IT'S OVER

This line of people waiting for the bus at the Hermits Rest Transfer stretched 3 times as long as the photo.

One of the downsides to living and working at one of the world's natural wonders, is the huge numbers of people that are also attracted to this place. The Grand Canyon is a magnet, and on holiday weekends like this past Memorial Day, the park was busting at the seams with people from around the globe. There's always a limit when it comes to providing various services to folks, and I think the shuttle bus system might have been maxed out on Friday and Saturday.

With some drivers working overtime, and every available bus in service, there were times when we just couldn't keep up with the masses of people. As the lines kept getting longer, the patience of the people seemed to get shorter.

Somehow, with buses packed to the limits, we managed to move thousands of people around the park. When a lot of the public started the mass exodus yesterday, we all breathed a sigh of relief, as things got back to what we call normal. I just learned the other day, the annual number of rides that the free bus service provides. I was surprised at how high that number was last year. The park was host to approx. 4 1/2 million visitors in 2011, and the number of rides provided by our buses was approx. 5 1/2 million. That's a heck of a lot of people stepping on and off these buses, and is illustrative of the popularity of Grand Canyon National Park. I'm glad these holiday weekends don't roll around that often.