Grand Canyon National Park
Key Messages – Week of April 4, 2022
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Arizona and Grand Canyon Community Statistics
As of March 31, Coconino County community transmission is now substantial, and the community level is low. Total cases for the week of March 24 to March 30, is 10,143, which is an average of 1,449 cases per day for the seven-day rolling weekly average. The uptick in cases this week explains why the community transmission went from moderate to substantial.
No new cases have been reported this week in the 86023 zip code or in the Park. We are still at 420 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. This is the longest stretch since early in the pandemic that we have had no new cases.
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Grand Canyon and Tusayan April vaccine events
The Coconino County Health and Human Services Mobile Vaccination team will hold its next mobile vaccination event for Grand Canyon and Tusayan on Monday, April 25. The Grand Canyon event will be held at the Rec Center from 9-11 a.m. ( see full flyer here) and the Tusayan event will be held at the Tusayan Fire Station from 1-3 p.m ( see full flyer here). As a reminder, as of last week, the FDA and CDC has approved a second booster dose for individuals who are age 50 or older. They recommend the booster be given 4 months after your first booster.
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Reporting COVID symptoms is critical to limiting exposure and keeping our staff and community safe.
If you think you may have been exposed to COVID, regardless of your vaccination status, immediately isolate and report to your supervisor and Public Health Consultant, Ronan King, and await their instructions.
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Public Health Contacts
Ronan King, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service
For all email correspondence, please also cc: Chris Glime, Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
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Messages and Grand Canyon News
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Grand Canyon Visitor Center changes in operations
Due to low staffing levels, there will be modified operations to Grand Canyon Visitor Center information desk hours this spring.
From April 8-23, the outdoor GCVC Information Desk will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday to Monday. Please note, the building is still closed to the public and the GCVC Theater is under construction. Ranger programs will continue at 11 a.m. at the Yavapai Geology Museum Amphitheater, Thursday to Monday through April 23.
From April 24-May 7, the GCVC Information Desk will be closed. Rangers will be roving the GCVC Plaza intermittently, however, no formal visitor programs, including the 11 a.m. program at Yavapai Museum Amphitheater, will be held. Beginning May 8, the information desk will be staffed daily. More information on hours of operation can be found on the park’s website here.
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NPS Wellness Survey results and next steps
Remember that Wellness Survey from last summer? What ever happened with that?
In June 2021, the Employee Safety & Wellness Team (ESWT) asked NPS employees for their opinion on GRCA’s updated Wellness Program. The results were compiled by the WASO Wellness Office. Since this winter, the ESWT have been working to launch an updated Wellness Program based on your feedback! If you would like to see the results of the survey, you can access the full version here. Here are some of the things we’re working on based on your feedback:
- Regular communication and updates from the Employee Safety & Wellness Team
- Organizing a Speaker Series to include topics like nutrition, stress management, financial planning, meditation, etc.
- Working with GRCA management in exploring options to promote fitness at work
- Organizing a Virtual 5k Event in Fall 2022 for employees
- Long term planning for developing a Healthy Rewards Incentive Program (financial incentives for employees doing healthy activities)
Keep an eye out for regular communication from our team in this newsletter! If you are interested in getting involved in the team, or if you have other ideas to share, please reach out to us at GRCA_Health_Safety_Wellness_Committee@nps.gov.
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Safety Tip—Stretching before manual labor
Many injuries reported every year could have been prevented by practicing proper body mechanics and stretching before and during field work. This website from the US Forest Service shows some proper stretching techniques you can implement with your team. Also, maintaining the following good body mechanics while standing/walking/lifting/etc. will help keep you safe and avoid injury:
- Stand with your feet approx. shoulder width apart to create a sturdy foundation
- Bend at your knees and not your waist.
- Keep your back, neck, hips, and feet aligned when you move – avoid twisting and bending at the waist.
- Stagger your feet slightly when lifting.
- When carrying heavy objects, hold close to your body at waist level. Please contact christina_ryan-miller@nps.gov for more information.
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Doug Lentz retires after 43-year career with NPS
Please join us in extending best wishes to Doug Lentz, who retired last week after a 43-year career with the NPS. Doug has been working in Grand Canyon National Park for more than 13 years, 12 as the Chief of Commercial Services, overseeing one of the most complex concession operations in the NPS.
Lentz’s first position with the NPS was on a roads crew in Yellowstone National Park in 1979. Since that time, he has held permanent positions as an interpretive ranger, law enforcement ranger, backcountry ranger, supervisory law enforcement ranger, concessions specialist, management assistant/concessions specialist, acting superintendent for four months at three parks, and superintendent of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor (2002-2009).
