The Desert Watchtower

The entryway to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is punctuated by a cobbled tower designed by Mary Coulter; a “chain-smoking perfectionist” who was one of the only females in architectural design during the early 1900s. She is responsible for the majority of the historic structures at the Grand Canyon and beautifully synthesized native american arts and Spanish colonial influence.

Beyond the tower the Grand Canyon is agape like the yawning mouth of a sleeping giant buried beneath millions of years of sediment and debris. The feelings it conjures are both distant and intimate. It can be difficult to hold all of them at once but the structures that Coulter designed act as a tether; displaying the inconceivable age of ancient history against the homey living spaces and art to be enjoyed in the moment. It has a distinct nurturing touch despite the harsh environment that is so characteristic of a woman’s edge.

It was here that we got our first view of the Grand Canyon.

We made our way to the RV site and prepared for our adventures the next day. By the way, were getting pretty good at it…

Andrew and I decided to do a 13.5 mile loop down into the canyon and back up, passing through the Indian Gardens which served as an incredible oasis in the midst of our desert trip.

Meanwhile, Ma and Dmitri navigated the treacherous less-traveled rim of Hermits Trail.

Lauren and Steve watched the sun set at Hopi-point.

The Grand Canyon is wild and wide and has so many unique dimensions that shift with the movement of the sun. Whether you are looking at it top-down, down-up, or straight across, the bands of earth form otherworldly castles vastly unexplored.

Strangely enough, as Andrew and I ascended onto the tip of the South Rim, Ma and Dmitri were standing there in the midst of the busy crowds.

We hightailed it to the nearest restaurant for a beer and ended up in the Bright Angel Lodge; a product of Mary Coulter’s impact on the South Rim.  We spent three nights in the grand canyon RV park, Trailer Village, and it was difficult to move on.

But we had to head out to my personal favorite, Zion.

Two bikes, a bike rack, but no hitch.

The chaos shuttle has landed in Moab.

I wouldn’t say that it was like ‘herding cats’ exactly, but it is like fitting six people and a dog into an RV poorly designed for the standard nuclear family. Mom is however quite effective in outfitting tiny spaces due to her experience on boats.

The RV maneuvered the I-70 corridor through the Rockies to the eclectic blend of Phish, Dire Straights, My Morning Jacket, and Oingo Boingo and arrived at our campsite around midnight. In the morning the wind shook the blooms from the cottonwoods onto the ground and coated it white with belly button lint. Which gypsy proudly wore on her face. 

The campground was beautifully wooded to protect against the persistent Moab sun, and the sheer sandstone towered beyond their canopies. After enough caffeine, we loaded onto a bus to take a 1/2 day float down the Colorado River near the Fisher Towers.

 

The water was cold but my favorite part was floating on my back down the river watching the canyon walls lumbering by. It was a nice contrast to the flurry of tourists and guides trying to fit their life-vests, buy their last minute waterproof phone carriers, and yell after the members in their party (me).

Mom was instantly drawn to the water. She and I have gone on a few raft trips together including Brown’s Canyon and I pride myself in being the family that has (some of) their shit together and came with dry bags and proper footwear. She taught us well!

We finished the day in Arches National Park, cruising down the curving road that navigates the incredible formations that paint shadows across the desert.

The arches are lopsided, fractured, weathered, and jagged; but stand strong against the erosion that form them. Refusing to fold under the pressure but instead harness the forces of the wind and water to shape them.

We found a hidden moonland in the midst of the Sand Dune Arch and peered over petrified dunes to the historic Delicate Arch.

Next up… The Grand Canyon

 

 

 

Team Fuck Cancer

More to come soon!

We love you to the moon, Mom.