Grand Canyon News

The Southwest is a place where the forces of nature are facts of life.  Especially at this time of year when one kind of weather extreme segues into another.  The last two months have been a bit of a roller coaster ride in Northern Arizona as forest fires raged in some of our state’s greatest scenic treasures: Sedona, Navajo Mountain and Grand Canyon’s North Rim. 

The blazes forced the closure of popular attractions like Slide Rock State Park, the Coconino National Forest, and the North Rim itself.  The smoke from the Warm Fire and the Navajo Mountain Fire drifted into places like Lake Powell, Glen Canyon, Marble Canyon and Bitter Springs, making life unpleasant for folks with asthma and other problems over there. 

It was a scary time, and our thoughts were with the people who had to leave their homes, animals and/or businesses and take refuge in shelters while crews tried to hold back the flames.   Our thanks go out to those brave men and women who were ”on the line,” on land and in the air.

Those of us who live here were not surprised by these events.  The Southwest is in the midst of a drought.  It’s the desert, hel-LOO?!  Forest Service and other outdoor professionals had long predicted a potentially devastating fire season.  Their predictions were dead on.  But, frightening as it is, we must remember that fire is a natural and normal process in the wilderness.  It is Nature’s way of “cleaning the floor” of dry grasses, shrubs, trees that are not thriving, etc.  For some conifer trees, fire is vital to the continuation of the species.     

The Warm Fire was illustrative of the process of a “natural” fire.  It began with a lightning strike on June 8th, and in keeping with National Park Service policy of letting Nature take its course, was allowed to burn in a “managed” fashion, under the scrutiny of Forest Service, Park Service, etc..  Then, the winds kicked up – another “fact of life” in this neck of the woods - and the fire grew 17,000 in the course of a night.  

Hot shot crews went at it HARD.  The park closed and tourists and workers were trapped for a few days.  Then, Nature stepped in again, as Northern Arizona’s “monsoon season” arrived – and a few days early to boot.  The higher humidity and welcome rainfall helped the firefighters get the fires contained and get the parks back open.  Yay!!!

Although we’re ecstatic about the arrival of wetter times, we just want to remind you folks that this type of weather poses its own set of challenges, namely, the danger of flash floods.  Flash floods occur for a variety of reasons, mainly because the composition of desert sand is such that water is not absorbed very fast.  When water has no place to go, it either stays put or runs downhill.  Combine that with narrow spaces (as exist in slot canyons, box canyons, river washes, etc.) and you have a very dangerous combination. 

This was tragically illustrated in 1997 when a flash flood in Antelope Canyon (near Page/Lake Powell) claimed the lives of 11 people.  Be VERY careful at this time of year when hiking in slot canyons in particular.  These formations, such as Antelope Canyon, were formed by this very process, and the majority of the “sculpting” occurs at this time of year. 

Try to schedule your slot canyon explorations for the morning hours, when statistically, fewer flash floods occur.  Don’t be fooled by seemingly fair conditions.  Flash floods have been known to occur when hikers couldn’t see a cloud in the sky.  Other places to be careful: in ravines, box canyons, river beds and dry washes.  If caught in one of these, GET TO HIGHER GROUND.  If your tour guide or other local representative tells you to get out of the canyon or stay out – do as they say.  If you come across a flooded roadway DON’T try to drive or walk across it.  Keep your car radio tuned to local radio stations for weather advisories, too. 

Remember too that these “monsoon” storms, though intense, are typically brief.  Sometimes all you have to do is wait it out.  And good things do come to those who wait: rain is usually followed by a rainbow.