Grand Canyon News

Happy Friday, everyone! 

Ah, the spur-of-the-moment Las Vegas weekender – is that the ultimate expression of freedom or what?  Especially if you live in California, Arizona, even Southern Utah, it’s relatively easy to say “Hey, let’s go to Vegas” when the whim strikes.   Living within 5 hours of Las Vegas, I’ve done it a few times myself and always manage to have a ball (and respect myself in the morning, thank you very much har dee har har!). 

Thinking about hitting “the Other City of Lights” this very weekend?  If you live in Southern California, you MAY want to think of an excuse to make it a long weekend.  I just got the word on my Google News Alerts that CalTrans will be closing the northbound lane of the I-215 to I-15 interchange into Las Vegas beginning tomorrow morning and going on through Monday morning where a highway resurfacing project is underway.  Try to make it to town over the weekend and you’ll run into delays of 3 and 4 hours. 

Read the article in The Los Angeles Times for information on closure times and detour route. 

For more information on the construction project (near Devore) and future road closures, visit www.caltrans8.info

Have a great weekend all! 

Alley Kaye

P.S.  Google and Yahoo! both have functions where you can sign up for news updates and traffic alerts for just about any place you want, Las Vegas and Grand Canyon included!  Take advantage of these features – they might just save your vacation. 

Boy, the times they are a-changing.  What am I going on about today?  Well…for those of you planning  visits to the Grand Canyon here in the near future, a friendly heads up: you’re going to hear a couple of expressions bandied about as you plan your vacation.  You may be tempted to think they refer to the same place, and that’s not always going to be the case.  These are “Grand Canyon West” and “the West Rim.” 

Back in the late 1980’s when I first arrived at the Grand Canyon, whenever you said “the west rim,” you were talking about the two-lane road just off Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.  Like its name suggests, this road extends for 8 miles in a westerly direction from the Village to various (and stunning) overlooks of the Grand Canyon.  One such very famous viewpoint that this road goes to is Hopi Point, which is popular with visitors hoping to catch that ultimately mind-blowing Grand Canyon sunset.  My personal favorite is the Abyss – you really see the depth of the gorge from there in a very in-your-face way, IMHO.  At the end of the road is a place called Hermit’s Rest, a really neat old building which houses a gift shop and snack bar.  Like many other buildings in the park, Hermit’s Rest was designed by Mary Jane Elizabeth Colter.  More on her later – but anyway, because of that, the West Rim Drive is also referred to by some locals as the “Hermit Road.”

The West Rim Drive/Hermit Road was built (correct me if I’m wrong people!) a bit after the turn of the 20th century, back in the day (BITD) when not many cars actually made it up to the Grand Canyon.  Of course, the ensuing decades brought more and more cars, eventually necessitating the closure of the West Rim drive to private vehicles during the lazy hazy crazy days of summer…and eventually that closure would extending from late spring through early winter.  Now, the National Park Service provides an easy-to-use free shuttle to those viewpoints during that time, and the in-park concessionaire, Xanterra South Rim LLC provides a guided bus tour to that area year-round. 

In the late-1990’s, another phrase began to circulate around: ”Grand Canyon West.”  Now, I had actually flown over that area many times back in the 1980’s.  Then, what would later become Grand Canyon West was a little airstrip on the Hualapai Indian Reservation almost smack dead center between Las Vegas and the South Rim (as the crow flies).  Back then, there was a whole lot of NOTHING out there.  Not so anymore.

Today, Grand Canyon West is a developing visitor service complex manned by members of the Hualapai Indian Tribe.  It has an airport, cafe, gift shop, tour desk, and several helipads that they lease to various Grand Canyon helicopter tour operators.  Those helicopters take people down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for short pontoon boat trips or just for a look-see.  They’ve also built an Indian Village and some stables for horseback trips.  

Grand Canyon West also has a work in progress that a lot of folks are excited about, the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a horseshoe shaped glass bridge that will stick out past the canyon rim about 70 feet.  This walkway will be cantilevered, which means no struts or support beams will be visible to whoever’s standing on it – just hundreds of feet of air between them and the Colorado River below!  It was supposed to open this year, but construction delays and design revisions have pushed that day back to January of 2007.

Are the views of the Grand Canyon different between the two places?  Very.  The South Rim is at 7,000′; Grand Canyon West is at about 4,000′.  The views of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim are more vast, sweeping and panoramic than those at Grand Canyon West.  The rock formations on the South Rim also run the full spectrum of color (from red to purple and just about everything in between) whereas Grand Canyon West is more muted and earth-toned.  The South Rim is covered by a thick pine forest; Grand Canyon West is more of a true desert landscape (which means it’s hotter than a pistol in summertime). 

The Colorado River is more easily seen from Grand Canyon West by virtue of it being lower in altitude.  Grand Canyon West’s views are more stark and vertical, and mostly devoid of guardrails, too, prompting some visitors to crawl to the edge on all fours to take a picture.  Grand Canyon West is also a much smaller area than the South Rim, so there’s less of it to see.  And the main access road out there is still unpaved, so you’ll want to think twice before driving your rented Ford Focus out there.  Talk to us instead about a Las Vegas Grand Canyon tour package. 

