Clark 1 Jaclyn Clark ENGL 2010-063 09/16/2013 Paul Anderson

Death Hollow
It s day ! "e o! t#e $ack%ack n& tr %' (y &rou% cons sts o! t)o tr % leaders* +oss and Conn e* and ele"en # &# sc#ool students' I a, a !res#,an* t s ,y second year at +eal,s o! In-u ry* a s,all .-12 %r "ate sc#ool' At t#e $e& nn n& o! eac# sc#ool year t#e , ddle sc#ool and # &# sc#ool &o on $ack%ack n& tr %s' /#e , ddle sc#ool tr % s only ! "e days and on a !a rly !lat* easy %at#' /#e # &# sc#ool $ack%ack n& tr %s c#an&e locat on e"ery year* $ut are al)ays ten days lon&' /# s year ,y &rou% s tra"ers n& 0eat# 1ollo)* Escalante' As ts na,esake su&&ests* 0eat# 1ollo) s not an easy trek' It s ,uc# ,ore d !! cult t#an t#e , ddle sc#ool $ack%ack n& tr % )as* and I #a"e $een #a" n& a rou&# t ,e o! t' I a, de#ydrated* sore* I #a"e $l sters on ,y !eet and t !eels l ke I a, carry n& an ele%#ant on ,y $ack' /oday s t#e ! rst day t#at I #a"e not #ated e"ery ste% o! t#e tr %* I #a"e e"en taken out ,y ca,era !or t#e ! rst t ,e to take % ctures o! so,e o! t#e $eaut !ul scenery'
Photo 1. One of the photos I took at the beginning of the day.

Clark 2 2e #a"e $een )ork n& our )ay t#rou&# a canyon* and )e dec ded to sto% !or lunc# n a s%ot )#ere t#e canyon s a l ttle ) der and t#e r "er$ed s dry' It s a $eaut !ul sunny day* and a!ter &ett n& so,e !ood n ,y $elly I #a"e rene)ed ener&y to )alk around and &et so,e n ce % ctures' /#e ,ood s l &#t as k ds eat and 3oke and en3oy t#e do)nt ,e' /#ree o! t#e students #a"e cl ,$ed u% onto a r d&e on one s de o! t#e canyon to eat t#e r lunc#4 t#ey cla , t#e s%ot as t#e r o)n and are call n& t* 5/#e /#eater'6 7ut t#e canyon )alls are !a rly # &#* and none o! us can see t#e a%%roac# n& stor, clouds' /#ey are u%on us $e!ore )e #a"e t ,e to react' +a n s %our n& do)n on us and t#e students are scra,$l n& to %ack u% t#e r !ood and ca,% sto"es* and &et out t#e r ra n 3ackets' Conn e* one o! t#e tr % leaders* co,es o"er to ,e and says* 82e6re ,o" n& e"eryone out o! t#e r "er$ed* once you &et your 3acket &ra$ your %ack and 3o n us'9 I tell #er t#at I ) ll and s#e lea"es to & "e ot#er students t#e sa,e n!or,at on' :n t#e o%%os te s de o! t#e canyon !ro, t#e /#eater t#ere s a $u ldu% o! sand and rocks t#at %ro" des a s,all # ll a&a nst t#e canyon* and sl &#tly # &#er &round !or us to stand on' A!ter &ett n& out ,y 3acket I carry ,y %ack o"er t#ere and stand ne;t to ,y sen or* Ca tl n' 2e ,ake eye contact and & "e eac# ot#er ner"ous s, les* ,ak n& #o%e!ul co,,ents l ke* 8I #o%e t#e ra n sto%s soon'9 /#e ot#er students l ned u% a&a nst t#e canyon )all ne;t to us are talk n& -u etly* 3ok n&* try n& to kee% u% t#e &ood s% r ts t#ey #ad dur n& lunc#* $ut t doesn6t do ,uc# to l &#ten e"eryone6s darken n& ,ood' /#e sky t#at* ,ere , nutes a&o* )as clear $lue s no) co,%letely &rey* and t#e ra n s co, n& do)n #ard on us'

Clark 3 /#e t#ree students on t#e /#eater #a"e taken re!u&e under a s,all* &narled % ne tree t#at s %ro" d n& t#e, ) t# "ery l ttle co"er' /#e ) nd s $lo) n& t#e ra n stra &#t at t#e,* and t#ey are soaked t#rou&# n , nutes' At so,e %o nt t#ey ,o"e as ! to co,e do)n o!! o! t#e r d&e and ,o"e o"er to )#ere e"eryone else s* $ut t#e teac#ers tell t#e, to stay %ut* #a" n& to yell o"er t#e ra n and t#e d stance' /#e r "er$ed t#at )as dry ,o,ents a&o s no) start n& to run ) t# )ater and $e!ore lon& t#e )ater starts to !lo) o"er t#e canyon )alls* 3o n n& t#e r "er and ,ak n& t &ro) ,ore ra% dly' I )atc# t#e )ater as t runs n ,any strea,s do)n t#e red canyon )alls* se%arat n& and 3o n n& to&et#er n "ar ous %laces' It s $eaut !ul* ,es,er < n& and #orr !y n&* and I $ot# #ate and lo"e t n e-ual
Photo 2. A stream of water running down the sandstone.

