Red Rock Reminders

So far my blog has mainly featured Justin and Skagway. One may ask..."Did life exist for Gretchen before Justin and Skagway?" I am here to say that yes, yes it did. Some parts I'm more inclined to forget and some parts I miss down to the very depths of my soul. I don't miss being single. Not one bit. I feel like 28 years is plenty of time to enjoy the adventure and irresponsibility that the single life affords. I miss my family, but they will always be my family. I guess the one big thing that my heart really aches for, the one place that my soul will not find rest until it returns to is:

THE GRAND CANYON

If you asked me in my early to mid twenties how much I love the south west I would have told you that if you cut me red sand would start pouring from my veins. If I went for more than a year without at least seeing the Grand Canyon I became heart sick and depressed and severely deficient of the red rock nutrition that kept my heart pumping. Now it has been more than three years since my last visit and the winds from the south are calling me back with such intensity that merely going to see the Grand Canyon won't be enough. I need to hike it rim to rim to satiate my south west wanderlust.

The very best times of the year to hike the G.C. are early spring and late fall. It so happens that my birthday lands in October. This is exactly what I want for my birthday. My parents have volunteered to drop us off at the North Rim and pick us up on the South Rim. Jen and Liz (two sisters that I miss very much) have said they would come with me. Heidi (my sister that I haven't seen in two and a half years!!!!) has yet to be convinced that this is a good idea. It's not that she's not physically able (she would kick our butts in an exercising contest). It's not that she lives too far away (she lives in Arizona for crying out loud!). She, understandably, has a problem with heights. So I'm dedicating the rest of this post to making my invitation irresistible.

For those of you who don't know...this is Heidi! She is the one with the cute hat on.

Heidi, the first thing that I want you to know is that you have three sisters that love you! We would do everything to make sure that your feet stay solid on the trail.

See? That's us saying "Be at 'peace', have no fear!" One of us will always be in front of you and one of us will always be behind you!

If a donkey can do it, you can do it better!

This is what the beginning of the trail looks like. See? It's not so bad.

Just keep your eyes on the trail! Stay close to the wall side. The path is wide!

This is what the trail looks like when you get to the bottom. This is what it will be like the majority of the time.

This is exactly how I remember it near Phantom Ranch on October 26th, 2004. Pretty, right?

How can you pass up the opportunity to experience such beauty as this??

We would stop for a rest and eat lunch here! And buy a t-shirt! And send a post card from here that has to be carried out by mule! It's so fun!!!

I promise we will not do anything like this!

And we'll be smarter than this guy.

All I'm saying is that I really really really really want you to come! We would have so much fun and Mom and Dad have already said that they would help take care of the kids if needed!

So, Heidi...I'm hoping that I've at least helped you to really seriously consider coming on this adventure with us. I love you and I miss you!

Love,

Gretchen

The title of this post is brought to you by Melinda Rich, who, in the hour of my deepest Grand Canyon heartache sent me these two pictures in a text titled, "Red Rock Reminders."