After several great training opportunities plus a whole lot of spit shine and cleaning we are pumped and ready to open the North Rim. Everything looks sparkly including the Grand Canyon.
Returned to work after three days off, and celebrating Bill’s birthday, for two days of Operational Leadership safety training which was exceptional. Actually gained some new tools and good ways to help make us, you and the park safer.
That followed by Thursday’s drive with four of us to the South Rim and back to the North Rim for our computer cards. Plus we had to drop some things off, pick some things up, and raid the uniform cache for a new Ranger. Didn’t even have time to stop for photos. This shot from last week at the South Rim looking north at the same temples as the photo above.
Made a “bio” stop at Navajo Bridge on the way home and barely caught sight of a juvenile, black-headed California Condor roosting on the girders, #722 a three year-old wild-hatched female. Look closely for the #2 tag. Earned two hours of comp time with a full day of good company.
Friday off, thank goodness. And a free dinner at the Grand Lodge for Forever Resorts’ “shake-down” in preparation for opening. Lets new staff and old practice plus works out any bugs (I hope not) in the kitchen and dinning room. I have enough leftovers to eat for a week. The food was good and the was too.
This year there will be additional dinning opportunities at the Grand Lodge. A dinner buffet located in the auditorium. This is also the room we present a Ranger slide presentation at 8:30, different topics nightly. Because this is a new set up we’ll see how it goes with visitors sitting at tables after the plates are cleared.
Saturday, several Rangers including me, marched in Kanab’s Earthfest Dancing with Dogs parade. There’s a Greyhound rescue group gathering also. This is a new festival for the town and was over pretty quick. Had brunch at Parry’s, made a grocery store stop, and then back to the North Rim. I gave Bill my little camera to take photos but won’t see them until later today.
Sunday, the gate opened at 7:30 am and the crowds rushed in. I’m not scheduled for any programs opening day but will help out in the Visitor Center, rove to answer questions, and greet our first two Artist-in-Residence Patrick and Tina.
Check this out for more information about visiting the North Rim.
Put the Wilson booster on the roof but only seeing a slight improvement in signal strength, still very erratic and unreliable. With 1x and about 136 kpbs it feels like a return to dialup. Unfortunately taking my laptop to the rim hasn’t helped either. Perseverance and patience are my new challenges.
I think it may be more than no signal. I am having masses of problems with Google and N said yesterday that he was having trouble looking at my blog as well, too slow to download pictures!!! I know we have a very slow connection, but things seem to have got worse in the last 10 days.
Love this post and have followed your links as well so we should know what to expect 🙂 Excitement is building daily. Take care, a bientot, Diane
When I’m some place where there is a signal, like here at Bill’s in Kanab, I have no problem.
Only a little over a month away.
Gee, we all seem to be having the same issue with slow or no internet speed! We had a tough 10 days in Torrey using just the parks WiFi with a packed park every night and double rows in the overflow. We could get phone service (extended network) with our booster. Now we are at Ruby’s Inn and RV Park. Their WiFi is a little better and we can get Verizon with our booster. But poor John can’t upload photos the last few days. He is getting very frustrated. He doesn’t like to get behind in the blog. Today we will drive around with the computer and booster and search for a stronger Verizon signal. You are doing well with your posts despite the lack of nearby WiFi.
So glad you had a wonderful opening for the season:) Free food is always a nice treat. I hope you are doing some of the evening ranger programs. I know the people will really get a great evening full of wonderful information with you behind the mic:)
I got a chunk of steel plate today to put on the roof for the booster antenna. Hope that works. I feel John’s pain about trying to keep current with the blog and struggling to upload photos. Hope you’re staying warm and dry in the snow storm.
This is the first park WiFi that’s been usable in months so I guess we “stole” the fast internet down here this month! How fun to get the gates open for another season. Hope the buffet and presentation works well, sounds like a good way to handle large groups. What a great catch getting that condor at the bridge!
What’s up with all the internet problems? We’re all hooked and getting no where slow.
Hi, Gaelyn,
Enjoyed your write up and photos of opening day. Very nice of you to help out at the VC and with Roves on the first day even though you are not on duty. I am not surprised, however, as I know how much you love the park and how conscientious you are about the role of a Ranger. I hope that the table arrangement in the auditorium will not be a detracting factor to the program. One thing for sure, I am glad my telescope is not up there on the stage like it used to be.
Thanks George. I was working opening day and it was crazy busy. The new dinning in the auditorium is an experiment and we’re all suppose to be “flexible”.
Oh BOY! These pictures are fantastic. I sure wish I was there to see that big beautiful hole in person again. Really sorry to hear about all the internet problems. Don’t remember those from years past but I assume the change in location is the reason. That can get really tiresome. Will be interesting to see how the new auditorium buffet thing works. Will the program be available to those who aren’t there to eat but come in at 8:25?? Just did one of two posts on Africa and thought of you the entire time and how I’d love to be in the REAL Africa.
Thanks Sherry. Your photos from Disney Africa made me want to return yesterday, to both. During winter in Kanab I had good signal. Where I was parked at the North Rim the last two years I had decent signal, and now I barely have any. Going to try a hunk of steel plate on the roof with the booster antenna and hope that makes some improvement. The evening program is available to all and I’m thinking not all the diners will hang around after they’re done eating.
I can tell you were getting your game face on and are getting ready for the new season.
I’m spoiled as I paid extra for super duper upload speeds. It would be hard to post photographs at the speed you have. I hope it gets better soon.
Good luck on the new season!
It took almost 3 hours to load this post. Unfortunately no choice for super duper speeds.
It really was very interesting reading about the work to get everything ready for the Grand (Canyon) opening!! I know I have a weird sense of humor though, because at the beginning of the post when you talked about spit shine and cleaning, I got a mental picture of the Ranger crew out there dusting and polishing the canyon rocks. (Not needed — they could not be any more beautiful than they are.)
I’m really sorry about the computer problems — that is frustrating.
We have to clean the canyon all the time. 😉
Hope the steel plate works for your booster. It’s frustrating in this day and age not to have a decent connection. However, the photos you uploaded are excellent. I liked that you “caught” the condor at the bridge. Good Luck in the new season at the Canyon, Gaelyn. I hope all goes smoothly. PS I tried commenting on the computer, but I still can’t get it to go through. It won’t take my info to post the comment. Cannot figure out what’s wrong!
Thanks Barb. I’m hoping that metal plate works too, and doesn’t leave a rust spot on the roof. I wish I knew why the comment thing doesn’t work. I’ve checked what I can. Coming for a visit this summer?
Great post Gaelyn, hope u doing well & enjoyed a lot..
you have a great photography skills, all photographs are totally awesome,,
🙂
Gary king..