Yes, we are shutdown at Grand Canyon along with 400 other National Park sites. All websites affiliated to the parks are also shutdown leaving many people wondering what will happen to their plans to visit.
Non-essential personnel, like myself, were allowed up to four hours Tuesday morning in our offices to tie up loose ends. I submitted a timesheet that may or may not mean a pay check and left a vacation/furlough notice on my email. From that point we can no longer work.
So I shed the uniform and went up to the Lodge incognito. No problem finding a parking place.
Didn’t see a whole lot of visitors.
The shutdown and gate closing at 6am Tuesday doesn’t allow any visitors in to the park. People with overnight accommodations at the cabins or campground are allowed to stay until noon Thursday and they pretty much had the canyon to themselves. The Lodge was only 60% full as many with reservations couldn’t get in.
The Ravens were hanging about.
I’m thinking that many of the remaining visitors don’t really understand that all Federal buildings are closed, including the bathrooms. And the poor foreign visitors just don’t get the entire shutdown idea.
No one is allowed to head down the corridor trail as there are no services and few Rangers to help in the event of an emergency. Hikers with camping permits who are already in the canyon are not being escorted out. The hiker shuttle that runs from rim to rim is still in operation by private concession to bring hikers back to their vehicles.
People with permits to raft the Colorado River were allowed to launch on Monday but stopped on Tuesday. Imagine if you’d waited possibly years for the opportunity to float the Colorado in Grand Canyon and then weren’t allowed to go.
The Lodge staff continues to serve the few remaining visitors with meals and the Saloon, Gift Shop and Camp store are still open.
Visitor Use Assistants, or fee collectors, have been dismissed and will leave the park within a few days. So if we reopen visitors will have to use the automated pay station.
The rest of the non-essentials can stay living in the park until their previously assigned end dates somewhere near October 15th, paying rent but receiving no pay. The hope is Congress will decide on a budget and the Grand Canyon will reopen before that.
Essential personnel include Law Enforcement and maintenance.
If you need more information about the shutdown go to http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/index.cfm.
And Please contact your Congressional representatives http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.
Wow. It would suck not having bathrooms. Let alone emergency services. And of course, there’s the whole paycheck thing……
Glad we came when we did. The positive side? A quiet park to yourself. The sucky part? Years of planning for many tourists including those wanting to married etc.
I’d rather be sharing the park with visitors.
Congress is so stupid. They are losing fees and income from the parks. Many small businesses in neighboring communities of all of the National Parks are losing money. This will have a snowball effect on everything. What are they hoping to solve with this method. Why is it so difficult for Congress to do their job and to do it correctly?
I don’t think there’s any incentive for Congress to do their job. After all, they get paid one way or the other. It’s us little people that suffer.
All that I can say is: God’s speed. Regards
Thank you.
I guess in the great outdoors being without a bathroom (especially if there’s no one around) wouldn’t be so horrible….”Does a bear….?” I feel especially sorry for those foreign visitors who have come to see a natural beauty not found elsewhere and are shut out.
I so sympathize with the visitors who are locked out.
WoW! Part of me is imagining how wonderful it would be to have the North Rim all to myself for a few days! I would love it. But as Teri Lee says, there is that trickle down effect that is affecting all the small businesses that need the parks open to survive! Many of the river trips are booked 2 years in advance! Can you imagine waiting 2 years only to find the trips were no longer possible! Talk about being disappointed? I would be and am pissed off that Congress, Republican AND Democrats AND Obama cannot do the jobs they were elected by us to do!
Seems only the hired peons want to do their job and we can’t.
It is so daft, the people causing all the problems will not go short on a salary while you all have to suffer. I just find it hard to believe that this has even happened!! Keep well and hope that it all sorts out sooner rather than later! Diane
It is insane!