At Grand Canyon South Rim, you have 6 hotels inside the park (managed by Xanterra), and 5 more just outside the park in Tusayan.  At Grand Canyon West, there aren’t as quite as many hotels at the moment, and most will be located outside the immediate area.  The Grand Canyon West Ranch is an actual working ranch located near the Grand Canyon West airport.  There are also a few small motels in the nearby communities of Peach Springs (Hualapai Lodge, the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn), and Truxton (the Frontier Motel).  The old Route 66 goes through Peach Springs, too – very cool.

In summary, the South Rim (home of “the West Rim”) and Grand Canyon West are very different places.  A couple of things they do have in common are that they are open year-round, and both places can be visited with an air-ground day excursion from Las Vegas or Phoenix.  In the process of planning your Grand Canyon vacation, you may hear Grand Canyon West referred to as “the West Rim.”  But that phrase was actually used to denote the West Rim Drive of Grand Canyon South Rim long before Grand Canyon West came to be.  I guess old habits die hard!  After all, most of us at GrandCanyon.com have lived in the area for 20 years, some were even born and raised here.     

The terminology is a potential source of confusion if you’re unfamiliar with the area.  If you’re not sure which place is being discussed, please ask.  A phrase you’ll want to add to your vocabulary as you plan your vacation: when in doubt, check it out.  But in general, when we (GrandCanyon.com) talk about ”the West Rim,” we too will be referring to the West Rim Drive on the South Rim.  When we talk about the area over on the Hualapai Reservation, we call it “Grand Canyon West.”

Which one should you choose?  …. We’ll talk about that on another post.   As usual, I’ve rambled on too long!  Not hard to do about my favorite subject.

L8R – Alley Kaye

P.S.  Hey, speaking of the West Rim Drive/Hermit Road, the National Park Service will reopen it to private vehicles on December 1st.  One thing that will be different this year is that Yaki Point and the South Kaibab Trailhead parking lots will remain closed through the winter (they used to reopen those too).  Free shuttle access will continue throughout the winter to those areas.  Overnight hikers will be allowed to park there by permit only.  The Grand Canyon Village shuttle will also continue running year-round.  For more information on Grand Canyon shuttles (and lots of other stuff too!), visit http://www.nps.gov/grca

Good Morning from Grand Canyon.  Here we are just one week away from Thanksgiving.  If you are planning to visit during the Thanksgiving Weekend, I hope you already have your lodging arranged.  Many of the  hotels in the area are already sold out. Our allotment for the Grand Canyon Squire Inn is sold out for the Thanksgiving weekend, but you can still get in some places in Williams (60 miles South of the Grand Canyon), Flagstaff (85 miles Southeast of the park) or Page/Lake Powell (140 miles Northeast of the park).

A lot of people think that the Grand Canyon goes through a really quiet time during the winter months (from November through February) and thus they don’t get their reservations in early. Definitely it is quieter than it is in the peak of summer but lodging still sells out for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

The good news is that once you have your lodging arranged, you will get some great views of the Grand Canyon.  The colors are crisp and sharp (just like the air) except when there is storm obscuring the view.  Yes, snow or rain with its accompanying fog is a definite possibility this time of the year.  But in spite of this possibility it is definitely worth taking the chance and enjoying winter-time views. 

Enjoy your visit! ~Sandy

….with emphasis on the “kinda-sorta-unofficial.”  Good morning and Happy Monday everyone! 

It’s a Happy Monday for me ‘cauase it snowed at the Grand Canyon over the weekend - yaaaaay!  The South Rim got a few inches here and there, the North Rim close to a foot in some places.  Much of it has already melted, and believe it or not, Highway 67 to Grand Canyon North Rim is still open.  All the in-park lodging and dining facilities closed about a month ago, but the Jacob Lake Inn 45 miles away is still open (it is year-round).  It has cabins, a small diner, gas station, etc.  The South Rim, of course, is open for business, as it is year-round.  Ditto for Grand Canyon West over on the Hualapai reservation.   

….. For those of you going “Wait – whaddaya MEAN it snows in Arizona?!?!!”  Surpriiiiiise!  It snows in Arizona.  That little factoid probably takes the most people off-guard during our conversations with would-be Grand Canyon vacationers at this time of year.  Yes, this is the desert, but then again it’s not.  At altitudes ranging from 6,500 to 8,500′, we experience true winters at the Grand Canyon.  Even places at lower altitudes, like Lake Powell (4,400′), gets the occasional dusting of the stuff. 

And guess what – “Arizona skiing” is not a complete oxymoron.  Nature permitting, Arizona is home to several wonderful skiing and snowboarding destinations anywhere from an hour to four hours’ drive from the Grand Canyon.  

