140 Mile Canyon rests at the northern end of the Great Thumb Mesa. From the rim it casts a deep gash in the Esplanade North into the Colorado River. Any technical canyoneer hears a siren’s call when looking at that magnificent place from the rim. The photo set includes a map that shows the route of the Deer […]
Way on the other side of Great Thumb Mesa is a stunning place called Fossil Canyon. Good rock climbers can escape up Fossil canyon from the river, but not without swimming, stemming, and hard climbing. While not completely ‘technical’ in the classic sense, it’s real gem to behold and […]
Mr. David Uberuaga
Superintendent
Grand Canyon National Park
PO Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
With copy to:
Janet Cohen, Tribal Liaison
Linda Jalbert, Wilderness Coordinator & Recreation Planner
Dear Superintendent Uberuaga,
The Coalition of American Canyoneers represents the greater canyoneering community working with land managers to ensure access to slot canyons on public and private lands. […]
Over the past 5 years, the Toroweap park ranger had noticed a dozen tires plus a variety of other debris at the base of Toroweap Overlook (www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/tuweep.htm). It is quite difficult to get from the overlook to where the trash has come to rest. Hence it was not safe to try to carry the trash up […]
The National Park Service (NPS) has approved a Wilderness and Backcountry Stewardship Plan for Death Valley National Park, concluding a 4-year public planning process.
The purpose of this plan is to guide the National Park Service in making decisions regarding the future use and protection of […]
The illegal entry bolts at Garden Creek in Grand Canyon are no more. In response to an NPS request, eleven members from the Coalition of American Canyoneers hiked 3,000′ down into Grand Canyon on Saturday to remove the bolts from the top of Garden Creek.
The bolts were expansion bolts, and […]
7.2 Climbing: For the purpose of this Order, climbing is defined to include rock climbing, snow and ice climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, and caving, where climbing equipment, such as ropes and fixed or removable anchors, is generally used to support an ascent or descent. […]
Since November 2012, Rich Rudow, board member at American Canyoneers and Dave Mortenson, board member at Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association, have been jointly working through the issues concerning RABT (River Assisted Backcountry Travel) for the upcoming Backcountry Management Plan. RABT is the much preferred term to packrafting because we feel […]
The meeting was opened by a message from Board President, Wolf Schuster welcoming everyone to the meeting and thanking all of the participants for scheduling time to attend.
• One of the main benefits discussed was the fact that an organized group is better able to access/have conversation with public and private land […]
Grand Canyon National Park is replete with small tributaries and deep, narrow slot canyons that funnel into the main gorge. Canyoneering into these canyons is a challenging adventure through some of the most rugged and remote terrain Grand Canyon has to offer. Rescues are difficult and sometimes even impossible. While dazzling surprises abound for those with advanced technical skills and a […]
John Wesley Powell coined the term “canyoneer” on his explorations of the Colorado Plateau in 1869. Today, many Grand Canyon hikers, boaters, and technical Canyoneers use the term “canyoneer” to refer to their activities. Unlike most other canyoneering locations, technical canyoneering in Grand Canyon often requires an expedition mentality. The scale of the place is vast. Access to slot canyons […]
After speaking with Superintendent Oberuaga last week via teleconference, Rich Rudow received this letter clarifying the Park Service position on Deer Creek access.
Position Letter from Superintendent Uberuaga (click to download)
I think this is a very complicated issue that should probably be dealt with sooner rather then later. By complicated, I mean there are legal aspects to this discussion reaching far beyond […]
Superintendent Uberuaga
Dear Mr. Rudow:
Thank you for your interest in the restrictions we have recently enacted within the water course of Deer Creek. As you know, the Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent’s 2012 Compendium of Designations, Closures, Use and Activity Restrictions, Permit Requirements and Other Regulations, includes a restriction at Deer Creek, River Mile 136.9. This restriction prohibits ascending or […]
