FLYING HIGH

For the first time in two summers, we both had a day off together, so we headed for the Grand Canyon Airport, and took to the air........literally! One of the things that we wanted to do last year, but never accomplished, was to go flying over the canyon in one of the tour helicopters.

At Papillon Helicopters, the largest of the three tour helicopter operations, we received a 30% discount off the regular price because we both worked in the park, and waited only a few minutes before boarding the Bell Ranger 206 whirlybird. There was one other couple from Holland that joined us on the flight, and it was a picture perfect weather day, for a scenic air excursion over the canyon.

The 20-25 minute flight took us over the Ponderosa Pine forest to a point west of Hermits Rest, where we entered the canyon. The advantage of the helicopter flight versus the fixed wing tour of the canyon, is that you fly much lower, and the detail of specific landmarks is much clearer. Except for the flight over the canyon, which is almost a mile deep, we flew at about 500 feet above the ground.

While passing over the Grand Canyon Railroad Tracks (shown below), I caught a glimpse of the morning train from Williams, as it rounded one of the many corners near the South Rim Village. I'm looking forward to riding this train in September, when it will be pulled by a steam engine, and we join our friends for a Golden Spike Chapter RV rally in Williams.

Taking pictures through a Plexiglas helicopter door window doesn't make for the clearest pictures, but when it's the only option, you take what you get. Patty got to ride in the left front seat, which afforded her a better forward view of the scenery, and enhanced the overall experience of riding in a helicopter.

When flying over the canyon, the scenery is just simply breathtaking, and pictures do not reflect the true visual experience. It's just almost impossible to believe that over the course of 5-10 million years, the Colorado River is what caused this former flat plateau to become one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Seeing it from the air is an entirely different experience, and well worth the airfare.

The north rim, pictured above and below, is higher than the south rim, and the environment, and climate are much different. It's not so much high desert like the south rim, with much greener panoramas, and thicker Ponderosa Pine forest. The north rim is home to one of the largest Mule Deer Herds in North America.

What is known as the "Inner Canyon", where the river is still carving its way downward at the rate of about 1 inch every hundred years, is often hard to see from the rims. However, when you fly over the canyon, you can clearly see how many rapids there are along the river. Participating in one of the week long raft trips through the canyon is still on our radar screen, but in reality, it's probably one of the things on our bucket list that will never be crossed off.


Just before touching back down at the airport, we flew to the east over the small community of Tusayan, where the construction crews are putting the final touches on a year long highway improvement project. Even though I don't drive a bus on the Tusayan route, I know that the drivers who do, will be glad when all of the upgrades are finished.

It seems that roundabouts are the latest rage in highway engineering, with two being constructed in Tusayan. The one pictured below is on the south end of town, and is the first one encountered by folks who are driving up to the park.

And then...................later in the day, we took to the air again, in a more conventional flying contraption. More on that tomorrow.

WORKING, WORKING

Not a whole lot to write about when the workday dominates everything else. My work schedule is Friday - Tuesday, with Wed. and Thurs. as days off. Patty starts work today at 9 am, but doesn't yet know what her days off are. Once her schedule is somewhat established, then we'll settle into some sort of routine for the next 3 months. While we spend most of our time punching the time clock, I think the blog posts will be more infrequent. If there's something to write about, I will. If not, I won't. How's that for a profound statement!

MY LONG DAY

When the bus drivers were selecting their summer shifts, routes & schedules a few weeks ago, I think I mentioned that in terms of seniority, I was #47 out of 57 drivers. I had a few choices, and selected a schedule that gave me Wed & Thurs off. Fri is a Blue Village route, Sat & Sun is a Red Hermits route, and I finish the week with a Blue Village route on Mon & Tues.

All of the shifts are 8 hours, give or take a few minutes. The one exception is Friday, which is an almost 10 hour work shift. Perhaps that is the one reason that this schedule was still open when the bidding got down to me. It's a long day, with 6 rounds (each round trip is approx. 45 minutes), a 45 minute lunch break, then back for 5 more rounds. I start the day at 10:20 am, and finish at about 8:50pm. The good news is that there's a couple hours of overtime, and the bad news is that Fridays are a long day behind the wheel.

