Fill Er’ Up! Water Bottle Filling Stations Arrive in the Park

For years the park has been encouraging hikers to stay well hydrated. This resulted in a spike in bottled water usage. Discarded plastic water bottles quickly became a sizable portion of the park’s solid waste burden (30% by some estimates). To remedy this challenge, the National Park Service has placed nine water bottle filling stations throughout the park in high traffic areas along the rim. Like all the water that flows from taps in the park, that which flows from the filling station spigots is pumped from Roaring Springs near the canyon’s floor. So be sure to top off at one of these stations during your next visit. The water tastes great, and you’ll be doing the planet a favor. Follow this link for more information http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2011-03-16_h2o.htm

NPS Seeking Public Comments on Management of Backcountry

An eager public has been invited to weigh in on a planned revision of the 1988 Backcountry Management Plan by the National Park Service. The finished product will guide the hand of park resource managers as they try to balance the needs and desires of wide-ranging constituents. Open for discussion will be a host of critical issues including commercial services, recreational opportunities, infrastructure, access fees and permitting, and the protection and study of natural and cultural resources. This is a rare opportunity to play a role in crafting park policies that will determine what the backcountry looks like in twenty years, and how future generations will interact with this iconic national treasure. Follow this link for information on the three public meetings to be held in the coming weeks, and for instructions on how to submit written comments: http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/news-5may2011.htm

Lights, Canyon, Action! New Park Orientation Film a Must See

The park recently rolled out its new orientation film, Grand Canyon: A Journey of Wonder, in a cozy new theater adjacent to the main Visitor Center at Mather Point. Produced and directed by Joshua Colover of Aperture Films, Ltd., the twenty-minute film features stellar footage of the canyon, a wealth of fun facts and figures, and a crisp narration delivered by actor Peter Coyote. I watched it for the first time with about thirty visitors on a Sunday afternoon. The handful I queried afterwards were duly impressed. The film rotates throughout the day, every day of the week, and it is sure to be a hit for years to come. Admission is free. Visit this link for more information http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2011-04-14_film.htm

Big Fish to Anchor Park Wildlife Day

A guest appearance by Jack Hanna will add a touch of celebrity to Grand Canyon National Park’s May 7, Celebrate Wildlife Day. Hanna, the Emmy Award winning host of “Into the Wild”, will join National Park Service biologists to highlight a number of the park’s amazing creatures. From humpback chubs to mountain lions, visitors of all ages will enjoy lively presentations and exhibits designed to share a wide array of research and fun facts. The event is free to the public, and sure to be a roaring good time. Follow this link for more information http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2011-04-08_cwd.htm

South Kaibab Trail Just Got "Easier"

On a recent backpack down the South Kaibab Trail, I got my first chance in months to witness the handiwork of the park's trail crew. The results were impressive indeed. Mother Nature has not been kind to this popular canyon thoroughfare, not to mention foot (and hoof) traffic. Crater-sized holes between wash bars and stone steps were becoming momentum-busting obstacles, if not dangerous tripping hazards. Last year the National Park Service initiated an ambitioius restoration project on the South Kaibab Trail; one that included a temporary ban on passenger mules. My hiking companions and I came upon several trail crew teams laying rock, timber, and dirt fill at several problem locations from rim-to-river. Their efforts made a challenging descent just a little bit easier, especially on those not blessed with a 36-inch inseam! Thanks trail crew, and keep up the great work! If you'd like to make a donation to support backcountry trail restoration, please follow this link to the Grand Canyon Association web site. GCA is the official fundraiser for Grand Canyon National Park. http://www.grandcanyon.org/support/support_gc_trail_fund.asp

Digging the Past: Grand Canyon Archaeology Day On March 19

It’s been an amazing journey for humankind at Grand Canyon. From the nomadic, large spear hunters of 10,000 B.C. to today’s camera phone wielding visitors, the constant has always been the yawning chasm that continues to attract subsequent generations. The National Park Service will be highlighting a good chunk of this legacy during a March 19, Archaeology Day in Grand Canyon Village. Throughout the day, scientists and researchers will be sharing the many innovative ways that the canyon’s earliest inhabitants carved out a meager living in this forbidding landscape, and pondering what these lessons might mean for us today. This event is free to the public, and everyone form archaeology buffs to laymen will walk away with a better understanding of our forebears and their amazing accomplishments. Follow this link for more information http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2011-02-28_arch_day.htm

Annual Benefit for River Guides Not to be Missed

If you’re one of the thousands of people who have had a life-changing experience on a Grand Canyon river trip, the chances are high that the hard working commercial river guides were a big part of your positive experience. Anyone who befriends a guide finds out fairly quickly that behind this seemingly happy-go-lucky lifestyle can hide a reality of physical ailments, strained family relationships, and the financial challenges of seasonal work.

