Grand Canyon Revisited

You may recall a previous post about a scouting trip for a future potential field trip to the Grand Canyon. Our team of 4th grade teachers and an incredibly supportive principal were able to make it happen!

First, a recap by the numbers:

149 - 4th grade students and parents in attendance
6 - teachers/staff
3 - days spent at the Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim)
2 - charter buses
4 - A.M. wake-up call to watch the sunrise on our final day

The field trip was a great success, but there are always lessons to learn and ways to improve. There are many things we will try to repeat for next year's trip, and there are a few things we'd change and recommend to others considering this field trip.

Successes:

• NPS Travelin' Trunk Program: We reserved a box of materials about Human History of the Grand Canyon before our trip. This piqued students' excitement, and gave them prior knowledge to access once we arrived.
• Keeping a full schedule (and opting not to include a quiet/nap time) - Any unstructured or idle time almost always guarantees mischief!
• Visiting other areas of interest on our way, including Sunset Crater (as mentioned in a previous blog post) and...

 Montezuma Castle.

• Watching sunrise on our final day - This was a controversial decision, mostly because the sun rises so early in May. We decided to make it optional, and were overwhelmed when nearly our entire group helped each other wake up, walk silently, and snuggle together to watch a glorious sunrise! 

• Reserving Ranger programs - The specific educational Ranger programs for school groups are FREE and align with state content standards. The Rangers are excellent teachers, too!
• We used colored handkerchiefs to identify each chaperone group. This was helpful for quick head-counts for both teachers and chaperones. Students could tie them anywhere that was visible, which also gave them a chance to express themselves in a fun way.
• Preparing student journals for the trip - We created activities/questions that had to be answered about our route and stops along the way. We also included the packet that was provided to accompany the Ranger programs.
• Scavenger Hunt - There is so much to see at the Grand Canyon, and it is nearly impossible to see it all in one short trip. We included all the various historical and educational sites along the South Rim (with questions and info from the NPS website) in student journals. Groups could then decide which locations were most interesting (and feasible). Some groups even got to every stop! Afterwards, students from different groups could discuss what they saw and learned with others.
• Chaperone committees - We couldn't have made the trip happen without lots of parent support. We had parents serve on committees for equipment, food, and safety to assist before, during, and after the trip.

Changes/recommendations:

• Talk with campers about quiet hours before arriving - It's important to keep our camp neighbors and Rangers happy when we are such a large and noticeable group.
• Call ahead to discuss any plans to use the free shuttle buses. The park personnel were incredibly accommodating as soon as they saw 150+ visitors crossing the street to catch a bus for sunset. They ran at least one extra bus every day we were there just for us! I'm sure they'd appreciate a little more advance notice next time.

The successes clearly outweigh the changes, and we received lots of positive feedback from students and parents alike. We saw our entire 4th grade community come a little closer together for this trip, and a lot of fun was had by all. As for the teachers/staff, we feel a lot more confident about planning next year's excursion!

Around Town: Camelback Mountain

To continue our meandering closer to home, I set out to hike the popular Camelback Mountain. A year and a half ago, we set out to hike the less intense Cholla Trail with family, but ran out of time and and had to turn back before reaching the summit. This time, I would be hiking the more intense (and more crowded) Echo Canyon Trail.

ClimbCamelback.com describes Echo Canyon pretty succinctly:
This trail is an intense and difficult anaerobic hike the entire 1.2 miles to the summit. It ascends 1,280 ft, from 1,424 ft above sea level to 2,704 ft.

It was a warm spring day, and many folks were eager to take advantage of it. If you're looking to drive to the trail head, I suggest arriving early. Otherwise, be prepared to do some circles around the small parking lot, as it is usually full by mid-morning. Easier parking can be found on the Cholla Trail entrance.

This is definitely not a secluded or quiet hike, but it has beautiful views of the valley the whole way. The Echo Canyon Trail was recently renovated, and re-opened earlier this year. This video shows a few of the changes, and highlights a few of the views:

A few of my photos from the hike:

Saguaros were already in bloom!

Ridge views looking east on the steep trail up

Looking north from a false summit

Red sandstone of the desert valley

Panoramic views from the summit (1 of 4)

2 of 4

3 of 4

4 of 4

On the way down, we found a few critters who agreed to pose for a photo shoot.

Home Again, Home Again

We've been doing a bit of traveling these past few months, but it's always nice to return home. Since Phoenicians spend much of summer break indoors (we liken it to snow days back east - you know, Netflix binges, scrapbook projects, blogging...) we are eagerly planning fall trips in the great outdoors. Until then, we'll revisit a beautiful hike we did in January in the Estrella Mountains:

These 4 wheels get us from our door to the trail head.

Estrella foothills - We took the Baseline Trail loop

to a short overlook trail to see what we could see...

 

Looking Northwest from the Estrella foothills, toward the White Tank Mountains

Looking Northeast over the Estrella foothills; Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) is in the distance (far right).

Close-up on PIR

Looking West: Tres Rios Golf Course (neighbor to Estrella Mountain Park)

Looking north back over our route to the park

Obligatory Saguaro picture... they just don't get old!

