GRAND CANYON -- JUST A HOLE IN THE GROUND?

      PROTECT THE GRAND CANYON WITH H.R. 1052

The Grand Canyon is dear to my heart as is preserving this National Park to be as environmentally natural as possible.   My interest started as a young girl living in the middle of one of our country's  Great Lakes states.  Photos of the Canyon I serendipitously came across one day in a National Geographic magazine fascinating me.  One of those youthful years on a Sunday afternoon my mother introduced me to our local Philharmonic Orchestra's performance of The Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofe'.

Our orchestra's conductor, Sam Gelfer, had a professional music background associated then with a nearby private university music department I began fantasizing about attending one day, but my later life took a different turn.  Focusing his concert introduction on young audience members, Mr. Gelfer explained that different parts of the Suite created musical pictures of the Canyon.  I related them to the National Geographic pictures in my mind, then was swept away with a variety of emotions as I lost myself in the music. 

The movements of the Grand Canyon Suite are:  I. Sunrise, II. Painted Desert, III. On the Trail, IV. Sunset, V. Cloudburst.    This is one most familiar to listeners.     

GRAND CANYON SUITE -- III On the Trail . F. GROFE -- L. BERNSTEIN.                                (Shared under Creative Commons from YouTube)

My youthful years passed as I grew older and married, with our initial summer vacation being a road trip west which included our first visit to the Grand Canyon.  Earlier in the year my husband had reserved a mule train trip down into the Canyon where we were to stay overnight at Phantom Ranch by the Colorado River, coming up out of the Canyon the next day.  I delighted in our South Rim overnight cabin stay prior to that special next morning's trip.  Disappointingly, the following day we were informed an overnight stormy downpour/cloudburst had washed out part of the Bright Angel Trail, so our trip could only go half-way down to the Plateau.  There they would provide us a prepared bag or box lunch, then we would return to the top of the canyon the same day.

This still was a trip offering marvelous views and a thrilling experience despite the change of plans.  The shortened riding time may have been just as well, considering how stiffened I discovered my body to be from the jostling mule ride after we returned, though I was in better shape than my husband.  I had remained active that evening while he had not, so he was really stiff the next morning while I was more limber.

A necessary stop on the canyon trail as we were descending the many switchbacks that previous day occurred when an item dropped out of my pocket.  I was embarrassed to be the cause of bringing everyone to a halt but that did provide some unexpected mixed anxiety and humor.   The cowboy leading our pack train brought us all to a halt noticing what had happened.  The mules  then  automatically turned turned their bodies to the back of the trail with their heads stretching out over the trail's edge giving us riders quite a breath-taking feeling.  We gazed out only into space with the canyon a great distance below should those mules misstep.  

One of our single-file women pack train riders who was at the front was becoming unnerved which prompted our cowboy to make efforts to calm her.  I'm not too sure about his choice of utterance for levity when after a few reassuring words he loudly said, "Hang on to that mule, lady -- don't let him jump!"  Most of us laughed.  The lady hung on -- the mule didn't jump or the rest of them probably would have, too, and us with them.  

The rest of our trip down and back up was uneventful.  We did see one drag-out which would have been an expensive trip for those forewarned people who had blithely hiked down the canyon to the river only to realize they lacked the energy to climb back up the canyon trail.

The views to which we were treated were spectacular as the sun's position gradually moved, clouds floated above us creating altering patterns of shade with changing light on reddish canyon walls -- mesmerizing, the sight unforgettable, embedded forever in my mind.  A Southwest Scenics hiker describes his experience and shares some photos if you click on the link.   

Another vacation driving trip west before we had children also included a Grand Canyon trip.  This time we took a small plane flight over and through the Canyon providing a different perspective of the awesome sight from above, then surrounding us when the plane dipped lower, to be filed away in memories not to be forgotten.  

Several years later our family, now expanded by one more, unexpectedly moved to Arizona for a new employment position my husband had taken following completing  his University degree so much later in life and making a major career change.   During those years we traveled the state at every opportunity including making several trips to the Grand Canyon, viewing its wonders in various weather conditions and seasons.  We made one whirlwind Canyon trip with a family member, but all that was visible were clouds filling the open area from rim to rim before we had to return home that same day to accommodate our guest's schedule.  Probably disappointing to her but unique to me as this sight presented one more unusual Canyon view.

We did drive to the less accessible North Rim for a short visit on one of our other return trips home.  That rim area was much less developed and commercialized.  Caroline at "Pictures & Words" blog features more current fascinating details along with things to do at the North Rim with some amazing photos.   

Our last visit to the Grand Canyon as a family occurred following my son's graduation from a nearby University.  My husband was surprisingly given a lifetime pass to all the national parks as we entered but, unfortunately, we were never able to use it since our situation and his health changed.  Since that time I think the Park altered access to visitors who can no longer drive in as we always did and must now use group transportation on the ground's roadways.  They've had so many visitors in the ensuing years, changes have been needed to protect the Park's environment.

I recall in recent years a casual friend who much preferred a visit to Las Vegas over nature's wonders apparently, finally had visited the Grand Canyon.  Her comment when she returned was, "I don't know what the big deal is, it's just a huge hole in the ground."

Recent years one more matter distressing me during the previous federal government administration was that our now ex-President favored commercialization.   He was quite amenable to opening up the Grand Canyon National Park to various mining operations, especially uranium.  His forces are still at work pressuring for that goal.   

A temporary Grand Canyon protection act passed during the Obama administration is expiring.  

"Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ) re-introduced legislation with 16 co-sponsors ... to permanently protect l million aces of land around the Grand Canyon from mining" as reported by Environmental America.

There are at least 5 reasons to protect the Grand Canyon including to have clean water from the Colorado River, a vital lifeline for many people as you can read in this PEW analysis.

You can read Arizona Senator Sinema's descriptions of the need for this protection when a bill was introduced in 2019.

Representative Grijalva has introduced the bill to permanently support protecting the Grand Canyon.  The Grand Canyon Trust summarizes the bill, what's new, and provides an opportunity to comment.

Contact your Congresspersons to support H.R. 1052.

I do regret missing one event at the Canyon that would have been uniquely memorable.  Ferde Grofe' with an orchestra set up at Canyon's edge had his Grand Canyon Suite performed for the attending audience.  I was very pregnant with our second family addition, reluctantly deciding it was the better part of wisdom that we stay home.  I don't know about the quality of the musical acoustics in the open air or what the weather was like that night, but the whole idea was captivating to me.   I always wondered how successful the event was, but never happened to read a critical review. 

Listen to  Ferde Grofe describe how he was motivated to compose the Grand Canyon Suite, create "On the Trail"  in an NPR interview.           

I'm left to imagine how wonderful that live concert would have been to experience when I close my eyes, lean my head back in my recliner chair and relive the enchantment the Grand Canyon holds for me.