The non-profit Whale Foundation has been helping the river running community address these issues for more than a decade. One of their biggest sources of revenue is the annual Wing Ding, a night of great food, great music, and a lively auction of donated goods and services ranging from fine art sculpture to shiatsu massage. The next Wing Ding will take place at the Coconino Center for the Arts on Saturday, February 26.

Don’t miss this opportunity to give back to those passionate, knowledgeable and nutty individuals that have spent much of their adult lives sharing the wonders of Grand Canyon with others.

Follow this link for more information http://www.whalefoundation.org/whatyoucando3.htm

The "Wows" Are Back at Improved Mather Point

The park recently announced the re-opening of Mather Point, one of the South Rim's most popular scenic overlooks. Named after the Stephen Mather, first director of the National Park Service, Mather Point draws thousands of visitors each year. It was closed for months as part of a multi-phase construction project.

This fall the park opened a nearby amphitheater along the rim, and a landmark feature honoring the Native American tribes with ancestral and ongoing ties to the Grand Canyon. Mather Point proper was the last piece to open, and was well worth the wait. Among the upgrades are handicap accessibility, much more elbow room, and beautiful landscaping using indigenous plants. Be sure to check it all out during your next visit to the grandest of chasms!

NPS Announces New Rules Affecting Mule Operation

Grand Canyon National Park recently announced new guidelines for commercial and private use of livestock (mules and horses) on Grand Canyon’s network of world-famous trails. Overall numbers of riders will be allowed to increase, though with a net reduction on congested trails favored by hikers. Several once-popular destinations such as Plateau Point will no longer be available to visitors in the saddle, with those hugging the South Rim being offered as an alternative. The bottom line is that this historic activity will continue for the foreseeable future, as will the occasional squabble between visitors on the hoof and those on the heel. For more information visit http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/-national-park-services-approves-stock-use-plan-for-grand-canyon-national-park.htm

Year-in-Review: A Look Back at 2010

The New Year began with the mercury registering negative 26 degrees. Trapped inside by the arctic blast, there is little else to do but ponder the year behind. It was another exciting year at the grandest of chasms, with many milestones, anniversaries, and new developments to herald.

The year began with record-breaking snowfall that tested the limits of both roof and plow, but left the cliffs and slopes of the canyon as picturesque as ever. As 2010 progressed, dramatic infrastructure changes to the Mather Point area and beyond helped improve the visitor experience for generations to come. Smaller initiatives were sprinkled throughout the park, such as the new Trail of Time interpretive walkway on the South Rim, additional restrooms for visitors at popular overlooks, and much-needed improvements to corridor hiking trails.

The inaugural Archaeology Day joined a host of public events that continued their multi-year runs such as the Star Party, Celebration of Arts, Grand Canyon Music Festival, Wildlife Day, and the Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Symposium.

A visit by Vice President Biden to highlight park projects funded by the Recovery Act and the roll out of the new Grand Canyon National Park quarter by the U.S. Mint made headlines, as did the announced retirement of park superintendent Steve Martin.

These of course are just the newsmaking events; the real story at Grand Canyon is the 4.5 million visitors who travel from near and far to marvel at the amazing landscape that a few of us are lucky enough to call home. I hope that visiting your Grand Canyon National Park is high on your list of resolutions. Happy New Year one and all!