I've been working for about a month now, with 3 more to go. Patty checked in with her employer yesterday, and she starts work this coming Monday. Not sure what her days off are yet, but for the next 90 days, work is just a temporary inconvenience to our retired lifestyle. September 7th is our last day of work here at the canyon, and we already have lots of travel, and activity plans for the time period right after summer.

HOME REPAIRS

It's a good thing I took an extra day while returning home to pick up Patty. I discovered that some of my plants and shrubs along the back of the property were either dead, or dying. It didn't take long to figure out the problem. One of the four irrigation valves in the backyard had failed, and it had to be replaced. When I installed all of the pipes and valves several years ago, it was relatively easy. After the hard part of digging the trenches was done, it was simply a matter of gluing PVC pipe together, and laying it where it needed to go. Skip ahead a bunch of years, and with everything back filled with dirt, changing a valve wasn't quite as easy as it was during the initial installation. Eventually, it got done, and with a heavy watering, I think most of the plants were saved.

We loaded up the Jeep, and said goodbye to the house for awhile, as we headed east for the Grand Canyon. With a stop in Williams to do some preliminary checking on a few things for the RV Rally we're putting together in the fall, we then headed north for the canyon. When we arrived back at the motor home, there was a little cat who was really happy to see us. She even rubbed up against Sami several times, as if to say "it's about time you got back".

It was nice to reunite with Patty after 5 weeks of separation, and fun to hear all about her trip to France. She had a great time, and particularly enjoyed the stay outside of Paris, in a small town that I can't pronounce, much less spell. Spending time with her brother Michael, and friend Donald was as they say "priceless". Now, it's back to reality, and a return to work for me, with Patty checking in at her work place today.

BACK TO HAVASU

Yesterday was Patty's travel day from Paris to San Francisco. Today, she boards a flight from S.F. to Las Vegas, where the Havasu shuttle will drive her home. Lots of miles in just a couple of days, but by tomorrow afternoon, she'll be here at the canyon, and in the motor home for the summer.

Later this morning, Sami and I will drive to Lake Havasu, where I'm sure it will be a whirlwind of activity, as Patty makes the transition from world traveler, to a summer workamper at the Grand Canyon. Gracie told me she doesn't want to leave, so her job for the next 24 hours, is to be an attack cat, guarding the motor home against unwanted intruders.

No blog post tomorrow morning, as I'm not taking the laptop on this quick trip, and we've already suspended our phone & DSL at the house.

PARIS TO SAN FRANCISCO

Today is Patty's travel day from Europe back to the states. Tomorrow, she flies from S.F. to Las Vegas, where the shuttle will pick her up for the drive home to Lake Havasu. Starting tomorrow, I begin my two days off, and I'll be making a quick trip home to change vehicles, and then we'll both return to the canyon for the summer. Not sure when Patty will start her job, but according to the last communication with her employer, whenever she got here, they would put her to work.

Speaking of work, I sometimes wonder about what is really going on in this country when it comes to jobs, or the supposed lack thereof. Since we stepped away from our Harley-Davidson Dealership over 10 years ago, we have had little, or no difficulty finding work camping jobs. Even though the seasonal work environment is a bit different, and employers rarely offer much in the way of benefits, the jobs are out there for those that want them. Our biggest challenge has often been trying to choose between several job opportunities. What it often boiled down to was where we wanted to live for part of the year, or, did we just want to stay retired and travel during the summer. When unemployment benefits stretch into the 2 year category, one has to wonder if the entitlement mentality has become the dominant factor. It's a complicated issue, but I know one thing, if I want to work, I haven't had any trouble finding a job.

THE GRAND CANYON RAILROAD

The daily Grand Canyon Railway Train arrives here at the South Rim at approx. 11:45 am, and departs at 3:30 pm. I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago, when the daily train preceded the AMTRAK Steam Special.