,easure' 2# le I a, )atc# n& t#e cascade o! ra n)ater I can6t #el%

t# nk n& t#at s t#e ,ost $eaut !ul t# n& I #a"e e"er seen n ,y s#ort l !e' C AC!" A $olt o! l &#tn n& str kes r &#t a$o"e our #eads* at t#e to% o! t#e canyon )all )e are stand n& under' It s sudden and dea!en n& and se"eral students screa, n s#ock and !ear' /#e sound ,akes ,e !eel as ! t#e )#ole )orld s $reak n& around us' /#e sky s cry n& and screa, n& as t n!l cts ts )rat# u%on t#e eart# $elo)* and )e* t#e ns &n ! cant ants cau&#t n ts !ury* are $eneat# ts not ce'

Clark = 8Crouc# do)n>9 Alt#ou&# Conn e s stand n& r &#t ne;t to us* s#e #as to yell to $e #eard o"er t#e roar o! t#e r "er t#at #as no) &ro)n to a ,onstrous s <e and s rus# n& t#rou&# t#e canyon at a &reat s%eed' Alt#ou&# ) t# t#e canyon a$o"e us ,ak n& t less l kely !or any o! us to $e struck $y l &#tn n&* t s st ll a le& t ,ate concern and Conn e #as all o! t#e students crouc# do)n' +oss s ,ore concerned ) t# t#e students on t#e o%%os te s de o! t#e r "er* s tt n& under a s,all tree on a r d&e t#at s # &#er u% t#an )e are' 1e tr es to s#out o"er to t#e, to ,o"e* $ut t#e rus# o! t#e r "er* t#e ra n* and t#e ) nd all dro)n out # s "o ce* and t#e t#ree k ds re,a n )#ere t#ey are' /#ere s not# n& t#at can $e done to #el% t#e,' 0es% te ,y ra n 3acket I a, soak n& )et* and t#e ) nd )# %% n& t#rou&# t#e canyon !ree<es ,e to t#e $one' 8Co,e under ,y %oc#o*9 Ca tl n says to ,e* not c n& ,e s# "er n&' 8/#anks*9 I say* and a, #a%%y to take s#elter under Ca tl n6s o"ers <ed %onc#o' It %ro" des ,e so,e rel e! !ro, t#e ra n* $ut doesn6t do as ,uc# !or t#e ) nd' /#e sky s dark* co"ered n &rey clouds t#at stretc# on to so,e unkno)a$le len&t# )e cannot see' /#ere s not# n& $ut s#eer canyon $e# nd us* and a ra& n& r "er n !ront* our only o%t on s to stay %ut and #o%e t#at t#e ra n sto%s $e!ore t#e r "er &ro)s lar&e enou&# to s)ee% us a)ay* das# n& us a&a nst t#e rocks and canyon )alls* $reak n& our $od es t#at no) see, so s,all n co,%ar son' E"en t#ou&# I kne) o! t#e,* #ad seen " deos* and e"en read a$out t#e, $e!ore lea" n& on t# s $ack%ack n& tr %* I real <e t#at I ne"er truly understood )#at a !las# !lood )as unt l no)' It s 3ust one o! t#ose t# n&s you cannot kno)* cannot !ully understand unt l you are n one* and you are !ac n& your o)n ,ortal ty and #el%lessness n t#e )ake o! suc# %o)er'