Gotta love winter in the desert!

Discovering Tucson: Sonora Desert Museum

There's something thrilling about seeing coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, and bears roaming the same ground as the path under your feet (rather than behind glass, from a paved road or sidewalk). Touring the Sonora Desert Museum is like hiking a desert trail, and being lucky enough to spot tons of wildlife. You can hike for years without seeing even half of the wildlife that you see in one loop around the open desert there!

Desert Fox

Mexican Wolf

Black Bear

Mountain Lion

Coyote

Javelina

We happened to arrive at the Museum just in time for their "Raptor Free Flights." We followed the crowd, not really knowing what all the excitement was about. It didn't take long before large predator birds were swooping right above our heads, diving and soaring from one branch to another. We learned a lot about birds of the desert, and, of course, got some really fun photos!

Gray Hawk

Barn Owl

Harris's Hawks

Gray Hawk

Harris's Hawk

The Museum also has its own aquarium, which gave us close-up views of creatures you're far less likely to encounter in the desert. We especially enjoyed the saltwater species from the Sea of Cortez.

Garden Eels

Pacific Seahorse

Can you identify this charming fellow?

If you're going to be visiting Tucson, the Sonora Desert Museum is definitely a must-see! It is certainly worth the price of admission, whether or not you get to attend a special program like the Raptor Free Flights. We arrived around mid-day, and stayed until it closed (it's a great spot for sunset!). We could have easily spent the entire day there exploring!

Discovering Tucson: Saguaro National Park

Though we only had a weekend to spare, it was just enough time to make our first trip to Tucson and see what we could see. If you're looking to see the best of Tucson with a limited amount of time (and a limited budget), we highly recommend our itinerary. We've separated our stops into separate posts, all under "Discovering Tucson."

Our first stop was Saguaro National Park.

It's important to note that there are really two parks in one - an east side and a west side, separated by the city of Tucson in between. We opted to visit the west side (officially called the Tucson Mountain District) because of its higher density of the great Saguaro Cacti, and its proximity to the Sonora Desert Museum (our next stop).

Crested or cristate cactus

N aturally formed cross-section of a dead cactus - Saguaro are preserved at all stages of life in the park.

The friendly volunteers and Park Ranger directed us to a scenic drive and short hike to get the most out of our short visit, including where to spot the rare crested/cristate saguaro cactus! Scientists still aren't sure how or why this mutation occurs, and it is a very rare find.

Valley View Overlook Trail

We'd love to go back and spend more time, as well as visit the eastern half, the Rincon Mountain District, which has longer scenic hikes and cycling routes.

Grand Canyon (Part 6)

I know what you're thinking... "Where are the first five parts?!"

In our short time (almost two years) in the southwest, I am proud to say that I have visited the Grand Canyon six times. It's not exactly in our backyard (more like half a day's drive away). However, I have had many opportunities to make the drive, so I've decided to recap my grand visits in reverse, starting with my most recent visit.

The reason for my most recent visit was more for business than pleasure. My coworkers and I set out to "scout" a potential future field trip for our students. The educational opportunities afforded at the Grand Canyon are limitless - biology, ecology, geography, geology, hydrology, sociology... just to name a few! Since it is a bit of a drive, we've decided to make it a moving field trip, including awesome stops on our way to and from the Canyon.

Looking back at the San Francisco Peaks, the stratovolcano.

First stop - Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

While I'd driven by this sign a few times, I was never able to visit the park. I highly recommend this park to anyone passing through/near Flagstaff, AZ!


Even if you're short on time, there are some fantastic short walks/hikes available that get you up close and personal with the lava flows.











It seems as if history is frozen in time, and the waysides do a great job of explaining the phenomena. If you have the time (and energy), there are also some more strenuous hikes for different vantage points.





We were happy to find easy walking trails, plenty of parking, an informative Visitor's Center, and lots of picnic tables for snack time. I can't wait bring our Geology lessons to life for our students!

On to the Grand Canyon!

The first view of the Canyon is always spectacular... no matter how many times you've seen it. I am continually amazed by how different the landscape can look based on the time of year and time of day.

Grand Canyon, South Rim, early afternoon

Every time I visit, I see something new. This time, we decided to join a Ranger-led tour. Our "Geology Walk" with Ranger Lapre was entertaining and informative... and you can't beat the backdrop!

Grandeur Point, South Rim

Although we missed sunset on this trip, we were sure to catch sunrise the next day, and it didn't disappoint.

South Rim, near Bright Angel trailhead

Before leaving, I witnessed another "first." A thin line of smoke/smog hovered above the Canyon, and I recalled hearing about the coal plant nearby and the controversy surrounding it. 

View from Mather Point at late morning

On our drive home, we had planned to visit Montezuma Castle, but our unintentional detour led us in another direction. I am reminded that "it's not an adventure until something goes wrong," or...

"...when everything goes wrong, that's when adventure starts." ~Yvon Chouinard

Here's to embracing what goes wrong and what goes right! We'll just have to save that stop for another time (and another post)!