Students will embark on an educational adventure through the American Southwest, exploring the wonders of plate tectonics, geology, and erosion processes. They will engage with Native American cultures native to this region and discover geological treasures at iconic sites such as the Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Devil's Bridge. At the Grand Canyon, students will trek along the South Rim, learning about the immense forces that have carved this mile-deep chasm. They will hike through the red canyon-lands, navigating a maze of crimson-colored spires, and gain insights into fossils, sedimentation, and the earth science behind the formation of these remarkable geological features.
Day 1
Grand Canyon here we come! We started the day off at 1:00am (gross) with a bus ride to Logan and a flight to Phoenix, Arizona. We met our tour guides, Jenn and Mike, and hopped into our vans for the week. On our way to Flagstaff, we stopped at the infamous "In and Out" burger to get some lunch, a staple restaurant in the west. From there we drove to the historic "Goldfield Ghost Town", an old mining town from the 1800's. It was interesting to learn about the history of Arizona and Ellie and Ava did the zipline. After a beautiful scenic drive, we made it to Flagstaff and checked into our hotel. We had a fun 50's themed dinner at the "Galaxy Diner" and after a long day of travel we returned to the hotel to get rested up for the big day ahead!
Day 2
After a much needed sleep, we made our way to Sedona. Estelle cranked the tunes and set the vibe as we passed beautiful views through the mountains. The towering red cliffs left us speechless. We were so excited to get out of the vans to start hiking and experiencing ALL OF IT. As we made our way up, we admired the views and the landscape surrounding us. After an hour of hiking, we finally got a glimpse of the Devil's Bridge. To be honest, we all were a little nervous to walk out on the land bridge! We had to wait about a half an hour in a cue to get the money shot but had fun cheering on the other hikers as they faced their fears. We even got a few couples to smooch! We made our way down and headed to downtown Sedona for lunch at Chipotle and Wildflowers. We were given a little time to check out the shops and then we were off to Slide Rock! We had to mentally prepare ourselves for the ice cold water as we were told the water was between 35 and 40 degrees! Many of us made the plunge, even Mr. Masterson! As we got out of the water we were breathless and stiff, but it was so exhilarating and fun. Everyone jumped multiple times and several took the ride down the slide. We hopped back in the vans and drove to a beautiful chapel in the rocks outside of Sedona. It was a very pristine and peaceful setting with amazing views. There were even rock formations that looked like a bird and one that resembled a mother holding her child. The rock formation of the mother and child was the inspiration for the building of the chapel. We then commenced the hour drive back to Flagstaff for a pizza dinner, ice cream, and some down time to recharge. Grand Canyon in the morning! Let's gooooo!
Day 3
Today we woke up bright and early and some of us went to "Dutch Bros" coffee shop to start our day. We picked up the rest of the squad and pointed it to the Grand Canyon! The views on the drive were beautiful once again and we took it all in. When we arrived, we started our nature walk up to the canyon and on the way we ran into an elk just sitting by the trees! As we got close to the canyon, our guides asked that we all walk single file, with our eyes closed, to enhance the build up to the big reveal of the canyon. Seeing it for the first time, everyone was completely speechless, gasps, and multiple “woah's" were heard amongst the group. We followed the "Rim Trail" and each lookout point provided a more impressive view. There were markers on the ground separated by one large foot step. The distance between each marker represented a million years and corresponded with the layers of sedimentary rock in the canyon. It really helped us fully grasp the age and timelessness of the Grand Canyon. We made our way down the "Rim Trail" and before we arrived to the "Bright Angel" trailhead, we stopped in a few gift shops to collect souvenirs to take home to preserve our memories of this experience. The "Bright Angel" Trail was snow covered and a bit slippery but nothing could distract from the crazy feeling of walking into this giant canyon. Walking right against the edge was exhilarating and everyone was speechless just taking it all in. On the way up it started to rain some as the sun broke through the clouds. We were rewarded with a rainbow in the canyon! We finished up the hike and made our way back to the vans and said goodbye to the Grand Canyon for the day. Another hour and a half in the vans and we would arrive to "Sunset Crater". On the way to "Sunset Crater", Chase realized his wallet was actually 6 miles behind us! He had dropped it on the back bumper of the van, while leaving inspiring messages on the dirty windows of the van, and the wallet stayed on the bumper for a good portion of our trip. It eventually fell off and Chase got a notification from his air tag that it was six miles behind us. We did in fact have to backtrack 6 miles to go get Chase's wallet and THANKFULLY we found it in tact in the middle of the road! Without his drivers licence, flying home would have been a challenge. After that adventure, we made our way to the crater. Once we got there we saw some amazing lava rock and followed a little trail along the rock, watching each step carefully. As that fun walk came to an end we made our way back to the vans and started our way back to the hotel, still starstruck by the views. We make our way back to the hotel and had some time to refresh ourselves before dinner. Around an hour later we make our way back to the lobby, stomachs rumbling, ready for dinner. On the drive to the Mexican restaurant, we all talked about all the amazing memories we have had on this trip and we are ready to see what Arizona holds for us tomorrow. We are excited to perform some community service on the Navajo reservation, but we are REALLY excited for our UTV adventure at Epic Adventures in Page, AZ. We are all looking forward to "being where our feet are" and making the most of our last day in Arizona.
Day 4
Well, Day 4 was an exercise in "Being Where Your Feet Are" and resiliency. Due to a significant snow event in Flagstaff, we were forced to pivot from our intended itinerary of Horseshoe Bend, the Navajo reservation, and our UTV adventure. It was disappointing for sure, but we could not be more proud of our group's handling of the situation gracefully and positively.
To avoid the storm, we headed back towards Phoenix to ensure our flight home would not be impacted. We made a stop at "Montezuma's Castle". Established December 8, 1906, Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. This 20-room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a story of ingenuity, survival, and ultimately, prosperity in an unforgiving desert landscape.
We continued on our journey and headed to Papago Park in Phoenix to explore "Hole-in-the-Rock". Hole-in-the-Rock is a series of openings (tafoni) eroded in a small hill composed of bare red arkosic conglomeritic sandstone. The sandstone was first formed some 6–15 million years ago from the accumulation of materials eroding from a Precambrian granite, long since eroded. The tafoni are thought to have been eroded by water. An open, shelter-like chamber in the face of the formation communicates with the rear of the formation via a hole eroded completely through the rock. Another substantial opening exists in the "ceiling" of the chamber. Several members of the group challenged themselves by climbing, hand over hand, the steep crack that ascended the face of the formation. It was exciting, challenging, and a bit nerve-wracking!
From there, we headed to Scottsdale to give the students a chance to explore the Old Historic Downtown area and its shops and eateries. After significant time in the vans, this was much appreciated by all the members of our trip.
Due to our UTV expedition in Page being canceled due to the storm, we were able to book a similar adventure outside of Phoenix. The Gods were not with us this day. The same storm that was bringing snow to Flagstaff brought torrential rains to this area. For safety reasons, when we arrived a decision was made that the conditions were too dangerous and too cold for everyone to have a positive experience. Back to the vans. Pivoting once again, we decided to head to "Dave and Buster's" for some food and fun to close out our week together. It was perfect. Great food, fun games, and a ton of laughter.
The "Grand Canyon" project week group was exceptional. Mrs. Wagner and I have never traveled with such a fun loving, kind, and engaged group. These students represented the best of Husky Nation and made us proud to be part of this amazing school and community.
Credits:
Created with an image by Leonid Andronov - "Panorama of Grand Canyon from Grandview Point"