Grand Canyon News Summary:

01-616 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Falling Fatality

On Friday, November 23rd, park dispatch received a report that a woman had fallen off the rim at Tuweep Point. Fern Shelton, 72, of St. George, Utah, had been visiting the remote area on the North Rim with her husband and family. She asked her husband to take her photo near the edge; as she was walking to the photo point, she fell over the edge. Another companion drove six miles to the Tuweep Ranger Station and used the emergency satellite telephone to report the accident. Grand Canyon SAR personnel responded by helicopter and located the victim approximately 675 feet below the accident site. SAR personnel hiked to the location the next day. Shelton's body was lifted to Tuweep Point by helicopter long line and transferred to the Mohave County medical examiner's office in Kingman by an Arizona DPS helicopter. An investigation will be conducted. [Bil Vandergraff, Operations Chief, GRCA, 11/26]

August 30, 2001
For immediate Release
Maureen Oltrogge 928-638-7779

Grand Canyon National Park to Reopen Bright Angel Trail

The National Park Service will reopen the popular Bright Angel Trail to the public on Saturday, September 1, at 12:01 a.m. in time for the Labor Day Weekend. The Bright Angel Trail from the trailhead to Indian Garden was closed on August 13, due to damage caused by heavy rains. The heaviest damage occurred between mile 1.5 and mile 2.5 on the Bright Angel Trail. A pipeline that carries water from the south rim to Mile-and-a-half Resthouse and the Three-Mile Resthouse was also damaged.

Twenty-eight members of the National Park Service trail crew worked to repair the damaged trail. Work consisted of moving large boulders and debris, rebuilding trail and retaining walls, reconstructing tread, and replacing water bars. Livery staff from Amfac Resorts, LLC (Amfac) (a south rim concessioner) provided assistance in less damaged areas allowing the National Park Service to complete work on the Bright Angel Trail in time for the busy weekend. Repairs to the pipeline have also been completed and water service restored at the resthouses.

The Backcountry Information Center will resume issuing overnight hiking permits for Indian Garden and Bright Angel Campgrounds effective Saturday, September 1. With the reopening of the Bright Angel Trail, one-day mule trips to Plateau Point, offered by Amfac, and their overnight mule trips that had been rerouted down the South Kaibab Trail will resume normal operations on Saturday.

The kiosk at the Bright Angel Trailhead, operated by Delaware North Parks Services, where last minute hiker supplies are available for purchase will also resume operation on Saturday. Both the Bright Angel Kiosk and the kiosk at the South Kaibab Trailhead will remain open through Monday, September 3rd, when they will close for the season. The hours of operation are Bright Angel Kiosk: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and South Kaibab Kiosk: 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST.

• Choose an appropriate hike - don't hike beyond your ability.
• Watch your time. Allow 1/3 of your to hike in and 2/3 to hike out.
• Don't hike during the hottest part of the day - the deeper you go, the hotter it gets.
• Eat and drink regularly. Fluid and electrolytes must be balanced. Carry and drink at least one quart of water per hour of hiking.
• Eat carbohydrate-rich foods.

Hikers are also reminded that the monsoon season, which generally extends from mid-July through mid-September, can produce intense rain showers and thunderstorms that can come without warning. Travel in drainages and washes during a monsoon rain are particularly hazardous. It is important to stay alert to your surroundings while hiking in the Grand Canyon and to anticipate known weather conditions during the time of year you are hiking.

For additional information visitors can contact the Backcountry Information Center Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST at (928) 638-7875; for information on mule trips please call Amfac at (303) 297-2757 and (928) 638-7888 for general park information. Visitors can also find general park information and photographs of the trail damage on our website at www.nps.gov/grca.

01-470 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Follow-up: Search for Missing Hikers

On the evening of August 18th, the park was notified that two hikers were ten days overdue from a hike in the Grand Canyon. Long-time Grand Canyon hiker George Lamont Mancuso, 46, and his hiking companion,Linda Brehmer, 51, were due back home in Flagstaff on August 8th.

A search for them was begun the next day. On August 23rd, park and Coconino County Sheriff's Department SAR personnel found Brehmer's body at the lower end of Big Canyon, a tributary to the Little Colorado River, which is on the Navajo Indian Reservation. On the morning of August 26th, while interagency crews were searching the Little Colorado for Mancuso, river patrol rangers found his body about six miles from the point where Brehmer's remains were discovered.

