NOTES FROM UP NORTH

THE NORTH RIM NOTES from UP NORTH

EDITOR'S NOTE: Several sources were used in compiling this information, including our own archives, the National Park Service, the U.S.Forest Service, the Grand Canyon Association and Stewart Aitchison's book Grand Canyon's North Rim and Beyond. The latter, by theway, is a must for anyone planning a trip up north.

Also Kaibab squirrels, which have tasseled ears and bushy

19 Point Sublime (above) is the western-

most viewpoint in Grand Canyon National Park. The 18-mile (one way) drive out there requires a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle.

20

Mule trips on the North Rim do not go to the river. One-hour rides along the rim and half-day rim or inner canyon trips usually are available on a daily basis. Prices start at $40 per person. For reservations, call 435679-8665.

21

Pets, except service animals, are not allowed on any trails in Grand Canyon National Park. In addition, they're not allowed in the lodge, and there's no kennel on the North Rim.

22

On May 1, 2013, sunrise on the North Rim will be at 5:35 a.m.; sunset will be at 7:17 p.m.

23

The Widforss Trail begins at Harvey Meadow and ends at Widforss Point, which sits at an elevation of 8,094 feet. The trail (10 miles round-trip) is named for Gunnar Widforss, a Swedish-born artist who painted extensively in the national parks of the American West. He's buried in the Pioneer Cemetery on the South Rim.

24

Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed the North Rim's original Grand Canyon Lodge, which was built in 1928. Steven Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, requested a "rustic" national park lodge.

25

For more than 30 years, artist Bruce Aiken lived at the Roaring Springs pump house along the North Kaibab Trail. When he wasn't fixing and operating the pump, he was creating what are arguably some of the most spectacular paintings ever made of the Grand Canyon. To see his work, visit www.bruceaiken.com.

26

On November 28, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt declared portions of the Kaibab Plateau a federal game preserve.

27

Elizabeth Wylie McKee and her husband, Thomas, opened the first tourist facility on the North Rim at Bright Angel Point in 1917.

28

Bright Angel Point is located a quarter-mile from the Grand Canyon Lodge. It sits at an elevation of 8,148 feet and can be reached by a short trail.

29

The Kaibab Plateau has one of the most extensive tracts of old-growth ponderosa pines in the Southwest.

The Uncle Jim Trail, which is 5 miles roundtrip, is named for Jim Owens, who was a game warden on the Kaibab Plateau.

Park rangers give "Condor Talks" daily at 4:30 p.m. in front of the massive fireplace on the sun deck of the Grand Canyon Lodge. The lectures are free of charge.

By the late 1880s, there were approximately 20,000 head of cattle and 200,000 sheep grazing on the Kaibab Plateau.

There are many scenic drives on the Kaibab Plateau, and three of the most scenic lead to Parissawampitts Point, North Timp Point and Timp Point on the west rim. For directions and road conditions, call 928-643-7395 or visit www. fs.usda.gov/kaibab.

Geologist Clarence Dutton named Cape Final, which sits at an elevation of 7,916 feet on the Walhalla Plateau. The hike to the point is 4 miles round-trip.

In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt designated the Grand Canyon a national monument.

Cliff Spring, which flows intermittently on the North Rim, can be reached by a 1-mile (round-trip) trail that takes off from the road to Cape Royal.

"Uncle" Jim Owens, who is best known as the man who allegedly killed 300 mountain lions on the Kaibab Plateau in an effort to beef up the deer population, has another legacy. In 1906, he and some of his colleagues brought bison to the Kaibab Plateau. The herd's descendants still live in House Rock Valley.

38 A shuttle to the North Kaibab Trailhead is available daily at 5:45 a.m. and 7:10 a.m. Sign up at the front desk of the Grand Canyon Lodge. The shuttle leaves from in front of the lodge. Reservations are recommended at least 24 hours in advance.

39 Jacob Lake, which is named for Mormon pioneer Jacob Hamblin, is located about a mile from the Jacob Lake Inn on Forest Road 461.

40 State Route 67, the North Rim Parkway, was designated a National Scenic Byway in 1998. It runs for 43.4 miles from Jacob Lake to the entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. The road usually is closed from mid-November through mid-May because of heavy snowfall.

41 On June 8, 2006, a lightning strike ignited the Warm Fire, which burned nearly 60,000 acres between Jacob Lake and DeMotte Park. Remnants of the fire still are visible today.

