It had been a great road trip from the start at Mount Rushmore to Devil’s Tower, experiencing Yellowstone in Winter, Zion National Park, Antelope and Grand Canyon. Arches National Park was our last stop before heading home. We were immediately welcomed by the local wildlife.
It was late in the day when we finally headed up to the Navajo Arch. Unlike the other arches, Navajo arch feels more like walking through a doorway into a hidden room. At the end of the room is a slot canyon. We walked through the canyon and found a spot to step up and out of it. Suddenly we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the entire landscape of canyons, arches, and ridges.
One side of the ridge was easy to get to and we hung out and enjoyed the view. Later, I found a way to get to the other side of the canyon and ran along the ridge. It took some stretching and ingenuity to get up there in the first place, and now I had to get back down. I realized the situation I was in. It was too big of a jump down into the canyon and the tiny pine tree wouldn’t support my weight to get down. I searched for another route and found nothing. I finally decided to just make a jump to the other side. If I didn’t land it right I would either go toppling off the edge, or bounce off my face into the slot canyon. I prepared myself while Daniel got ready to spot me and give a push in the right direction if I didn’t make it. I rocked back and forth, double-checked my footing, and went for it. I made the jump across the canyon safely and inhaled a breath of relief.
The view was too great to pass up and Daniel conquered his Acrophobia long enough to stand on the ridge and enjoy the view. It was the perfect end to a great trip.
Check out johnozmore.com for artwork, sculptures, writing, and photography from the author or to purchase the Dark Fantasy novel, “The Blood of Winter” from Amazon, available in paperback and Kindle versions.
E-book versions of the Dark Fantasy, “The Blood of Winter” are also available for Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scrib’d, Angus & Robertson, and other major retailers.
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