I fidgeted uneasily in my seat in the back of the van as I looked out the window. The view had been gradually changing from shrubby desert to Ponderosa Pine forest, a sure sign that we were approaching the Grand Canyon from the south. Those in the car who had spent time in the Canyon were being questioned extensively about how it compares to photos and what we can expect out of the next nine days of work. Before this trip I had spent an afternoon at the north rim of the Grand Canyon but it was only a fleeting glimpse and I didn't get the chance to actually go down and see what was at the bottom like I would be doing on this trip.
We passed through the front gate, nodding to the rangers on duty, and were inside the park's boundaries. There was about a foot and a half of snow on the ground and hanging in the trees all around us. After taking a few wrong turns (this was our drivers first time working in the Canyon as well) we finally made it. The National Park Service bunk house. We spoke with our project partner and learned that the plan was for us to stay here for a few days and shovel snow around the rim before descending into the Canyon for the rest of the trip.
We all stashed our gear in the bunk house (although a more fitting name for it would probably be the warehouse) and got ready for our first day as professional snow removers. After stretches and a quick safety talk we were on our way to the rim for real this time. And it most certainly did not disappoint.
There was no way to get any work done for the first half hour because the entire crew scattered to take as many pictures as possible. The only sensible thing to do was to take lunch, so we did. Never before have I been so disappointed in my camera's abilities. There was so much detailed beauty in every direction that it was impossible to not simply stand and stare. I took what pictures I could and spent the rest of the lunch break just looking. Attempting to absorb the Canyon as best I could through a painfully small number of eyes.
Finally it was time to get some work done and I was more than happy to oblige. Being from New Jersey I've shoveled plenty of snow in my day but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the next few hours. Here I wasn't just shoveling snow and breaking ice, I was doing my part to help others enjoy the beauty of the Grand Canyon just as I was. It felt like such a direct way to do good that a smile was plastered onto my face for the entire afternoon.
The next day was a full day of snow shoveling and ice clearing. We got the chance to explore the views all along the rim. Each time we pulled up to a new spot I was out of the van as quickly as I could so I could press myself against the railing and snap photos and panoramas. The work was the same as the day before and so were my feelings of accomplishment and pride at doing work that I believed in. There would be plenty of times this trip when my feelings of pride would be overwhelmed by frustration, irritation, and physical exhaustion but it would always find it's way back into my consciousness soon after those negative feelings passed.
For my next post I'll talk about my hike down to Phantom Ranch and the bottom of the Canyon. I'll also get into the work I did down there maintaining the South Kaibab trail. If you want to see all the pictures I took during my time in the Grand Canyon you can find them on my Facebook.
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