The National Park Service at Grand Canyon South Rim will be replacing and relocating the underground electric cable that connects to Phantom Ranch.  This project is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 7, 2013 and will hopefully be completed by March.  Lake Powell Construction in coordination with Arizona Public Service and the NPS will complete the project.

Visitors to Phantom Ranch and the surrounding area should note that utility work will be on-going between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and may cause moderate noise levels.  Also, for visitor and worker safety, portions of the Bright Angel Campground, near Phantom Ranch will be closed.  Hikers should watch for signs concerning detours/closures and be aware of possible delays.

For the most up-to-date information, check out this backcountry updates webpage.  Be sure to use caution whenever you hike at the Grand Canyon!

Ryan Falor, Google Product Manager, mapping the Grand Canyon with the new Trekker Backpack

In the future your Grand Canyon hiking experience will be enhanced by Google Maps before arriving here.  The search giant, Google, has now brought its all-seeing eyes for the first time on a backpack into the Grand Canyon.

The latest technology in mapping uses a rosette of cameras to photograph these trails. With a click of the mouse, Internet users will be able to have a virtual 360-degree view of the Grand Canyon in flat, 2-D images from trails inside the canyon.

“Any of these sort of iconic, cultural, historical locations that are not accessible by road is where we want to go,” said Ryan Falor at Google. Google announced this new trekker backpack earlier this year and it has now made its first official collection of data at the Grand Canyon.

Capturing Grand Canyon comes after Apple chose to drop Google Maps from its mobile operating systems.

Steve Silverman, of Google addressed the competition by saying: “Just trying to document a trail, it’s going to be hard to beat this.”

At sunrise on Monday, Luc Vincent, Google engineering director, put on one of the 40-pound backpacks and set down the Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River. It is a 9.5 mile hike that goes from 6,900 feet in elevation down to 2,400 feet. He hiked back up from Phantom Ranch, which can be 20-30 degrees warmer than at the rim, across the black bridge on the South Kaibab Trail.

The GPS data is limited, so Google must compensate with sensors that record temperature, vibrations and the orientation of the device as it changes, before it stiches the images together and makes them available to users, Falor said.

The removable hard drive on the backpack trekker holds the data gathered at Grand Canyon. Tourists were looking at the backpack trekker this week as if it were from another planet.

Sharon Kerfoot, a first-time visitor from Alberta said being able to view the terrain ahead of time, gauge the difficulty of the hike and know just how wide the path is would benefit those considering a trip to the Grand Canyon. She and a group of friends headed down the same path as Vincent but on mules, not foot.

“I think it’s an excellent idea to give people a broader perspective on what they’re getting into,” she said.

What the images don’t tell visitors are:
1) How much water they should carry down the trails,
2) How to prepare for temperature changes,
3) What kind of salty food to take,
4) How much food to take and,
5) How best to protect the natural resources.
Said Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman, Maureen Oltrogge.

You can learn more about this event at these links:
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Arizona Daily Sun - http://azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/google-cameras-map-popular-grand-canyon-trails/article_5ec91f7b-7c4e-5474-bb4b-63142b65065a.html
NBC News - http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/49543431/#49543431
Salt Lake Tribune - http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/55144331-68/google-view-canyon-grand.html.csp

What is a week in the Grand Canyon worth?

Amy Kober spends some time giving this thought as a Guest Blogger at National Geographic below:
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/10/a-week-in-grand-canyon-whats-the-value-of-recreation/

I know that, for me, it’s value is un-estimatable (if that’s a word) because I have spent so much time there. Also, I spend many hours and days answering questions about the Grand Canyon…so it’s simply become a part of who I am and what I know. And, not to mention, I really enjoy studying the published history’s of Grand Canyon and the people who have occupied, explored or ventured there in the past.

When I come home from a hike in the Grand Canyon I feel rejuvenated, challenged…and tired. But knowing I will recover and get some rest and then it will become both a sweet memory and a reference point for how to approach Grand Canyon better next time. I will be going Rim-to-Rim this Saturday after having hiked down to the river on the Bright Angel trail to Pipe Creek last Friday and back to the South Rim via Plateau Point. It was exhilarating and tiring simultaneously. I hiked down with 3 friends and dropped them off at Grand Canyon Whitewater’s rafts and then proceeded to go back up the trail alone…however, on the Bright Angel Trail, I would not consider that hiking alone.

The Bright Angel Trail is a very social trail and enjoys the most hikers annually in Grand Canyon National Park. Yes, most of them only see the first mile or less…but, none the less, it is the most hiked trail in Grand Canyon National Park.

