Making “Grand” Plans for Your 2013

It’s time again to make your New Year’s resolutions. Rather than a doomed attempt to swear off fudge brownies, why not steer towards the positive, and treat yourself to a Grand Canyon National Park visit or two? Here’s a canyon-sized list of fun activities that await you and yours in the coming year:

1. Overnight in the canyon; either on a whitewater rafting trip, backpacking, or as a guest at Phantom Ranch. Follow this link to the National Park Service trip planning page http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/index.htm
2. Enjoy an unforgettable week of art and inspiration at the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art http://www.grandcanyon.org/celebration.asp
3. Spend a holiday as a guest at the historic El Tovar Hotel, and treat yourself to a meal in their lovely dining room to toast the occasion http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/
4. Take in a toe-tapping concert or two at the Grand Canyon Music Festival http://www.grandcanyonmusicfest.org/
5. Grab a flashlight and join a group of diehard telescope enthusiasts for a celestial viewing of the canyon’s world-famous night sky at the annual Grand Canyon Star Party http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-star-party.htm
6. Treat the whole family to a Grand Canyon learning adventure with the Grand Canyon Field Institute http://www.grandcanyon.org/fieldinstitute/classes_family.asp
7. Support your favorite park by volunteering for a restoration project http://www.nps.gov/grca/supportyourpark/volunteer.htm

 Of course there are myriad other ways to enjoy the grandest of Canyons. The important thing is to make your plans before the hectic, post-holiday pace kicks in yet again. Happy New Year everyone!

Falling into a Rut

One of the signature sounds along the South Rim during autumn is the nocturnal bugling of the male elk. Their plaintive “whistles” attract female attention during the mating season (or “rut” as its known), and serve as a warning to would-be challengers. On rare occasions, one can even witness these titans clashing antler-to-antler in the forest that rings Grand Canyon Village and beyond. The elk aren’t the only love struck herbivores on the prowl; the mule deer and desert bighorn sheep have roughly the same timing to their mating season, though they seem to go about their courtships with much less fanfare. It’s a general rule in the park to view animals at a safe distance. The rangers even have a rule of thumb for interacting with wildlife.  If you can’t block your entire view of an animal with the thumb of your outstretched arm, then you’re too close. This is sage advice for one and all, especially during September and October when these amorous critters have little patience for camera-wielding tourists. Read more about appropriate behavior around wildlife in the park by following this link http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/wildlife_alert.htm

Wildfire Danger Sparks Campfire Restrictions in Park

The month or two between the end of the spring rains and the beginning of the summer monsoon is not-so-affectionately referred to as the “fire season” among NPS resource managers and locals alike. The forests on both rims are starved for moisture, the seasonal winds pick up, and the danger grows daily that a conflagration might be started by either human error or “dry” lightning; there is little we can do except to wait patiently for return of the rains. The National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service fire crews train year round for just such a scenario, and stand ready to jump on any situation that unfolds. At press time they are battling a small fire in the vicinity Grandview Point on the South Rim. Fortunately the winds are down so they should quickly gain the upper hand. Grand Canyon National Park has banned wood fires of any kind to help prevent any further incidents of this nature, and ask for everyone’s help in getting us through the dog days of summer with our…ahem…bark intact. Read more about the restrictions by following this link http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2012-06-07_restrictions.htm

Park Scores a Hat-Trick with Fun-Filled Weekend

For those of you that have been waiting for a good reason to visit Grand Canyon National Park, the National Park Service has just announced three. Endangered Species Day, Celebrate Wildlife Day, and the events surrounding an annular eclipse will occur on consecutive days from May 16-18. After two days learning about, and interacting with, some of the amazing creatures that call Grand Canyon home, visitors will be treated to a spectacular show as the moon passes before the sun around sunset. The rare spectacle will most likely treat onlookers to a glowing “ring” around our nearest celestial neighbor. It doesn’t get much better than this folks. So gas up the car, load up the picnic basket, and make a beeline to the greatest show on Earth.

Follow this link for more information

http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2012-04-25_cwd-esd.htm

http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2012-04-25_eclipse.htm

Navajo Planning Major Development Within Grand Canyon

The Navajo Nation recently released details of a planned development on the eastern boundary of Grand Canyon National Park, including a rim-based resort, an aerial tramway that will transport visitors to the floor of the canyon, and a half-mile walkway near the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers. The tribe projects that the project will generate as much as $70 million annually, and attract 3 million visitors. 

Opponents to the project including conservationists, the river running community, other Native American tribes such as the Hopi who consider the area sacred ground, and a wary National Park Service contend that the development will harm the fragile ecosystem, threaten endangered species like the humpback chub, and mar the wilderness experience that makes Grand Canyon National Park a world class destination. For more information follow this link, and let your voice be heard on this most important issue:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/03/24/navajo_nation_eyes_grand_canyon_for_development/

The Luck of the Irish

European immigrants were a major force in the 19^th century exploration of the Grand Canyon. Civil War photographer Timothy O’Sullivan, a native of Ireland, was the first to photograph the Grand Canyon. Equipped with one ton of clumsy gear, O’Sullivan made over 300 negatives during an 1871 survey of the lower Grand Canyon led by Lieutenant George M. Wheeler. Though many of the negatives were damaged or destroyed en route to Washington, D.C., those that survived were noted for their artistic flair as well as their scientific accuracy. O’Sullivan was one of the first to capture images of the American Southwest, including Native American villages and now famous archaeological sites. His work was unusual for the time in that it often focused on raw, undeveloped landscapes rather than industrialized settings. He died in Staten Island of tuberculosis at the age of 42, not long after becoming the first official photographer for the United States Geological Society.

Plastic Water Bottles Get the Boot

If you’ve ever had your backcountry buzz killed by stumbling upon a discarded plastic bottle or two, good news is on the way. A recent announcement by National Park Service Intermountain Regional Director John Wessels declared an end to the sale of plastic water bottles in Grand Canyon National Park.

 The move will have immediate and long-lasting consequences including: reducing the park’s solid waste stream (20% of which has been comprised of discarded plastic water bottles); reducing ecologically harmful and unsightly litter from rim-to-river; and setting a “green” example for resource managers and park enthusiasts, both domestically and internationally.

 The good news for thirsty park visitors is that the park’s network of strategically-placed (and free) water filling stations is nearly complete, and the sale of reusable, non-plastic water bottles will continue to grow at the various retail outlets located throughout the park.

So take pride in doing your part by topping off your reusable bottle at a refilling station, and enjoy the cleaner, greener  park that keeps us all filled to the brim with inspiration. Learn more by following this link: http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2012-02-06_water-bottles.htm

If You Build It, They Will Come (She Did, and They Have)

It’s the rare visitor to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park that fails to chance upon one of the iconic structures designed by maverick architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. Over the span of three decades (1905-1935), the chain-smoking perfectionist completed twenty one projects for the Fred Harvey Company, a park concessioner that operated the hotels and restaurants in the day. Four of her masterpieces (Hopi House, Lookout Studio, Hermit’s Rest, and Desert View Watchtower) were given National Historic Landmark status in 1987. Born in Pittsburgh, and raised in Minnesota, Colorado, and Texas, a plucky young Colter eventually trained at the California School of Design in San Francisco. Her unique architectural style drew from a number of influences, including both Spanish missions and Puebloan dwellings and fortresses.  In many cases structures seamlessly integrate with their surroundings.  The book Mary Jane Colter: Builder Upon the Red Earth celebrates her achievements at Grand Canyon and beyond.