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Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: June 5-9, 2023

by Community Contributor • June 9, 2023 • Comments Off

Messages and Grand Canyon News-Week of June 5, 2023

Updates from the North Rim

Friday, June 2 kicked off the opening of the 2023 season on the North Rim with water conservation measures in place. With emergency funding assistance, water hauling operations began on June 4 and the North Rim water tanks are slowly refilling to meet visitor and residential demand. Construction contractors arrived on the North Rim this week and have begun the preliminary stages of rebuilding the broken section of pipeline, with work slated to continue through the coming weeks.

Fee staff are anticipating a full campground for the campground’s opening weekend beginning Friday, June 9. Trail crew staff continue to repair sections of the North Kaibab Trail and have cleared areas of major rockfall in the vicinity of Supai Tunnel. Project work continues with the North Kaibab Trail opening for hiker traffic beginning on Friday, June 16. Following this date, trail crew will continue working on the trail and hikers may encounter intermittent trail closures of up to 30 minutes.

Thank you to all staff, contractors, and concessions employees who have and continue to work tirelessly to reopen the North Rim to the public and provide quality visitor services during these extenuating circumstances.

Star Party kicks off 33rd year this Saturday, June 10!

The annual Grand Canyon Star Party kicks off this Saturday, June 10 and continues through the following Saturday, June 17. On the South Rim, events include a nightly slide show from a special guest speaker at 8 p.m. in the plaza of the Grand Canyon Visitor Center followed by telescope viewing behind the building. Green-laser constellation tours will be offered nightly at 9, 9:30 and 10 p.m..

The list of speakers can be found on our Grand Canyon Star Party webpage, in the attached flyer, and also in the NPS Mobile App.

Grand Canyon achieved International Dark Sky Park status in 2019 through the International Dark-Sky Association. The certification is awarded to parks that have retrofitted at least 67% of their exterior lights to be dark-sky-friendly and maintain outreach programs like star parties throughout the year. The park is working to achieve 90% dark-sky-friendly lighting by June of 2024, and 100% in the years following.

Grand Canyon National Park was also awarded International Dark Sky Place of the Year in 2019 for its extraordinary efforts in both dark-sky-friendly lighting and outreach programs.

Prescribed Fire follow up on Grapevine burn segment

Grand Canyon National Park fire managers are making progress with prescribed burning this week and plan to begin preparing a second unit.

On Thursday, June 8, fire personnel continued work on the Grapevine unit, approximately 0.5 miles south of the “Duck on a Rock” overlook along Highway 64 (Desert View Drive).

The Grapevine unit is a total of 865 acres located between the Kaibab National Forest to the south and E4/Long Jim Canyon Road to the north. Last month, crews completed about 200 acres of “blacklining” (creating a boundary of burned fuel) on three sides of the unit.

Fire managers utilized aerial ignition Wednesday to complete the remainder and returned Thursday to secure and improve the burn, igniting unburned pockets of fuel and piling heavier fuels together to maximize consumption.

In the coming days, crews will begin prepping the 926-acre Lonetree Unit to burn at a later date.

Smoke impacts are most anticipated along Highway 64 (Desert View Drive) and the Arizona Trail near Grandview as it enters the Kaibab National Forest. Smoke may also impact the Grand Canyon Village and the inner canyon, particularly near the ignition area. Fire managers are working with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality-Smoke Management Division to reduce and mitigate potential smoke impacts.

Cultural Demonstrators next week at the Desert View Watchtower

Join us at Desert View Watchtower Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 13 through 15, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to meet Hopi artists, Nuvadi Dawahoya, wood carver and Marvene Dawahoya, basketmaker, from the village of Polocca.

Nuvadi began carving Katsina dolls and animal figurines in 1995. They are carved by hand from cottonwood roots using with a variety of knives and other tools. He sands, texturizes, then paints them with natural pigments and acrylic paints. Each of his figures is unique. No two are ever alike.

Marvene has been creating sifter baskets from yucca since 2016. She will demonstrate tradition weaving techniques, using the raw yucca fibers that she gathers. After weaving the basket, it is tied to a round frame made from sumac or willow branches. She then uses commercial dye to paint intricate designs that often include triangles.

Elk calving season is officially in full swing here at Grand Canyon. Already this season our wildlife staff have relocated 5 elk calves from high visitor use areas due to human safety concerns with the public.

Always keep your distance! Mothers are extremely protective of their young and will charge you if they feel threatened (even if you don’t see a newborn in the immediate area). If you notice a cow elk is giving you a death stare or walking towards you, give her a VERY wide berth.

Please keep in mind these safety tips here in the village:

• Keep your distance at all times.

• Never get between a cow and calf elk.

• If you find a calf alone, leave it alone – the cow is probably close by.

• If you or an individual is in an unsafe wildlife encounter situation, dial 9-1-1 immediately

A flyer on safety measures during elk calving season can be found here.

Employee Spotlight!

