AZ -- Grand Canyon Natl Park -- South Rim -- Man-made Structures:
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GRCSM_060523_001.JPG: Santa Fe Depot
GRCSM_060523_011.JPG: Santa Fe Depot:
"Won't you be one of the 25,000 visitors at the Grand Canyon of Arizona this summer? It is the world's scenic wonder -- nothing like it."
-- Santa Fe Railroad brochure, 1914
The Santa Fee train whistle that was heard here on September 17, 1901, signaled the end of Grand Canyon's frontier days. The $3.50 train ride now replaced a $20.00, full-day, jolting stagecoach ride. In coming decades, Santa Fe promotions nationwide would encourage visitors to come by rail. By the thousands, they did.
The railroad opened Grand Canyon to the world. The Santa Fe Depot, built in 1909, greeted rail patrons for 59 years. But the railroad's operation went well beyond trains. At Grand Canyon, the Santa Fe offered hotels, Fred Harvey meals, and a wide range of sightseeing options. And for more than 30 years, Santa Fe tank cards delivered water, vital on Grand Canyon's waterless south rim.
In the 1950s, automobiles doomed rail travel. The Santa Fe stopped passenger service here in 1968. In 1989, limited service resumed in the form of excursion trains, not associated with the Santa Fe. Today, the National Park Service maintains the historic depot to remind us of Grand Canyon's rail era.
GRCSM_060523_018.JPG: Hopi House
GRCSM_060523_021.JPG: El Tovar Hotel:
Begun 1903, completed 1905. Named for Don Pedro De Tovar, the first European to visit the Hopi Indian villages in 1540, the hotel was constructed by Hopi Indian craftsmen at a cost of $250,000, employing logs shipped by train from Oregon and native Kaibab limestone. The El Tovar Hotel has been host to thousands of visitors since its dedication in 1906 and is operated by the National Parks Division of Fred Harvey, Inc. The El Tovar Hotel has been listed in the historical registry of the United States since September 6, 1974.
GRCSM_060523_027.JPG: El Tovar Hotel
GRCSM_060523_042.JPG: Hopi House:
Hopi House opened on January 1, 1905, the first Grand Canyon work of architect Mary Colter. To complement El Tovar, their new hotel. the Fred Harvey Company commissioned Colter to design a building to display and sell Indian arts and crafts. Colter designed Hopi House to resemble a true Indian dwelling, modeling it after structures in the Hopi village of Old Oraibi.
When it opened, Hopi House contained sales areas and a museum. Upper floors housed Hopi families who worked there. Visitors could observe artisans at work, and in the evening experience traditional song and dance on the patio.
Hopi House was designed to blend commercial needs with a human and natural setting, an architectural concept then new in the Southwest.
Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter:
For almost 50 years, Mary Colter designed structures and interiors throughout the Southwest for the Fred Harvey Company. She advanced a new architectural style -- simpler designs that incorporated the Southwestern heritage she loved. She was a pioneer, succeeding in a man's field at a time when professional women were not widely accepted.
Six of Mary Colter's works may be seen at Grand Canyon: Hopi House, Bright Angel Lodge, Lookout Studio, Hermit's Rest, Desert View Watchtower, and Phantom Ranch.
GRCSM_060523_051.JPG: Lookout Studio
GRCSM_060523_066.JPG: Bright Angel Lodge
Bright Angel Hotel was built around 1895 to serve stagecoach passengers. In 1905, the hotel became Bright Angel Camp, which eventually included cabins and an adjoining tent village.
In 1935, the Fred Harvey Company replaced the camp with Bright Angel Lodge, which stands here now. The lodge is one of six historic structures at Grand Canyon designed by architect Mary Colter.
GRCSM_060523_074.JPG: Lookout Studio:
The Fred Harvey Company built Lookout Studio in 1914, in part to compete with the Kolb Brothers Studio located slightly west along the rim. Called "The Lookout," Fred Harvey's studio offered telescopic views, photographs, and books about the canyon.
