Havasu Falls - Havasupai Tribal Lands (Photo by: Brian Lane)

Lots Going On!

Gee, I was away for ten days taking a NOLS/WMI Wilderness First Responders Course (yes, I am now officially certified) and all kinds of incidents happened!

On Sunday, August 17th a woman lost her footing near Mather Point (approx. 300 yards west of Mather - toward Yavapai Point) and fell about 25-30 feet. She suffered a lower leg fracture and was raised via rope & litter by NPS emergency responders. She was then transferred to Flagstaff Medical Center for further treatment.

Supai Closes: During this same time monsoon storms caused significant flooding to the popular Supai Canyon area of the Havasupai Tribal Lands, (including Havasu Falls), when the Redlands earthen dam broke sending water rushing into the canyon. Eight public service agencies worked together to rescue over 400 campers and residents from the area (which is about 75 air-miles from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park). The road from Route 66 to Hualapai Hilltop (Indian Road 18) has been temporarily closed.
Supai is closed to all visitors until SPRING 2009. Please visit www.havasupaitribe.com for more details.

The park facilities for the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park are getting ready to close in mid-October. Although the North Rim Lodge will close, the NPS Visitor Center, bookstore, and backcountry office will remain open until November 30th, 2008. Highway 67, providing access to the North Rim, will remain open until snow forces its closure (the road remains unplowed throughout the winter and re-opens around mid spring). Other lodging may be available outside the park boundaries - contact the North Rim Visitor Center for more information at: (928) 638-7864.

Hermit Road Closure: The entire length of the west rim drive (Hermit Road) is now closed to all traffic - this essentially closes the Hermit Trailhead. The road construction is expected to be completed by the end of November of 2008.