KT Dockery

Concessions Management Assistant

I am originally from the Midwest but got my heart stolen by Grand Canyon when I was given the opportunity to be a swamper on a river trip with my brother-in-law. That was my first back country experience of any kind and I got hooked. As soon as I got off that trip I flew back to Chicago, packed up my van, and drove out to Arizona.

How long have you lived and/or worked at GRCA? Where are you based out of?

I have been working at the park since 2016. My first job was working for Xanterra down at Phantom Ranch. I was able to live and work in the canyon for a little over 2 and a half years. I am forever grateful for that experience and all the relationships I was able to develop while being down there. Eventually, I made my way to the rim and got a job with the Postal Service and now work for NPS Commercial Services.

What have you enjoyed the most about working and/or living at GRCA so far?

What I’ve enjoyed the most about living and working here is constantly being surrounded by beauty. Anytime something crazy is going on in the world, or anxiety tries to take over, I go to the rim and I am immediately soothed. The canyon is medicine, and I am grateful to have that in my backyard every day.

COVID Updates

Total new COVID cases in Arizona for the week of May 25 through May 31, is 916 —a decrease of 801 cases from the previous week. As of June 6, we have one new COVID-19 cases reported in the park.

Be sure to promptly report any illness, to include possible COVID-19 symptoms, COVID exposure, or a positive COVID test to your supervisor and our Public Health Consultant, Ronan King. Ronan can be reached at: 202-891-8599 or Ronan_King@nps.gov.

Grand Canyon Community Corner

Music Under the Stars concert set for June 10

Join Grand Canyon community members for the annual Music Under the Stars concert. This free concert featuring local bands will be held at the Rec Center starting at 6:30 p.m. and will also feature a BBQ Ribs Fundraiser for the Tacey Family.

More information, including a flyer on the event can be found here.

Canyon Closet Clean Out Event this weekend

This upcoming Sunday, June 11, the Canyon Closet will be hosting a clean out event at the Grand Canyon Rec Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

The Canyon Closet will be relocating at the end of this month to the old Chase Bank temporarily as the Library building is undergoing renovations. All seasons and sizes of clothing will be available for free. More information can be found in the attached flyer here.

Yoga class survey available for Grand Canyon Village and Tusayan residents

Would you like to see more yoga classes offered weekly? Your input will help! Please fill out this survey and let local teachers know when/where you would attend.

The link to the survey can be found here.

Current Operational Hours

*Please note: new changes to operations are indicated in bold/italic

South Rim

Xanterra

Maswik Lodge Cafeteria, 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Maswik Pizza Pub, 4-8 p.m.
Canyon Coffee House at the Bright Angel Fountain, 7 a.m.-11 a.m.
Bright Angel Fountain grab and go, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Fred Harvey Burger, breakfast 8-10:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., dinner 4-9 p.m.
Arizona Steakhouse within Bright Angel Lodge is now offering dinner service from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. daily. Lunch service is from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Fred Harvey Tavern, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
El Tovar Dining Room and Lounge-Breakfast, 6:30-10 a.m., Lunch, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Dinner, 4:30-9:30 p.m., Lounge, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Patio (limited menu), 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
The Grand Canyon Kennel is open seven days a week with hours from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Grand Canyon Rec Center, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

Delaware North

Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-10 p.m., Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 6:30 a.m. -3 p.m., The Yavapai Dining Hall, breakfast, 7-10:45 a.m., dinner, 5-9 p.m.
Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Deli 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Camper Services laundry and shower is now open from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. dailywith the last laundry load at 8:30 p.m. and the last shower at 9:45 p.m.

Other

Grand Canyon Clinic: open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Bright Angel Bikes, Rental: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Café 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Grand Canyon Visitor Center (GCVC): 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Thursday-Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday)
Grand Canyon Conservancy stores regular hours: Visitor Center Plaza, Yavapai Geology Museum, Verkamps, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily., Kolb Studio 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
Grand Canyon Community Library: Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Canyon Closet (located behind Community Library): Mondays 4:15-6 p.m., Wednesdays 12:15-2 p.m., Saturdays 3-5 p.m.
Grand Canyon Food Pantry: Mondays 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesdays 6-8 p.m., Saturdays 2-4 p.m.

Desert View

Desert View Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream and Market, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Desert View Watchtower, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
The Desert View Deli, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

North Rim

North Rim Visitor Center (GCC), 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
NPS Backcountry Information Center, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-5 p.m. daily
Camper Store by campground (Aramark), 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
Campground will be reopening for the season Friday, June 9
Grand Canyon Lodge Gift Shop (Aramark), 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily

Please visit the Grand Canyon National Park website for a complete list of closures and available amenities.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance)

View of Mt. Hayden from Point Imperial on the North Rim (NPS Photo/M. Jenkins)
Grand Canyon Star Party evening program, 2022 (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
Smoke filling the inner canyon at sunset (NPS Photo)
Native crafts by Nuvadi Dawahoya and Marvene Dawahoya (NPS Photo)
Photos of elk relocation on the South Rim, June 2023 (NPS Photos)
KT Dockery, Concessions Management Assistant (Photo courtesy of K. Dockery)

Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

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