Grand Canyon National Park Read online

  A man rode up on a bicycle. “Oh, sweet sunshine!” he said.

  “Wow, you rode all the way out here?” James asked.

  “All the way from the campground,” the man replied. “I got up early so I could ride without a lot of cars on the road. But it was so much warmer at the campsite. The road out to here was freezing. I felt like I was riding through the Arctic!”

  “We saw all the frost,” Morgan said.

  “Yeah. I thought I was going to get frostbite, my hands were so cold. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go sit in the warm sun and thaw out. It’s been nice chatting with you.” The man set his bike by a sunny rock and sat down.

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad went back to their car. They drove toward Cape Royal.

  The road passed through a dense forest until it reached a sign that read GREENLAND LAKE.

  Wild turkey

  They got out of the car. Steam puffed from their mouths with each breath.

  “I can’t believe how chilly it is,” Mom said. “I sure wouldn’t want to be out riding my bike now.”

  They came to a pond surrounded by trees. Morgan took a few pictures of the pond. “It’s so different here than in the canyon.”

  A while later, they stopped at Roosevelt Point and walked along a short trail overlooking the canyon.

  “Do you know this point is named after one of our presidents?” James said.

  “You’re right,” Mom said. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “I wonder which one?” Morgan said. “There were two President Roosevelts.”

  “My guess is Teddy Roosevelt,” Dad said.

  LEAVE IT AS IT IS

  President Theodore Roosevelt was famous for conserving beautiful places. He first visited the Grand Canyon in 1903. It was then that he said this about the Grand Canyon: “Keep this great wonder of nature as it now is…. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it; not a bit. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, should see.” On January 11, 1908, Roosevelt designated the Grand Canyon a national monument.

  The family got back to their car. Their next stop was a hike out to Cape Final.

  They walked two miles through the forest and then came to a group of rocks. James and Morgan scrambled up. Mom and Dad followed.

  The views were into the eastern, dry part of the canyon.

  “I can see why they call this Cape Final,” Dad said. “It feels like we’re standing at the edge of the world.”

  “It is so remote up here,” Mom said.

  “And beautiful,” Morgan added. “How about a group photo?” Morgan placed the camera on a rock. She set the automatic timer and scrambled over to join her family. The camera took a picture of them with the immense canyon in the distance.

  “Let’s take a look,” Morgan said.

  Everyone gathered around and looked at the viewing screen on the back of Morgan’s camera.

  “You know,” James said, “I’m really looking forward to hiking across the canyon. Even if it looks so hot.”

  “I think it’s the red rocks and so few plants that make it look like a furnace,” Dad said.

  “Except along the Colorado River down there,” James pointed out.

  “It’s funny,” Mom said. “But somehow when I think of the Colorado, I think of mud and rapids and erosion.”

  “It sure doesn’t look muddy,” Morgan said. “It looks green.”

  They finally reached the end of the road at Cape Royal. They started walking on a short trail around the cape.

  “Look at that hole in the rock,” Morgan said. “It’s right below the lookout.”

  “That must be Angel’s Window,” James said.

  Mom, Dad, Morgan, and James walked out to a jutting rock above the hole. It had protective railings along the sides.

  “That’s quite a drop,” James commented while looking straight down.

  The family stood at the overlook for a few minutes admiring the view. “You know what sounds good?” Morgan said.

  “What?” Mom asked.

  “Lunch back at those picnic tables near our car,” Morgan replied.

  “That’s a great idea,” Mom said.

  They finished the walk around Cape Royal and headed back to the car for the food.

  While the family was eating, the bike rider from earlier that day rode up. He took off his helmet and wiped the sweat off his brow.

  Angel’s Window

  “Hey, you made it!” Dad exclaimed.

  “Yeah. It wasn’t easy,” the man said. “And it’s not a great road for riding. There’s a lot of traffic. But the views along the way are incredible.”

  “I bet you’re glad it’s warmer,” James said.

  “Yes,” the man replied. “All I’ve been thinking about for the last ten miles is filling my water bottles at that ice machine at the lodge. But I guess that’s the Grand Canyon—a place of extremes.”

  “We’re going to hike across the canyon starting tomorrow,” James said.

  “Lucky you,” the man answered. “I suppose there are many ways to see this great place. Maybe your way is the best.”

  “Ask us that when we’re done,” Dad joked.

  The bike rider laughed, and then he headed off.

  4

  Dad signed the form for the camping permit at the backcountry office. He attached the permit to his pack.

  “Thanks for your help,” he said.

  “Good luck,” the ranger said. “I’ve hiked across the canyon many times. I know you will really enjoy it.”

  The shuttle van drove up outside the office.

  “Our ride’s here,” James called out.

  “Well, I guess this is it,” Dad said.

  They stepped outside and met the driver. He helped them put their backpacks in the back of the van.

  “Enjoy your class,” James said to Mom as he, Morgan, and Dad climbed into the van.