42 Early settlers referred to the Kaibab Plateau as Buckskin Mountain because of the high number of mule deer living there.

43 On September 1, 1932, fire destroyed the original Grand Canyon Lodge. The only inhabitants - the lodge manager, his wife and the maids - were asleep on the top floor of the auditorium when the fire broke out. Everyone survived, and only two of the surrounding cabins were lost.

45 Toroweap Overlook, which is located west of the North Rim, features a sheer, 3,000-foot drop to the Colorado River. It's also the starting point for the Lava Falls Trail, one of the most difficult hikes in the Grand Canyon.

46 The North Rim features one of the darkest skies in North America, which makes it an ideal place to view the Perseid meteor showers in July and August.

47 In the summer of 1913, after losing the presidential election of 1912, Theodore Roosevelt, along with his sons Quentin and Archie, spent two weeks hunting on the Kaibab Plateau.

48 In July 1996, Roosevelt Point was dedicated on the North Rim's Walhalla Plateau in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. Surprisingly, it was the first landmark named in honor of the man who deserves much of the credit for preserving and protecting the Grand Canyon. A short (0.2 miles round-trip) trail loops through the woods to the point.

49 The Kaibab Plateau has one of the densest populations of northern goshawks in North America.

50 In 2003, National Park Service biologists at Grand Canyon National Park initiated a radiotelemetry study of mountain lions in and around the park. Much of their work is centered on the North Rim. Keep your eyes peeled.

51 The North Rim gets an average of 142 inches of snow annually.

52

The Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center, which is operated by the Kaibab National Forest and the Grand Canyon Association, is located at the south end of the Jacob Lake Inn parking lot. Books, maps and other items are available. For information, call 928-643-7298.

53

In 1923, Harold and Nina Bowman opened a gas station near Jacob Lake. A few years later, that operation would expand into the now-iconic Jacob Lake Inn. For reservations, call 928-643-7232 or visit www.jacoblake.com.

54

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is approximately 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim.

55

In addition to its idyllic setting, Jacob Lake Inn is known for its homemade cookies. The chocolate chip is a great option, but for something deliciously different, try the lemon zucchini.

56

In 1926, 14,500 people visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

57

Although Gunnar Widforss is considered one of the great painters of our national parks, he's received limited exposure and remains somewhat obscure. Prior to an exhibit at the Museum of Northern Arizona in 2010, there hadn't been a major Widforss exhibit since 1969.

58

Point Imperial and Cape Royal can be reached by a winding scenic drive. Exploring both points, with short walks at each and several stops at pullouts along the way, can take a half-day. From the lodge, Point Imperial is 11 miles one way; Cape Royal is 23 miles one way.

59

In 1919, the Grand Canyon was designated a national park.

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61

In 1937, the Utah Parks Co. opened a second Grand Canyon Lodge using the same floor plan as the first. The new edition featured sloped roofs, which were better able to shed the heavy snows that hit the area. That structure still stands today. Interestingly, there are no lodging facilities within the lodge itself. Instead, guests sleep in the surrounding cabins. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, however, are served in the lodge. For reservations, call 877-386-4383 or visit www.grand canyonforever.com.

62

In 1911, Arizona historian Sharlot Hall spent two months on the North Rim recording its natural resources, talking to its residents and chronicling its history.

63

Backcountry permits are required within Grand Canyon National Park for overnight hiking, overnight horseback-riding and overnight camping at rim sites other than those in developed campgrounds. The North Rim Backcountry Information Center is open daily from mid-May to mid-October. For information, call 928-638-7875.

65

Cabin No. 306 is the best cabin on the North Rim. For reservations, call 877-386-4383 or visit www.grandcanyon forever.com.

66

The Kaibab Lodge is located 18 miles north of the North Rim. It's open from mid-May to early November and features a nice restaurant. For reservations, call 928-638-2389 or visit www.kaibablodge.com.

67

Along with mule deer and Kaibab squirrels, Merriam's turkeys are a common sight on the North Rim. The birds, which are similar in size to turkeys in the East, are named for C. Hart Merriam, who was the first chief of what later became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

68

The North Rim Campground, which is located within Grand Canyon National Park just a few miles from the lodge, features shady and spacious campsites. There are also RV sites, a general store and laundry facilities. For information, call 928-638-7888 or visit www.nps. gov/grca.

