Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Sept. 2-6, 2024

As many of you may have heard, the park has transitioned to Stage 3 water restrictions as of September 5. This is a significant milestone and a testament to the collective effort and dedication of our community, staff, and partners.

Beginning today, September 5, we will resume overnight accommodations at our park lodges on the South Rim. Reservations are now open, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to these lodges. Your cooperation and commitment to conservation have been instrumental in our progress. Simple actions like limiting showers, turning off faucets, selectively flushing toilets, washing laundry with full loads, and reporting leaks have all significantly contributed to our success in managing water resources.

In Stage 3, for visitors planning to camp, dry camping will continue at Mather and Desert View Campgrounds with water spigots turned off. It’s important to remember that fire restrictions will remain in effect. Wood burning, charcoal fires, and campfires will continue to be prohibited in the South Rim and inner canyon areas. These restrictions are vital for our ongoing water conservation efforts.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our water utilities staff. Their tireless work in repairing the Trans-canyon Waterline and managing our water reserves has been nothing short of extraordinary. Their expertise and perseverance have played a crucial role in our ability to restore services and move forward.

We also want to acknowledge the remarkable work of our Incident Management Team. They have developed a comprehensive Water Response Plan to address both current and future challenges effectively. Your understanding and support have not gone unnoticed, and we deeply appreciate your efforts!

Walhalla Glades Pueblo Stabilization Work

This summer, archaeologists with the park’s Vanishing Treasures (VT) program completed documentation and stabilization treatments at Walhalla Glades Pueblo. The Walhalla Glades Pueblo is an archaeological site on the Walhalla Plateau on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

The Pueblo was constructed by Ancestral Pueblo people about 1,000 years ago. The site offers visitors and park staff the opportunity to learn about how Ancestral Pueblo people, and the other 11 Associated Tribes of Grand Canyon, lived and thrived here.

The 2024 stabilization work completed at this site by the park VT staff included removing old, eroded stabilization mortar in between the courses of stone and then replacing it with new mortar made with local soil. This maintenance helps to ensure that the walls remain stable so visitors can see what a Pueblo looks like before and after excavation. When Ancestral Pueblo families lived here, they probably did similar maintenance as well as additional work like re-plastering walls and replacing ceiling beams.

Ancestral sites like this one continue to be culturally significant to descendent groups today and require respect and care when visiting them. In consultation with the 11 Associated Tribes, NPS staff strive to preserve the rich culture and history for future park visitors to enjoy. You can help protect sensitive cultural resources like these by staying on designated trails, avoiding stepping on walls, and leaving artifacts where you find them.

You can learn more about Grand Canyon’s Vanishing Treasures program at our website: Vanishing Treasures Program – Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).

Tentative Fall Shuttle Bus Schedules

With daylight hours becoming shorter, the Village (Blue) Route and the Kaibab Rim (Orange) Route will be starting a bit later each morning. The fall schedules begin on Saturday, September 7.

• Village (Blue) Route: first bus is at 7 am – last bus at 9 p.m.
• Kaibab Rim (Orange) Route: first bus is at 6 a.m. – last bus one hour after sunset
• The Hermit Road (Red) Route schedule is slated to remain the same. First bus is at 8 a.m. – last bus, one hour after sunset.
• Starting this Saturday, September 7, the Hiker Express bus will leave the village at 6, 7, and 8 am, each morning. (The schedule for tomorrow and Friday is 5 and 6 am).
• The last day for the Tusayan (Purple) Route is this Friday, September 6. The route is scheduled to resume during summer 2025.

Grand Canyon Music Festival Enters Second Week

The Grand Canyon Music Festival showcases a variety of music types, including classical, contemporary (modern composers and new works) along with Jazz and Blues.

Performances are scheduled to take place on Fridays and Saturdays – running through Saturday, September 14, in the Shrine of the Ages Auditorium. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is by donation with a suggested donation of $20.