For a list of National Park Service accomplishments in 2010 visit: http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/grand-canyon-national-park-accomplishments-outlined-in-new-report-for-fiscal-years-2009-and-2010.htm

End of the Trail for Retiring Superintendent Martin

Grand Canyon National Park will bid farewell to Superintendent Steve Martin on January 1, 2011, when he retires from the National Park Service. The University of Arizona graduate began his sprawling thirty-five year career in 1975 as a river ranger at Grand Canyon National Park. His subsequently served in leadership posts in numerous parks, and rose through the ranks of the NPS into the top career position of Deputy Director in Washington, D.C. Martin’s impressive legacy at Grand Canyon includes overseeing the construction of numerous high profile infrastructure projects including the multi-phase construction that has dramatically changed the visitor experience at the former Canyon View Information Plaza and nearby Mather Point. An avid hiker and river runner, Martin will no doubt continue to be a frequent traveler in the canyon’s backcountry. His replacement will be announced in the coming weeks. Thanks Steve! For more career highlights follow this link http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2010-12-07_retier.htm

Two Can Be a Charm When Hiking the Canyon

As he spring hiking season kicks in, it is worth remembering that 2009 was an unusually harsh year on solo hikers at Grand Canyon. In four separate incidents, men hiking alone have gone missing in the backcountry, their bodies to be recovered days later by Search and Rescue personnel. The causes of death range from falling to heat related illness.

These cautionary tales are a stark reminder that hiking with a companion dramatically increases your chances of survival should something go wrong. In the absence of a satellite telephone, sending a fellow hiker to alert park rangers is the only way to get an injured comrade to definitive care.

If you must hike alone, be sure you know the route, have an emergency plan, keep a realistic itinerary, and leave a detailed schedule with a reliable friend or family member. Hiking alone can be a wonderful experience. But it requires taking extra precautions and a keen understanding of the additional risks.

Strolling Through Earth History

Trying to comprehend the vast geologic time recorded in Grand Canyon’s visible rock layers is a daunting task. A nearly two billion year span from top to bottom is enough to bewilder even the most hardened geologist. Help is arriving in the form of the park’s new Trail of Time. This assortment of wayside exhibits, viewing tubes, and trail markers spaced a meter apart (each representing a million years), will stretch form Yavapai Observation Station to Verkamp’s Visitor Center just east of Grand Canyon Village.

Collectively these teaching tools should help park visitors wrap their intellect around the otherwise abstract concept of our planetary history. The next phase of construction will begin on March 1st, with project completion slated for the late spring/early summer. This leisurely stroll on a paved walkway is suitable for all ages, and wheelchair accessible. If you’re visiting this summer, be sure to work it into your itinerary.

Bicycle Rentals Now Available in Park

For years the park service has been creating a bicycle-friendly infrastructure throughout the developed South Rim and portions of the Greenway Trail System. Bike enthusiasts have enjoyed the fruits of these efforts; often with a tinge of guilt to have unfettered access (and no motorized competition save for shuttle buses) to spectacular stretches of pavement like Hermit Road (formerly West Rim Drive). "Where are the other cyclists?" I’ve heard on more than one occasion.

On May 1st, they arrived. The park service has awarded a bicycle concession to Bright Angel Bicycles. Rentals and tours are now available throughout the year. It's a great way for the whole family to leave the car behind and enjoy a carbon-friendly spin along the rim of the grandest of canyons.

2009, A Year in Review

The Grand Canyon has often been described as "timeless". But we calendar-driven humans can't help ourselves as we prepare to bid another year farewell. And it’s been a memorable twelve months indeed. Of course, the list of newsworthy headlines from the passing year would be too long to mention. But a few notable trends and happenings are worthy of special mention.

Despite the global economic woes, visitors still flocked to the grandest of canyons (though demonstrating a newfound frugality as local merchants would quickly point out). Their enthusiasm for public lands may have been fueled in part by the Ken Burns PBS documentary on national parks. Burns' high-profile production is rumored to be stimulating attendance system wide and will no doubt cement the critical role of the national parks in our collective psyche for decades to come.

Speaking of decades, Grand Canyon National Park celebrated its 90th birthday in 2009, and marked the occasion on the same day the park service officially opened the new Verkamps Visitor Center in Grand Canyon Village. Combined with the sweeping changes occurring at the main Visitor Center near Mather Point, the NPS has dramatically improved its ability to share the amazing story of Grand Canyon with the general public.

Other changes to the visitor experience in 2009 include the permanent closing of popular Mather Point to vehicular traffic, a rerouting of the historic mule day rides from the Bright Angel Trail to one through the forested South Rim, and new procedures for obtaining backcountry permits that eliminate the advantage to applying in person.