For over twenty years (1968 - 1989), these rails saw no action, and only gathered rust and weeds. This 64 mile spur line, built by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1901, was in danger of being abandoned, with the tracks and equipment destined for the scrap metal pile. The automobile had replaced the railroad as the transportation of choice, and on the last train to the canyon in 1968, there were 3 paying passengers. There were several attempts to purchase the railroad from Santa Fe, but it wasn't until 1988, that Max and Thelma Biegert became the new owners. From that point forward, the railroad, it's equipment & properties were revitalized, and today, the train is a business success story, bringing several hundred thousand people to the canyon each year. Xanterra, the largest State & National Park Concessionaire in the U.S., purchased the railroad in 2006, and combined the railroad with their many other services available at Grand Canyon National Park.

I'm looking forward to working with the staff at Xanterra, in preparation for our Golden Spike Chapter RV Rally on Sep 13-15. Patty and I rode the 128 mile round trip from Williams to the Grand Canyon several years ago, but that train was pulled by a diesel engine similar to the one pictured. The train on Sep 15 will be pulled by a steam engine, and for train enthusiasts, that's a whole different ball game. The sound of a giant steamer pulling a heavy load up a grade, is like no other sound anywhere, and is sweet music to the ears of folks like me.

HELICOPTER OPERATIONS

Grand Canyon National Park has its own helicopter, and is one of only a handful of National Parks with this resource. Many of the National Parks have contract helicopter services, but only a few have their own bird. I think the reasons are obvious, particularly when you consider how inaccessible the Grand Canyon is below the rim. Sure, there are a bunch of trails down into the canyon, and rafting expeditions pass through on the Colorado River almost every day during the summer, but roads are nonexistent.

The park helicopter is based right next to our bus yard, and we see it coming and going on an almost daily basis. I'm not familiar with all of the tasks performed by the flight crew of this helicopter, other than rescues, fire related duties, and heavy lifting. Last year, when Patty and Nancy were hiking on the South Kaibab Trail, they came across one of the parks mules that had died on the trail. The only way to remove the animal was by way of the park's helicopter. When for whatever reason, vehicles end up in the canyon, the helicopter is the way that they are extractred. The thing we hear about most, are the medivac services provided by the park helicopter. When a person becomes ill, or is injured in the canyon, the only quick way out is by air.

When arriving for work a couple of days ago, the helicopter was just taking off, and I snapped these pictures.

FIRST ELK BABY ARRIVES

More often than not, the morning is usually the time when the Elk and Deer wander through Trailer Village, as was the case yesterday. These young male Elk (Bulls) were grazing outside the motor home, as I took a few pictures.

What I couldn't get a picture of, was one of the first baby Elk to be born in the park this year. While driving the Blue (Village) Route yesterday, one of the drivers broadcast on the radio for all of us to be cautious around Market Plaza, as a newborn Elk Calf and it's mother were close to the road. While driving past the Yavapai Lodge on my way to the Grand Canyon Visitors Center, I spotted the newborn nursing, while the mother stood within 50 feet of the road. This is the time of year when the Rocky Mountain Elk, and the Mule Deer give birth, and within a few weeks, we will start seeing more and more of these calf's and fawn's alongside the road.

This is also the time of year that as drivers we have to be much more cautious. These newborn critters, especially the fawns, are more apt to jump into the road in front of traffic. It's inevitable that a few of these four legged park inhabitants will lose the battle against the four wheeled occupants of the park road system. Last year, there were 3 bus versus Elk/Deer that I know of, and they were all at night. One of the buses sustained a fair amount of damage, taking out the windshield. Most of my work shifts only take me into a short amount of darkness, so, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't become one of the statistics.

DAY OFF CHORES

I kept busy yesterday, catching up on some household cleaning duties, and tackling a huge pile of dirty laundry. After working 7 days in a row, there was a bunch of stuff to do. Even though our washer/dryer combo unit isn't very big, it sure is convenient, eliminating most trips to the laundromat. After 3 loads of wash, I was caught up, ready to start a new pile.

