Grand Canyon News

Good morning everyone, what’s up?  Besides the temperature, I mean.  Is it hot or WHAT?  When most people think of places to go to escape the summer heat, Tucson probably wouldn’t be the first place to come to mind.  But the other day, I swear it was actually predicted to be 95 in Denver and 85 in Tucson.  That’s just wrong!  And New York city?  Fuggeddabouddit!  Those poor guys are dealing with the ultimate double whammy: heat plus humidity.  I don’t know how they handle it. 

Contrary to what’s said about Arizona’s notorious dry heat, there is actually a certain time of year when we too gripe about humidity, and that time is now.  You see, Arizona is in the midst of what’s known as “monsoon season.”  This distinct Southwestern weather phenomenon occurs on an almost daily basis during the afternoon hours when warm air from the Southern Arizona desert collides with moist tropical breezes from the Gulf of Mexico.  The result: thunderstorms – BIG ones.  They can be intense, often dropping heavy rain, usually with lots of lightning and noise.  Thunder will echo for what seems like an eternity, bouncing off the canyon walls.  Another curious facet of these storms is how brief they usually are.  The other day was a typical example: in Page/Lake Powell, a cell moved through that must have dropped half an inch in the course of half an hour.  Then just like that, the clouds parted, just enough to make for a stunningly beautiful sunset. 

Other things that make us laugh: gals like me with stick straight hair can actually coax a little curl into their locks; paper comes out of the printer with a slight curl as well…. and while we make it sound like we’re just dripping with moisture, in reality, our humidity is maybe 50, 60% at most. 

Gradually we’re seeing those little reminders that the “dog days of summer” will soon draw to a close: the urge to turn off the cooler at night, the shortening of the days, the Sunset Jeep Tour going out at 4:45 instead of 5:00.  From here on out it’ll get earlier and earlier, eventually going out at 2.30 by the time their season wraps up at the end of November.  

Another few weeks, and we’ll start to see that telltale glint of gold on the trees, feel that slight nip in the air and revel in days that are so close to perfect that you WANT to be outdoors - all the time.  I believe, and most of us at GrandCanyon.com believe, that the Southwest is at its absolute best during the fall.  The Grand Canyon is certainly no exception.  In the fall, not only are temperatures cooling, but kids are getting back into the school routine, providing a much more relaxed atmosphere in the park. 

Autumn is also prime time to hike the canyon.  The blazing hot inferno of summer gives way to temperatures that are balmy but bearable.  Now, that’s NOT giving anyone license to hike down to the river and back in a day.  We don’t advocate doing that EVER.  But it’s sure a heck of a lot more comfortable hiking back up the Bright Angel Trail when it’s 85 degrees than it is when it’s 120 degrees! 

I actually had the pleasure of hiking from the North Rim to the South Rim during the third week of September many years ago.  That week is prime time to visit Grand Canyon’s North Rim.  At 8,000 feet, the North Rim supports a more diverse group of plant life than the drier South Rim, such as birches, aspens, oaks, even some species of maples.  During the fall months, these trees put on a display of color to beat the band (boy, I’m dating myself with THAT expression!).  I am very anxious to see what this looks like against the areas that were recently scorched by the Warm Fire earlier this summer.  It could be quite the photo op.  We’ll find out soon enough on our annual company trip to the North Rim to celebrate the end of the season as we enjoy dinner at the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.  Maybe we’ll see YOU there! 

Til next time – happy, and SAFE, travelling,

Alley Kaye, GrandCanyon.com

P.S. ”The Insider’s Guide to the Grand Canyon” for Fall is here!  We’ll have it available to download on our website really soon, but in the meantime, you can order a special advance copy by e-mailing me at alleyk@grandcanyon.com.  It’s ABSOLUTELY FREE!