Finally, among the millions inspired by the Grand Canyon this year there were a handful of hikers that met their fate between the canyon walls. As we begin a new decade, we do well to honor their passion for the Grand Canyon, and to redouble our own efforts to cherish and protect this treasured landscape.

Jaw-Dropping Snowstorm Pummels the Park

Fifty-plus inches. That is the amount of snow that blanketed northern Arizona during the third week of January, and Grand Canyon National Park was by no means spared. After watching the weather-related destruction in California, park residents braced for the worst—and it arrived in the form of a multi-day pile up that will be talked about for years.

The storm resulted in a virtual shutdown of the region. Roads were closed, businesses shuttered, tourists stranded. When it was all over the views were as glorious as they were unsettling. The trade-off for scenic splendor was leaky roofs and bewildered critters, often up to their necks in wet heavy snow. In sixteen years in the park I’ve never seen anything like it.

Note: If you’re traveling to the park any time soon, expect heavy snow on all trails, and limited access to unpaved thoroughfares.

Snowstorm Trumpets Arrival of Winter

Arizona's first major winter storm of the season blanketed Grand Canyon Village with more than two feet of snow. The December 8^th barrage brought life on the South Rim to a virtual halt. Snowbound tourists were treated to a once-a-year spectacle, hungry deer switched from grass to low-hanging twigs, and locals traded Subarus for snowshoes to make the morning commute. As a fifteen year resident, I've only seen a few winter storms this potent, and rarely this early. This bodes well for the "wet" winter that many are predicting, and is great news for a thirsty forest ecosystem that has been experiencing drought conditions for more than a decade. A lesser snowpack would typically melt in a day or two in sunny Arizona, but this one promises to stick around for a while. If you are planning a Hanukkah, Christmas, or New Year's Eve visit to the park, and were hoping for a winter wonderland, this is your year. Happy holidays!

Early Birds No Longer Get the Worm at Backcountry Office

The National Park Service recently announced forthcoming procedural changes in the way backcountry permits are issued. The biggest, and most controversial, is the elimination of an advantage for individuals who arrive in person on the first day that permits for any given month become available. In an attempt to be more equitable, the NPS backcountry office will process mailed and faxed requests before honoring those made in person. Many local hikers are dismayed at losing what had been a distinct advantage in securing their desired hiking itinerary. Conversely, canyon enthusiasts from across the country (and globe) couldn't be happier about the new arrangement as their chances have improved.

Be Careful What You Ask For

For more than a decade, land managers across the Southwest have been battling the spread of the highly invasive tamarisk tree. This pernicious plant, native to Eurasia, has elbowed out indigenous plants along the banks of the Colorado River and other desert streams and riparian areas. In Grand Canyon National Park, vegetation specialists have eradicated over a quarter million tamarisk trees in their attempt to preserve the integrity of the ecosystem.

In other parts of the Southwest, the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.) was introduced to help destroy the trees. Unfortunately the beetle has migrated to the upper stretches of the Grand Canyon—well south of its anticipated range. The spread of the beetle in the canyon would likely result in a rapid reduction in the tamarisk population. This sounds good at a glance, but unwelcome consequences include increased wildfire risk in dense stands, and the destruction of habitat for the Southwestern willow flycatcher, an endangered species of bird that nests in isolated tamarisk thickets near the canyon floor.

The National Park Service is monitoring the situation, and exploring contingency plans should the beetle migration continue downstream. Follow this link for more on this unfolding botanical drama whose last chapter is far from written

Only the Lonely: Visiting the North Rim Off-Season

If, as Jonathan Lockwood Huie famously observed, “there is sanctuary in being alone with nature”, then there is little doubt he would gravitate to Grand Canyon National Park’s developed North Rim after the traditional closing date of October 15. Though lodging, meals and most other services are mothballed until mid-May, the park will remain open until November 29 (or until snow accumulation renders Highway 67 impassable). First-come-first-served camping and pay-at-the-pump gas are the only amenities awaiting the hardy few that make the journey. It’s a magical window of time to visit the command overlooks and tree-lined trails of the “other” rim, especially if you’re the type that prefers to go it alone. As a precaution, be sure to bring extra gas, a spare tire (or two), and other emergency provisions. And as always, be sure to leave this “sanctuary” the way you find it.