Walking in the light

Not long ago I hiked across the Grand Canyon “rim to rim:” down the North Rim, across the canyon floor, then up the South Rim. I have hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon several times. I love the beauty of the canyon. In my opinion the scenery is unmatched anywhere, especially when you are at the bottom and you can look in every direction and see unbelievable views.

I prepared all year for this hike so I would be ready physically. The morning I started out, I got up at 4:30 am at the North Rim lodge. It was dark and cold. The North Rim is high in elevation, about 8500 feet. I was surprised at how busy the North Rim was with people preparing for their hike. By 5:45 am I was hiking down the trail. There was barely enough light to see the path.

I enjoyed every minute of the 15-mile descent to a remote lodge named Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. The lodge has cabins, bunkhouses and a campground for hikers. There is even a canteen that serves amazing breakfasts and dinners if you can get reservations.

I had arranged to eat breakfast the next morning at 5 am, then begin my hike up to the South Rim. I arose at 4:30 am, and what I immediately noticed was how dark it was. Phantom Ranch had one small light outside which didn’t provide much light at all. I finished eating my pancake and egg breakfast and was ready to start my hike up the south rim about 5:20 am. It was still very dark. I had forgotten a flashlight, but had hiked on these trails several times and was confident I could stay on the trail and move forward in the dark.

In Alaska when it’s dark, it is not hard to see. Light from the moon and stars reflects off the snow. In Arizona, the stars seemed very dim. Once I left the small exterior light at Phantom Ranch it was pitch black—it seemed there was no light at all. There was a noisy stream on the right side of the trail, which I was confident I could follow. Plus, there was a tall, steep canyon wall to my left. How could I get lost?

I headed out. Right away the trail split. I chose what I thought was the correct trail and ended up at a dead end. I could hear and smell mules. I was at the mule stable. I had already gotten lost. But I knew where the trail was and I headed that direction, toward the sound of the stream.

I had to cross a patch of grass and was worried about rattlesnakes, but I quickly found the trail and headed forward. It was very dark. Nothing was visible.

I crossed the bridge over the Colorado River, which flows through the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The moonlight reflected from the river so it was easier to see. As I left the river, it was again tough to see the trail. About a mile later. the trail split again, and I found myself on the banks of the Colorado River. People were asleep on mats at the edge of the river with no sleeping bags. There were also several rafts tied up along the river bank. I was lost once again. Frustrated, I backtracked and found the trail. At that point the sunrise lit my path enough to see the trail and I was fine. Four-and-a-half hours later I finished the ten-mile hike out of the canyon.

It is easy to underestimate the value of light, and the difficulty of darkness. I thought with my prior hiking experience in the Grand Canyon, as well as my study of the trail the afternoon before, that I would be fine hiking out in the dark. It turned out, walking in darkness was harder than I would have thought. If you think about it, it is hard to do anything in the dark.

Since this experience I have been thinking about how valuable spiritual light is in my life. Jesus taught, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12, KJV).

Dieter Uchtdorf, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teaches about the importance of spiritual light.“Darkness reduces our ability to see clearly. It dims our vision of that which was at one time plain and clear. When we are in darkness, we are more likely to make poor choices because we cannot see dangers in our path. When we are in darkness, we are more likely to lose hope because we cannot see the peace and joy that await us if we just keep pressing forward.

“Light, on the other hand, allows us to see things as they really are. It allows us to discern between truth and error, between the vital and the trivial. When we are in the light, we can make righteous choices based on true principles. When we are in the light, we have “a perfect brightness of hope” because we can see our mortal trials from an eternal perspective.

We will find spiritual healing as we step away from the shadows of the world and into the everlasting Light of Christ” (Uchtdorf, 10/2017).

I learned a lesson that morning in the Grand Canyon that I will never forget. Light is needed to have success. If physical light is so important, then spiritual light is even more essential for us to find happiness.

Kerry Wright is a long-time Alaskan and enjoys fishing, hiking and gardening. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.