Beyond the Truck: Grand Canyon Solitaire

[GB_Willys_2014]

This forgotten female mountaineer mapped the Grand Canyon

Barbara Washburn, a self-described "accidental mountaineer," spent 40 years mapping remote corners of the U.S.

www.nationalgeographic.com

 

[shade]

This forgotten female mountaineer mapped the Grand Canyon

Barbara Washburn, a self-described "accidental mountaineer," spent 40 years mapping remote corners of the U.S.

www.nationalgeographic.com

"Along a particularly treacherous ridge, Barbara took the lead because the team felt she’d be light enough to haul up if the ground crumbled beneath her. She had left her newborn daughter at home to make the journey. “I tried to appear calm and confident, but I was really trembling with fear as I climbed ahead,” she later said. “But I did not slip and none of the cornices gave way, and everyone followed safely behind me.”

I'll bet she was fun to work with. I'm not sure she's any more forgotten than Bradford. I typically see both of them mentioned in articles, as they should be.

 

[wurningdirt]

good read

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

Worth watching.

Good stuff.

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

@jgaz and @shade

Another no, but hell no.

Navajo Nation issues opposition letter to Little Colorado confluence dam project

The Navajo Nation said a plan to build hydroelectric dams near the Little Colorado River would damage cultural sites and hurt water negotiations.

www.azcentral.com

 

[jgaz]

Hell no is right!

 

[shade]

@jgaz and @shade

Another no, but hell no.

Navajo Nation issues opposition letter to Little Colorado confluence dam project

The Navajo Nation said a plan to build hydroelectric dams near the Little Colorado River would damage cultural sites and hurt water negotiations.

www.azcentral.com

It's a sad day.
How are we going to power the tram & casino?

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

About 310 million years ago in what's now Arizona, a primitive creature trundled along on all fours through towering sand dunes that spilled into the sea. Normally, this creature's tracks would have vanished like other footfalls on a beach. But in a rare case, the tracks hardened into sandstone—preserving this flash of ancient behavior.

Rowland learned of the tracks by chance back in 2016, when a paleontologist friend of his was hiking the Grand Canyon with students. As they hiked Bright Angel Trail, the group saw a rock that had fallen out of the cliffside and cracked open.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...-trackways-fossils-grand-canyon-paleontology/

***

The Canyon offers lots of opportunities to see fossils, but that these unique fossils were found on the main corridor trail is remarkable.

Paleontological research has confirmed a series of recently discovered fossils tracks are the oldest recorded tracks of their kind to date within Grand Canyon National Park. In 2016, Norwegian geology professor, Allan Krill, was hiking with his students when he made a surprising discovery. Lying next to the trail, in plain view of the many hikers, was a boulder containing conspicuous fossil footprints. Krill was intrigued, and he sent a photo to his colleague, Stephen Rowland, a paleontologist at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Cliff Collapse Reveals 313-million-year-old Fossil Footprints in Grand Canyon National Park - Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[jgaz]

Here is the millions of years old fossil posing with a 10 year old last October.

The rock is very easy to see when hiking the Bright Angel, especially headed downhill.
It surprised me how many people walked right by without noticing the fossil.

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

Here is the millions of years old fossil posing with a 10 year old last October.
View attachment 606848
The rock is very easy to see when hiking the Bright Angel, especially headed downhill.
It surprised me how many people walked right by without noticing the fossil.

Great picture. Thanks for sharing!

Perfect excuse for a "leisurely" stroll down Bright Angel.

I admit missing them the last time I was on BA in 2017.

 

[Carson Booker]

Great photo! Might as well take my kids down that area for a stroll once the pandemic's over.

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

Structural concerns force closure of bridge in Grand Canyon

The National Park Service has closed a bridge in the Grand Canyon that hikers use to cross the Colorado River.

www.abc15.com

 

[jgaz]

Structural concerns force closure of bridge in Grand Canyon

The National Park Service has closed a bridge in the Grand Canyon that hikers use to cross the Colorado River.

www.abc15.com

Hope it doesn’t affect the pipeline that the bridge supports.
If it does it will sure affect the entire south rim

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

Hope it doesn’t affect the pipeline that the bridge supports.
If it does it will sure affect the entire south rim

True that regarding water. Most probably do not realize that water is pumped up to the South Rim.

Also, as you know better than anyone else, backing tracking from Phantom Ranch / Bright Angel to the Black Bridge is no trivial matter. Worse, will be the folks who foolishly decide against taking the River Trail to Bright Angel and then ascend South Kaibab unprepared. People will reach the Tip-Off and realize that the only potable water lies another ~4.5 miles up to the rim or across the Tonto to Indian Gardens.

I suppose the new Tip-Off shelter (which I have yet to see personally) may alleviate matters some.

South Kaibab Trail Shelter Now Available (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[jgaz]

True that regarding water. Most probably do not realize that water is pumped up to the South Rim.

Also, as you know better than anyone else, backing tracking from Phantom Ranch / Bright Angel to the Black Bridge is no trivial matter. Worse, will be the folks who foolishly decide against taking the River Trail to Bright Angel and then ascend South Kaibab unprepared. People will reach the Tip-Off and realize that the only potable water lies another ~4.5 miles up to the rim or across the Tonto to Indian Gardens.

I suppose the new Tip-Off shelter (which I have yet to see personally) may alleviate matters some.

South Kaibab Trail Shelter Now Available (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

You’re correct. Education is going to be key. That’s if people take the time to read the latest info, ask questions, stop at the backcountry office etc.

Like you, I have not seen the shade structure personally.
Because I haven’t volunteered in the PSAR program yet this season, I’m a bit out of touch.

In fact until I read that article I wasn’t aware of the two 125 gallon cisterns. Those would explain why our cache box now contains a water filter.

This shade structure is a great example of the GCC ( Grand Canyon Conservancy) philanthropy organization in action.
The way I understand it, one or maybe two donors covered the bill for this structure. This was a blessing considering the funding issues facing our National Park Service.