The Canyon essence has drawn me back again
To Kaibab trailhead. It’s the eighth winter.
The cliffs, the buttes, the temples; beyond the Tonto
The plunge to the river. Memories of icy stream

Crossings, but here it’s a bridge and the Phantom dorm
Waiting, welcoming weary legs and feet.
Hot shower. Cool sheets. Thinking of three Peters:
one lugged my pack: one brewed tea for four

On the trail; the third in his fingers caught a trout.
The cottonwoods are showing a green blush.
Venus and Polaris are still on watch.
The beef stew pot has never yet given out.

Gladly I return to the earth’s eternity
And feed on change and renewal and rest and return.

(December 1991)

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I accompanied my dad on one trip down the Grand Canyon along with a cousin. Here is a link to which shows some views: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/south-kaibab-trail.htm

On the way down, dad pointed down the steep canyon where there were bones of some donkeys which had fallen.

We stayed several days at Phantom Ranch at the base and did long side hikes.

Moment of awe – realizing that the bottom rock layers were laid down two billion years ago, almost half the age of the earth and 1.5 billion years before the first multi-cellular animals.

[John Alvord  2025-11-4]

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