Clark ? +oss and Conn e are "ery e;%er enced tr % leaders' /#ey are $ot# n t#e r s ;t es* and -u te ! t !or t#e r a&e' +oss s t#e 1ead,aster o! our sc#ool* an e;-Green 7eret* and Conn e s # s ) !e' /#ey #a"e $een t#rou&# ,any ntense and cra<y s tuat ons !ro, all o! t#e r years o! )ork n& at +eal,s* &o n& on $ack%ack n& tr %s* nternat onal tr %s* ) nter tr %* cl ,$ n& tr %s* $ k n& tr %s* r "er tr %s* and so !ort#' I a, &lad to #a"e t#e, as ,y tr % leaders* I #a"e !elt sa!e $e n& &u ded $y suc# e;%er enced and #ardcore %eo%le* $ut I )onder ! t#ere s anyt# n& t#at t#ey could do n t# s s tuat on' 2 t# all t#e r kno)led&e and e;%er ence* )ould t#ey $e a$le to sa"e us ! t#e r "er r ses too # &#@ Is t#ere a cont n&ency %lan@ I cannot #el% $ut !eel t#at t#ere s no %lan* and no )ay to sa"e us' (y , nd $eco,es re!lect "e o! t#e sky as ,or$ d t#ou&#ts $e& n to !lood t' What happens if it doesnt stop raining? There is no escape. Is this the day that I die? Will they be able to find my body? How far will the river carry my carcass? Will it be left to rot in the desert, picked clean by scavengers? How will my family know? How long would it take for them to find out? Would they spend months thinking that I was merely missing, hoping that I am still alive out here somewhere, until someone stumbles across one of our corpses? Will they cry? What will they say at my funeral? What will they put in my casket? Is my sister caught in the same flash flood? Is she somewhere safe? Is she dead? In t# s ,o,ent I ) s# !or not# n& ,ore t#an to see ,y s ster a&a n' A#e s so,e)#ere else n t#e desert* n a d !!erent $ack%ack n& &rou%' I #o%e t#at s#e s sa!e* and so,e#o) I !eel t#at ,y s ster dy n& )ould $e )orse t#an ! I d ed' A#e #as al)ays $een ,y $est !r end* #as al)ays $een t#ere to %rotect ,e and to &et ,e out o! trou$le

Clark 6 a!ter &ett n& ,e nto t' /ears ! ll ,y eyes as I real <e t#at I don6t kno) )#et#er s#e s al "e or not* and )#et#er I ) ll e"er &et to see #er a&a n' (y t#ou&#ts and e,ot ons are s% ral n& out o! control* and I reco&n <e t# s' I re%eatedly tell ,ysel! to s#ut u% and &et a#old o! ,ysel!* and I try to clear to ,y , nd o! t#e ,aca$re t#ou&#ts and ,a&es' /#e son&* 8Bou Are (y Auns# ne*9 %o%s nto ,y #ead* and I -u etly start s n& n& t to ,ysel!' It see,s ! tt n& so,e#o)* and I kee% s n& n& t !or a )# le* e"en t#ou&# I only kno) !our l nes o! t#e son&' I s n& t#e l nes o"er and o"er* and t $eco,es ,y %rayer* ,y sun dance* ,y call to t#e &ods to $e ,erc !ul and let t#e stor, %ass' It !eels l ke t #as $een ra n n& !or #ours and t see,s l ke t#e ra n ) ll ne"er end* $ut suddenly t#e ra n sto%s* and t#e clouds %ass' Just l ke t#at n one ,ere ,o,ent t#e stor, t#at #as $een t#reaten n& our l "es s &one* and t# s #orr $le !las# !lood t#at see,ed to take a l !et ,e s o"er' Ne"er $e!ore n ,y l !e #a"e I e"er )anted to see t#e sun and clear sk es as ,uc# as I d d t#en* and )#en t#e sky ! nally cleared* I ,,ed ately !elt $etter' 1o)e"er* des% te t#e ra n sto%% n&* t#ere )as st ll t#e r "er to contend ) t#' It )as at ts # &#est and !astest %o nt* rus# n& do)n t#e canyon* t#e )ater a &r tty $ro)n color !ro, all t#e sand' /#e s,all* sandy slo%e )e )ere on )ould $e ,%oss $le to ca,% on* $ut t#e /#eater )as lar&er* !latter* and # &#er u% ! t started ra n n& a&a n' 2e #ad to cross t#e r "er' +oss and Conn e #ad us )a t !or a l ttle $ t to let t#e r "er cal, do)n so,e* $ut )e couldn6t )a t too lon& n case anot#er stor, rolled n* and t#e r "er )as st ll ra& n& )#en t#ey started cross n& o"er' +oss !elt out a %at#* ! nd n& rocks t#at )ere # &#

