A Giant Canyon Step

I sprinted past the last doorway on the corridor and ran straight into a heavy metal door propped slightly ajar with a wooden wedge! Slipping through the gap, I found myself on the landing of a towering concrete stairwell that plunged downward like a sheer canyon. The edge of the first step dropped off sharply into open space. I walked right up to the smooth concrete rim, planted my boots along the ridged metal nose of the stair, and peered over into the dizzying spiral below. The air was wonderfully cool and smelled of dry stone. Dropping into a firm squat, I gripped the chilly iron banister strut with one hand and gave a confident grin down at the massive obstacle ahead. A whole mountain of descent to conquer!