Two Northern AZ National Parks: Grand Canyon North Rim & Pipe Spring

I can't tell you how many times I have been to the south rim of the Grand Canyon - when we first moved here it seemed everyone came to visit and we had a fun time taking each group in turn to the Grand Canyon and other AZ sites.  Last year when we visited it was very crowded and unfortunately hazy due to wildfires.  It was a bit disappointing.  I debated whether to even visit this year - but was convinced by the friendly gentleman at the RV park who said he used to work there.  He spoke about how much less traveled the North Rim is and how beautiful...I was sold!

This was my first adventure taking the kids without Husband as he is tied to his computer Tuesday through Friday.  I have to admit I was a little nervous...all natural places have some danger and. well, ....canyon...

We were all so surprised by the amount of snow we saw on the ground as we drove the beautiful AZ 67 South to the park entrance.  Much of that drive takes you through a wide meadow (the road running through it) where we saw deer grazing, and near the tree line we could see snow!

We did one nice hike along the rim and we were able to sit in the woods and work on the Junior Ranger books while enjoying a wonderful view. 

The best hike we did (albeit a terrifying one for mama) was the Bright Angel Point trail.  Brother transformed into a confident, sure-footed, sky walker (though in other setting has been known to say he is afraid of heights).  The path is narrow and in many places two adults can pass shoulder to shoulder with no extra room.  During different parts of the trail either one side or both sides of the trail are exposed to the canyon.  On the walk out to the point I had more courage, but it seemed to drain away into the canyon leaving me in a worried and irrational state.  I had to try hard to control my racing fears.  I asked Sister to please hold my hand on the way back to share her bravery with me and she obliged.  Brother said, in conversations with Husband, that I worried way to much...he's probably right.

Finally, to end the day and to complete the Junior Ranger activities, we attended a Ranger talk about the California Condor - it was a great talk we all learned a lot about these strange ancient creatures, efforts to increase their numbers, and the dangers humans pose through the use of lead bullets and litter.  In the end the kids earned their North Rim badge - it was a great day!

Pipe Spring National Monument is located in Arizona and is a natural spring with a very sorted tale of how polygamist Mormon settlers came to control the resource that was previously vital to the Native Kaibab peoples.  If you do nothing else there the movie was excellent.  After this experience I found myself having to explain polygamy to Brother, because so much of the history of the area is tied up with the so-called religious persecution of the Mormons over a practice they ultimately abandoned.  The current day ranch is run by the NPS, there is a garden, historical orchards as well as livestock and chickens.  I noticed two male NPS Rangers who appeared to be of Native ancestry working there while we visited.  One of these men also appeared in the movie and spoke on behalf of the Native cultures.  I wondered about their history in the area and their ties to this place. 

We did take a guided tour of the "castle."  It is literally built over the spring and it fills a basin in one of the lower level rooms before flowing outside to the ponds and rest of the ranch.  The ranch was owned by the Mormon church and operated as a tithing ranch until the church was forced to divest of it's business operations and adhere to the Constitution by maintaining a separation of church and state.  One of the memorable stories told about this place is that when Utah banned the practice of polygamy, sister wives were sent to this place (in AZ) when they were expecting so that their husbands would not have to go to jail.  One of the sister wives who was sent here said something to the effect of, "I am in prison so that my husband can go free."  It was a hard life in the desert even with the stolen water. 

If I hadn't seen a number of examples of groups stealing from and exploiting Native American lands and resources in my own lifetime I might have thought this was an interesting story from the past.  Instead it served as a harsh reminder that those with power have walked all over those without power then and now - we don't seem to learn any lessons from the past.

The Paiute tribe ultimately adapted to their new reality and learned from the Mormons - they are now ranchers and do get one third of the water produced by the spring.  One third remains with the NPS and the other third belongs to the cattle ranchers association of the area. 

I'm glad I saw it and considered the realities for the Native peoples, the settlers, and the Federal Government.  For in this situation the "white man" was not ubiquitous and had very conflicting ideas about "things."  It was interesting to hear how even the representatives of the government thought that the treatment of the Native people was unjust and that even among the settlers there were some who advocated a more cooperative arrangement even when they were in the minority.  This is a story of nuances, but it is also a story of Native resources being taken and a way of life and a large tribe being decimated.   One would hope the we can learn from these lessons and see the necessity of preserving and sharing this story.