The Canyon Column

Ken Burns Premiers New Documentary Honoring National Parks

Each Memorial Day weekend a gathering of conservationists, extreme sports enthusiasts, and advocates for Tibetan independence descends upon Telluride, Colorado, for MountainFilm, a long-running documentary film festival that kicks off a busy summer season in this high-altitude hamlet.

I've been attending for several years and have rarely been more excited than during the most recent festival which featured the premier of "The National Parks: America's Best Idea." This latest collaboration between award-winning filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan is a sprawling project was ten years in the making. It highlights the history of the National Park System through the lens of the visionaries who championed the preservation of America's amazing natural and cultural heritage.

I caught two installments of the six-part series, and was deeply moved by what I saw. As a longtime resident and educator at Grand Canyon National Park, I walked away with a renewed sense of respect for the park I call home, and for public lands everywhere.

Don't miss this series when it airs on PBS in September. In my opinion it should be required viewing for every citizen of our fine country.

Ken Burn's The National Parks: America's Best Idea

MountainFilm Festival

See you on the trail!

Mike

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Mike Buchheit is a photographer, writer, outdoor educator, and 14 plus-year resident of Grand Canyon National Park. For a visual journey through the Canyon he calls home, visit his Grand Canyon Gallery.

Planning a Trip to Grand Canyon?

Hit the Trail is dedicated to helping those planning a trip to Grand Canyon and the southwestern United States. Within these pages you will find information to assist in finding lodging and campgrounds, making reservations, choosing hiking equipment, finding guides and tourist services, as well as providing practical tips and advice to help make your trip a special one. If you are looking for something in particular, please use the Search Engine available at the top of each page.

Hit the Trail has a companion Facebook page which offers Grand Canyon photos with more being added regularly. You do not need to become a "Friend" to view the photo albums; you only need a Facebook account. Images include Grand Canyon lodging on the North Rim, South Rim, and Phantom Ranch, specialty shops and other attractions as well as natural landscapes.

You will find an Event Calendar covering activities, exhibits and lectures hosted at the Grand Canyon and throughout the region that will interest the Colorado Plateau visitor and enthusiast alike.

The latest news. Our summer monsoon season is bringing some scattered rain to the Canyon and is expected to stick around until the end of the week. By the holiday weekend, the chance of thunderstorms hovers between 10 to 20%. This will make for some beautiful canyon scenery but could make for some very oppressive hiking conditions in the inner canyon. This is the worst time of year to be hiking below the rim, but if you MUST do it, be sure to do it wisely. Follow the tips on my Hot Tips for the Summertime page to prevent becoming one of our medical emergency statistics!

The monsoon is also notorious for lightning strikes. It is important to know what to do if you get caught in a storm, how to avoid being struck, and what to do in the event of a strike. Learn tips for these situations on my Lightning Tips page. Also find current and upcoming weather conditions on my Grand Canyon Weather page.

Arizona is experiencing serious problems with bubonic plague and rabies. The Arizona State Health Department is warning of bubonic plague activity in the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts. For more information on bubonic plague and what to watch for, please visit my page on Bubonic Plague. And there have been numerous cases of rabies in bobcats, skunks and foxes throughout northern Arizona since last fall. For more information on what to do if confronted by a possibly rabid animal, visit my Rabies page.

Speaking of health issues, I am on a crusade! I have recently been introduced to an important product that could easily save your life. And it is so inexpensive that it seems a "no brainer" to have for hiking and traveling. It is called the RoadID, which is an interactive ID that provides emergency providers with up-to-date contact and medical information in case something happens to you. They come in wrist bands, shoe tags, dog tags, and various other forms. Highly recommended!

To prepare for hiking or traveling in the desert regions of the southwest at anytime, I highly recommend reading Mark Johnson's highly acclaimed The Ultimate Desert Handbook: A Manual for Desert Hikers, Campers and Travelers.

For a full list of topics included on this site, please use the menus to the left. Those topics with arrows expand to an additional menu. A sampling of subjects discussed on this site are:

Equipment Guide—what's needed and what's right for you and your particular circumstances. Both backpacking and day hiking are covered. You'll also find tips for making your trip safer, easier and more enjoyable. I'll discuss the special conditions you can experience while hiking in the desert and plateau regions. You'll learn about the extremes in temperature and weather so you can be well prepared for your trip—whether day hiking or on multiple-day backpacking adventures.
Event Calendar - Grand Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon Association offer wonderful programs and lectures at the park and throughout the state. The calendar shows when these events take place and provide additional information.
Equipment Purchase and Rentals - Local and national resources
Phantom Ranch - Information specific to the Inner Canyon lodge.
Tips & Tricks - Advice from how to tie your boots to training and fitness. Be sure to check out the Readers' Tips & Tricks where readers share their own tips.
Grand Canyon Hikers e-Group - A great email forum for finding current conditions and advice on your Grand Canyon hike.
Hiker's Links and Resources - Here you'll find links to hiking sites, lodging and transportation, the official national park site, artists' sites, as well as others devoted to the canyon.
Lodging and Camping - Everything available for the South Rim, North Rim, Inner Canyon, as well as the connecting highway between the two rims.
Mule Rides and Guide Services - Information and links for mule rides, river trips, and hiking guides.
Canyon Reading Room - Recommended books that include hiking resources and guides, human and natural History, cookbooks, safety and first aid, and search and rescue books.

To contact me, please use my contact form. Please note that I do my best to answer email, but be aware that I do get quite a bit. If the answers can be found on my web site, I cannot take the time to re-answer these questions. I've also included a Google search engine at the top of each page that allows you to search through my web site for answers to your questions. Please note: I am in no way associated with the organizations mentioned within these pages. I cannot help you with reservations and do not sell anything. This information is provided as a service only.

New information is continually added, so be sure to check back now and then to find out what's new. Now it's time to put on your boots and join me as we Hit The Trail!

Happy Trails!

Denise Traver

"May your trails be dim, lonesome, stony, narrow, winding and only slightly uphill. May the wind bring rain for the slickrock potholes fourteen miles on the other side of yonder blue ridge. May God's dog serenade your campfire, may the rattlesnake and the screech owl amuse your reveries, may the Great Sun dazzle your eyes by day and the Great Bear watch over you at night." - Edward Abbey, Beyond the Wall: Essays from the Outside

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Copyright © 1998 - 2009 Denise Traver, Raven & Coyote and its licensors. All rights reserved. Except where noted otherwise, all printed material may be freely copied and distributed subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice. Photographs and artwork may not be copied in any form without the express permission of the copyright holder. Photographs #1 and 2 in the banner used on this site are courtesy photographer Mike Quinn of the National Park Service, Grand Canyon.

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The Canyon Column

Ken Burns Premiers New Documentary Honoring National Parks

Planning a Trip to Grand Canyon?