August 25, 2016
Despite the fact the North Rim Grand Canyon had been without phone and internet for at least three days so no sharing on social media or the park’s website, thank you Century Link, everybody at North Rim Grand Canyon celebrated National Park Service 100 years. I’ll bet many visitors came just for the celebration. And the cake was almost to beautiful to cut, and absolutely delicious. Made by the owner of Kaibab Lodge located about 20 miles out of the park.
Cake complete with candles which were blown out by Ranger Rachel on her day off thus out of uniform, our Chief Interpretive Ranger, and a Junior Ranger.
The Visitor Center porch was crowded with happy visitors taking plenty of photos and waiting for their bite-size piece of cake. Happy Birthday wishes were heard almost constantly.
The Kaibab Squirrel Piñata made by Ranger Amanda with three interior sections was a big hit.
Moments after the cleanup the clouds opened and dumped heavy rain sending everybody indoors.
Didn’t get many photos because I was working in the Visitor Center, followed by the daily 4:30 California Condor talk which was in the “sunroom” with standing room only due to the deluge and heavy lightning. A woman visitor with at least five kids asked me why we didn’t have loud speakers to tell people to get off the rim during the storm. I was rather puzzled and wondered if she really understood the Grand Canyon isn’t Disneyland. This prompted my pre-program safety talk about lightning safety. As lightning struck I’d start to count, “one-1000, two-1000, three-1000, four-1000, five-1000” BOOM came the lightning only about one mile away. Because lightning can travel 10 miles being on the rim for that million dollar photo probably isn’t worth it.
About 45 visitors attended and seemed to like my newest evening program, FindYourPark ShareYourPark, plus participated by sharing their favorite national park and why. Starting off with a brief history of the National Park Service—a little shorter than this post—followed by my history as a Ranger (because so many visitors ask), then when a visitor shared their park I put up an image on the screen.
What do you think the next 100 years will bring?