediate and unanticipated danger. I am but a single misplaced footstep from plummeting to my death, but the sights before me draw me closer and closer to the edge in hopes of drawing in ever so slightly more of what I see and experience before me. Some of the small rocks at my feet tumble off the edge, silently falling to their new resting place thousands of feet below. Except for a small finger of land behind me that was my footpath to my current spot, there is nothing but space before me. I am surrounded on three sides by the majesty of the Grand Canyon.
.
The sun is setting, painting the northern edge of the canyon with the reds and oranges of its light. A tiny luminescent speck begins climbing the sky to the distant north— Jupiter beginning its slow ascension to prominence in the swiftly approaching night sky. Soon the great carving by the finger of God below will set into the shadows of the night to be replaced the thousands of stars above untainted by the moonless night. I can think of but one word to describe the experience of the Grand Canyon today as I stand at the edge of Havasupi Point: sublime. No other word I can think of is fitting, yet even sublime conveys noting of the experience itself. Words are insufficient tools at this point. Attempts at conveying the experience would be akin to trying to cut a steak with a hammer - —nothing but a foolish endeavor.
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Project510
Adventurer
Nice meeting you Chris, and great presentation at the rally, really inspiring stuff!
Scott Brady
Founder
Great job with the presentation at the rally Chris! We look forward to reading more of your editorial
cbradley
Adventurer
Day 7 - Prescott to Jerome
The trip from Prescott to Jerome was punctuated by the Smiley Rock Trail, a beautiful combination of rocky trail driving and Fall colors. This is a perfect time to run the trail, which was seemingly empty, despite it's sights.
Nearing Smiley Rock
.
The rocks are starting to appear and would grow bigger in the next few miles.
.
Enjoying the trail. Not too technical, but just enough to keep your attention.
.
The 4Runner modelling shot
.
The sidewalls held up!
.
Amazing Fall colors
.
.
One of my favorite places on the trail. Gotta love the symmetry.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Fall colors were lost on the far side of Smiley Rock, but the landscape had its own magic
.
Where did this prairie come from?
The trip from Prescott to Jerome was punctuated by the Smiley Rock Trail, a beautiful combination of rocky trail driving and Fall colors. This is a perfect time to run the trail, which was seemingly empty, despite it's sights.
Nearing Smiley Rock
.
The rocks are starting to appear and would grow bigger in the next few miles.
.
Enjoying the trail. Not too technical, but just enough to keep your attention.
.
The 4Runner modelling shot
.
The sidewalls held up!
.
Amazing Fall colors
.
.
One of my favorite places on the trail. Gotta love the symmetry.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Fall colors were lost on the far side of Smiley Rock, but the landscape had its own magic
.
Where did this prairie come from?
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cbradley
Adventurer
Day 8 - Jerome to the Grand Canyon
Running low on time, we realizerd that we were going to have to high tail it to the Grand Canyon in order to make it to the Overland Rally in Hollister. Though it would be cutting it close, we decided to make a quick run through Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona. Though we raced through the trail trying meet our self-imposed deadline of getting to Havasupai point, our camping spot that night at the Grand Canyon, before dark, it was well worth the risk.
Not a bad place to spend the morning.
.
4 wheel drives were not the only vehicles on the trail
.
The dynamic lines hewn into the rock from centuries of water runoff
.
So much further to go that day...
.
We made it to the outskirts of the Grand Canyon about two hours before dusk, which would provide us just enough time for the thirty or so miles of washout we would need to traverse to get to our camp site.
.
So close, yet so far away...
.
We arrived at Havasupai Point just before dusk and foudn ourselves surrounded by the majesty of the Grand Canyon on three sides.
.
.
.
No guard rails, no people, no distractions, just canyon
.
Running low on time, we realizerd that we were going to have to high tail it to the Grand Canyon in order to make it to the Overland Rally in Hollister. Though it would be cutting it close, we decided to make a quick run through Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona. Though we raced through the trail trying meet our self-imposed deadline of getting to Havasupai point, our camping spot that night at the Grand Canyon, before dark, it was well worth the risk.
Not a bad place to spend the morning.
.
4 wheel drives were not the only vehicles on the trail
.
The dynamic lines hewn into the rock from centuries of water runoff
.
So much further to go that day...
.
We made it to the outskirts of the Grand Canyon about two hours before dusk, which would provide us just enough time for the thirty or so miles of washout we would need to traverse to get to our camp site.
.
So close, yet so far away...
.
We arrived at Havasupai Point just before dusk and foudn ourselves surrounded by the majesty of the Grand Canyon on three sides.
.
.
.
No guard rails, no people, no distractions, just canyon
.
cbradley
Adventurer
Day 9 - The Grand Canyon to the Hollister Overland Rally
As undeniably sublime as Havasupai Point was at dusk the day before, the sunrise put the previous vistas in distant memory.
.
.
.
.
Though we had a thirteen hour drive ahead of us, we just had to relish in the moment for a little longer, enjoying a peaceful stretch of time.
.
Making up time on the road out of Havasupai Point
As undeniably sublime as Havasupai Point was at dusk the day before, the sunrise put the previous vistas in distant memory.
.
.
.
.
Though we had a thirteen hour drive ahead of us, we just had to relish in the moment for a little longer, enjoying a peaceful stretch of time.
.
Making up time on the road out of Havasupai Point
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adventureduo
Dave Druck [KI6LBB]
Thanks for stopping by today and giving us the awesome presentation of the trip. Looks epic and im stoked you two were able to do it. :drool:
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
wow! Great job guys. You are setting the bar high.
x2
Tacovendor
Explorer
X3