A somber milestone in Grand Canyon history is fast-approaching. June 30, will mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic mid-air collision of a TWA L-1049 Super Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7. The two aircraft had ironically left Los Angeles International airport minutes apart, only to converge in a fiery collision that would claim the lives of all 128 people onboard.
The damaged planes plummeted into the rugged terrain of eastern Grand Canyon near Chuar and Temple Buttes. The high-profile tragedy represented the worst mid-air collision in the nation’s history, and was partly responsible for the formation of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Though human remains were removed as soon as crews could get to the scene, it wasn’t until the late 1970s that the National Park Service was able to clear the wreckage from the highest cliffs. Not all the debris could be reached, and it can be seen by passing river runners on the nearby Colorado River.
A decade ago, on a solo hike from my river camp just below the Little Colorado River confluence, I stumbled upon a large tire that was left behind. The ’56 crash was the last thing on my mind, so the partially-buried artifact caught me completely off guard. Once I realized what I had discovered a chill crept over me. In the graveyard silence that enveloped me, it was impossible to imagine the chaos that must have erupted on this rocky slope when the sky rained steel and aluminum.
My melancholy lasted for a few days thereafter—only to lift after I vowed to make the most of every moment below the rim. For myself, and those who spent their final few in the grandest of Canyons.
http://www.aircraftarchaeology.com/twa_united_airlines_grand_canyon.htm
Thank you for tuning into "All Things Grand Canyon". GrandCanyonPrints.com offers the grandest in Grand Canyon photographs.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Take Me to the River
Each year, April marks the beginning of the much-anticipated Grand Canyon commercial river running season on the Colorado River. It's a time of year when the grizzled boatmen (and slightly less-grizzled boatwomen) come out of their deep hibernation in the darkened coffee houses of Flagstaff, Durango, and Moab to spend the next seven months ferrying more than twenty-thousand thrill-seeking clients through the world's most famous chasm.
There are many variations on the theme (oars vs. motorboats, a few days on the water vs. weeks, etc.), but the common denominator is unfettered access to the depths of Grand Canyon in the company of an impassioned and knowledgeable crew. The combination of challenging whitewater and majestic environs attracts some of the most accomplished whitewater professionals in the business. In addition, the National Park Service (NPS) holds the sixteen licensed river running concessioners to a very high standard in terms of safety, training, and resource protection.
There are many fewer private boaters who also run the river each year. In some cases these lucky ducks have waited as long as fifteen years for a permit to tackle the river in their personal watercraft. With multiple stakeholder groups arguing for greater access, occasionally through high-profile legal action, the NPS recently underwent a multi-year policy making initiative designed to address these concerns. Their efforts to even the playing field in terms of access had to be balanced with their mandate to preserve the natural and cultural integrity of the Canyon itself. This process culminated in the Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP). The final Record of Decision was released in February 2006.
As expected, the CRMP has no shortage of critics. For the moment, however, these differences seem to have been set aside. At least long enough for the quirky subculture known as the Grand Canyon river runners to grab their Tevas, sunglasses, and lucky hats and prepare to burn off their winter fat threading Hance, Crystal, Hermit and Upset Rapids (to name a few).
For more information on the CRMP follow this link http://www.nps.gov/grca/crmp/documents/FinalROD.pdf
There are many variations on the theme (oars vs. motorboats, a few days on the water vs. weeks, etc.), but the common denominator is unfettered access to the depths of Grand Canyon in the company of an impassioned and knowledgeable crew. The combination of challenging whitewater and majestic environs attracts some of the most accomplished whitewater professionals in the business. In addition, the National Park Service (NPS) holds the sixteen licensed river running concessioners to a very high standard in terms of safety, training, and resource protection.
There are many fewer private boaters who also run the river each year. In some cases these lucky ducks have waited as long as fifteen years for a permit to tackle the river in their personal watercraft. With multiple stakeholder groups arguing for greater access, occasionally through high-profile legal action, the NPS recently underwent a multi-year policy making initiative designed to address these concerns. Their efforts to even the playing field in terms of access had to be balanced with their mandate to preserve the natural and cultural integrity of the Canyon itself. This process culminated in the Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP). The final Record of Decision was released in February 2006.
As expected, the CRMP has no shortage of critics. For the moment, however, these differences seem to have been set aside. At least long enough for the quirky subculture known as the Grand Canyon river runners to grab their Tevas, sunglasses, and lucky hats and prepare to burn off their winter fat threading Hance, Crystal, Hermit and Upset Rapids (to name a few).
For more information on the CRMP follow this link http://www.nps.gov/grca/crmp/documents/FinalROD.pdf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
