This post is before my upcoming solo backpack trip to Boucher Creek in the Grand Canyon. I’ll provide a little background beforehand, then follow up with another post after the trip with photos and commentary. The plan calls for a spiritual retreat, similar to what some Christians do when they, for example, go to a local monastery for a weekend. Sometimes, silence is a requirement of their stay. They meditate and pray, hoping for renewal or refreshment of their attitudes. I’m not much of a church-goer, but the Grand Canyon is my sacred space, similar to an enormous, ornate, God-made cathedral.
For decades I have explored the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park. The experiences have been alone or with others and trekked almost every trail in the park. I discussed a recent trip on the Grandview Trail in a previous post.
I was sixteen years old when I first visited in 1973. My mother and six-year-old sister stayed on the south rim, while my father and two other siblings went down the South Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River and Bright Angel Campground. Here’s my little sister posing with the bronze sculpture of Brighty, the most famous Grand Canyon burro. That was on the south rim, whereas today, Brighty can be found in the lodge on the North Rim, where I posed with him recently.
I had a box camera that first trip, while my dad had a Nikon. His shutter got stuck, which he blamed on the red dust. Below is my 1973 shot of O’Neill Butte from Cedar Ridge on the South Kaibab Trail. Next to it is a similar view in 2020.
Once, my brother and I hiked down the South Kaibab Trail and found wildfire smoke pouring into the canyon from Utah to the north.
When I was 26, I did an arduous solo hike in June 1983. Daytime air temperatures reached 100 degrees. Down from Hermit’s Rest, the first day was nine miles to the Hermit Creek camp. Then, nineteen hot miles along the Tonto Trail to Indian Gardens. Finally, up the Bright Angel Trail. During the long hike on the Tonto, I rested in rare places of minimal mid-day shade. One memorable spot was a large boulder with a flat side facing the trail and towering about eight feet overhead. At that time of day, it threw a shadow only one foot wide onto the trail. I leaned against the boulder in the slim, shady spot and composed this haiku:
A cactus flower
Blooming in the desert sun
Refreshes my soul
A reprise of that Tonto hike in 2021 provided many beautiful views, such as the one below.
That trusty walking stick, made of Georgia hickory, has been with me on every hike.
About the demons…
My adventures have given me wonderful memories. Even difficulties and challenges have been enjoyable to reflect upon. But I admit to having sometimes felt a sense of dread or foreboding. The canyon, being enormous and mostly empty of people, can sometimes let you perceive its utter indifference to your survival. The canyon may not let you leave if you don’t hike smart. (Or even if you do.)
I do not currently believe in the existence of ghostly demons or angels. These have been valuable metaphors to help us deal with the human condition. Imagining angels and demons can help us figure things out, but our own hearts and minds are fully capable of every act we tend to assign to these demigods.
While researching the novel Luke the Lakota, I learned that the Arabian Nights tales of djinns and genies had source material from an extensive geographic area and many centuries. As I say in the downloadable glossary for the novel, the Arabic word from which we get “genie” probably derives from the native language of Jesus, Aramaic, and a timeframe over six centuries before the Arabian Nights. That word is “ginnaya.” People believed these spirits were neither consistently good nor evil but were usually depicted as impish tricksters. The Greek translation is daemon (δαίμων).
As I prepare to hike alone to Hermit Creek and then to Boucher Creek, I’m letting my ginnaye (the plural) tag along. What stories can I come up with to describe my life to this point? I have met these tricksters before, but they have so far left me unscathed. I have been extremely blessed my entire life. If there is a cosmic scale and we all eventually get a share of both good and bad, for me, the bad stuff must be piling up like crazy.
I believe in a Creator and the supernatural power and wisdom of Jesus. But I do not think these beliefs entitle me to a trouble-free life. Many fervent believers have suffered horrible life events or tragic deaths. I am no saint, so I would seem to deserve to suffer. How we each come to our lifetimes of blessings and burdens does not seem to depend on our behavior and beliefs. Maybe it is just blind luck.
Jesus said that his way would not be easy. He calls upon us to take up our cross as we try to follow him. Have I failed to shoulder the burdens that he has asked of me? Have I been spiritually lazy? Maybe I need to prove my devotion by taking on more challenging tasks and leaving my comfort zone. Maybe this sojourn in the canyon will shed some light.
Near the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days and nights. There, he was “tested” by the Spirit and “tempted” by Satan. He passed the tests and resisted temptation. I am not strong like Jesus. I am also many decades older than he was when sent into the wilderness. It was preparation for his coming years of hard work on behalf of the Creator. I am retired from my career in hydraulic engineering. This coming wilderness experience of five days and four nights will hopefully include a sense of the Spirit. If tested, I hope to find the right path. Stay tuned.