Designed by Mary Colter, Lookout Studio is an early example of a park structure that blends with its setting. Its low, rough-cut limestone design adheres to ideas expressed by pioneer landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who felt that any park structure that drew attention away from the works of nature and to the works of man was inappropriate. From within the canyon, Lookout Studio is barely visible.
GRCSM_060523_079.JPG: Buckey O'Neill Cabin:
In the early 1890s (exact date unknown), Buckey O'Neill built a log cabin here on Grand Canyon's south rim. It stands in front of you; it is Grand Canyon's oldest surviving historic structure.
Grand Canyon's modern era began with people like O'Neill -- prospectors and adventurers who quickly found tourism more lucrative than mining. Many of their structures became rugged tourist facilities; in 1898 O'Neill's cabin became part of the Bright Angel Hotel. In 1935 when Mary Colter designed a new Bright Angel Lodge, she preserved Buckey's cabin by incorporating it into her design. It still provides lodging for visitors today.
Buckey O'Neill has a widely varied career that ended abruptly in 1898 when he was killed serving in Cuba with Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders. O'Neill Butte, which towers over Grand Canyon's South Kaibob Trail, bears his name.
GRCSM_060523_080.JPG: Buckey O'Neill Cabin
GRCSM_060523_094.JPG: "Dude" saddle. This was put into service in 1983. A conservative estimate suggests this saddle saw roughly 54,600 miles of trail in Grand Canyon during its twenty years of service carrying canyon visitors round-trip to Plateau Point and Phantom Ranch.
GRCSM_060523_100.JPG: This is a pack saddle, used to haul supplies, produce, and other items on the South Kaibob Trail to Phantom Ranch, and mail, garbage, and various other objects from Phantom Ranch back up to the South Rim.
GRCSM_060523_105.JPG: The view of the valley from Lookout Studio
GRCSM_060523_136.JPG: Kolb Studio
GRCSM_060523_155.JPG: The sign documenting the Grand Canyon Village view. It's a better photo than I could do and it's well labeled.
GRCSM_060523_160.JPG: Across the valley (and the Bright Angel Trail), you can see Grand Canyon Village.
On the top left, the big structure is El Tovar Hotel. To the left of it is the Hopi House. To the right of El Tovar Hotel, you'll see two long structures. The second (below the light thing) is Bright Angel Lodge. Just in front and to the left of it is Lookout Studio. To the left of that are two large dark buildings. The one on the rim is Kolb Studio. Above it is the Old Power House.
GRCSM_060523_164.JPG: This picture is mostly to get the mountains in the background. They're about 60 miles away.
GRCSM_060523_170.JPG: El Tovar Hotel
GRCSM_060523_172.JPG: The light-colored structure by the rim on the left is the Lookout Studio. You can see part of Bright Angel Lodge directly behind it (with the grass). On the right side, the big clearly visible building in front is the Kolb Studio, the one in the back is the Old Power House.
GRCSM_060523_188.JPG: A view into the canyon shows one of the structures used for the Orphan Mine operation. There's talk of a "glory hole" being visible from the rim so maybe that's what this is.
GRCSM_060523_194.JPG: The Orphan Mine included this 80-foot-high steel headframe
GRCSM_060523_199.JPG: Community Fact Sheet
Orphan Mine Site
A Site History...
The Orphan Mine Site is located on and below the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park. The Site is approximately two miles northwest of the South Rim Village, between Maricopa Point and the Powell Memorial. The Park's Rim Trail, which traverses approximately twelve miles of the South Rim of the canyon, detours around the Orphan Mine property.
The Orphan Mine Claim, sometimes referred to as the Orphan Lode Mine or the Lost Orphan Mine, was filed in 1893 and patented in 1906. The property was surveyed as containing 20.26 acres of land extending from approximately 500 feet south of the South Rim to approximately 1,100 feet below the South Rim. During the early decades of the 20th century, periodic mining operations were conducted at the Orphan Mine, deriving copper and other precious metals from the workings. In 1931, geologists determined there were high-grade uranium deposits present in the Orphan Mine Site.