I am so sorry this has happened, Gaelyn. I think it’s made even worse by not knowing what the hell is going to happen next, especially with the debt ceiling debate right around the corner. NPR has been reporting on the situation in National Parks… a brief mention was made about a person who had originally applied in 1995 for a private permit to raft the Colorado & was now not going to be able to do so.
It basically boils down to the fact that those who are responsible for all of this don’t really care what repercussions are resulting from their determination to have their way. A major demonstration of cutting off the nose to spite the face. Back in ’96 when the last shutdown occurred, a vote was made to retroactively pay federal workers for the time they were furloughed. I hope that happens this time as well. But, unfortunately, nothing can repay people for missed opportunities. Except perhaps remembering this the next time you cast a vote in an election.
Hang in there, Gaelyn!
I do feel the sorriest for visitors. I’ll be back next year, baring any unforeseen circumstances.
We’ve got the same thing here at Assateague. All campers must be out by 11am tomorrow regardless of their reservation. They say we will get the money back for the nights we couldn’t stay. That will be interesting. I just want to know why we still allow riders on bills? An appropriations bill to keep the government running is no place to attach ideological asides. I’m surprised to see the Democrats digging in their heels at this stuff. They usually cave.
Riders on bills is the stupidest thing ever. Let’s just take care of the budget.
Heartbreaking. YOu are right in your comment above about no incentive for congrerss. All they care about really is getting reelected. It is so incredibly sad that the tea party can bring the whole country to its knees because they hate the President and the fact that people will be able to get health care.
Definitely some really twisted folks in our government.
The whole thing just ticks me off. I hope voters, both Democrats and Republicans alike, remember this nonsense come election time.
Come election time, will be up to us to remind them all.
I am so frustrated. Perhaps it is because we have made the National Parks such an important part of our lives… The thought of someone making a river trip reservation so many many months in advance and then – oh, sorry…I wonder how many people have been brought to tears over this. I can’t imagine being in your shoes as a ranger and how difficult it must be.
But I think what devastates me more is that the nation is not exactly fighting back. Or, at least the news isn’t too much showing it. Maybe they are trying to keep the market from crashing… It is not just the parks that is upsetting, but the loss of pay. Really then, shouldn’t congress be furloughed too?
Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
Agreed. The public is not showing enough outrage about this shutdown. Guess it’s up to us to keep reminding them.
Gosh, I’m sorry. This whole thing soooo sucks. I hope you are able to get a few more days in before the end of your season.
I don’t hold my breath for that to happen.
The republicans can just go to hell. Spoiled children, all. I learned in civics classes the proper way to pass a law or repeal one. Nowhere in the book did it say you shut down the government if you don’t get your way. I really feel bad for you and the many public servants like you throughout the country. Best wishes and good luck.
Totally agree Garry. Let’s hope they can get their shit together. Otherwise, it is up to ‘We the People’ to vote their asses out.
Totally ridiculous situation. One gal on the news said that members of Congress was acting like spoiled children and needed a good spanking. Maybe a paddle with spikes……
They are acting like children to a lot of people’s expense. We need to vote them out.
Pretty sad situation. Easily reversed. It is funny how the GOP is attempting to blame the President for the shutdown.
They don’t want to take responsibility.
I am utterly speechless. I know there are bigger problems elsewhere but from the point of few of somebody working in the tourism industry I can imagine how people’s holidays are being thrown afar. this is madness.
Our park will be entirely empty of visitors by noon today and no more allowed in. I feel terrible for these folks.
Sad, truly sad, all because idiots in Washington can’t get along. I think all Senators and Congressmen should be banned from all parks for life.
I like that idea Jana, at least for the current administration.
What a mess for all concerned. I feel especially sorry for foreign tourists who will be turned away from our national parks.
I sure hope it’s resolved soon.
Yes, it’s for the visitors.
So sorry for you Gaelyn and for the visitors. All over the world I feel discouragement and above all an abdication from our part not doing anything to find a remidy and vote for the right people who are unfortunately lacking at the moment!
Thanks. We really need to remember and remind come voting time.