Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: April 15-19, 2024

Grand Reopening of Tusayan Montane (Ten X) Campground

Mark your calendars for Monday, April 22 as the Kaibab National Forest celebrates the grand re-opening of the Tusayan Montane Campground, formerly known as Ten X!

The event will kick off at 10 a.m., with speakers and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:30, and conclude with a guided nature trail hike at 1 p.m.

The reopening event commemorates the expansion of this campground which began in 2020. This project not only increases overnight camping opportunities for the many visitors to the area but also improves overall visitor experience by upgrading aging facilities and adding amenities to the campground.

More information on this event can be found in the attached flyer here.

The Grand Canyon community is invited to a special premiere of the new film, “We Are Grand Canyon.” Please join us for the first screenings of this moving and heartfelt film, welcoming visitors to Grand Canyon National Park from those who have called it home since time immemorial – the 11 Associated Tribes of the Grand Canyon.

A project several years in the making, this film is a joint creation by the Intertribal Working Group (ItWG), Grand Canyon National Park, and Grand Canyon Conservancy, and was filmed and edited by Ryan Christensen of Bristlecone Media. A special thank you to all the tribal members who participated in making this film.

Event Details:

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Center

8 South Entrance Road

Grand Canyon South Rim Village Community Reception, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

6:00 pm: Filming Premiere (1st showing)

7:00 pm: Filming Premiere (2nd showing)

We hope you can join us for this special event!

Upcoming Park Programming!

*Check the park’s website for more details on park programs and special events.

South Rim: Village

• Constellations over the Canyon (60 min): 8:30 p.m., Thursday 4/25, meet at Grand Canyon Visitor Center Theater.
• Astronomy Nights: Constellation Talks start at 8:45 p.m., Telescope viewing between 8:30-10 p.m., Friday 4/26 through Sunday 4/28, meet at Grand Canyon Visitor Center Theater (follow the red rope lights).
• Summer Programming, including Daily Ranger Programs, will begin May 11.

South Rim: Desert View

• Cultural Demonstrations will pause for seasonal staff training starting 4/22 and will restart on 5/7.

North Rim

•    Summer Programming will begin when the North Rim opens on May 15.

Ed Waldron

Chief of Fire and Aviation Management (Fire Management Officer)

I started my wildland fire career while I was in college at the University of Vermont studying Wildlife Biology and minored in Forestry. I worked on a trail crew during my summers on the Pike National Forest where fire fighting was a secondary duty. After graduation from the University of Vermont I started my NPS career working on a fuels crew at Grand Teton National Park. I spent two seasons there perfecting my chain saw skills and had the opportunity to be one of the original crew members on the Black Hills Wildland Fire Module. I worked over 13 years on Wildland Fire Modules (3 years on Black Hills, 3 years as the Assistant on Whiskeytown, and 7 years as the leader for the Zion Wildland Fire Module). After Zion, I was the Fire Management Officer at Big Bend National Park and Crater Lake National Park before taking this assignment here at Grand Canyon.

I have a long history here at the Grand Canyon. My wife Alexis worked on the Helitack Crew, we got married on the South Rim and the day after the wedding hiked the rim to rim. Getting the FMO job here was like coming home even though I have never officially worked here at the Grand Canyon until a year ago. We have a lot of friends who currently work at the park.

How long have you worked at GRCA? Where are you based out of?

I have been here for a little over a year and based in Flagstaff. However, my history with the park goes back to the Outlet fire in 2000 which was my first of many fires that I have worked here at the Grand Canyon. When I left the Zion Module the joke at my party was that I worked more over the years at the Grand Canyon than most of the fire employees that were currently on staff.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What is there not to like? I get to help manage and shape the fire program at Grand Canyon National Park, one of the 7 wonders of the world. There is so much that we can do in fire management for the preservation of the landscapes and the ecosystems for the generations after us.

Can you share a memorable or rewarding experience you’ve had while working here?

Last summer I took a training where I needed to stay at the Albright Training Center and it was amazing to be out on the rim edge to enjoy the sunrise. I know the joke is that we get paid in sunrises and sunsets as NPS employees, but being able to watch that daily for the week of training was memorable and empowering.

What’s the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had (besides your current one)?