This week, on Friday and Saturday, September 6-7, the Manhattan Chamber Players present two classical music concerts featuring works by Mozart, Dvořák, Brahms and Pigovat. More information on this concert can be found here:

Manhattan Chamber Players – GCMF (grandcanyonmusicfest.org)

Starting this Saturday, September 7, a group of 23 artists from around the country will spend a week creating plein air paintings, at locations of their choice, here on the South Rim. Park residents and visitors will have the opportunity to watch the artists at work as they seek to represent the shifting light and shadow, amazing landforms, and vibrant colors of this vast landscape.

Their work will then be presented at an Exhibition and Sale that will open to the public at Kolb Studio on September 15, 2024, and continue through January 20, 2025.

Proceeds from this event support the goal of funding a permanent art venue at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon Conservancy have been hosting Celebration of Art since 2009.

More information on this year’s Celebration of Art, including a calendar of events can be found on GCC’s website here.

Community Blood Drive September 6

The Rec Center will be hosting a community blood drive through Vitalant on Friday, September 6, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Appointments are suggested, and to schedule, individuals can visit www.donors.vitalant.org (Blood Drive Code: grandcyn).

Vitalant is the sole supplier to 96% of AZ Hospitals including the Flagstaff Medical Center. More information can be found in the attached flyer here.

Kaibab Learning Center Moving Event on Saturday, September 7

Beginning Monday, September 9, the Kaibab Learning Center will be closed for two months for interior renovations.

The KLC is looking for volunteers to help move furniture from the building to a nearby Connex box this Saturday, September 7th from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. A hotdog lunch will be provided.

The KLC will be also hosting a Bingo Night and Filipino Spaghetti Dinner sale at the Grand Canyon Rec Center on Wednesday, Sep. 11 beginning at 6 p.m. More information on this event can be found in the attached flyer here.

September Calendar of Events for the Grand Canyon Rec Center

See all the great events planned at the Grand Canyon Rec Center for September!

Details can be found in the attached flyer 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 Café/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.
• 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 Dining Hall: Currently CLOSED but will resume normal operations beginning 9/6: Breakfast 7-10:30 a.m., Dinner 5-9 p.m., Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-10 p.m., Coffee Shop: 6:30 a.m. -5 p.m.
• Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Deli CLOSED and with reopening on 9/6 with normal hours
• Camper Services laundry and shower: CLOSED due to Stage 3 water restrictions (tentative reopening of Sep. 14)
• Trailer Village Kiosk: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Other

• Grand Canyon Clinic: Monday-Friday, 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): Open daily from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Conservancy stores: Verkamps and Yavapai Geology Museum-8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Visitor Center Plaza-8 a.m.-7 p.m., Kolb Studio-8 a.m.-6 p.m., (Beginning 9/4, the Kolb Gallery will be closed. GCC Celebration of Art Gallery will open to the public at 1 p.m. on Sunday, 9/15.)
• 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 Community Yoga & Wellness (at the Rec Center): Full class schedule can be found here. Use discount GCLOCALS at checkout.

Desert View

• Desert View Trading Post and ice cream and coffee shop, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Desert View Watchtower, 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. daily. Stairs and tower access available until 6 p.m., beginning 9/8 store will move to fall hours of 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Last stair access will be at 4:40 p.m. with stairs closing at 5 p.m.
• The Desert View Deli, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Desert View convenience store, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

North Rim

• North Rim Visitor Center (GCC), 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, beginning on 9/8, hours will move to 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
• Ranger Roost (located at the Roaring Springs Overlook), daily 10 a.m.- 4p.m. through October 15, 2024
• NPS Backcountry Information Center, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-5 p.m. daily
• Camper Store by campground (Aramark), 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
• Guest Laundry and Showers, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. staffed, unstaffed from 7-10 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Lodge Gift Shop (Aramark), 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily

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

• NPS Water Utilities over the past several weeks of Transcanyon Waterline repair work (NPS Photos)
• NPS Vanishing Treasures Program staff work on rehabilitating the Walhalla Glades Pueblo on the North Rim (NPS Photos)
• Manhattan Chambers Player (Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon Music Festival)
• Michelle Condrat painting on the South Rim of Grand Canyon’s Celebration of Art (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)