Doug lives in Flagstaff with his wife Catherine, an Environmental Protection Specialist in the park’s office of Planning, Environment, and Projects. They have a 23-year-old son, Connor, who recently graduated from NAU and is a ski instructor at Snowbowl and is teaching at NAU.
If you would like to reach out to Doug to wish him well in retirement he can be contacted at: npslentz@gmail.com. Doug’s arrowhead is also outside of the Superintendent’s office on the 2nd floor of Headquarters if you would like to stop by and sign it.
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South Rim District Report Available
Curious what South Rim Patrol has been up to the last few weeks?
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Grand Canyon Community Corner
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New firefighters joined the on-duty crew at Station 1 on April 1 for a station tour. The two new recruits helped Captain Matt Nordin, Firefighters Kenny Carr and Justin Greenbauer stretch hose, flow water, and repack hose. The Grand Canyon Fire Department is staffed by both NPS Park Rangers and Xanterra firefighters, providing emergency medical services, fire protection, and rescue services. Photos courtesy of Captain Matt Nordin, Grand Canyon Fire Department.
Parents and families wishing to see the fire trucks and meet firefighters, can contact Captain Matt Nordin at manordin@xanterra.com. Scheduling and availability is dependent on emergency call volume.
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Grand Canyon Rec Center April Events
- Interested in starting or joining a summer community softball league? Want to learn how to ballroom dance?
- New to the park and want to be shown around the village or take trips in the local area?
- Want to join bi-monthly community bike rides?
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Kaibab Learning Center to host Pancake Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt
KLC will once again be hosting a fundraising pancake breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 16 from 7:30-11 a.m. The breakfast will be held in the Grand Canyon School Cafeteria and the Easter Egg Hunt on the school track field.
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Current Operational Hours
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Please note, new operational changes are highlighted in red.
South Rim
Xanterra
- Maswik Lodge Cafeteria, 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Due to current staffing shortages, Maswik Pizza Pub will be closing this Thursday, April 7 with reopening scheduled for June 3, 2022. Visitors can expect wait times at all other food and beverage operations.
- Bright Angel Coffee Shop, 7 a.m.-11 a.m.
- Bright Angel Fountain grab and go, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- Fred Harvey Burger, breakfast 8:00-10:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., dinner 4-9 p.m.
- The Arizona Steakhouse, lunch service from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Fred Harvey Tavern, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Grand Canyon Kennel-daily from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
- All Xanterra retail outlets have expanded their grab-and-go food and beverage offerings to further mitigate visitor lines and wait times.
Delaware North
- Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-10 p.m.
- Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Deli-7 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Camper Services: Delaware North will be extending the Camper Services laundry and shower hours to 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. beginning Wednesday, April 6. The last laundry load will be at 7:30 p.m. and the last shower will be at 8:45 pm.
Other
- Bright Angel Bikes
- Rental: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Cafe-7 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Grand Canyon Visitor Center Information Desk: 9 a.m.-4 p.m, Thursday-Monday, April 8-23: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday-Monday (more information see above)
- Grand Canyon Conservancy stores (Kolb Studio, Verkamps Visitor Center, Visitor Center Plaza, and Yavapai Geology Museum), 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
- Kolb Studio will be closed to the public beginning on April 18 due to low staffing levels. More information on a potential future reopening will be shared in this newsletter.
Desert View
- Desert View Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream and Market, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
- Desert View Watchtower, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
The following closures are in place:
- Desert View Campground (reopening April 15, 2022)
- Yavapai Lodge Restaurant (tentative reopening Spring 2022)
- Maswik South Lodging (tentative opening Spring/Summer 2022)
- North Rim services (tentative reopen-May 15, 2022)
- Grand Canyon Community Library and Canyon Closet
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Photo Credits (in order of appearance)
- Western redbud in full bloom at Indian Garden/Havasupai Gardens (NPS Photo/S. Kubicek)
- Utah serviceberry along the Tonto Trail (NPS Photo/D. Yurcik)
- An interpretation ranger sits at a table inside the Grand Canyon Visitor Center (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
- View from the Tonto (NPS Photo/C. Merritt)
- Doug Lentz alongside a Pearl Harbor Survivor (photo courtesy of D. Lentz)
- Doug and Crissy from the Grand Canyon Post Office displaying National Park Service Centennial – Grand Canyon Postage Stamp. May 11, 2016 (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
- Xanterra firefighters show “new recruits” the engines and Staion One last week (Photo courtesy of Xanterra Captain, Matt Nordin)
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Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.
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