69

Fuel is limited on the North Rim and the Kaibab Plateau. It can be purchased at the Jacob Lake Inn, at the North Rim Country Store (6 miles north of the park) and next door to the North Rim Campground. Prices, as you'd expect, are well above average.

70

The Grand Canyon's 23rd Annual Star Party will be held on the North Rim June 8-15, 2013. Telescopes will be set up on the sun deck at the Grand Canyon Lodge.

71

Longtime Arizona Highways contributor and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jack Dykinga describes the view from Toroweap Overlook like this: "The view in any direction is beyond belief. It is at once both exhilarating and terrifying-like standing on the wing of an airplane. No other place provides this perspective." Dykinga's work can be seen in this month's portfolio (Rim Shots!, page 16), and also on our back cover.

72

Point Sublime offers a 270-degree panorama of the Grand Canyon - it's one of the few places where visitors can get great views of both the North Rim and the South Rim at the same time. Getting out to the point, however, requires a rugged two-hour drive.

64

In May 2000, the Outlet Fire burned more than 14,500 acres near the border of Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest. Remnants of the fire still are visible today.

The original cabin for the Jacob Lake Ranger Station, which was built in 1910, still stands in its original location near Jacob Lake. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

73

Forever Resorts, which is the concessionaire for the North Rim, recycles 75 percent of its trash, and all laundry is done off-site, thus helping to preserve the area's most precious resource of all: water.

74

Prior to the 20th century, both Utah and Arizona claimed ownership of the North Rim and the surrounding Kaibab Plateau. It wasn't until 1912, when Arizona was granted statehood, that the issue finally was resolved.

75

DeMotte Campground, which is located 7 miles north of the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, sits at an elevation of 8,700 feet. It features 38 campsites, picnic tables, fire pits and grills, as well as easy access to Timp Point, Parissawampitts Point and other scenic lookouts. For information, call 928-643-7395 or visit www. fs.usda.gov/kaibab.

76

On the floor of the canyons below Cape Final lie the remains of long-dead volcanoes. Hundreds of millions of years before the Grand Canyon came to be, veins of molten rock broke through ancient bedrock and are now seen as black, skeletal dashes in the Canyon walls.

77

Bright Angel Point on the North Rim lies due north of Shoshone Point on the South Rim.

78

The most snow ever recorded on the North Rim was 272 inches in 1978.

79

A trans-Canyon shuttle runs between the North Rim and the South Rim once a day, in each direction, between May 15 and October 15, with a limited schedule between October 15 and October 31. The travel time is approximately four and a half hours, one way.

80

In 1953, Marguerite Henry wrote the book Brighty of the Grand Canyon. The book's protagonist is a burro who lived at the Canyon from 1892 until 1922. In the summer, he carried water from Roaring Springs to the early tourist accommodations that were located on the North Rim.

81

The Kaibab Plateau is home to two wilderness areas: the Kanab Creek Wilderness on the west end of the plateau, which ranges in elevation from 2,000 feet to 6,000 feet; and the Saddle Mountain Wilderness, which is located along the east end and ranges in elevation from 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet.

82

Angels Window, a natural arch created by erosion, can be reached by a half-mile hike from Cape Royal. Geologist Clarence Dutton named Cape Royal in 1882.

83

Mountain short-horned lizards can be found on the North Rim. The spiny reptiles are members of the iguana family and are cold tolerant, which allows them to survive at the high elevations of the Kaibab Plateau.

84

In 1979, UNESCO recognized the Grand Canyon as a World Heritage Site.

85

Uncle Jim Point, which is located at the apex of the Uncle Jim Trail, offers some of the best views on the North Rim. Embedded in the rock there are fossils that are 250 million years old.

87 87

The Roughrider Saloon, which is located in the Grand Canyon Lodge, is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

88

Park rangers offer onehour nature walks daily at 8 a.m. The walks begin at the North Rim Visitor Center and wind through the pine and aspen forest along the rim.

89

DeMotte Park, which is a beautiful meadow located about 5 miles north of the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, is named for Harvey C. DeMotte, a friend of John Wesley Powell's.

86

DeMotte Park, which is a beautiful meadow located about 5 miles north of the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, is named for Harvey C. DeMotte, a friend of John Wesley Powell's.

86