Between the Canyon Lines

Our Family, at Canyon Speed

1I’m Zadie, and our family’s canyon trip began with four opinions about how to spend one afternoon. Dad wanted to study every rock layer. My brother, Idris, wanted to reach the overlook before the light changed. Mom wanted an unhurried walk. I wanted photographs that would explain why the canyon looked nothing like a hole in the ground.

2Choosing a pace was our Achilles’ heel. Within ten minutes, Idris had rushed ahead twice while Dad had stopped three times to examine stones. The trail followed the rim beside a low wooden fence. A shuttle hummed somewhere behind us. I tucked the folded visitor map into my jacket.

3At a junction, everyone proposed a different direction. Then Mom unfolded the map on a flat bench and traced the marked route with one finger. That thin blue line became our Ariadne’s thread. Whenever another path branched away, we checked the line instead of restarting our debate. The map did not choose our destination; it kept our separate guesses from pulling us apart.

4Beyond the junction, the canyon opened like a book whose pages had been bent and stacked. Bands of pale and dark stone crossed the walls. Dad began describing the layers, but this time Idris stayed beside him. Even my camera seemed to hold its breath. I lowered it for a moment because fitting the view inside a rectangle suddenly felt impossible.

5A staircase led to the final overlook. From below, climbing it looked like a Herculean task, especially with my legs already tired. Mom suggested counting only the steps to the next landing. Each landing became a small victory. When we reached the top, I announced that I had climbed a million stairs. Idris glanced down at the staircase and raised one eyebrow.

6On the return walk, the late sun stitched gold along the canyon’s edges. Nobody asked Dad to hurry when he paused, and Idris called out when he found a good place to rest. Our afternoon had stopped being a tug-of-war. Back at the shuttle, I checked my pictures. The best one showed all four of our shadows stretching across the same path.