Light snow near Bright Angel Lodge (photo:Brian Lane)

Highway 67 to the North Rim Closes for Winter
On November 30th, 2009 Hwy 67, the main access road to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is scheduled to close for the winter. Most services have been closed since mid-October although the Park Service does allow winter camping on the North Rim but access is restricted to entry from either an Inner Canyon Trail or by snowshoeing about 45 miles from Jacob Lake (a valid backcountry permit is required). Needless to say, few campers opt to stay on the North Rim during the winter months. The road will reopen in mid-May 2010.

Permit Procedures Will be Changing in February 2010!
As of February 1st, 2010 all forth-month-out permit requests will be processed at random. Gone will be the days of standing in line on the first day of the month, four months prior to your starting date. Even if you walk in and hand your permit request to the ranger at the Backcountry Information Center (BIC) they will put it in a pile with other written and fax requests, then they will be pulled at random after 5:00 P.M. that day. So, the days of local residents and outfitters having the advantage of going to the BIC and getting a permit on the first of the month, four months prior will be gone. For more information please read the NPS press release at: http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/news_2009-11-20_procedure_change.htm

Another Canyon Death Reported
On November 28th the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received numerous calls from park visitors that a man had fallen from the canyon rim between Mather Point and Pipe Creek Vista. The body was eventually recovered about 200 feet below the South Rim. The man had been visiting the Canyon with his son, daughter-in-law, and other extended family members. The man's name is being withheld as family is notified and few details have yet been released. The National Park Service is investigating the incident.

Hike Smart & Have Fun!
Brian