Flagstaff’s Arizona Snow Bowl for instance, asks “where else can you ride a lift and see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?”  Granted that’s from quite a distance, but the view is pretty darn cool (you can ride the chairlifts in the summertime, too).  Recently, though, this facility has become embroiled in controversy over whether or not artificial snowmaking should be permitted in an area considered sacred to many Native tribes. 

Further South, the Sunrise Ski Park in Greer is billed as offering “some of the finest skiing in the Western United States.”  They have the full range of activities from cross-country skiing to snowboarding for all levels.  Like the Snow Bowl, Sunrise also offers summertime chairlift rides and other activities.   

Both of these resorts are just a couple of hours from Phoenix.  

Just one hour South of the Grand Canyon is the Williams Ski Area, which has recently changed names to the Elk Ridge Ski Area.  This small park is very family-oriented and best suited to beginners and intermediate skiers.  Snowboarders are welcome too. 

For those who have never skiied, I actually suggest trying your ”snow legs” on a pair of cross-country skis.  If you can walk, you can cross-country ski, and a better workout never existed!  You will work muscles you never knew you had.  Luckily, Snow Bowl and Sunrise also have areas designated for this type of skiing also known as “Nordic Skiing.”  At the Grand Canyon, they sometimes have cross-country skis for rent at the Canyon Marketplace, and you can break trail just about anywhere in the forest. 

Are any of these places open yet?  Nope.  Usually they open around Thanksgiving, but ultimately, the decision’s not up to us.  Maybe this is just an exercise in wishful thinking on my part as last year’s snowfall was terribly disappointing.  Experts predicts another warmer than usual winter, but a weak el Nino might produce wetter conditions, which would be welcome. 

And you’ve gotta love the internet – now, it’s possible to get e-mail alerts whenever snow is reported anwhere in the world!  Just sign up for Yahoo! Alerts and select “snowfall” for the type of alert you want to receive.  Or visit www.onthesnow.com and select Arizona as your destination.   

Oh, and don’t forget to pray for snow! 

‘Til next time, Happy Travels! ~ Alley Kaye

P.S.  Find out what other things might surprise you about Arizona in wintertime – download a free copy of “The Insider’s Guide to the Grand Canyon: Winter Edition.”

I have a confession to make.  Here at GrandCanyon.com we’re having a bit of a time concentrating, you know why?  56 degrees and sunshine, that’s why!  It’s just too darn nice out there to be cooped up in an office.  We’d much rather be out there with all of you, but at least we have nice big windows to look out of when we need inspiration.  

This time of year is such an awesome time to hike the inner canyon trails, or just to take a brisk stroll on the canyon rim trail.  It was round this time of year in 1987 that I first moved to Grand Canyon National Park from California.  Relaying the news to an acquaintance who worked in another of my favorite places, Yosemite National Park, he said, “that’s some coooold country.  And it’s that desert cold, too…” 

“Desert cold?” I thought.  Surely, that had to be a contradiction in terms.  The desert is hot – right?  WRONG!  Imagine my surprise upon learning that it snowed at the Grand Canyon.  Sometimes a little, sometimes a LOT.  Surprise turned to utter delight as I’d never been around snow, though learning to drive on it was a challenge.  Sadly, there hasn’t been as much of the white stuff over the past couple of years as there used to be.  This winter weather obviously remains to be seen.

Eventually I would also discover that the Southwest’s famous dry heat did have a lesser-known counterpart: dry cold.  I was reminded of that this morning as I took a nice deep breath and promptly needed a drink of water.  Right now the humidity at the Grand Canyon is 29%.  When it gets below freezing, or down to sub-zero, that lack of moisture is even more pronounced.  Breathe too deep on a cold morning and you’ll REALLY feel it. 

Which means that if you’re hiking to Phantom Ranch (or anywhere in the Grand Canyon) at this time of year, you STILL need to carry water, and more importantly, you need to drink it.  Just because it’s not blazing hot doesn’t mean you still won’t get dehydrated.  Same goes for you too even if you’re taking it easy.  Out here, it’s probably a LOT drier than where you’re from, so carry at least a little bottle of water with you and take sips often.  Drink before you get thirsty. 

Don’t forget your skin either.  Bring lots of your favorite moisturizer (preferably one with some SPF to it) and be prepared to use it often.  Lip balm?  Gotta have it.  Contact lens wearers might also want to bring a spare pair of specs – the humidity (or lack thereof) can affect the eyes, too (at least that’s what my contact-wearing compadres tell me – I’m still 20/20 [knock onwood!]). 

So are you visiting next week and wondering what the heck to expect?  Join the club!  The weather at this altitude is notoriously unpredictable.  Luckily, you can get a 10-day forecast on our website. 

Want to know what else is neat about this time of year at the Grand Canyon?  Download a free copy of our brand new Grand Canyon Winter Travel Guide.  If you don’t have Adobe on your PC, drop me a line at alleyk@grandcanyon.com, and I’ll happily send you a hard copy. 

’til next time, take care, stay warm and Happy Travels! 

Alley Kaye