Today was Magnificent. I feel like every single thing we see takes my breath away. Nothing is ordinary. Nothing is the same. Everything feels as if the hands of God were just here breathing life and depth into these places. And my life is forever altered. I just don’t feel the same. My eyes have seen such beauty, such life beyond my normal daily life and nothing is the same. The history I dive into, the stories of those impacted by the places we visit … all of it impacts me so deeply. I am in awe.
We promised the children that today we would not hike. They have really given it their all the last few hikes and we have unknowingly pushed them to their limits. So today we ride. Yet that is not such an awful thing for us because we own two awesome Rad Wagons. (I will link below) They are pedal assist electric bikes and the children can both ride with us on. We decided to start at the Bright Angel Bike Shop and ride up the mountain from there. It was going to be a about 13 miles one way but we went without any expectation of how far we would actually travel. We packed a lunch and thankfully the Rad Wagon has a large basket at the front for the cooler and bags. We felt like winners!
It was really chilly when we started and we actually were second guessing our clothing choices. The weather however was supposed to be the same temperature as Sedona the day before, and so we had dressed accordingly. Yet with all the elevation changes it just wasn’t the same. We were all troopers though and kept on peddaling…or sitting. We rode through a few miles of forest before the accent climb to our first stop and even being among the trees made me feel at home. Oh how I love trees.
I cannot describe just one stop, just one lookout to you because they are all spectacular. One thing I kept looking for though as I peered into the distant valleys was the Colorado River. For me, this river is a symbol of life. The Native American’s lives and how this river sustained them and the lives of others who have traveled below and lived off of the supplies of the river. I so longed to go and touch the river and be among the vegetation there, but for now just seeing it from afar will have to suffice. It took a few spots before the Canyons twisted and turned for me to set my eyes upon this great mysterious (to me) river. And oh how glorious. How blue with hues of green, how long and wide the waters are. I fell in love.
We stopped to eat not far from the end of the trail (Hermit’s Rest). There was a lovely picnic table not far from the edge and we were able to sit and enjoy the view, and the wind as we ate. The Raven’s put on a show for us. Twirling and whirling in the wind. We landed at Hermit’s rest and purchased a few souveniers along with hot chocolate and apple cider to enjoy before our trek down the mountain.
The way down was not as chilly but as I began my descent I noticed the battery on the RW was very low. I prayed, Dane assisted my bike by holding on and giving his gas and eventually took the children on with him. Thankfully we made it without any issues right as my battery was shutting off. I yelled “PRAISE JESUS” as I saw our jeep come into view. WHEW!
We were all exhausted, happy and full of thrill as we laid our heads on our pillows tonight. So incredibly grateful for this trip we have embarked on. And that there is still so much more ahead for us!
Rad Wagon https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radwagon-electric-cargo-bike?utm_source=Bing%20Search&utm_medium=Brand&utm_campaign=B%20-%20Rad%20Power%20Bikes%20-%20Exact&b_campaign=B%20-%20Rad%20Power%20Bikes%20-%20Exact&b_campaignid=389466069&b_adgroup=RadWagon%20-%20Exact&b_adgroupid=1158885787157652&b_adid=72430486024949&b_term=Rad%20wagon&b_termid=kwd-72430785489073:loc-190&b_isproduct=&b_productid=&msclkid=361b9c269f1b1e81a8c3c3e6ddd342e6
