CanyonVIEWS Volume XXIII, No. 2 JUNE 2016 Grand Canyon’s Wilderness Trails Along the Hermit Trail Leave a Legacy to Trails Forever Artist Demonstrations at the Watchtower Youth Conservation Corps at the Canyon The official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon Association Canyon Views is published by the Grand Canyon Association, the National Park Service’s official nonprofit partner, raising private funds to benefit Grand Canyon National Park, operating retail stores and visitor centers within the park and providing premier educational opportunities about the natural and cultural history of Grand Canyon. FROM THE CEO You can make a difference at Grand Canyon! Memberships are available beginning at $35 Intrigued by its name, one of the first trails I hiked at Grand Canyon annually. To obtain more information about GCA was the Hermit Trail. This wonderful trail, steeped in the history of or become a member, please visit our website at www.grandcanyon.org. early pioneering activity, is featured in this issue of Canyon Views. It remains one of my favorite day hikes, especially the spur that leads Board of Directors: Stephen Watson, Board Chair; Howard Weiner, Board Vice Chair; Lyle to Dripping Springs. While rugged in spots, Balenquah; Kathryn Campana; Larry Clark; this three-mile hike on a steep and hot trail Sally Clayton; Richard Foudy; Eric Fraint; rewards one with an enchanting alcove and Robert Hostetler; Julie Klapstein; Kenneth Lamm; Robert Lufrano; Mark Schiavoni; Marsha dripping water springs at the base of the Sitterley; T. Paul Thomas Coconino Sandstone. This lush oasis, filled with maiden-hair ferns and scarlet monkey Chief Executive Officer: Susan Schroeder Chief Philanthropy Officer: Ann Scheflen flowers, is a quiet place to reflect on the sights Director of Marketing: Miriam Robbins and sounds in the canyon. Project Coordinator: Joni Wing Edited by Faith Marcovecchio The trails of Grand Canyon are not only Newsletter Design by Rudy Ramos passageways into the spectacular layers of Copyright © 2016 by the Grand Canyon Association geologic formations and sweeping views, Photo courtesy NPS they also take us back in time and connect Cover photo: Field Institute participants us to the people who have called the canyon home for centuries. For in Grand Canyon - Photo courtesy Grand Canyon Assocation everyone from the Ancestral Puebloan communities to the American Photo this page courtesy Mike Buchheit pioneers, the trails have provided a lifeline to essential food and water, sacred sites and places of cultural importance. In the February 2016 issue of Canyon Views, we misidentified Diana Sue Uqualla as a member of the Hopi tribe. Ms. Uqualla is a member of the This issue of Canyon Views shares the stories of our trails, their past Havasupai tribe. We apologize for this error. and their continued importance to us. Just as the magnificence of the canyon is continually changed by the forces of water, weather and time, the trails, too, are ever changing. Overgrown vegetation, trail erosion and a continual stream of enthusiastic visitors requires us to pay special attention to our trails and their upkeep. Many of you have supported our trails fundraising program, and we can’t thank you enough for being part of the continued legacy of our beloved Grand Canyon trails. Happy Trails! Grand Canyon Association P.O. Box 399 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023-0399 SUSAN E. SCHROEDER (800) 858-2808 Using pickaxes and other hand tools, members of the Arizona Conservation Corps give the Clear Creek Trail an overhaul. Members and donors make restoration work possible. Bryan Struble Photo courtesy Leave Your Footprint at Grand Canyon: Your Support Helps Fund Trail Restoration and Stabilization More than 350 miles of established trails offer rockslide debris. In some places, hiker visitors a one-of-a-kind connection to the rich shortcuts and walk-arounds are causing history and visual splendor of Grand Canyon. further damage. Many canyon hikers have a favorite Grand Canyon trail thanks to an epic adventure, a That’s where you and other Grand memorable time with family or friends or simply Canyon Association members can because they enjoyed a rare moment of solace help. You can support trail restoration surrounded by nature. at Grand Canyon National Park with your gift to our Trails Forever campaign. Park leadership With limited federal funding for trail restoration, developed a multi-year restoration project that will many of our wilderness trails are in peril. Grand restore the park’s most beloved and well-traveled Canyon National Park currently spends more wilderness trails. The “roadmap” for this massive than a million dollars each year to maintain restoration project is detailed on the next pages. popular Corridor trails like Bright Angel and Kaibab. