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By
Bridgette Brandenburg
Editor’s Note: Bridgette Brandenburg, 16, is a student at Ben Lomond High School.
The day of the big adventure finally came. Backpacks had been dropped off and classes were nearly over. The voice we had been longing to hear all day boomed over the intercom, excusing 49 students from their classes to begin the trip to the Grand Canyon.
The truck was loaded, pictures were taken, hugs were given and tears were shed. We were off!
After a pit stop in Nephi and Mr. Christensen having to work his "fix-it" magic on a Suburban that wouldn’t start, we made good time to the posh "hotel" in St. George our teachers had told us so much about. It turned out to be a school gym with an angry custodian who didn’t know 70 people were going to invade. After getting that straightened out, the boys played a rough game of football and there wasn’t a lot of sleep before it was time to head for Mesquite and breakfast.
Then it was off to Las Vegas and straight to the Omni-Max where the killer whale jumped right into our laps. After watching the humpbacks travel to Alaska, we traveled to Hoover Dam for a tour. The tour was excellent, or so I heard. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror too long and missed the whole thing. Tour highlight: one student did not hold on to his camera tight enough and it is some where in the Pacific Ocean right now.
At Kingman, Arizona, we gassed up, got something to eat, and made a mess filling up our water bottles. That night we headed for a hilltop with plans of sleeping in the pine trees. We found a nice spot, parked the cars, got out and were politely informed by a Native American forest ranger that it would cost $7 per person to sleep there. The accommodations were nice, but not that nice, so we headed to campsite B – a gravel pit.
The accommodations were even better there, with old rusty cars and a big flatbed trampoline. Some of the hikers started jumping on the trampoline, but after it was declared unsafe and off limits the real smart ones started jumping over the campfire. Astronomy class was held as Hale-bopp slowly drifted over the horizon. It was beautiful. Hikers were tucked in bed while visions of waterfalls danced in their heads.
Wednesday morning, we dined on oranges, pop-tarts, and juice; then we rolled up, packed up, and rolled out. The big hike to Havasu Falls had arrived. The first group hit the trail around 6:30 a.m., with Patrice quickly becoming known as "speed racer." In fact, she took off so fast after one rest break that she forgot her pack and had to run back and make a diving grab before it was trampled by packhorses.
The scenery was breathtaking. It seemed the canyon walls were glowing with an inner light. The hike in was about 10 miles and we grew hotter and more tired each mile. But we enjoyed growing closer to the people we were lucky to share this experience with.
We passed through the Indian village about a half hour from camp and some kids got a bite to eat. It would be the last real food, besides Top Ramen, they would have for the next three days. We hiked to the campground by midday, in enough time to get the best spots in the canyon.
The rest of the afternoon was spent setting up camp, eating, and enjoying the cool, clear waterfall. I’ve seen many waterfalls, but none as beautiful as this. The blue-green Havasu Falls drops 60 feet onto red rock with the gorgeous canyon enclosing all of it. Down below, a small pond drains into the equally beautiful river.
That evening was spent scaling the wall of a cave and listening in the dark to bone-chilling tales and spine-tingling stories. The people camped right below the cave were glad when we finally settled down. Apparently it was past their bedtime. Hikers went to their tents quietly, exhausted from a long day. There weren’t a lot of lively kids that night.
Thursday morning began with a good breakfast before embarking on the Mooney Falls hike. The trip down the "chains" was fast and everyone managed to stay alive! One of the teachers had a little trouble crossing the water at the bottom of the chains and landed face-first in the rocky riverbed. Ouch! Mooney Falls was very pretty.
From that point on we hiked through trees, jumped off rocks, swam though the river, took a warm shower in the waterfall, and generally fulfilled our dreams of being Indiana Jones. We took the fast way back to the chains, scampered up them and returned to camp.
Mr. Muncy gave us a great art lesson and everyone headed to the falls to release the artist within and sketch the beauty around us. After a quick dinner we gathered to read the poems we had written earlier. Many of the poems elicited tears and laughter. All of them brought out the best in us and how we felt about the trip so far. Chris Baca, having been a little too mouthy with some of the other guys, received a refreshing bath in the river about 8:30 p.m. He wasn’t a happy camper.
Friday, our last day in the canyon, we went on the rim hike. Mr. Muncy’s heart still has not recovered from seeing me do gymnastics over the arch. We all made it back safely to the lizard rock where we all climbed up and took a group picture.
As the dreaded departure drew near we took our last swims, ate as much as we could, and began to take down camp. Incoming campers couldn’t wait for us to leave. They didn’t hesitate to swoop in, taking our tables and our prime sleeping spots. The vultures even offered to help roll up bags and take down tents. It became clear why our leaders scheduled us to arrive on Wednesday and leave on Friday.
Everyone made the steep, hot trek to the village without much trouble. After buying out the whole store and ordering about everything in the restaurant, we were ready to hike up the trail.
The first group took off, but "speed racer" and others were a little too anxious and got way ahead. They weren’t sure where to stop and some went too far. In the ensuing confusion, a few worried words were spoken and a few worried tears were shed, but all turned out fine by the time the last group made it to our campsite that night.
A few last granola bars were eaten and then we all joined in a circle of friendship. We talked about what we liked best and said our thanks to everyone for making it such a special trip. We laughed, we cried, and we learned a little bit more about each other.
Saturday morning, everyone practically flew up the switchbacks to the parking lot. After fixing a few flat tires it was off to Kingman and fast food heaven. With everyone’s stomachs and gas tanks full we headed to Las Vegas/KOA. At the KOA we swam in the pool, played pool, and built human pyramids. We phoned home and showered, showered, showered. A shower never felt so good.
We dressed up nice, took a group picture, and headed to the Showboat. Everyone ate and ate and ate; a meal of real food never tasted so good. We then split into two groups: those who wanted to stay at the KOA and those who wanted to have a night on the town. Those who stayed had a blast swimming; those who went out enjoyed seeing all the lights and all the people; and those who went to bed had sleep.
Early Sunday morning we ate a nutritious breakfast of Fruit Loops and cinnamon rolls before the long trip home. We had an early arrival home at around 4:30 p.m. Kids were glad to see their parents, but they were sad to see the trip end. Most parents were glad to see their kids and everyone eventually got a ride home.
It was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on. I have been on some pretty great trips, but they just couldn’t compare with being in such a beautiful place with such beautiful people. It brought out the absolute best in everyone. You could feel the love and the positive energy emanating from each and every one of the group members. The energy was so powerful I am sure that if you were to pass us hiking it would hit you like a ton of bricks. That is the effect this trip had on my soul.
I always wondered why everyone made such a big deal about Havasu. Then I went, and I realized how lucky I was to have been able to experience it. I will always remember Havasu and I will always remember the people who made it so special. Each of them left an imprint on my heart and I am forever a better person because of them.