Knowing the little Beagle would be bugging me at sunup, I got a head start last night, and was in bed by 9pm. Sure enough, just like an alarm clock at 4:50 this morning, the canine noises were unmistakable. I'm sure some folks might be able to ignore the early morning wake up call, and just roll over, dozing back off to sleep. I'm just not built that way, and one of the first things that always pops into my head once awakened, is that if I don't get up, that little doggie bladder might just decide to overflow. Once that thought is implanted, the possibility of any more sleep is simply impossible. So, the morning routine is pretty consistent, and the upside is that I have lots of leisure time for coffee, blogging, reading, and other quiet morning activities.

Back to work today, with the next days off devoted to a quick trip to Lake Havasu, and a long awaited reunification with Patty. It's been exactly a month since I arrived here at the canyon, and the days of batching it will soon come to an end.

With a full belly, and an empty bladder, someone has no problem going back to sleep.

VIEWS FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT

The setting sun over the canyon rim at Hermits Rest.

One of the incredible unpaid benefits of this job, is the scenery that I get paid to look at almost every day. When driving the Red Route on Hermits Road, the canyon is in full view for most of the 8 miles out to Hermits Rest. I took these pictures yesterday from the drivers seat, at or near the sunset time of 7:38 pm.

The westbound bus stop at Powell Point offers one of the best canyon views from the drivers seat, and as the sun moves throughout the day, the shadows create a different view almost every time we stop there. When people ask where the best stop is, my answer is usually that they are all good, each is just a little bit, or a lot different. Secretly, this is one of my favorite views of the canyon.


Today is my one day off in a row, due to yesterday being an overtime day. With lots of laundry to do, and some other errands and chores to take care of, it will be a busy day. Even though I don't usually do naps, I see one coming in the very near future. The little Beagle has gotten into a routine where the sunrise signals it's time to wake up the dog feeder/walker. With the front paws up on the side of the bed, and a little whimper or two, it's next to impossible for the morning slumber to continue. Do they make sleeping pills for dogs?

Just prior to departure from Hermits Rest yesterday evening.

SOME OVERTIME

After a 6 day work stretch, today and tomorrow were supposed to be days off. However, I was asked yesterday if I wanted to fill in today for one of the other drivers. I'm not big on working a lot of overtime, but, an O.T. day, combined with a paid holiday this week, should put my next paycheck in the bus driver stratosphere. That's of course if the government doesn't take it's "fair share", for important investments in Solyndra like, green energy companies. And, lets' not forget how important it is for government agencies to have "retreats" in places like Las Vegas, and Hawaii, on the taxpayer dime. Like the vast majority of proud Americans, I wouldn't mind paying my fair share, if there wasn't such terrible waste and abuse of those funds. The culture of corruption in D.C. has reached epidemic proportions, and without some bold leadership, I'm not at all optimistic about the future for my kids and Granddaughter. I know, the same old rant, but unless something changes, I believe we're a lot closer to the cliff than most people think.

On a more positive note, next week, I'll be taking the truck back to Havasu, and reuniting with my bride, who will have just returned from France. She won't have but 24 hours or so at home, before we return to the canyon for the rest of the summer. I think Patty will start work almost immediately, and hopefully, her schedule will match with some of my days off. But, if not, we'll be done on September 7th, and back to being retired on the 8th.

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.

A TIME TO REMEMBER

Memorial Day Weekend is the traditional kick off for summer, with millions of Americans hitting the highways for their favorite destination, or, perhaps the celebration of this National Holiday is done at home with family & friends, where a backyard BBQ is the focus of their weekend. No matter how, or where people spend this Memorial Day, we all should be thankful for the sacrifice of our past and present military veterans, who in so many cases, paid the ultimate price in service to their country.

This marine, on his own time, stood for hours yesterday, saluting the hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists, who paraded from the Pentagon to downtown Washington D.C. The annual "Rolling Thunder" is a tribute to fallen Vets, and draws attention to the plight of our current military, particularly those wounded warriors who must endure the physical, and mental pain of traumatic, war related injuries. The political and cultural discussion notwithstanding, it's my belief that Memorial Day should be a moment in time, when every American is on the same page, and the honoring of our fallen military heroes is something that is not in dispute.

