It was a calm 15 Fahrenheit (-9 Celsius) at the Grand Canyon. Mather Point is one of the best places to see the sunrise. Snow from the previous day left a white lace around the canyon rim. The clouds from this storm had cleared, providing a full view of the canyon. As we waited, a large crow landed on the nearby rock face and posed for photos against the sunrise. Eventually, he tired of modeling and glided over the canyon, a black form against a brightening sky.
I was struck by the vastness of the space. The canyon is an average of 10 miles across and a mile deep. This distance is both dwarfed and dwarfing from the rim of the canyon. I struggled to comprehend the sheer size of what I was seeing and also felt minuscule in this space. People actually hike into and through this massive canyon. People from eleven indigenous tribes are associated with the Grand Canyon and once (or still) live in this area. This is not a vast wasteland as the early white explorers thought. This is a land full of life, history, and diversity.
As I stood watching the sun creep over the horizon, illuminating the canyon crevasses and causing the red of the rocks to ignite, I felt connected to my fellow travelers and the indigenous people who call the canyon home. The beauty and grandeur of our national parks unite us if we let it. These natural spaces celebrate the history of the U.S and showcasing these gems is something we do well. These parks and monuments draw people from all over the world. While the National Parks Service has a budget of $4.6 billion, it generated more than $55 billion in revenue in 2023. The communities surrounding our National Parks depend on this money to create jobs, run their businesses, and provide for their families. Our national parks protect some of the most beautiful natural sites on the planet. They bring us closer to nature and our history. They are a good investment and worthy of our protection.
During the hour I was there, 40 to 50 people came and went. We were all part of a haphazard gathering to witness this beautiful and sacred event. I heard my fellow congregants speak Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, English, and a couple of other languages I couldn’t place. The diversity added to the richness of the experience. While we all come from different corners of the planet, we were all briefly united by the rising of the sun and the beauty of the canyon.
When I returned to the car, my toes were solid and numb. I cranked up the heat and turned on my seat warmer to thaw myself, but my heart and soul were already warm and full. My day had begun with one of the most spectacular shows known to humans, and I had a front-row ticket.
