Elyssa Shalla, a national park ranger at The Grand Canyon National Park, had an idea. What would happen if visitors encountered something different at the end of a hike to a scenic overlook? What would they write on a cheap typewriter sitting on a desk at the end of the trail?

At the end of three days, there were 76 messages, and Shalla turned it into the Towers & Type Project.

A few of the entries -

“oh so many miles / blisters never make [me smile] / really cramps my style.”

“to me, this is a geologic pilgrimage and a reminder of what my body can do. for all of this, i am grateful, especially because i get to share it with my dad.”

“Hearing the words ‘Grand Canyon’ and now experiencing it for the first time, I realize that the term ‘Grand’ falls far [short] of what this place [truly] represents: Perfection.”

There is something uniquely pleasing in encountering unexpected delight. What a wonderful way for the hikers to express themselves.