Vermillion Cliffs – Guiding the Unknown
Guiding the Vermillion Cliffs of Utah and Arizona is no joke! It took my passion of leading others to explore nature to an entirely new level on a day in late fall 2013. I was in unknown territory, filling in for a friend at another Utah company who was short-handed. Do you want to know what goes on in the mind of your tour guide? Every day spent exploring with my guests is noteworthy, but what I felt that day inspired me to write a short travel story. Below is an expert from that story:
The idea of leading a foreign client into a remote landscape where three people died and a dozen others were rescued several months ago had me on edge. Eiji seemed sure footed enough, but what if I couldn’t find Top Rock? After all he’d invested to realize his dream – what if I led Eiji up the steep pitch only to cliff out? Would he consider his trip an epic failure?
For the full backstory on Melanie’s epic day guiding The Wave and beyond in the Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness Area, read Confessions of a Tour Guide on Your Life Is A Trip.