Ecology on the Edge

August 3 - 5
Instructor: Wayne Ranney
Hike Level: 2
Fee: $225.00 GCA Member; $250.00 non member

One of the few land features visible from outer space, Grand Canyon is a geologic marvel on a continental scale. It continues to both amaze and perplex everyone from the casual visitor to the determined scientist. This class will highlight many of the age-old questions that have been answered about the Grand Canyon, and consider more that still remain. On a series of exhilarating hikes, visits to dramatic overlooks, and classroom conversations, participants in this class will receive a thorough primer on the historic and ongoing geologic processes that created the grandest of canyons. Topics will include a discussion of the various types of rock, canyon formation theories, depositional environments, the fossil record and what it tells us, the famed geologists that have helped unravel the mysteries of the region, and much more. Low-intensity field excursions along and below the South Rim will be supplemented with slide shows, map viewing and handouts. Whether you are new to the Grand Canyon and the field of geology, or a salty veteran, you’re sure to find this class an illuminating adventure.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Introductions and Meet and Greet at the Community Building in historic Grand Canyon Village. The first day will be spent learning the four specific events that caused the Canyon to become Grand: A) understanding of the processes that led to a thick and widespread accumulation of sedimentary strata, B) the reasons why they were buried and preserved for so long, C) the processes that caused their ultimate uplift and erosion, and D) theories on how the Colorado River carved the canyon. Handouts and photographic slide presentations will enhance participants learning and retention of the material. This part of the class may spill over into the early afternoon but enough time will be left to walk the Trail of Time on Grand Canyon’s rim, ending up at the geology exhibit at Yavapai Point. The Trail and the exhibit will further enhance comprehension of the morning material.

Day 2 – After a morning refresher in the classroom (no longer than one hour), we will hike down the South Kaibab Trail no farther than Cedar Ridge or Mormon Flat (Skeleton Point). Along this part of the trail we will examine the upper 5 layers of Grand Canyon’s rock sequence. Fossils will be observed that provide evidence for the former presence of the sea here. Participants will learn how geologists interpret what environments are represented by these strata and include tropical oceans, salty shorelines, vast sand dunes in a Sahara-like desert, former river floodplains, and coastal floodplains. Animal trackways can be observed along the trail. Lunch inside the canyon at a shady vista. Return to the rim and hike half mile down the Bright Angel Trail to see the Bright Angel fault and how it has offset the layers 150 feet here.

Day 3 – Travel by van to the east rim of Grand Canyon. Walk one mile on flat terrain to Shoshone Point for a view the Colorado River and an outdoor lecture on various theories that have created the canyon. Continue east to Grandview Point for a talk on the copper mining that occurred here in the 1890’s. Continue east by van to Lipan Point for further discussion about how the Colorado River could have been cobbled together from the integration of two separate rivers near here. The views will provide understand and comprehension of headward erosion and basin overspill, the two most likely candidates for how the river was integrated. Return to the classroom (or the deck of the El Tovar bar) for a celebratory graduation!

South Rim Monsoon Photography

August 6 - 9
Instructor: Larry Lindahl
Hike Level: 1
Fee: $400.00 GCA Member; $425.00 non member

The lofty overlooks along park’s South Rim provide spectacular photographic opportunities, especially as summer crests and the scenery is augmented by sensational cloud buildups. Late afternoon storms are the norm, bringing with them dramatic skies, lightning, and the occasional rainbow. The challenge is to turn great views into great images. During this workshop, participants will learn how to compose scenes for the "wow" effect and to work with varied natural light to create vibrant images.

Classroom lectures on composition, lighting, manual camera settings, and other pertinent topics will be punctuated with numerous shoots at a variety of stellar locations. A tour of historic Kolb Studio to ponder the legacy of the Grand Canyon’s most famous resident photographers will provide a historical backdrop to the proceedings. Daily critique sessions will allow participants to improve their game as the workshop progresses. Note: Participants provide their own camera equipment, and will carpool to the various shooting locations on paved roads.

Itinerary
To be determined

History on the Edge

August 10 - 12
Instructor: Marjorie 'Slim' Woodruff
Hike Level: 2
Fee: $225.00 GCA Member; $250.00 non member

Grand Canyon has drawn men and women to its lofty rims and deep recesses for centuries. Several cultures trace their very origins to this iconic landscape. Others were lured by the promise of fast fortune and adventure. The ancestral Puebloan peoples, ancestors of the present-day Hopi, were very much the former. The 19th-century miners and entrepreneurs toiled over the same terrain, to different ends. Both left their mark throughout what’s now the developed South Rim, and beyond. This class is designed to examine the cultural significance of the Grand Canyon through the prism of these forebears, in particular the wave of hoteliers, architects, artists, and politicians that made their mark on Grand Canyon since it gained popularity as a tourist destination in the late 1800s. To lay a foundation for this topic, participants will learn about the canyon’s two-billion-year-old geologic history and the many diverse ecosystems sustained by its often harsh terrain. This natural history overview will begin to explain why these waves of hardy souls chose Grand Canyon as home. To complete the story, participants will embark on as series of hikes along and below the breathtaking South Rim, as well as insider visits to historic structures and the park’s museum collection.

Itinerary
Day 1 Introductions, Colter and early tourism. Hike the Rim Trail and the Trail of Time.
Day 2 Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe. Hike to Santa Maria Spring on historic Hermit Trail.
Day 3 Pete Berry, Miners and the forests. Hike Grandview Trail. Wrap up session.