So, the value is looking forward to another experience, knowing I am more prepared from the previous experience…and, hoping to share it with others. That is what time in the Canyon is worth to me.

Now, what is a week of whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon worth? Again, sweet memories, sharing it with others…and the MASSIVE DESIRE to go AGAIN!!!

Where there is fire there is (generally) smoke!  Fall is the traditional season for managed burns at the Grand Canyon because of the ideal weather conditions.  At this time of year there is generally very little wind, yet it is beginning to cool dramatically and humidity levels are usually a little higher than normal.  The announced burns are scheduled for the North Rim of the Canyon.  Thus the headline, “Smoky Skies” because even if you are visiting the South Rim you will see the plumes of smoke ascending from the North Rim.

It is sad to me that the last two weeks of services at the North Rim will be spent with smoky skies and smoky conditions.  Especially since this is the time when the trees are still showing their colors.  If you are planning to visit the North Rim understand that viewing conditions may not be ideal.  And if you see a plume of smoke arising from the trees near the Entrance Station or within the Park you don’t need to report a fire.

If you would like more details on the burning plans click here.  Keep in mind if you are hiking in the inner canyon (a very popular activity at this time of year) you may experience some smoky skies and reduced visibility because the smoke will likely settle in the Canyon overnight.  If you are visiting the South Rim you may note some haziness and reduced visibility as well.  For more information and a webcam of the Canyon from the South Rim click here.

Webcam View from Yavapai Point Oct 1, 2012

I usually spend the first few minutes of my work day checking my Grand Canyon Alerts on email.  Today I was saddened to read that a hiker had been injured in a rock fall in a location known as “the box” near the North Rim.  In March of 2011, two hikers were  injured in a rock fall on the South Kaibab Trail below the South Rim.

You may be wondering, “What would cause a rock fall in the Grand Canyon?”  To answer that question, let me reference the Park Service’s website, “Don’t be so committed to your hike that you refuse to recognize a dangerous situation….”  They also add this advice:

• Watch and listen for rock falls and slides, especially during and after downpours.
• Do not stand at places where rocks have obviously fallen before.

Rock falls, usually caused by heavy rainstorms during the “Monsoon Season” are not the only weather-related danger in the Grand Canyon.  Lightning and Flash Flooding are also very real dangers, especially during the summer months.  For more information on what to do in case of these dangers, visit the Park Service website.

The hiker, referenced in the beginning of this article, was seriously injured but his hiking companions were able to get him to Phantom Ranch last night.  The Park Rangers attended to him but the medical helicopter was unable to fly due to bad weather. This morning the helicopter was able to fly him out to Flagstaff Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. We certainly hope he fully recovers and is able to hike in the Grand Canyon again at some future date.

A section of the River Trail also sustained damage in the storm.  It is still open to hikers but is temporarily closed to the Mule Rides.  The mules are using an alternate trail.

Because the weather service has issued storm warnings for the next several days,  be sure you take extra safety precautions.  We want you to have a wonderful experience on your Grand Canyon Vacation!

A recent article in the Arizona Republic noted some places in Arizona where you can hike to streams, waterholes and waterfalls.  Among them was a suggestion for hiking to Ribbon Falls in the Grand Canyon.  This hike begins at the North Rim and is not to be taken lightly.  Although not mentioned in the article, my suggestion is this hike would be better taken in the fall or spring – not in the heat of the summer.

Ribbon Falls is a 16.8 mile hike round trip so you certainly do not want to attempt to hike it in a day!  Hiking in the Grand Canyon involves a lot of planning, especially if you want to stay overnight at Phantom Ranch or one of the Campgrounds.  Reservations for Phantom Ranch need to be made 13 months in advance.  Back Country Permits also sell out quickly for the Inner Canyon Campgrounds.

The North Kaibab Trail is generally a well-maintained trail.  However, a break in the water pipe near Roaring Springs resulted in sections of the trail being washed out.  The Park Service crews were able to quickly repair the break and the trail, but pipeline is old and exposed in some areas so a break could occur again.  This is also a steep trail starting at a relatively high altitude and dropping quickly, at first, toward the Colorado River below.  Again, this hike is not to be taken lightly.

The entire article can be found at http://www.azcentral.com/travel/articles/2012/06/27/20120627arizona-stream-hikes-sedona-aravaipa-grand-canyon.html and contains some very good information about the Ribbon Falls hike and some other Arizona hikes as well.