However, you should still expect to see startling views of the Canyon from the rim.  If you are lucky enough to be able to take a mule ride to the bottom or spend a few days or more on the Colorado River doing a whitewater tour through the Canyon, you should expect it to be just as spectacular as it would have been any other year in the recent past.  These budget cuts are not directed at the concessionaires or tour companies who provide inner canyon or rim experiences.

If you would like more information on the cuts that have been made, visit this website.

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The Abyss Overlook Mule Rides tend to have better availability and you should be able to reserve one a few months in advance.  However, these rides do not go into the canyon; instead they go through the forest to the Abyss Overlook.  If you are simply looking for a mule ride this will be fun but if you are looking to get to the bottom of the Canyon, you might have to consider alternatives.

Fortunately there are alternatives!  There is only one road that goes into the Canyon and the best way to get to the bottom on that road is by taking the Inner Canyon Tour.  There are also some options for getting to the Colorado River at the beginning of the Grand Canyon.  The Canyon River Adventure Tour gives the best value but for those who do not like tour flights, The Colorado River Float Trip will be the next best option.

If you still have your heart set on a mule ride that will actually go into the Canyon, you might want to consider visiting the North Rim and taking the Mule Ride from there.  They offer two half-day mule rides per day that go to Supai Tunnel in the Grand Canyon.  They also offer two forest rides a day as well as two one-hour rides along the rim.  Because the North Rim is more remote and not visited by as many people, these rides tend to occasionally be available even a week or two out.

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There will be many activities throughout the day.  There will be opportunities to make clay pinch pots and split-twig figurines, plant some of the staple foods of the Native Americans who lived here, watch basket weaving and Hopi Kachina carving and view some Navajo Hoop Dances.  These are all free and family-friendly activities that visitors can watch or participate in.

There will be a special concluding program in the evening at the Shrine of Ages Auditorium. If you will be visiting on Saturday March 23rd, be sure to join the fun!  This will commence a month of activities related to archaeology and the Grand Canyon.  For more information visit the Park Service Website.

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If you are planning a trip to the Skywalk this year, you will want to allow extra driving time in case of delays for the construction.  The Skywalk is a horseshoe shaped bridge that juts over the edge of the Canyon and allows views through its glass bottom as well as over the edge.  It is located at Eagle Point at Grand Canyon West.  Eagle Point is an amazing view area that you won’t want to miss!

Check the video below to see what the road was like last July.

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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!

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Here is an update to the Grand Canyon South Rim Weather that I reported a few days ago:  Currently (Friday Dec. 21st at 9:00 a.m.) all South Rim roads are open.  However, additional storms or the presence of  ice could cause road closures with little or no advance notice!  Keep watching the weather if you are planning to come to the South Rim any time soon:  http://grandcanyon.com/weather.html

Many of you have been asking about weather and road conditions at the South Rim.  This past weekend there was a winter storm at the South Rim.  At approximately 10:00 am Sunday December 16th, the most recent park service weather update took place.  There have been closures on the Hermit Road and the Desert View Drive.  They expected to possibly get the roads cleared by late afternoon.  No updates are available yet today.

The Park Service website has some really good suggestions for winter driving:

• Drive with caution and at speeds appropriate to the road conditions.
• Watch for deer and elk
• Always accelerate and decelerate slowly
• Do not turn abruptly
• Do not tailgate – allow extra distance for stopping and steering time
• Properly defrost all windows before driving
• Use low beam lights in blowing and heavy snow

You can call the park service during business hours for weather information – 928-638-7888.  You can also go online to http://www.az511.com/adot/files/traffic/ for road closures and travel conditions.

You may also be interested in the in-park alerts for the South Rim.  The alerts are usually at the top of each of the pages on the Park Service website.  You can find the current construction zones and projects here. 

Safe and happy traveling to you as you choose to spend your holidays at the Grand Canyon!

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The Artists in Residence (AiR)  at the Grand Canyon have been announced for 2013.  Each artist gets to spend three weeks at either the South or the North Rim and will share their form of art with the public during that time.  Even more exciting is that their sharing is free and family-oriented.

If you want to know who the lucky winners are for 2013 visit this website.  You can schedule your Grand Canyon visit to include your favorite AiR.

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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:
==========================================
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

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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!!!

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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

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