South Rim Trail /Trailhead updates

[hikeaz]

-No shuttle bus to South Kaibab. But in a puzzling move, no personal vehicles may be parked there in the empty lot or nearby either. Parked vehicles will be towed.
-Day hiking on inner canyon trails is allowed. Existing backcountry permits for hikers camping overnight are being honored. Again puzzling >> No new backcountry permits for start dates in July or August are currently being issued. Grand Canyon National Park is accepting requests for backcountry permits for September and beyond.
-Ribbon Falls Bridge is closed until further notice. The wood and steel bridge is located approximately six miles north of Phantom Ranch on a trail which takes hikers from the North Kaibab Trail to 120-foot Ribbon Falls.
- Hermit Road shuttle is closed. Maybe the MOST puzzling.. >> Hermit Road is also closed to personal vehicles. Access is by foot or bicycle only.

[chumley]

I suspect the "puzzling" decisions are based on capacity and existing infrastructure. Hermit is open only in winter when visitation is much lower than it is in summer (even presumably during covid). Where do all those vehicles go? Where do all the people who need to pee go? What kind of additional enforcement and care is required to support the additional visitation?

Alternately, perhaps things would work just fine if they allowed them to be open but they don't want to set any kind of precedent for that!!? (And I'm absolutely fine with that! Most people here probably prefer a quiet extra few miles on foot over more of the canyon looking similar to the village viewpoints.)

[sidhayes]

Where does a South Kiabab Trail hiker park?

[chumley]

@sidhayes

With shuttle bus and taxi service suspended, plan to park further away and add extra time and mileage to walk to the trailhead. If you drive beyond the "Do Not Enter" signs, and park at the trailhead, you WILL get a ticket.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/ ... update.htm

[sidhayes]

@chumley
Park further away means where? Bright Angel Lodge? I called the park and received a nebulous answer.

[cactuscat]

@sidhayes
There's a picnic area across the street from the turnoff to the SK trailhead, where people have always parked. It's small, so it will fill quickly. Too bad - if people insist on visiting during the Covid restrictions, then they should expect to be inconvenienced.

[hikeaz]

If one is going to call one's self 'open' - one should be ready, willing and able to accommodate one's 'customers'. Seems to me that Xanterra may be calling the shots, or have a strong hand in it, as most-all of THEIR facets are open and most GCNP facets are not.

Attached

[chumley]

If one is going to call one's self 'open'

If the alternative is being closed, I'd prefer they call themselves open and I'll deal with the rest like an adult who enjoys hiking.

[hikeaz]

If one is going to call one's self 'open'

If the alternative is being closed, I'd prefer they call themselves open and I'll deal with the rest like an adult who enjoys hiking.

I am in strong agreement.

[sidhayes]

@cactuscat
All right. Putting it that way, I won't go.

[LindaAnn]

@sidhayes I think right now is the best time to go! Lots of the crazy tourists aren’t even in the country right now. The relative peace in the parks while on vacation the last few weeks was excellent. Big change from most years.

[ShatteredArm]

Where does a South Kiabab Trail hiker park?

Visitor Center. S Kaibab trail is a flat 2.25 miles or so away, with some nice views along the way.

[hikeaz]

Grand Canyon, AZ-As part of its phased reopening, the National Park Service (NPS) continues to increase recreational access and services at Grand Canyon National Park. Park officials are pleased to announce the resumption of shuttle bus services on September 5th.

The Hermit Road Route (Red Route) and Kaibab Rim Route (Orange Route) eastbound will operate from 5 a.m. until one hour after sunset each day. The Village Route, Kaibab Rim Route westbound, and the Tusayan Route will not operate when service resumes.

To protect public health, all buses and shuttle operations have been modified to meet COVID-19 guidelines. The modified buses will carry a smaller number of passengers per trip with additional safety measures in place.

Safety modifications to normal shuttle operations include:

Shuttle capacity is limited to 15 passengers.
Face masks/coverings are required. Prior to entry passengers must have their own face mask/covering.
Hand sanitizer will be available for use.
Passengers must follow all CDC and public health physical distancing guidelines while in line and on the bus. Sidewalk decals, tape, and signage has been installed at bus stops to promote physical distancing.
Buses will undergo daily cleaning according to CDC and public health guidance.
Shuttle bus staff will follow specific screening protocols when reporting to work each day.

Key areas and services that visitors will have access to:
Hermit Road Route and all shuttle stops along Hermit Road. - Visitors wishing to access the Hermit Road Route need to park in a designated parking space near the Hermit Road. This includes the Village Loop roadside parking and the Backcountry Information Center parking lot.
Kaibab Rim Route (eastbound only), including South Kaibab Trailhead, Yaki Point, and Pipe Creek Vista
Hikers’ Express - Hikers’ Express buses will run daily from the Backcountry Information Center to the South Kaibab Trailhead only at 6 a.m., 7 a.m., and 8 a.m. No other stops will be made along the route.
Hikers can also park at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and access the South Kaibab Trailhead via the Kaibab Rim Route (Orange Route).

[hikeaz]

Side note: This past weekend a few of us biked the newish 6 mi. path from Tusayan to the GC visitor center - it is paved and very nice. We continued out to Hermit Rest 11.5 mi. +/- and then returned the same way. Without ANY vehicular traffic and maybe 20 people along the whole distance - this may never happen again in our lifetime. It was pretty sweet. So, you have just two more days until the hoards once again descend on the Hermit Road.

[chumley]

Passengers must follow all CDC and public health physical distancing guidelines while in line and on the bus

This is like they do at the airport. Make sure to stand 6 feet apart for the 5 minutes you wait to sit 2 feet from each other for the next 3 hours.

eastbound will operate ... westbound will not operate

[hikeaz]

@chumley

East/west confusion.
As is the norm, the gubment has its own obtuse language. (It's part of the initial employee training) They MEAN that the the Kaibab route WILL run from the visitor center east, and then back (which is obviously west, but not in gub-speak). What they MEAN is that the Kaibab route headed west FROM the visitor center will not run. We can just tell the foreign visitors (as they wander aimlessly, wondering) that it was lost in translation.

[FOTG]

@hikeaz
Are they not doing the pass code at the gate anymore for Hermit? Is there currently no way to get a personal vehicle back there?

[hikeaz]

@friendofThundergod

I neglected to try the code (D'oh) when out there on my bike, and did not ride out to the Hermit BC lot. I believe that permits are again being issued for maybe October? (the GCNP BCO website is out-of-date), although the BCO remains closed, so no walk-up or short-notice permits.

[FOTG]

@hikeaz
Ya I just need the code, but not backpacking lol Looking at a summit in area, but need like a 3 a.m. start, I think I’ll call the climbing ranger thanks!

[hikeaz]

@hikeaz
Ya I just need the code, but not backpacking lol Looking at a summit in area, but need like a 3 a.m. start, I think I’ll call the climbing ranger thanks!

See PM.