Mancuso's reputation as a Grand Canyon hiking aficionado and acclaimed outdoor photographer had drawn considerable attention to the search efforts. Based upon the search investigation, it's believed that Mancuso and Brehmer departed their campsite at the base of Salt Trail Canyon for a day hike to a waterfall known as Emerald Pool in Big Canyon.

That same afternoon, a monsoon storm hit State Highway 89 30 miles east of their location with such intensity that vehicles on the roadway were suddenly stranded by flood waters. This storm probably caused a flash flood in Big Canyon that caught Mancuso and Brehmer without warning. The incident was managed under unified command.

[Ken Phillips, GRCA, 8/29]

Links to related news stories:

• 12 News: Body Found in the Grand Canyon
• Arizona Daily Sun: Searchers find clues in missing woman's journal
• Arizona Daily Sun: Missing man has history of being overdue

Flash Flood Kills 3

Associated Press
Aug. 13, 2001 01:05:00

Flash floods swept a 2-year-old boy and his parents to their deaths
while they were hiking in a canyon on their way to the tribal village
of Supai.

The names of the Dulce, N.M., residents were not immediately released,
Bureau of Indian Affairs investigator John Yellow Hawk said.

The couple's 16-year-old daughter, who had hiked to the village
earlier Friday with her 4-year-old brother, called authorities when
the rest of the family didn't arrive by Saturday morning.

Rescuers found their bodies an hour later near Cataract Canyon, about
3 1/2 miles from the village, Yellow Hawk said.

The bodies were taken to a private mortuary in Flagstaff, he said.

A family of four was horseback riding in the canyon about one mile
away from where the bodies were found and barely escaped the floods,
though one of the horses died, he added.

Supai is accessible only by helicopter or by the eight-mile hiking
trail from the canyon rim 2,000 feet above.

Heavy rains brought flash floods to the area late Friday night when
the victims were trying to hike down to the village for a the Peach
Festival, an annual Havasupai tribal celebration, Yellow Hawk said.

The 188,077-acre Havasupai reservation covers the red-rock cliffs of
the canyon and part of the plateau above.

The area is known for its blue-green waterfalls. Visitors are
encouraged to travel to the falls in the spring or early summer.
During late summer, monsoon storms hit Arizona and periodically cause
flooding in the canyon.

August 13, 2001
For immediate Release
Maureen Oltrogge 928-638-7779

Rain Damage Closes Bright Angel Trail

Effective immediately, the Bright Angel Trail is closed due to damage
caused by heavy rain early this morning. The trail is closed from the
Bright Angel Trailhead down to Indian Garden, a distance of
approximately 4.6 miles. In addition, the pipeline that carries water
from the south rim to the resthouses at mile-and-a-half and 3 mile
suffered a break at mile-and-a-half, near the resthouse. No injuries
have been reported.

The National Park Service (NPS) is in the process of conducting a
complete assessment of the Bright Angel Trail and trans-canyon
pipeline to determine the full extent of damage. Early assessments
indicate most of the trail damage occurred on a section of trail
between Mile-and-a-half Resthouse and mile 2.3. Until a complete
assessment can be conducted it is not known how long the Bright Angel
Trail will be closed, however, crews currently estimate that the trail
could be closed for approximately three weeks.

The South Kaibab and North Kaibab Trails remain open. The NPS
Backcountry Office will not issue any new backcountry permits for
Indian Garden Campground during this closure period. Hikers who
already have reservations at Indian Garden Campground are being
contacted by the backcountry office and hiking itineraries changed as
necessary. One-day mule trips to Plateau Point have been cancelled
until further notice and overnight mule trips to Phantom Ranch have
been rerouted down the South Kaibab Trail.

The Flagstaff Weather Service reported 2.69 inches of rain fell
between 5:00 p.m. yesterday and 5:00 a.m. this morning - with the
heaviest rain reported at approximately 2:12 a.m. The monsoon season,
which generally extends from mid-July through mid-September, can
produce intense rain showers and thunderstorms that can come without
warning. Travel in drainages and washes during a monsoon rain are
particularly hazardous. It is important to stay alert to your
surroundings while hiking in the Grand Canyon and to anticipate known
weather conditions during the time of year you are hiking. The last
time the Bright Angel Trail closed due to damage from flooding was on
July 14, 1999.