In 1953, a private mining company began leasing the mineral rights to the property, and in 1956 the company purchased both the mineral rights and the surface rights. The mining company built many structures to support its mining activities, including a three-tower aerial tram system for hauling ore from the lower mine area to the upper mine area on the South Rim. In 1959, the mining company replaced the tram with a hoisting shaft in order to increase production. The hoist included an 80-foot-high steel headframe which remains on the South Rim and a crosscut from the shaft to the main ore deposit at a depth of approximately 1,500 feet below the South Rim.
In 1962, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to accept title to the Site. Site mining activities were required by the 1962 legislation to terminate no later than 1987. Mine production ceased in 1969. The National Park Service has determined that the Site may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
And now.. .
Currently, mine wastes are present at the upper and lower mine areas as well as on the steep slope down the canyon along the path of the old tram structures (the middle mine area). The upper mine are is fenced with both a chain link metal fence and a temporary outer fence to protect park visitors from any potential exposure to radiation or other mine waste contaminants. In addition, signs have been posted in the Horn Creek draining warning the public not to drink the water in Horn Creek due to potentially hazardous levels of radioisotopes. The lower and middle mine areas are inaccessible to park visitors. The most notable feature of the lower mine area is a large "glory hole" which is visible from Maricopa Point.
GRCSM_060523_212.JPG: Powell Memorial
GRCSM_060523_239.JPG: The Orphan Mine.
The stark metal "headframe" rising above the canyon rim once supported equipment that raised ore from the Orphan Mine. One of the last operating mines within Grand Canyon National Park, the Orphan Mine produced copper, uranium, silver, and vanadium.
In 1893, prospector Dan Hogan found copper 1500 feet below this point. Hogan opened the Orphan Mine and briefly mined copper. But the lack of ore, and difficulty of getting ore to the rim and then to market, forced the Orphan Mine to close.
In 1951, geologists discovered that the Orphan Mine was rich with uranium, and the mine's heyday began. In the 1950s, the mine -- ironically, within a national park -- became America's richest source of uranium. At that point, silver and vanadium were also recovered. But by 1969, the high grade ore was mined out and mining here ceased. In 1988, the National Park Service gained ownership and the Orphan Mine's mining days ended for good.
GRCSM_060523_253.JPG: Hermit's Rest
GRCSM_060523_270.JPG: Bright Angel Trail
Each year thousands of hikers enter Grand Canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. They follow a tradition - and a trail route - established by prehistoric people. For centuries humans have used this route for two key reasons: water and access. Water emerges from springs at Indian Garden, and erosion along the Bright Angel Fault creates a break in the cliffs, providing access to the springs.
When prospectors arrived here in the late 1800s, Havasupai Indians were using the route. Prospectors improved the Havasupai route, but soon realized that the canyon's wealth lay in tourism, not ore. By 1903 one prospector, Ralph Cameron, had secured control of the trail by strategically locating mining claims. He then charged a $1.00 toll per trail user.
For years Ralph Cameron battled to defend his precarious legal claim to the Bright Angel Trail, all the while collecting tolls. In 1928 the National Park Service gained control of the trail and tolls ceased. The Bright Angel has been Grand Canyon's most popular trail ever since.
GRCSM_060523_271.JPG: Mules and the Canyon:
Behind you is the Bright Angel mule corral, where each morning mules greet riders and another adventure begins. Mules have carried people into Grand Canyon since sightseers first visited here in the 1890s. For many people -- including those who cannot hike -- mules provide access to the inner canyon.
"If the mule should slip, all would be over. BUT -- the mule doesn't slip. The trail is never as narrow or as steep as you will describe it when you get back home. If it were, no living animal could possibly make the trip safely."
-- Fred Harvey publication, 1909
Mules?
What is a mule?
Mules are hybrids, a cross between a male burro (jack) and a female horse (mare). They create either a male mule (john) or female mule (molly).
How long do mules lives? How old are the ones visitors ride?
