Through the Painted Desert

I woke up sprawled out on a tarp in my sleeping bag, with the others around me doing the same. The morning was chilly, and I curled back up in my bag, letting my full consciousness come back to me. I lay there as long as I could, and while I watched the rainbow boys take their scorpion for a walk. We each pulled out breakfast foods, insisting that the other eat our food... make the backpacks lighter. So in that case, we had a feast! Kool-aid squeezes, mandarins, beagles, coffee... and everything else we could put down.

The other campers were well on their way to leaving the canyon, my signal that I should be up. I hoped that I could strike up a conversation with some woman in the bathroom or something. Either way, they were leaving, and I needed a ride. I quickly packed up my stuff and took a good look around. “What are you going to do,” said Audra? I told her my plan. “I’ll see if I can get a ride with someone in the campground, then I’ll go back to the trail head and try until 9am when I can try again at the rangers station. If all that fails, then I’ll take the shuttle as far as it goes, and try hitching from there.” I knew if even all that failed... I’d have to walk back across the canyon.

“We’re headed that direction... if we can find room, you’re welcome to join us.”
My face light up with excitement. I helped them pack and shove their stuff into the car. I see what they meant by, “if they can find room.” There was a ton of stuff in that little car. Sure enough, I wanted a ride, and helped them make room for me.

There was a bout a foot of seat space behind the drivers seat, and after we got the last 6 blankets stuffed in there, I rolled down the window, stuck my head out, turned sideways in the car, and slammed the door shut. I snuggled into the little space, put another queen sized blanket on my lap, and we were ready to go. All you could see of me is a hand or two and a head. With the window rolled down, and knowing that I was finally headed back home, it was all I could ever want. They were taking me nearly half way back. You would think that since the distance from the two canyon rims is less than 30 miles that it would be a short drive. It takes about 5 ½ hours to drive from one side to the next, and so I was so very thankful for this long ride.