The Grand Backyard…

We had a crazy CALUE Service Break at the Grand Canyon. Our volunteering included directing traffic and providing directions to lost visitors, but more than that we experienced the canyon through a hike more than 2000 ft. down in elevation and on top of that a snowstorm blew through while patrolling the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Our trip started out in a serious but honest way, with a suicide prevention and awareness training. At first I thought it was the normal talk but it was much more. For national parks, especially the Grand Canyon, suicides are a big issue. People come to see the beauty of the Grand Canyon, and sometimes that is the reason they choose for the canyon to be their resting place. Being told all the accounts and reports that the ranger had been a part of gave me more of an understanding of the risks and situations that park rangers face.

It can be fun that you have the Grand Canyon in your back yard but it comes with major responsibilities. Our first task was to help with traffic and parking. By 12:00 pm Tuesday all 5,000 parking spots filled up. We helped to keep spots from being block in by other drivers, especially the RV spots. While on the job, creative parking is a must. There were spots called ghost spots that were make shift spots at best but they worked. The day was long and hard.

On our semi-free day we decided to take a hike into the canyon. It was simply amazing to see all the different layers of the canyon up close. The down trip was easy but the up trip was hard.

The next day we were taken out of the traffic and parking lots due to how crowded and dangerous they could become. I was sent out to the rim to give information to visitors and try to keep them away from the cliff’s edge. My job became much harder when the snowstorm rolled in to the point that I could not even see the north side of the canyon, but I kept on going up and down the rim which was 2.1 miles. I helped families with directions, sometimes they were just looking for a place to warm up or just to take there picture for them.

The next day was the same but no snow. The canyon walls were so bright in color because of the snow and the rain had wet the rock.

I enjoyed the time I worked at the Grand Canyon. I will remember it for the rest of my life.