President Biden visits Grand Canyon National Park

On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, President Biden visited the park after announcing the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon as a National Monument.  Baaj nwaavjo means “where Indigenous peoples roam” in the Havasupai language, and i’tah kukvenimeans “our ancestral footprints” in the Hopi language. The new monument encompasses about 917,618 acres of the Kaibab National Forest (both north and south of the park) and portions of the Bureau of Land Management Arizona Strip District (BLM), lands already part of the 2012 mineral withdrawal Environmental Impact Statement.  These lands will continue to be managed by the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service, and Tribal Nations will be included in decisions about managing the areas. The national monument only includes federal lands and does not include State and private lands within the boundary.

Secretary Deb Haaland, in her remarks, said that the establishment of the monument “makes clear that Native American history is American history.” She went on to say, “this land is sacred to the many Tribal Nations who have long advocated for its protection, and establishing a national monument demonstrates the importance of recognizing the original stewards of our public lands.”

Firefighters work to suppress Kane Fire on the North Kaibab

The Kane Fire is on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest, about 13 miles southeast of Jacob Lake. It is currently about 2,868 acres and zero percent contained. 

The fire was first detected on August 3 after a lightning storm, and fire managers immediately implemented a full suppression strategy.  A Type 2 Incident Management Team was deployed and arrived Tuesday, August 8.  There are currently 242 staff assigned to the fire.

Smoke may be visible across northern Arizona and southern Utah, including many areas south of the Grand Canyon. Smoke is generally spreading to the northeast.

A portion of the Kaibab Plateau area east of Highway 67leading to the North Rim has been temporarily closed.

There is also a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place.  Drones present a threat to aircraft in the area involved in firefighting operations.  Remember: if you fly, they can’t.

You can visit the Kaibab National Forest website or Facebook page, or InciWeb for more information.

14 year-old boy rescued after falling over the edge on the North Rim

Our awesome Search and Rescue (SAR) Team went into action on Tuesday, August 8, when they responded to an OTE, or “over-the-edge” call on the North Rim.

Upon arrival, they discovered a 14 year-old boy had fallen approximately 70-100 feet from Bright Angel Point.  After determining a helicopter short-haul rescue was not appropriate for wind conditions and patient location, SAR team members implemented a high-angle technical rope rescue and were able to safely extract him.  The boy was flown to a pediatric trauma center for definitive care.

Our SAR team members respond to hundreds of calls a year, and undergo intensive and consistent training to be prepared for them.  Successful rescues like this one highlight the necessity and skill of our rescuers.

“I can say with great confidence that they put to use advanced medical skills in an austere environment that are rarely executed in most other places, said Meghan Smith, Preventive Search and Rescue Supervisor. “It’s clear that their training and hard work paid off, leading to a smooth, timely operation that will no doubt lead to better outcomes for this patient.”

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who played a part:

Matthew Krupp, Timothy Hopp, James Ward, Kalyca Spinler, Emily Hansen, Robert Evans, Jesse Barden, Ceili Brennan, Jeffrey Caton, David Kent, Luke Anders, Elizabeth Eberhardt, Doug Crispin, Hannah Veltkamp, Lucy Goodkin, Shiri Abramson, Lauren Cisneros, Cindy Donaldson, James Houston Thompson, Mike Bahrmasel, Kelsey DeVleer, Charles Zac Bailey, Mccullough Spoylar, James Thompson, Rocky Burrows, Natalie Dees, Laszlo Gonzalez-Aller, Cale Wisher, Lili Pongracz-Bartha, Chad Hunter, Kelly Confer, Matt Jenkins, Jeremiah Boyd, Sydney Lucker, and Katrina Jongenelen.

2023 Celebration of Art coming soon

Since 2009, Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon Conservancy have been hosting Celebration of Art.

Celebration of Art (CoA) brings artists from all over to paint the world-class scenery the canyon offers.

The artists stay and paint for a week, and for four months afterward, their work is shared and sold online and at Kolb Studio.

Living with a host family during the Celebration of Art is preferred by some artists, as they enjoy spending time with those of us that live at Grand Canyon. This is a special opportunity GCC has not been able to offer the last few years due to COVID.

This year’s event will kick off with an online auction on September 1, an on-site component September 9-15, and an exhibition and sale September 17, 2023, through January 15, 2024. We will be welcoming back some of our veteran artists and several new additional artists this year.

The artists will need accommodations from September 8th- 18th in order to participate in the event. Artists are typically out of the home before sunrise and gone for the bulk of the day, busy painting the canyon, they may return around lunchtime and after sunset. Hosts are not obliged to provide dinner but may do so if they wish.

If you have a spare bedroom and would like to volunteer to be a host, contact Grand Canyon Conservancy.

Cultural Demonstrators at Desert View Watchtower

Tuesday, August 15 through Thursday, August 17, Hopi toy maker Greg Hill will be at the Desert View Watchtower from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Greg began making and decorating wooden tops in 2008 as a project for his daughter.  He also demonstrates how to use those tops to play the Hopi game of Patukya.

Hill carves and decorates the tops using traditional Cottonwood roots.