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to Your gift to the Trails Forever program funds high- permit the park’s hardworking trail crews to priority trail work and sustains the trail crews who protect backcountry and wilderness trails too. work to preserve and protect the park for current and future generations. To learn more, visit our Steep terrain, heavy use and continual erosion website, www.grandcanyon.org, or call or degrade trails quickly. Many wilderness trails email Chief Philanthropy Officer Ann Scheflen are overgrown by vegetation and blocked by at 928-863-3876 or [email protected]. www.grandcanyon.org 3 Trails Forever: Grand Canyon's Wilderness Trail Update Grand Canyon Association members and donors are helping to fund annual trail maintenance and create a permanent fund for ongoing trail restoration. Clear Creek Trail Tanner Trail Grandview Trail Clear Creek Trail was built What remains of a once popular Over time, the original between 1934 and 1935 pioneer-era trail follows the Grandview Trail was created to by the Civilian Conservation gully immediately east of Lipan connect early explorers to copper Corp (CCC). Its trailhead is Point. The upper section of the mines on Horseshoe Mesa. The approximately .25 mile north of Tanner Trail is narrow, badly well-built trail was used by more Phantom Ranch on the North eroded and can be difficult to tourists than miners because it Kaibab Trail. follow, especially after a winter provided one of the best access storm. Restoration, supported routes into the canyon for its time. In the spring of 2015, you by GCA members, will keep made it possible for NPS, hikers from creating bypass Thanks to your generous in collaboration with the trails around obstacles. This support, work will begin this Arizona Conservation Corps, is important, since the bypass year on the Grandview Trail to to rehabilitate and stabilize the trails form gullies that can cause improve access to Horseshoe trail. We are proud to say that further erosion. Mesa. Crews will remove this restoration effort has been debris, fix damaged walls, clear completed and the trail is ready drainage devices and stabilize for your next visit. historic structures. "The Bench" on Clear Creek Trail Photo courtesy NPS 4 Canyon Views Hance Rapid Photo courtesy NPS New Hance Trail In 1883, “Captain” John Hance became the first European Thank You for American to settle at the Grand Canyon. He originally built Supporting Our Trails the trail to reach his mines but quickly found that the real Thanks to the generous support money lay in work as a guide and hotel manager. of these donors who gave a leadership gift to the Trails Forever The New Hance Trail’s restoration efforts will focus on Endowment and Restoration fund, reestablishing original trail alignments, pruning vegetation Grand Canyon trails continue to and repairing failed trail features. In addition to these lead the way to safe and enjoyable important maintenance efforts, NPS will also be clearly adventures in the canyon. marking the trail where it enters Red Canyon, a notoriously Arizona Public Service confusing area for hikers to navigate. Liz and Bill Sweeney Horejsi Charitable Foundation Anonymous Elly and Bob Hostetler Rick and Frances Rockwell Peter and Kathleen Wege Bill and Barb Berkley Rob and Mary Bricker Photo courtesy NPS Arch and Laura Brown Thunder River and Tapeats Creek Trail Just Roughin’ It Adventure Company The multi-tiered waterfalls at Thunder River and Tapeats Kenneth and Mary Ellen Mylrea Creek have attracted people since prehistoric times. The Thunder River and Tapeats Creek Trail is difficult to travel Bruce and Ann Peek because of topography, rockslides and overgrown vegetation. The Raintree Foundation This trail’s restoration work will include eliminating REI existing problems as well as maintaining trail structures and improving campsites. Thanks to all our members and donors who support Grand Canyon trails. Hermit Trail The park’s next priority is the Hermit Trail. See the next page for additional information. www.grandcanyon.org 5 The Hermit Trail: Your Connection to Canyon History Your support of Trails Forever at Grand entrepreneurs and opportunists began to Canyon Association keeps trails open and settle in the canyon and continued to use and accessible for hikers, and it helps preserve our further develop the trails established by their remarkable history. As trails are restored, every predecessors. effort is taken to protect ancient archeology sites, pioneer structures and Civilian Conservation The “hermit” of the trail was Louis D. Boucher, Corps construction. With your help, many of a French-Canadian miner and prospector the trails are being protected, but there is still so who lived in the Hermit Creek area for much left to do. Soon our focus will turn to the approximately 20 years and operated several Hermit Trail. mines there. He was labeled a hermit because he lived alone, but Boucher was, in fact, The Hermit Trail, like most Grand Canyon socially active and respected in the South Rim trails, began as an American Indian route over community of his day.