ANOTHER RV/TRAIN RALLY

Grand Canyon Railway #4960 parked at the Grand Canyon on May 16th. This is the engine that will most likely be the motive power for the Grand Canyon Train on September 15th, 2012.

Last September, the Family Motor Coach Ass'n (FMCA) Golden Spike Chapter had a rally in Carson City, NV, and we rode the new Virginia & Truckee Railroad. Patty and I, along with help from Bill & "D" Hall, put the rally together, and we had 13 RV's attend. The Golden Spikers had tentatively planned to have a rally in southwestern Colorado this September, and we were looking forward to riding on a couple of tourist railroads in that area. In fact, we were hoping to leave our jobs here at the canyon in early September, and leisurely make our way over to Colorado for the rally.

Knowing that this Colorado rally wasn't locked in stone, I emailed our chapter president, Tom Westerfield to inquire about the progress on the Colorado rally. As a back up, I offered to put together a rally in Williams, AZ, where the Grand Canyon Railway is based. With only a preliminary inquiry to the railroad, I sent some basic information to Tom & Barbara, detailing a rough outline of a potential rally, with the Grand Canyon Railroad as the star attraction. I just received an email back from Tom & Barb, and it looks like the Colorado rally has been postponed until 2013. So, for now at least, it appears that I'll be putting my RV rally planning hat back on, and start putting together all things necessary for a get together with our railroad buddies. Barbara Westerfield is putting out our chapter newsletter in a week or so, and some of the preliminary details for this September rally will be included. The dates, and early details are as follows:

When: September 13, 14, 15

Where: Williams, AZ - Grand Canyon Railroad RV Park

What: FMCA Golden Spike RV Rally, & ride to the South Rim on the Grand Canyon Railroad

Who: All Golden Spike members & guests.

HIGH WINDS

My EZup is well anchored with weights and a spike at each corner.

The weather forecast yesterday was for temperatures in the high 50's, low 60's, with high winds, gusting up to 60 mph. While driving on the Hermits Rest route, I jokingly told passengers not to stand too close to the rim, or they might become a kite. The winds were definitely blowing yesterday, and will continue today, although the gusts today are supposed to drop down to 45 mph.

This is the first bad weather turn since I arrived here at the Grand Canyon on May 1st. Only one small rainstorm, and best of all - No Snow! Last year, we had an inch or two of snow in early June.

Today starts the new summer schedule, with my next two days on the Hermits Rest Route, then three days on the Village Route. With Memorial Weekend kicking off yesterday, the crowds have definitely grown, causing the buses to be packed with visitors. With gas prices dropping, I suspect that a lot of people will be heading this way. Gee, I wonder if fuel prices will drop even lower next year at this time, when we'll be heading for Alaska. That's probably a pipe dream.

CHP MEMORIES

This incident occurred in the early 1980's, while I was assigned to the Los Banos Office. I was working the swing shift on Interstate 5, and my area of responsibility was from Hwy 152 on the south, to Del Puerto Canyon Rd. on the north. This stretch of I5 is about 40 miles in length, mostly in a rural, unpopulated area of Central California. It was early in the evening, and daylight had just evolved into night.

My shift was progressing fairly routinely, until the dispatcher broadcast that a small private aircraft was radioing Castle Air Force Base that there was some sort of emergency. The pilot gave his location as being on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, near the small community of Santa Nella. I remember being southbound on I5 near Hwy 140 (approx. 10 miles north of Santa Nella), when our dispatcher first started relaying information to me from the controller at the air base. The specifics of the emergency were not clear, other than the pilot was having engine problems.

As I continued traveling southbound, nearing Santa Nella, our dispatcher told me that the plane had landed on I5, just south of Santa Nella. Not knowing if the plane had crashed, or was blocking traffic, I kicked the speed up, arriving moments after the small Cessna had set down. Fortunately, the plane appeared to be undamaged, and was parked in the wide center median, and was not a traffic hazard. When I contacted the pilot, I quickly learned that he had lost the ability to use the throttle control from the cockpit. In other words, the engine RPM's dropped down to idle, and he could no longer adjust the speed of the engine. In affect, he became a glider, with only slight adjustment to the engine by way of the throttle fuel mixture knob. He told me that when he knew that he was going to have to land somewhere, the only thing that looked like a possibility was the long, straight concrete of Interstate 5. He was fortunate to be able to land in the southbound lanes, in between traffic, and coast into the middle of the freeway.