Clark C enou&# to stand on n t#e r "er and use to cross o"er' 1e stayed n t#e , ddle o! t#e r "er as Conn e stood at t#e $e& nn n& to #old onto t#e students and &u de t#e, across' /#ey #ad t#e ,ore e;%er enced and con! dent students cross ! rst* )#o t#en #el%ed t#e ne;t students on t#e ot#er end' Alo)ly* one %erson at a t ,e* )e all crossed t#e r "er t#at )as at )a st #e &#t )#en stand n& on to% o! t#e rocks' E"en t#ou&# t )as early n t#e a!ternoon and t#ere )ere st ll ,any #ours o! dayl &#t to $urn* )e ,ade ca,% on t#e r d&e $ecause t#ere )as no)#ere !or us to &o' 2e )ould #a"e to ,ake u% !or t#e lost t ,e o"er t#e ne;t !e) days' Alt#ou&# t ra ned so,e dur n& t#e n &#t t )as not anot#er !las# !lood* and $y t#e ,orn n& t#e r "er #ad s#runk so,e* and )as no) ,o" n& at a cra)l' /#e ne;t !e)
Photo #. $he flooded %anyon a day or two after the flash flood.

days )e s%ent )ad n& t#rou&# t#e r "er unt l t#e %at# led us out o! t#e canyon' As our

tr % ca,e to an end and t#e d !!erent $ack n& &rou%s ,et u%* I started to cry )#en I sa) ,y s ster' I #u&&ed #er t &#tly and told #er t#at I lo"e #er' Look n& $ack on t# s e;%er ence I see #o) ,uc# I &re) !ro, t' At t#e t ,e t )as #orr ! c* $ut I $eca,e a stron&er %erson !or t' It s #ard to %ut nto )ords )#at e;actly t does !or you* $ut t#ere s so,et# n& a$out &o n& out nto t#e ) lderness and $eat n& yoursel! do)n to not# n&* !ac n& your ,ortal ty* c#allen& n& yoursel!* and

Clark D co, n& out o! t al "e' 7e!ore attend n& to +eal,s o! In-u ry and &o n& out on all t#ese cra<y tr %s* I )as "ery s#y and d dn6t #a"e ,uc# con! dence n ,ysel!' A!ter &o n& t#rou&# t# s e;%er ence* and ,any ot#ers t#at )ould !ollo)* I ca,e out o! ,y s#ell a lot* and n c#allen& n& ,ysel! and %us# n& ,y $oundar es* I learned )#at I really a, ca%a$le o!' I learned t#at I a, stron&er and ,ore ca%a$le t#an I t#ou&#t I )as* and I a, a ,uc# ,ore con! dent %erson today $ecause o! t' I also de"elo%ed stron& $onds ) t# t#e ot#er students t#at I s#ared t#ese e;%er ence ) t#* and e"en today* ! "e years a!ter # &# sc#ool* I a, st ll !r ends ) t# ,any o! t#e ot#er students !ro, +eal,s o! In-u ry' I also &a ned a ,uc# dee%er a%%rec at on !or t#e co,!orts and sa!ety o! #o,e* and !or t#e %eo%le around ,e )#o I lo"ed' I took ,any t# n&s !or &ranted less t#an I d d $e!ore* e"en $as c t# n&s l ke clear sk es and t#e !eel o! t#e sun on ,y sk n' Es%ec ally clear sk es and t#e !eel o! sun on ,y sk n' In t#e end I a, a $etter %erson today $ecause I e;%er enced a !las# !lood and sur" "ed' Per#a%s ot#er %eo%le )ould #a"e co,e out o! t# s e;%er ence and )ent cra<y try n& to l "e l !e to t#e !ullest and e;%er ence e"eryt# n& t#ere s to e;%er ence* $ut t#at6s not really ,e' I &a ned a stron&er a%%rec at on !or e"eryt# n& around ,e* and I de"elo%ed a certa n ,otto t#at I l "e ,y l !e $y no)E /# n&s ) ll al)ays )ork out n t#e end* one )ay or anot#er' Per#a%s t# s sounds a%at#et c* $ut t #as ser"ed ,e "ery )ell o"er t#e last se"eral years' 2#en $ & t# n&s #a%%en t6s easy to &et s)allo)ed $y t#e,* to !eel t#at t#ere s not# n& else $ut t# s #orr $le t# n& t#at s #a%%en n&* and #o) can t#e )orld %oss $ly kee% s% nn n& )# le t#e sky s !all n& on you@ 7ut t#en t %asses* and you ,o"e on* and n t ,e t !ades !ro, your ,e,ory' I st ll &et stressed out o! course* $ut l " n& n t# s )ay #as #el%ed ,e to l "e #a%% er and ) t# less an; ety $ecause )#en $ad

Clark 9 t# n&s #a%%en* I kno) t#at e"en ! t !eels l ke t#ey ) ll &o on !ore"er* so,et# n& ) ll s# !t* t#e clouds ) ll ,o"e on* and t ) ll $e o"er 3ust l ke t#at'