While on the Module we got to go to many amazing places and do some amazing things. One of the more memorable was helping Saguaro National Park fly 55 gal drums of human waste from the latrines at Manning Camp. 🙂

Delaware North sponsors ‘Fix it’ Clinic at Rec Center April 19

Delaware North will be sponsoring a ‘Fix It’ Clinic at the Rec Center on Friday, April 19 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Have a household item in need of repair? Bring your broken items to the event where a team of “fixers” will try to repair it for you, free of charge. All community members are welcome.

More information on the event can be found in the attached flyer here.

Grand Canyon Rec Center to host Earth Week events

Come celebrate a week’s worth of activities surrounding Earth Day beginning Sunday, April 21! All activities are free to join at the Community Rec Center. Events include a community bike ride, tye-dye social, trash pickup, full moon hike, and much much more!

For more information on these events, see the attached flyer here.

North Country Healthcare presents Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening Event

On Monday, April 29 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., North Country Healthcare will sponsor a breast and cervical cancer screening event. All major insurances accepted, no referral needed for annual mammogram screening.

More information can be found in the attached flyer here (English) and the attached flyer here (Spanish).

Town of Tusayan Weekend of Festivities—May 3-5

The Town of Tusayan is sponsoring several astronomy events and a Cinco de Mayo festival May 3-5.

On Friday, May 3, there will be a free showing of ‘Deep Sky’ an IMAX film on the images from the Webb telescope, and the ‘Grand Canyon Rivers of Time’ at the IMAX theater at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, May 4, there will be a drone and light show after dusk at the Tusayan Sports Complex with telescope viewing available.

Tusayan’s second annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Sunday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 4 to 9:30 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community. There will also be lawn games, Mexican music and dancing, and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy.

A full flyer with more details on the event can be found here.

South Rim

Xanterra

• Maswik Cafeteria, 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Maswik Pizza Pub, 4-10 p.m.
• Bright Angel Fountain, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Harvey House Cafe/Fred Harvey Burger Restaurant, Breakfast 6:30-10:30 a.m., Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Dinner 4-9 p.m.
• Fred Harvey Tavern, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
• Arizona Steakhouse, Lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Dinner 4:30-9 p.m.
• El Tovar Dining Room and Lounge – Breakfast 6:30-10 a.m., Lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Dinner 4:30-9:30 p.m., Lounge, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Food until 9 p.m.), Patio closed until further notice.
• Fred Harvey Food Truck (parked at shuttle bus bay at visitor center): Open as of April 1
• The Grand Canyon Kennel, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
• Grand Canyon Rec Center, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

Delaware North

• Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-9 p.m., Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 7 a.m. -2 p.m., Cafe, 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Yavapai Dining Hall: TEMPORARILY CLOSED
• Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Deli 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Camper Services laundry and shower: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Other

• Grand Canyon Clinic: Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Bright Angel Bikes, Rental: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Café 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Visitor Center (GCVC): Sunday, April 7 through Saturday, April 20: The visitor center will be open 5 days per week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Also, because of the reduction in staff, ranger programs will not be presented during this time.
• Grand Canyon Conservancy stores: Visitor Center Plaza, Verkamps and Yavapai Geology Museum 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Kolb Studio is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and closed on Friday and Saturday.
• The Grand Canyon Community Library: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Food Pantry: Monday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesday 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday 2-4 p.m.
• Canyon Closet: Every Wednesday from 12-2 p.m., first and third Saturday of each month from 12-3 p.m.
• Canyon Community Yoga & Wellness (at the Rec Center)- Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays 6:30 p.m., Fitness Classes: Strength Training Sundays 9 a.m., Core Strength Thursdays 6:30 p.m. View full schedule here: https://www.canyoncommunityyoga.com/schedule

Desert View

• Desert View Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream and Market, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Desert View Watchtower, 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. daily
• The Desert View Deli, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Desert View Campground will reopen for the season on Saturday, April 13 and will close mid-October 2024. Again this year, reservations are solely booked through www.rec.gov and is nearly sold out every day until June.

Please visit the Grand Canyon National Park website for a complete list of closures and available amenities.

• Havasu Creek (Photo courtesy of Jesse Barden)
• “We Are Grand Canyon” event image (Photo courtesy of GCC)
• Ed Waldron, Fire Management Officer (Photo courtesy of E. Waldron)