River Trail damaged - open to hikers, though...
Posted: Aug 02 2006 6:10 pm
Newswire - Aug 2, 2006 -
Storms cause trail damage in Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon, Ariz. Storms that passed over the Grand Canyon area on Monday and Tuesday evenings caused damage to the River Trail, a trail that connects the popular Bright Angel and Kaibab Trails.
Although the trail is still open to hikers a two mile section of trail was eroded exposing power and water lines. As a result, overnight mule trips to Phantom Ranch, a conssessions operation operated by Xanterra South Rim,
LLC (Xanterra), will be cancelled through at least Saturday, August 5,
or until the trail is safe for mule travel. The one-day mule trips from
the Bright Angel Trailhead to Plateau Point, also operated by Xanterra,
are still available.
The trail damage was discovered after aerial flights that took place on
Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The area known as the Sand Dunes, which is located approximately seven miles below the rim on the River Trail, was the most severely affected by the storms. Approximately 1800 linear feet of trail was eroded and other sections of the River Trail covered in debris.
Trail crew members will replace nine to 12 inches of soil over the
exposed lines and replace fill material where water has eroded the
trail. Trail crew members will also be removing debris that has washed
onto several sections of the River Trail. Repair work is expected to
take seven to 14 days to complete.
There are 22 trail crew members working to repair this two mile section
of trail, along with less damaged areas on other inner canyon trails.
Twelve crew members are with the National Park Service, 10 are
volunteers from the American Conservation Experience, in Flagstaff,
Ariz. (see http://www.usaconservation.org/index.htm for additional
information).
Hikers are reminded to take extra precautions in the areas that have
been damaged by the storm. They should also be aware that workers and equipment, as well as pack mules, will be in the area to repair the
damage.
Park Rangers are using this opportunity to remind inner canyon users
that although flash floods can occur at any time of the year, hikers
should be especially cautious from July to mid-September when severe
thunderstorms can develop rapidly. During storms inner canyon users
should:
ü Be cautious and/or avoid areas subject to flooding – stream beds,
narrow canyons and washes.
ü Not cross flowing water or flooded trails where water is above the
knees.
ü Always face upstream when near or in any creek or drainage and should
always be alert!
ü Move to higher ground immediately if you see or hear a flood coming.
Do not try and outrun a flood.
ü Warn other people downstream when a flash flood occurs.
The possibility of rainfall and flash flooding should be taken seriously
by inner canyon users in Northern Arizona. Those planning a trip into
the canyon should always check the weather forecast before starting a
trip and should be prepared to change plans if storms threaten the area.
Visitors with mule trip reservations through Xanterra should call
(928)
638-2631 for trip status.
For additional information on the status of backcountry trails, please
contact the Grand Canyon Backcountry Information Center at (928)
638-7875. Other backcountry information and safety tips can be found on the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon.
Storms cause trail damage in Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon, Ariz. Storms that passed over the Grand Canyon area on Monday and Tuesday evenings caused damage to the River Trail, a trail that connects the popular Bright Angel and Kaibab Trails.
Although the trail is still open to hikers a two mile section of trail was eroded exposing power and water lines. As a result, overnight mule trips to Phantom Ranch, a conssessions operation operated by Xanterra South Rim,
LLC (Xanterra), will be cancelled through at least Saturday, August 5,
or until the trail is safe for mule travel. The one-day mule trips from
the Bright Angel Trailhead to Plateau Point, also operated by Xanterra,
are still available.
The trail damage was discovered after aerial flights that took place on
Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The area known as the Sand Dunes, which is located approximately seven miles below the rim on the River Trail, was the most severely affected by the storms. Approximately 1800 linear feet of trail was eroded and other sections of the River Trail covered in debris.
Trail crew members will replace nine to 12 inches of soil over the
exposed lines and replace fill material where water has eroded the
trail. Trail crew members will also be removing debris that has washed
onto several sections of the River Trail. Repair work is expected to
take seven to 14 days to complete.
There are 22 trail crew members working to repair this two mile section
of trail, along with less damaged areas on other inner canyon trails.
Twelve crew members are with the National Park Service, 10 are
volunteers from the American Conservation Experience, in Flagstaff,
Ariz. (see http://www.usaconservation.org/index.htm for additional
information).
Hikers are reminded to take extra precautions in the areas that have
been damaged by the storm. They should also be aware that workers and equipment, as well as pack mules, will be in the area to repair the
damage.
Park Rangers are using this opportunity to remind inner canyon users
that although flash floods can occur at any time of the year, hikers
should be especially cautious from July to mid-September when severe
thunderstorms can develop rapidly. During storms inner canyon users
should:
ü Be cautious and/or avoid areas subject to flooding – stream beds,
narrow canyons and washes.
ü Not cross flowing water or flooded trails where water is above the
knees.
ü Always face upstream when near or in any creek or drainage and should
always be alert!
ü Move to higher ground immediately if you see or hear a flood coming.
Do not try and outrun a flood.
ü Warn other people downstream when a flash flood occurs.
The possibility of rainfall and flash flooding should be taken seriously
by inner canyon users in Northern Arizona. Those planning a trip into
the canyon should always check the weather forecast before starting a
trip and should be prepared to change plans if storms threaten the area.
Visitors with mule trip reservations through Xanterra should call
(928)
638-2631 for trip status.
For additional information on the status of backcountry trails, please
contact the Grand Canyon Backcountry Information Center at (928)
638-7875. Other backcountry information and safety tips can be found on the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon.