Rim 2 Rim: A Dad & Daughter Journey in the Grand Canyon

“Dad, you really need to slow down.” That’s what my daughter told me Monday night as I was driving a Nissan Versa on the freeway from Flagstaff to Phoenix, with a Dominos pizza box open on my lap. But, she wasn’t telling me to slow down my driving (trust me, the 4-cylinder Nissan Versa can hardly break 65.) She was telling me to slow down my eating. In under 5 minutes I had devoured my entire pizza. Here’s the backstory.

It all started 10 years ago when I took part in a men’s bible study that emphasized biblical manhood and called fathers to invest quality time with each of their kids. My kids were much younger at the time, but I remember making a commitment that when each of my girls reached 13, I would devote a special evening to take them on a date, read them a letter, and call them to a life of purity. (I have had the joy of doing that now with my oldest 2 daughters.) I also made a commitment that when my children reached 16 years old, I would take each of them on a Dad/Daughter (or Dad/Son) trip. It would be a trip of their choice (within financial reason) and it would be a time devoted to invest in a special memory that would last forever.

This year as my oldest daughter Annika was reaching her 16th birthday she began to weigh her options. Finally, she resolved that our Dad/Daughter trip would be to Arizona. We would plan to hike to the summit of Humphrey’s Peak at over 12,600 feet and also plan to hike the entire Grand Canyon, from Rim-to-Rim (over 23 miles), in 1 day. This was the plan, and by God’s grace we succeeded this past weekend.

Humphrey’s Peak was last Friday morning. It was a 10 mile round trip hike, gaining 3,300 feet of elevation and proved to be a remarkable summit.

Three days later, on Monday, was the day of our Rim to Rim experience in the Grand Canyon. If you are unfamiliar with this hike, here are the details. You start on the North Rim at over 10,000 feet of elevation and gradually descend 6,000 feet and 14 miles of terrain to the Colorado River. At that point, you immediately begin going uphill, over 9 miles and 4,200 feet up the South Rim. After 23+ miles, if you are successful, you will finally arrive at your vehicle. If you fail…well, you fail. There is no bus rides from the bottom of the Grand Canyon…only very expensive helicopter rescues.

On Monday, we began our descent at 5:15am through absolutely stunning terrain. Descending mountains is less exhausting on the lungs, but it is significantly hard on the joints, the knees, and the hips. As each hour passed, it was clear that finishing this hike was going to be an extraordinary effort. But, when hiking the Grand Canyon, there is truly no turning back. Our car was parked on the South Rim and standing at the bottom of the canyon by the Colorado River, we had only choice: ascend 9 miles and over 4,200 vertical feet. So, upward we went.

The first 4.5 miles of the ascent began gradual and then turned steeper. Having changed from descent to ascent was a welcome experience, especially on the joints. When we reached a point called “Indian Garden”, we had just 6 miles to go. What’s 6 miles? The problem was that we had already traversed 18 miles and the last 6 would require 3,000 feet of elevation gain. To add to the fatigue, the late afternoon weather in the Grand Canyon turned exceedingly cold and windy.

The last 6 miles required extraordinary endurance. We got grumpy at some points when it seemed we were not making progress. We were disappointed when we rounded a bend to see another traverse all the way across a ridge. We were in pain, not wanting to move forward, but realizing we couldn’t stay where we were at.
Finally at 5:15pm (12 hours from the start), we crested the final pitch and reached the South Rim trailhead. Muscles aching. Hands freezing. Heads throbbing. And joyfully elated in the Father/Daughter trip which would be a memory of a lifetime.

That brings me to the pizza. 2 hours after the hike, we picked up 2 pizzas in Flagstaff and continued our journey to Phoenix. As we drove on the freeway, boxes in our laps, Annika had eaten 2 pieces when she looked over and noticed my box was empty. With the voice of a disgusted parent talking to a child who made a bad decision, she said to me: “Dad, you need to slow down.” We laughed. I realized how famished I was and how fast I had eaten my pizza. And then without hesitating, I reached into Annika’s box and began to eat her pizza as well.

Dads – you need to slow down. Enjoy time with your children. Invest in special memories which will forge the relationship. Take time to laugh and enjoy moments of life one on one with a child. These things may be costly, but anything of value is bound to cost you something.

Moms – you need to slow down. In the midst of all of life’s challenges, slow down enough to invest quality time with each child. See how God has uniquely wired them. Get down on their level and get involved with what interests them.

Husbands & Wives – you need to slow down. Life is fast paced, work is demanding, and bills must get paid. But, in the midst of it, a good marriage requires time & attention. Prioritize time away. Schedule memorable moments that will invest deeply into your marriage. Take a trip. Rent a Nissan Versa. Buy a couple pizzas and see how much you can eat!

All of this was a result of taking part in a men’s bible study and being challenged to prioritize memorable moments with my kids. What things do you need to prioritize? What memories are just waiting for you to schedule? What kid needs your attention?