The last couple of days we have been at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for our annual Grand Canyon National Park Concession meetings. It was good to see all of our fellow river outfitters and National Park personnel. Time was spent reviewing our past season and what to expect for next year. We always feel lucky to travel to the South Rim and peer down into the abyss of the Grand Canyon. It is a spiritual experience and it reminds us of the exciting and fun times rafting along the Colorado River.
At the head of the Bright Angel Trail there is a new, very nice area complete with bathrooms to wait for fellow hikers. The Kolb studio was showcasing some amazing paintings of the Grand Canyon many of which were for sale. If you get to the rim definitely check out the artwork on display. Other highlights included waking up to dusting of light snow and running along the rim of the Grand Canyon along the “Trail of Time.”
Another thing we got to check out was the “Power House” building. There is talk to take this incredible old building, which used two Fairbanks-Morse continuous-duty Type D Diesel generators to supply power to the South Rim, and transform it into a museum for art or historic boats of the Grand Canyon. The building has a lot of character with high ceilings and lots of windows. The generators are still there as well as the power switches with their original labels: Indian Garden Pump; El Tovar; Fire Pump; Bright Angel Lights and Power; USNPS; Train Yard; Turbine Cooling Tower; Power House. On the other side of the building is the old Ice House where ice was made to supply the lodges and restaurants. It will be exciting to see what becomes of the Power House over the next couple of years.