  The van headed off on a five-hour drive to the South Rim, where Morgan, James, and Dad would start their hike later that day.

  After a while, the van drove out of the park. It passed through the Navajo Indian Reservation. The land was sparse and made up of hills and mesas.

  “It doesn’t rain much out here, does it?” Dad asked.

  “Nope,” the driver said, “just like most of Arizona.”

  They drove on. James, Morgan, and Dad stared out the windows of the van and watched the scenery go by. Outside, the sun blazed down on the Arizona desert. It was just morning, but they passed a man sitting in the shade. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as they drove by.

  “It looks hot out there,” James said. He took a sip of his water.

  “And the day is just starting,” the driver replied. “It’s supposed to get up to 110 degrees down at Phantom Ranch today.”

  “We’re going to miss this air conditioning,” Dad said.

  IN THE ZONE

  The Grand Canyon has three different zones: the North Rim, the South Rim, and the Inner Canyon. The North Rim is the highest in elevation. It’s covered in forest and gets the most precipitation. It is the coolest part of the canyon. The average summer temperatures are a high of seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit and a low of forty-six. The South Rim is a mix of high desert and forest. The average summer temperatures there are eighty-four and fifty-four. The Inner Canyon is a hot, dry desert, and its average summer temperatures are 106 and seventy-eight.

  They came to the town of Cameron. The driver turned west on Highway 64. The road started climbing. They passed several Native American jewelry stands along the side of the road. Higher up there were views of deep canyons. Pinyon pine trees and junipers dotted the hills.

  “We’re getting close,” Dad said.

  After a while, they entered the Kaibab National Forest. They were higher up on a plateau. There were ma
ny small trees and shrubs, but it still looked dry.

  The bus driver pulled up to the park entrance station for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Dad showed his park pass and they drove into the park.

  After turning a few more bends in the road, the driver pulled into a parking lot. “See that tower?” The driver pointed. “If you get a chance, I really recommend climbing up there. It was built to model Ancestral Puebloan towers once found in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. It’s also an incredible place, and the views of the canyon are worth every step up the spiral stairs.”

  The driver drove out of the parking lot and back onto the main road. “Get ready for the view of your lives,” he announced.

  Morgan, James, and Dad sat up with anticipation.

  The driver turned another corner. Suddenly views of Grand Canyon were spread out before them.

  “It doesn’t look real,” Morgan said.

  “Kind of like a painting,” James added.

  After passing several more viewpoints, the driver pulled up to Grand Canyon Village. He stopped near the Bright Angel trailhead. Morgan, James, and Dad unloaded their packs from the van.

  “Thanks for everything,” James said.

  “You’re most welcome,” the driver replied.

  Morgan, James, and Dad walked over to a railing and gazed out at the canyon. It was a maze of buttes, mesas, cliffs, and colored layers of rocks. Far below, a trail wove its way toward a small grove of trees. In the distance lay the forested North Rim. Above the canyon, the sky was deep blue and dotted with small, puffy clouds.

  “The view of a lifetime,” Dad commented.

  Morgan looked at the trail. “There are people way down there!”

  RIM VISITORS

  The South Rim gets about 90 percent of the Grand Canyon’s visitors and is open all year. It has lodges, restaurants, gift shops, and stores. The South Rim also has many views of the canyon and trails leading along and into it. There is a free shuttle bus service in the Grand Canyon Village area for visitors.

  The North Rim is quieter and more rustic and remote. It is usually closed each year from October through May due to snow.

  James pulled out his map. “I think that’s the Bright Angel Trail. But we’re going down a different trail.”

  “Why aren’t we taking that one?” Morgan asked.

  “The trail we’re going on is shorter,” Dad answered, “so we can get all the way to the bottom of the canyon by tonight.”

  Morgan, James, and Dad stared into the canyon for a few more minutes.

  “It is one huge hole in the ground,” Dad concluded.

  Morgan held up her camera. “I almost forgot: pictures!” She took several shots of the canyon.

  “Come on,” Dad said. “Let’s take a little walk so we can at least see a few things around here before we head down. It’s one o’clock now, and we should be on the trail by three. That way, we’ll miss hiking during the hottest part of the day.”

  THE MOST SCENIC

  The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long. From the South Rim to the Colorado River, it is about one mile deep. At Grand Canyon Village, it is ten miles across to the North Rim. It is not the deepest canyon in the world, but it is considered to be the most scenic. It was made into a national park in 1919 and now gets about five million visitors a year.

  They started walking on a path along the rim.

  Right next to the trail were art studios, lodges, and gift shops. And beyond that were views into the canyon.

  Morgan, James, and Dad stopped and got some ice cream. They sat on a bench overlooking the canyon.

  “Nice, cool ice cream!” James said. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You’re welcome,” Dad said. “Are you ready for the big hike?”

  “Yes,” Morgan and James answered.

  They hopped on a South Rim shuttle bus and took off their backpacks.