It didn't take the pilot long to remove the engine cowling, and discover exactly what the problem was. The connection of the throttle cable to the carburetor had broken, causing the pilot to have very little control over the speed of the engine. It looked like the fix would be rather simple, but since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was now involved, things got a little bit more complicated. Instead of the pilot making the repair, which he said he could do, the FAA representative who had been contacted by the air base, ruled that the plane would either have to be fixed by a licensed airframe and power plant mechanic, or the plane would have to be disassembled, and trucked off the freeway. The later didn't seem like a good option for anyone, so I had our dispatcher track down an A&P mechanic in Los Banos, who came out and took care of the relatively easy fix.

With the plane now airworthy once again, I took the pilot in my patrol car, and showed him exactly where the power lines were that he had narrowly missed when he landed. The only option was to attempt the take off in a northbound direction, and the pilot was going to have to keep the plane under the power lines, then get airborne before he got to an overpass. He was sure that he could do it, so we set up a freeway closure when he was ready to attempt the take off. Our prearranged plan was for me to position my patrol car under the power lines, with my spot light illuminating the wires. This gave the pilot a better reference as to exactly where they were located. With the help of my fellow workers, we temporarily stopped both northbound and southbound traffic, and watched the plane take off into the darkness from it's temporary airport.
This incident was an exclamation of the phrase we often used - always expect the unexpected!

A RUN TO FLAGSTAFF

Whenever the folks who reside here at the Grand Canyon need anything more than the basics, a drive into Williams or Flagstaff is necessary. Williams is a small town with one large grocery store (Safeway), but no big boxes like WalMart or Costco. Flagstaff on the other hand, is Northern Arizona's largest city with 2 WalMarts, and a Sam's Club. My destination yesterday was one of the Wally Worlds, and Sam's big clubhouse.

Route 66 is now Business I40 through Flagstaff.

Among other claims to fame, Flagstaff is home to a portion of Route 66. When the Mother Road was completed in the 1920's, it's path through Northern Arizona was the catalyst for growth in many communities like Flagstaff. Today, cities where Route 66 was once the main highway through the land, have begun to embrace the historical significance, and renewed interest in this iconic highway. Flagstaff certainly is one of those cities.


How many times have you wondered if the scanners at grocery stores are completely accurate? When purchasing dozens of items, trying to remember all of the prices, and quickly reconciling that information with what is quickly flashed on the checkout screen, is next to impossible. I suspect the vast majority of folks simply accept that the totals are correct, and go on about their business.

I've gotten into the habit of at least taking a quick look at the receipt before leaving the store, and I'm not surprised anymore, when I find an error. Yesterday was an example of the price on the shelf being way different than what the machine scanned. It's not so much the dollars and cents involved, it's more about the fact that you're quietly being ripped off.

While I was walking toward the door, and looking at the receipt, a $27.68 charge jumped out at me as not being accurate. In double checking the shelf price of the item at $22.53, I confirmed my suspicion that the checkout scanner was incorrect. When customer service refunded me $5.15, I claimed a small victory in the man versus machine conflict.

Today, it's back to work on a six day stretch. This weekend, we're transitioning to the summer schedule where my days off will be Wednesday and Thursday.

GRAND CANYON AIRPORT

On a day off yesterday, I drove into Tusayan with a couple of things in mind. First up on the priority list was a burger at Wendy's. Second, I checked with Grand Canyon Airlines to see if they had any standby availability. It turned out that they didn't, until possibly the 3 o'clock flight. That would have been a several hour wait, so I decided to try again some other day. I took this awesome flight over the canyon twice last year, and for $20 (local standby price), I'm sure I will again this year. While at the airport, I took a few pictures of the area.

