CiCi Fancies a Rim Adventure

At 19 years old, Cici Brannen may be slow, deaf, and nearly blind. To accommodate her limitations, her human mate, Pam, anticipates her every need, like a water fountain, a daily brushing, and a good book to read.

In return, the fragile feline accommodates Pam by watching her fish and photograph birds.

“Life is good,” CiCi purred, sitting under a chair on the shaded lanai. No longer up to chasing fish or birds, she prefers reading. So, she turned to a book Pam had left nearby. Rim to Rim, the first novel by Jeanne Meeks, reminded CiCi of her youthful days.

As she studied the chasms of red rocks that emblazoned the cover, she noted the book details death in the Grand Canyon and promises “danger at every turn.” CiCi imagined the thrill of jumping from one red rock to another above a 5,000-foot abyss. That, after all, is what cats do. Yes, she mewed, you can indeed judge a book by its cover. She was hooked.

Inspired by the author’s 2008 backpacking trip across the canyon, Rim to Rim features an engaging plot—Amy, a suddenly unmarried, middle-aged woman, embarks on the adventure of a lifetime even though her hiking buddy has bailed at the last minute. When she lands at the Phoenix Sky Harbor, Amy befriends Sarah, an experienced hiker who eventually doubles as mentor and foil.

Their trek spans 24 miles over five days and covers an elevation change of roughly 5,000 feet—first down, then up. Undaunting, perhaps, for an agile cat, it is nonetheless arduous for even seasoned hikers.

As she pawed through the book, CiCi anticipated descriptive passages of grandeur, campsite camaraderie, and the intrigue of a murder mystery. But it was the unexpected midnight howls, full-sun cliffhangers, and precipitous isolation that thrilled her.

Nor did she expect that the environs would evoke a debate of evolution versus creationism. But such existentialism is woven flawlessly into the story when one hiker observes, “If it turns out there is a God, this canyon is His gift to us.”

CiCi liked the ringtail cats, which are not feline at all, but relatives of the raccoon. Gazing at her reflection in the mirrored surface of a sliding glass door, CiCi admired her own black, brown, and white fur that resembled the ringtail’s dark brown coat with pale underparts. Although the ringtail’s body looked like that of a cat, its pointed muzzle and long whiskers are more akin to a fox.

However, like the cat, the ringtail is a nocturnal animal. Its short, straight, and semi-retractable claws are well-suited for climbing and hunting. Yellow eyes that shine menacingly in the dark are accompanied by clicks, chatters, squeaks, and chirps.

But not purrs, CiCi purred, again admiring her reflection and posh home. She was grateful that she no longer had to hunt for food.

Instead, she continued to read about the other animals who hunt for prey, work, and play secondary roles in the adventure—pack mules, bighorn sheep, condors, chipmunks, mice, squirrels, scorpions, bees, bats, pink rattlesnakes, and “trail rats,” another term for the hikers that move the plot forward.

Plagued by gear malfunctions, injuries, arthritic knees, and close calls, Amy and Sarah showcase strength, spunk, and humor as they make friends, dodge danger, and uncover clues in a mysterious death. 

Beyond the rocks, animals, and campsites, CiCi chirruped over subplots that included Colorado River rafters, resort staff, and park rangers—one of whom introduces an element of romance. Ah, yes, CiCi mewed. Romance sweetens any adventure.

CiCi did not expect romance in Rim to Rim. But once she found it, she groomed her fur in vicarious pleasure. She was old, she trilled, rechecking her reflection. Not dead.