The Grand Canyon Empowered Me, Showing Me Its Unique Beauty and What I Was Capable of Accomplishing
By Adriana Garcia Maximiliano, HCLC member from Arizona.
My family moved to the United States when I was eight years old. As immigrants, my parents were fearful and avoided traveling, but there was an exception: our trips to the Grand Canyon. Every year, either on Thanksgiving or Christmas, when they knew they were off from work, we would make a day trip to this iconic landscape of Arizona.
I fell in love with unique natural wonder when I was just a little girl enjoying nature and quality time with my loved ones.
Since then, I have lost count of the times I have been to the Grand Canyon, but my most memorable experience there was about six years ago when I decided to go deep into the Grand Canyon, down to the Colorado River, and then come back up via the South Rim. It is about 17 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of 4460 ft (about 1360 meters).
I confess I didn't train as much as I should have, but I was amazed at what my body was able to accomplish that day. It was a long and strenuous hike, but so worth it.
More than five million people visit the Grand Canyon annually, but only one percent goes down to the Colorado River and sees up close the beauty hidden in this natural wonder. Experiencing the Grand Canyon from its bottom gives you a different perspective of its grandeur and uniqueness.
It was, without a doubt, a physically and mentally challenging experience, but I was able to keep on going because, although painful, it was also one of the most beautiful and empowering moments of my life.
The Grand Canyon is one of my favorite places to take family and friends. I go out of my way to bring people there so they can experience it first-hand. I just love seeing their faces admiring its beauty, and taking all that in.
Whenever I can, I drive up there to enjoy the time outdoors or to decompress from stress.
Because it is such a special place to me and a natural wonder not only of Arizona but of the world, I worry about the future of the Grand Canyon.
When I first heard about the news about the Trump administration considering and favoring uranium mining around the Grand Canyon, threatening this stunning landscape, the ancestral home of several tribes, its watershed that communities and wildlife depend on and the environment as a whole, my heart sank.
The Colorado River runs 277 miles through Grand Canyon National Park. The water levels of the river have hit record lows, we must do everything to protect it. All Arizonans should be very concerned about this.
Many people don’t know but the Grand Canyon is at risk, so is the Colorado River. Uranium mining is a threat to both. There are still nearly 600 active mining claims on national forest and other public lands around the Grand Canyon. There is a temporary mining ban that expires in 2032, but it is uncertain what the next administration will attempt.
This Arizona icon must be protected permanently because it is irreplaceable, and there is so much at stake.
Follow Adriana's incredible adventures on her social media!