Mules live about 30-35 years. The ones visitors ride are between 6-25 years old (10 years average).
Can I pet or feed the mules?
No, please. It is dangerous.
Will the mules bite?
Yes, they might. They are not aggressive, but if someone reaches out with hands that smell like food, they will bite.
Why mules? Why not horses?
Mules carry more weight, are less temperamental, and are more economical. And, as one wrangler said, "The difference between riding a mule and riding a horse is like the difference between riding in a Cadillac and riding in a washing machine. Mules are just a whole lot smoother."
Where do Grand Canyon's passenger mules come from?
Mostly from Tennessee. Often used for tobacco cultivation, mules are generally sold wherever tobacco is grown. The Fred Harvey Company, which operates the mule rides, buys about 15-20 each year.
Where do I get information about taking a mule ride?
Information is available at all park hotel desks. Reservations are made through the Bright Angel Transportation Desk in the lobby of Bright Angel Lodge.
Must I make reservations?
Absolutely! A year in advance is recommended.
How long do mule rides last? Where do they go?
There are two different trips: a day trip and an overnight trip. The day trip takes about 8 hours. Starting here at 8:00am, it goes to Plateau Point about half way into the canyon, then returns here by about 4:00pm. The overnight trip leaves here around 7:00am (8:00am in Winter) and descends to Phantom Ranch in the canyon bottom, where riders spend the night. The trip out is via Kaibab Trail, 5 miles east of here, and ends by about 4:00pm.
What should hikers do when mules are passing?
Stand quietly to the inside of the trail and follow instructions from the wrangler. Mules have the right-of-way.
Do the mules ever fall? Have there been accidents?
Almost never. There has never been a human death associated with passenger mules. Occasionally, pack mules have fallen. Passenger mules are chosen carefully. They must not be easily excited. The greatest hazards involve heat and interaction with hikers.
GRCSM_060523_276.JPG: Kolb Studio
GRCSM_060523_293.JPG: Lookout Studio
GRCSM_060523_315.JPG: Mining on Horseshoe Mesa
In 1890 prospector Pete Berry staked the Last Chance copper claim 3,000 feet below you on Horseshoe Mesa. The Last Chance Mine began a 17-year flurry of activity here at Grandview Point.
For a while the Last Chance Mine thrived. The ore was rich; it claimed a World's Fair prize in Chicago in 1893 for being over 70% pure copper. But the high cost of packing ore to the rim, then shipping it to be refined, doomed the operation. Berry and his partners sold the mine in 1901. The new owners continued mining, but ceased when copper prices plunged in 1907.
Mining on Horseshoe Mesa, though short-lived , had a lasting impact. Grandview became Grand Canyon's most popular tourist area for about 10 years when Grand Canyon tourism was in its infancy. The Grandview Trail, built by Last Chance miners to reach their mines, now serves thousands of hikers each year.
GRCSM_060523_326.JPG: The Watchtower
GRCSM_060523_338.JPG: The Watchtower:
Build a structure that provides the widest possible view of Grand Canyon yet harmonizes with its setting: this was architect Mary Colter's goal when the Fred Harvey Company hired her in 1930 to design a gift shop and rest area here at Desert View. Colter's answer was the Watchtower.
A perfectionist, Colter scrutinized every detail, down to the placement of nearly every stone. Each stone was hand-picked for size and appearance. Weathered faces were left untouched to give the tower an ancient look. With a lavish, highly publicized dedication ceremony, the Watchtower opened in May 1933.
GRCSM_060523_393.JPG: A view of the Desert View structures from the Watchtower
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
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2006 photos: Equipment this year: I was using all six Fuji cameras at various times -- an S602Zoom, two S7000s,a S5200, an S9000, and an S9100. The majority of pictures this year were taken with the S9000. I have to say, the S7000s was the best camera I've used up to this point..
Trips this year: Florida (two separate trips including Lotusphere and taking care of mom), three weeks out west (including Yellowstone), Williamsburg, San Diego (comic book convention), and Georgia.
Number of photos taken this year: 183,000.
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