Grand Canyon North Rim Habitat Restoration, Arizona

August 17-24, 2008 Trip Number: 08317A

Price: $550 Deposit: $75 Capacity: 14 Leader: Herbert Stein

Highlights:  Hike the Grand Canyon  Get the chance to see the endangered California Condor  Stay in an old logging camp in a Ponderosa Pine Forest Includes:  All meals  All accommodations

The Trip

We will be working for the Grand Canyon Trust in both the North Rim of The Grand Canyon NP and the adjoining Kaibab National Forest. We will be staying in a refurbished logging camp in the National Forest, either in bunks or in your own tents (whichever you prefer).

The vistas from the Grand Canyon 's northern flank are awesome, and thanks to its relative inaccessibility, the North Rim gets far fewer visitors than the better known South Rim. Trails lead through ponderosa pines to superb overlooks of the majestic canyon and down into it. At elevations of 8,000- plus feet, the North Rim supports a true sub-alpine ecosystem with several endemic plant and animal species. The National Forest is a continuation of this ecosystem and has its own interesting trails and sites.

The Project

We'll help with various projects in different locations. These projects include the chance to collect seeds from native species, collect biological scientific data, evaluate burn severity, forage inventory, refurbish trails, or construct fences in the national forest. We will have a better idea of exactly what we will be doing after snow melt when the Grand Canyon Trust staff has a chance to review the area and redraw their priorities. For safety, all participants must have sturdy work boots, long pants, and leather work gloves.

Itinerary

We will meet at Mangum Camp southeast of Fredonia and southwest of Jacob Lake in the North Rims Kaibab National Forest. On our days off, we'll take day hikes including an excursion down the canyon on the North Kaibab Trail. Our work may take us to areas typically inaccessible to most visitors, including sensitive meadow habitats. Getting There

Detailed instructions will be mailed to all participants. To arrange carpooling, the leaders will make a trip roster available. You will be responsible for getting to the meeting place. The trip leader will assist with travel arrangement plans, as needed. Las Vegas is the closest airport to the canyon. It is about 250 miles from Mangum Camp, north on I-15. An alternate would be to fly into Phoenix or Flagstaff, AZ, and then loop around the east side of the Canyon on US 89.

Accommodations and Food

We will be staying in the Kaibab National Forest at Mangum Camp which is accessible by car and has a kitchen, showers and bathroom facilities. You can sleep indoors on a cot or bunk or in a tent outdoors. In either case you will need your own sleeping bag. We will provide potable water. RVs/campers are welcome. Meals will consist of vegetarian friendly fare cooked from scratch in camp. If you have special dietary concerns or food allergies, make sure that you include this information on your trip application. Everyone will share in meal preparation and clean-up duties on a rotating basis.

Trip Difficulty

The work will involve day hikes of up to a few miles with a daypack. Some of the work could be quite strenuous. Most of this will be at elevations of up to 8,200-8,600 feet. To be able to enjoy it, participants should be reasonably fit. Participants should realize that it might take a couple of days to adjust to the relatively high altitude.

Equipment and Clothing

Expect a variety of weather conditions and temperatures. Sunscreen and a hat, raingear, warm clothes, and a warm sleeping bag are essential. Evening temperatures are likely to be in the 40s and 50s. Early morning frost is likely. Daytime temperatures are likely to be warm and sunny. Rain is very possible and there is actually a very slight chance that we might see a little snow. The Sierra Club provides all food and cooking equipment, but you must bring your own utensils, cup, bowl, and a plastic container with a lid suitable for carrying your lunch. The leader will have a basic first-aid kit, but you should bring moleskin, bandages, aspirin, etc., as well as any medications. You will need a day pack large enough to carry your lunch, raingear, and water (at least three quarts) to the work site each day. The leader will provide a detailed equipment list to registered participants.

Conservation

Grand Canyon Trust has many volunteer activities/projects and they are always creating new ones. One of their main aims is to counteract the impacts of ever-increasing foot traffic and development within the park and forest, both of which greatly affect the natural resources and integrity of the land. The crew takes both restorative and preventative measures to reduce these impacts. These measures include exotic plant control, erosion prevention, seed collection, native plant propagation, plant salvaging, site monitoring, and building fences to keep visitors on trails.

Herb Stein has been on over a dozen Sierra Club service trips as a participant, leader, and cook. He enjoys kayaking, photography, birding and most other outdoor activities.

E-mail: [email protected]