The Grand Canyon Airport is about 7 miles south of the canyon rim, located in the community of Tusayan. The first dirt airstrip was on this same site, built in the 1920's for the forest service, soon after Grand Canyon National Park was created in 1919. What I was a little surprised to learn, is that the airport is the third busiest in the state of Arizona, ranking only behind Tucson, and Phoenix. In the calendar year 2009/2010, there were 91,695 takeoffs and landings. The three helicopter tour companies accounted for the majority of that activity.

A helicopter is about to land, as two others are readying for take off.

The three helicopter operations, Maverick, Grand Canyon, and Papillon, also offer a discount to locals on a standby basis. Patty and I didn't take advantage of that offer last year, but perhaps we will this summer.

The most famous landing and take off at the Grand Canyon Airport in recent years, was the arrival of Air Force One on August 16, 2009. This link shows some video of the 747. President Obama and his family visited the National Park for about 4 hours, and just witnessing that magnificent airplane coming in for a landing, must have been quite a sight. I wonder if the government billed the first family for the cost of that personal visit, or if the taxpayers picked up the tab. Hmmm, I think I know the answer to that question. The runway is 9,000 feet in length, long enough for even the biggest of jet aircraft.

Today is also a day off, and shortly, I'm off to Flagstaff, to pick up a few things that aren't available here at the park. It's the 3 week mark since I arrived here, and so far everything is going well. The weather has been unbelievably mild, with temps in the 70's, low 80's during the day, and night temps down into the 30's & 40's. Only one small rainstorm, and yea - no snow, at least not yet. Last year we had an inch or two of snow in early June.

MORE CRITTERS

When my work shift was finished yesterday evening, and after feeding Sami, the next order of business was a short doggy walk. A couple of RV spaces away from where we're parked, we literally almost ran into this young Mule Deer Buck. Sami walked back and forth, trying to sniff what was up with this creature that seemingly had no fear. In fact, at one point, it started to approach the little Beagle. After last years experience, where one of the female Elk struck Sami on the head with one of her front hooves, I kept the leash ready to pull her away from this potential adversary. After Sam completed her business, we left the deer to continue doing whatever it was doing.

These next 3 photos were taken through one of the drivers side windows of the motor home.

I know, last year I went through this same posting of critter pictures, as they paraded almost daily by the motor home. It will become more routine as time goes on, and at some point, I'll quit trying to play the role of wild life photographer. But, for now, watching these magnificent creatures up close and personal, never seems to get old.

The antlers on this Rocky Mountain Elk are just starting to grow. By the end of summer, they will be huge!

This Elk Cow was just a few feet away from the motor home.

Now, this wild beast is another story! Classified as a domestic critter, it's sometimes difficult to believe she's anything but domestic, especially when she's terrorizing the poor old Beagle who just wants to sleep. Her uncanny ability to find an open door, and jump to the highest reaches in the motor home, classifies her as more monkey than cat. I'm sure if I had cat telepathy, the thought in this picture would be "what trouble can I get into next"?

THE SOLAR ECLIPSE

The last time there was a full solar eclipse in this neck of the woods, was back in 1994. At 6:34 pm yesterday, the moon was fully in front of the sun, and for a few minutes, the bright sunshine briefly disappeared. It wasn't like it momentarily got completely dark, but it was noticeable.

By the time the moon started to disrupt some of the suns rays, I think most all of the visitors in the park decided that somewhere on the Hermits Road would be a good place to be. The locals who know the gate code must have decided the same thing. I've never seen so many cars on a road that's not supposed to have any cars.

The eclipse, combined with the sunset one hour later, was the formula for a lot of people to head for the rim of the canyon. Our supervisor did a great job of adjusting our schedules, and moving buses where they needed to be, in order to move the folks back off the rim when it was all over.

I was able to snap a few pictures of the sun during the eclipse, but without the right filters, and whatever else a photographer who knows what they're doing needs (not me), my little Nikon wasn't able to capture a very good image of the moon in front of the sun.

Today is my Friday, with tomorrow and Wednesday as days off. I haven't heard from Patty, who's been in Paris for a few days now, doing whatever you do in Paris. She will be back in Lake Havasu on June 6th, and here at the canyon on the 7th.