  The bus driver dropped them off at the South Kaibab trailhead. They unloaded their packs and walked to a drinking faucet. James, Morgan, and Dad each took a long drink of water and filled up their water bottles. James drank some more from the faucet.

  Ooh-Aah Point

  “Leave some for the fish,” Morgan joked. But then she too drank more water.

  They got to the trailhead right at three o’clock.

  Morgan got out her camera. “Stand there,” she said, pointing to the sign at the trailhead. She set the auto timer on the camera and ran over to join James and Dad.

  The camera clicked.

  Morgan, James, and Dad put on their packs and took their first steps into the Grand Canyon.

  5

  The trail was cut into the side of a steep cliff that dropped far into the canyon. Morgan, James, and Dad hiked down one switchback after another.

  “I sure wouldn’t want to be hiking up this trail,” James said. “It’s so steep.”

  “And there’s no water,” Dad added.

  “Are you nervous?” James asked.

  “Who, me?” Dad answered. He glanced back up to the top of the rim. “Well, maybe a little bit. But it’s too late now.”

  “Don’t worry, Dad,” Morgan said, “we’ll take care of you.” Dad smiled. “And I’ll take care of you too.”

  South Kaibab Trail

  They hiked on. At times, the three- to four-foot-wide trail was covered in loose dirt and rocks. At other times, steps were built into the trail to help with the footing.

  They soon came upon some hikers coming up the trail.

  The hikers stopped in the shade. “Hi!” one of them said, breathing heavily.

  “How far did you go today?” Morgan asked.

  “Just to Cedar Ridge,” one of the hikers answered. “We figured that was going to be a hard enough climb out. And we were right.” He wiped the sweat from his brow and then bent over and took a deep breath.

  “Are you all right?” Dad asked.

  “Yes, I think so,” the man said. “I’m just not used to this heat, I guess.”

  “Maybe it’s the elevation too,” a person in the group suggested. “We’re almost at 7,000 feet.”

  The man grabbed his water bottle and sat down. “Let’s take a break here,” he said to the other hikers.

  MORE THAN A DAY

  Grand Canyon hikers should not attempt to hike down to the river and back in one day. While hiking down may seem easy, hiking up can be extremely difficult. It is seven miles and 4,780 feet of climbing from Phantom Ranch to the top of the South Kaibab Trail, with no water available along the way.

  Hikers should make sure they have enough food, water, and sun protection. Hikers should also avoid hiking in the middle of the day, when it’s usually the hottest.

  Morgan, James, and Dad took gulps of water from their water bottles and hiked on.

  The trail came to a rocky point that overlooked the whole canyon.

  James looked at the map he got from the permit office. “I think this is Ooh-Ahh Point.”

  “Ooh! Look at that view,” Morgan said.

  “Ahh! I get to stop and rest my feet,” Dad added.

  Morgan laughed then set down her pack and got out her camera. “You can see so much of the canyon from here.”

  While Morgan looked for the best picture, Dad and James sat and drank water. They saw a hiker walking briskly up the trail.

  “She’s going faster uphill than we were going downhill,” James said.

  A few minutes later, the hiker approached them. “Hi!” she said. She wore a gray and green uniform. A National Park Service pack was slung on her back. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes,” Dad answered. “You look like you’ve done this trail before.”

  The hiker smiled. “I’m on the trail crew for the summer. Part of my job is to hike down to Cedar Ridge to clean the bathrooms.”

  “Hey! Can you take our picture?” Morgan asked.

  “Of course,” the woman replied.

  Morgan, James, and Dad propped up their packs and stood next to each other.
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br />   “You’ve got the whole canyon in the background,” the woman said. “It will be a great picture. Smile, everyone.” The woman snapped the picture and then handed the camera back to Morgan.

  “Well, I’ve got to go. Good luck!” the woman called out, striding up the trail.

  “I hope we’re as fast as she is when we hike out of the canyon,” James commented.

  “She does this all the time,” Dad said. “No wonder she makes it look so easy.” He pulled out his sunscreen and put some on his arms, neck, and face. Then he passed the sunscreen to Morgan and James. They looked out at the canyon ahead of them.

  “It looks like the moon,” James said. “There are hardly any plants.”

  They put their packs back on and continued hiking. Soon they met a string of mules heading out of the canyon. James, Dad, and Morgan stepped to the inside of the trail.

  The guide riding the mule in front nodded his head as the mule trudged by.

  RULES OF THE ROAD

  Mules have the right-of-way in the canyon. When approaching a string of mules, hikers should follow the instructions of the guides and stay on the uphill side of the trail, away from the cliff.

  “Hello,” James, Morgan, and Dad said.

  The string of mules tramped by.

  When the last mule passed, Morgan stepped back on the trail. “Did you see how the mules were sweating?” she asked.

  “It was dripping down their faces!” Dad said.

  “That’s going to be us pretty soon,” James said. He hopped off a small rock and back onto the trail. A large lizard scampered out from under the rock.