Over spring break, Raider Service Breaks (RSB), a program under the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (TrUE) traveled to Grand Canyon National Park. Nine TTU McNair Scholars had the opportunity to travel with TTU staff, Sarah Tapia, Jace Miserak, Dr. Jon Crider, and Aurelia Crider.
The McNair Scholars, referred to as RSBers, volunteered with the National Park Service for the week. Thousands of visitors flood the Grand Canyon Visitor Center each day, and it is only staffed by two park rangers. To help control traffic to the visitor center, RSBers handed out maps, gave directions and answered questions that didn't require a park ranger, allowing the rangers to focus on other issues. During a free day at the park three RSBers decided to hike down to the bottom. However, this adventure turned into a rescue story that will be forever remembered.
RSBers, Gabriel Cooper, Joe Juarez and Nathan Mekuria, were determined to hike down the Grand Canyon South Rim. Juarez made it a goal to put his feet in the river, luckily Nathan and Gabriel had the same mindset. Grand Canyon South Rim is the most popular rim at Grand Canyon National Park, according to its website. “Three of us, including me, had decided to trudge on and go all the way down to the river,” Cooper said. The boys started their journey around noon and followed the South Kaibab Trail. Going down to the river and back meant completing a hike of 13.2 miles.
The hike down wasn't as tough as they thought it'd be. At around 3:45 they reached the river. Cooper and Juarez have hiked before; however, it was only Mekuria's second time hiking. His first hike was the day before. “It was difficult, cardiovascular-wise,” Mekuria said. “Reaching the bottom was like, we finally did it.” Their feet, soaking in the Colorado River can be checked off their bucket list now! After enjoying the river, it was time to dry off their feet, change into a clean, dry pair of socks, and start the hike back up.
Within the first 30 minutes of hiking back up, Mekuria felt different. As he went up the canyon, he could feel the toll it began to take on his body. Soon the boys stumbled upon two hikers. “We ended up seeing a father and a son on the side of a trail exhibiting signs of hypothermia and in an emergency blanket.” Juarez contacted the two hikers first. The father distracted and shivering was bundled in the emergency blanket. He couldn't warm up, leaving his only option to stay where he was on the side of the trail, Cooper recalled. To help alleviate the father's shivers, the group offered him layers of clothing and hand warmers.
The father and son, Jon and Jordan, were on a last-minute spontaneous hiking trip, as the son was about to graduate high school. The father wanted to go and spend some time with his son before he went off to college. Their hike started at four in the morning. “They were hiking for more than 15 hours,” Cooper said.
The hike downplays tricks on people, due to temperature changes in elevation. The boys left in multiple layers then at some point ended up in t-shirts. As night approached it got colder. The father and son weren't prepared for the change in weather. They were in shorts and had little layers on their upper body. With nightfall approaching, Cooper, Juarez and Mekuria decided to escort the two out of the canyon.
Hiking back up came with its challenges. Jon and Jordan began to fall behind. Juarez and Mekuria sent Cooper back to stay with the two, while Juarez looked over Mekuria. From physically feeling impossible, the hike turned into a mental push. Through a walkie-talkie, the boys contacted Dr. Crider and Miserak. The group of five made it back up before 10 at night. “It seems like when we all had no more energy left, everybody just sort of got a boost of energy,” Cooper recalled. The boys returned Jon and Jordan to their car, no longer showing signs of hypothermia. The father showed the boys gratitude for their deed. “‘You guys are lifesavers,'” Cooper recalled the father telling him once he was returned to his car.
A rescue was never on the itinerary for these RSBers. Cooper was looking for a different experience. He knew he'd challenge his own norms by traveling to a different state to volunteer. “I just wanted to figure out what it meant to help people in a different way,” Cooper said. For Juarez, he'd already volunteered countless times before, now he was getting to do it in a state where he hadn't been before. While hiking back up, Juarez could feel that very moment become a spiritual significance. “We had a different perspective on why we wanted to achieve this goal.” Mekuria's goal was to connect with people and explore a different part of the country. While he did achieve the goal, he made long-lasting friends through a challenging experience. Mekuria said, I'll look back on this experience for years to come.