For information on backcountry permits, please call 928-638-7875
Monday through Friday from 1-5 p.m. MST. For general park information
please call 928-638-7888.

A Murder Mystery at the Grand Canyon.

Condor Egg found on the Grand Canyon's North Rim. More on condors from an article in the Washington Post.

Quieter Hiking Ahead. FAA to Reroute air traffic over the Grand Canyon.

Rt 67 Closed to the North Rim

Effective at Noon 22 November 2000 the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has closed Hwy. 67 to the North Rim for the winter season.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS AT GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

June 3, 2000 - Extreme fire danger conditions exist in Grand Canyon National Park. Drought conditions have been present since early spring and rain is not expected until the summer monsoons. These conditions increase the chances of both human and lightning-caused
fires.

To ensure public safety and provide the highest degree of protection to park resources, the following restrictions will be implemented beginning at 8:00 AM on Tuesday June 6th, and will be effective until the threat of wildfire decreases significantly. This should occur at the onset of summer monsoons, which is typically in mid-July.

Although much of the park remains open - including the developed areas on both the North and South Rims - the following closures and restrictions are in place:

Roads

All unpaved roads on the North and South Rims are closed; however, persons holding valid backcountry permits for inner-canyon hikes may drive on dirt roads to access trailheads. These permit holders must check in upon arrival at a Park Backcountry permit office, prior to travel on restricted roads. The road to Tuweep and Toroweep will not be effected by this closure.

Trails

All trails in the inner-canyon are open.
Trails in developed areas and adjacent to paved roadways are open.
Backcountry trails on both the North and South Rims are closed,
including the Waldron Trail on the South Rim and the following trails on the North Rim:
Arizona Trail - includes all sections within Park boundaries:

• Elephant Bog Trail
• Point Imperial Trail
• Ken Patrick Trail
• Greenland Cabin Trail
• Cape Final Trail
• Cliff Springs Trail
• Widforss Trail
• Uncle Jim Trail, with the exception of guided mule hikes.

Campfires

No wood or charcoal fires are permitted.
Campstoves and gas grills are permitted in designated campsites, picnic areas, residential areas, and the inner-canyon.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in all backcountry areas. Smoking is permitted in or adjacent to buildings in locations with an ashtray. Smoking is permitted in designated areas within facilities and in private vehicles, provided that an ashtray is used.

Fireworks

Fireworks are prohibited on Federal lands at all times.

Grand Canyon National Park remains open. All facilities and programs are operational.

If you have questions about backcountry permits, please call the Backcountry Office at 520- 638-7875, from Monday- Friday, 1:00-5:00 PM, MST.

Donna Nemeth
Fire Information Officer

For Immediate Release Margee Hench 520 638-7601

HIKER DIES IN INNER-CANYON

On Friday, June 2, a Belgian man died along the Tonto Trail in the inner-canyon backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

At 4:30 pm the National Park Service received a report from a commercial river trip of a male hiker in severe distress along the Tonto Trail, at a location two miles west of its intersection with the South Bass Trail. The hiker's companions had hiked down to the river for water, where they asked the river trip to call for help. Rangers in the park's helicopter were already in the vicinity, responding to another medical call. The helicopter was diverted to the hiker on the Tonto Trail, and was on the scene at 4:47 pm.

In conjuntion with medical control, the responding rangers declared the individual deceased at the scene. The deceased was evacuated to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and was subsequently transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office. An investigation into the cause and circumstances of his death is underway.

The victim was on a backpacking trip with three other Belgian men. The group began hiking on Tuesday, May 30 for a scheduled three-day, two-night trip in a remote area of Grand Canyon. The victim's hiking partners reported that they had difficulty locating water and changed their itinerary to make trips to the Colorado River for water.

The Tonto Trail traverses the Tonto Plateau, a large plateau area approximately 2000' above the Colorado River on the south wall of the Grand Canyon. It is primarily accessed by several trails from the South Rim, including the South Bass Trail which leaves the rim about 25 miles west of Grand Canyon Village. The Tonto Trail is exposed with very little opportunity for protection from the sun or other environmental elements. Daytime high temperatures have been over 100' F in this area.

During this dry, hot time of year, hikers are reminded to plan well. Eat and Drink regularly while hiking. Fluid and electrolyte levels must be balanced. Don't hike during the hottest part of the day. Begin longer hikes before 7 am or after 4 pm. Do not hike beyond your ability.

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June 3, 2000