Grand Canyon “idiot” fails to alarm park ranger
I recently came back from two weeks of vacation. I took the family to Phoenix to see my mother. During the trip, we all drove up to the Grand Canyon. It was my first time seeing it, so I was very excited. As Americans we hear so much about how awesome it is and how photos do not really do it justice.
Well, while I was taking in the beauty and grandeur, and taking photos, a fellow tourist behind me said, “Hey! Take a picture of that idiot.” I looked down amongst the many rock formations just below the public viewing areas and saw this guy, who, in my mind, let the excitement go to his head. He had climbed down from one of the fenced in decks and was standing out on a rock, taking in the scene from a more dangerous place.
The first park ranger I saw, I approached and showed him the photos off the back of my camera. I asked him if that was allowed. I was a little taken aback by his answer. It went something like this:
“Sigh! Well we really don’t encourage people to do that, but we can’t really stop adults from doing it. We’d definitely go after children, though. But hey, if he does fall, I’d get overtime from the hike down to collect the body…along with hazard pay.”
I thought to myself, ‘Man, I love America!’
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I’ve traveled extensively in our western National Parks and I’ve noticed your sentiment towards acts like this is a common theme throughout the more popular parks. Although you were in a National Park, people tend to act as though they were in a theme park where everything is controlled. The get out of the bus, walk up to the railing, look over the edge, then head back to the bus and say they’ve “seen” the Grand Canyon.(They treat our national treasures as though it were a theme park as well ie littering and shopping). This is displayed perfectly in Yellowstone where people lose their minds to see a black bear, or get too close to an 800 pound elk because they think it’s a petting zoo. So I don’t think this guy is an idiot, he is just enjoying his visit in a little different manner than you would have.
I’m sure if he would have been treading on rare plants in an alpine meadow the ranger would have had a much different reaction.
In June I was at the North Rim and saw a guy doing the same thing. On his way out to the edge he came “that close” to slipping. Thought sure I was gonna witness somebody dying. When he came back I told him he’s either very brave or very foolish and he just grinned and shrugged his shoulders and said “hey, I’m 21, I’m invincible”.
Not to start a debate here, but it just doesn’t get any better than the North Rim.
hilarious, great story
You see an “idiot”
I see a potential organ donor
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These colors dont run! USA
I agree with William 100%- He is just enjoying the view as it is before the boardwalk was erected…I have no problem with this - and I certainly don’t think he is an “idiot”
This young man IS an “idiot” to take such a chance, but I was glad to hear
the reaction of the ranger. While it’s great to have a sense of adventure, I get infuriated every time I hear about some yahoo skiier or surfer or whatever who goes into areas that are avalanche prone or into the ocean when a hurricane’s about to hit — and then expects others to risk their lives to rescue them should something go wrong. Not to mention the expense of such rescue operations. If you want to put yourself in harm’s way, then accept the risk and don’t expect someone to come save your you-know-what.
I for one thank the Park Service for not fencing us all in so that tourists who take a day trip from Phoenix and not venture too far from the car can feel good.
People can and do walk on rocks, you know.
Some trails down the canyon are not wide at all. Is everyone who walks down those trails idiots? Are the thousands of people who trust donkies to take them down the canyon idiots?
If I climb a mountian in Glacier NP and it requires some rock scrambling, am I an idiot? Or maybe I just enjoy exposure more than you?
I’m sorry, but I just don’t see this as being a big deal. I’ve hiked to the bottom of the canyon and back out, and all those trails can be just as dangerous with loose rocks along narrow edges. It looks like this guy was on solid rock and not damaging vegetation.