Sunday, February 21, 2021

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. 


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.


22 comments:

  1. Seeing the Grand Canyon is still on my List. Thank you for alerting me to the HB needing my support. I'm happy to do my part.

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    1. Thanks, Nance! We all and those in the future will benefit.

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  2. How wonderful that you had the opportunity to visit "The Canyon" on so many occasions, experiencing the various weather and lighting conditions. Wow!

    You mentioned the restrictions on ground travel that were later implemented. Air travel was also restricted, the last I knew (not recent knowledge, at all). Shortly after Hunky Husband and I divorced, a friend (flight test engineer at Cessna) and I (structures engineer at Cessna) flew ourselves, his pregnant wife, and my two daughters to The Canyon in a pressurized Cessna 210 - because our real destination, Mount Rushmore, was experiencing iffy weather (neither he nor I had completed an instrument rating at that time.) On our way home, we flew the length of The Canyon. I cringe, now, at the environmental impact and was pleased when such flights were outlawed.

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    1. Yes, I thought i read flights had been ended at the Canyon, but I couldn’t find that stipulation when I did a quick search for this piece. Your flight would have been a fun experience. We took a tour flight.

      When we were flying ourselves some we once flew over NYC following the Hudson River in a Cessna. My husband only had a visual flight license when a storm developed and began chasing us up the coast to our Mass. destination. Expect flying over that city like that is no longer possible either.

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  3. I've been there multiple times, the first with small children. The last time I was very uncomfortable being there with an odd sensation of wanting to jump and watching a helicopter retrieve a body of a woman who did exactly that. Some do come to commit suicide but for some, it's an odd feeling of that huge depth and how final it would be. A mystical place. One of my memories is returning to our tent after a rainstorm and my husband's sleeping bag being soaked since had not zipped close the window :) My last photos there were of snow on the ground. I totally hated the planes and helicopters that interrupted the peace

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    1. You must have had some wonderful experiences there. I can appreciate the desire for wilderness quiet though i don't recall seeing or hearing planes or helicopters any of the times we were there other than the flight we took. I look at the advisability of that activity quite differently now.

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  4. I remember friends telling me of those mules hanging their heads over the edge. That made it certain I would never take that trip. How horrifying that would be for someone terrified of heights.
    I am appalled to learn that 45 wanted to commercialize and mine the Canyon. Thank God he is gone.

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    1. Yes, he was busy trying to open up all sorts of protected areas including offshore, in Alaska to name just a couple, also shrinking the size of one site as I recall. I expect he’ll continue to advocate for that with those monied groups behind him lobbying our Congresspersons and other government officials.

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  5. I hope all our national parks are protected forever for our children, grandchildren and other descendants. It was very scary for us to see how the former president kept trying to take away those protections.

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  6. From the time I could read cowboy stories, the Grand Canyon has fascinated me and I had always wanted to visit. Finance and time constraints however prevented my visiting it during two visits to the USA. The music is fascinating. Thank you for introducing me to it.

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    1. Wish you could have visited the Grand Canyon but you may virtually and with the Suite.

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  7. What a wonderful rich entry. Thank you so much. And yes, I followed all your links.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed this piece.

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    2. Jenny and I have been through the Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer but we've never been to the Grand Canyon. It looks amazing. I'd like to see it before I breathe my last.

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    3. Hope you’re able to visit the Grand Canyon one of these years.

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  8. Thanks for stimulating memories of two great visits to the Grand Canyon, and reminding me of Ferde Grofé's great music. I have a CD and will go and get it right now!

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    1. Glad you’ve been able to enjoy the Grand Canyon and enjoy Grofe’s Suite.

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  9. The canyon is on my bucket list along with Yellowstone, Yosemite, and countless other wonders in the western US.

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    1. Hope you’re able to visit those spectacular Parks.

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  10. Oh my, I envy you so much for all those visits to the Grand Canyon. It is something I've always wanted to do and especially after listening to The Grand Canyon Suite. I never tire of listening to it. Thanks for sharing your concerns. I will keep my self attuned to that. All the best ...

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    1. Enjoy the Suite, you can visit virtually.

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