Internet Access at the Grand Canyon?
 

Hi,

I will be making a Spring Training/Opening Day trip to Arizona, last week of March and the first week of April.
Between the last Spring Training Game and the season opener I have a week to kill and plan on killing it in and around the Grand Canyon, Marble Canyon area. (Buckskin Gulch, Paria canyon if not too flooded still)
However on April 1st, I have my fantasy baseball draft and need internet access.
Does anyone know if there is wifi available at the south rim? I know it is available outside the park at at the employee areas but I do not know if I can use it.

Thanks.

<b>Does anyone know if there is wifi available at the south rim?</b>

Should be no problem finding internet access ...

http://www.allgrandcanyon.com/essent...net_access.php

<b>have a week to kill and plan on killing it in and around the Grand Canyon, Marble Canyon area. (Buckskin Gulch, Paria canyon if not too flooded still)</b>

Maybe try to snag a permit for Coyote Buttes and the Wave, but for sure Buckskin will be too wet and extremely cold, and I'm guessing Paria will be cold too, and definitely wet since we just had a big moist storm last week.

Buckskin drains all the way to Bryce Canyon and is extremely dangerous when there's snow on the ground in the drainage since a warm rain 50 miles away on top of snow pack (say near Bryce) could cause it to flood without warning. Much of Buck is 200 ft deep and 4-6 ft wide, a death trap in any kind of flash flood.

That time of year the best places to hike etc are at lower elevations in the deserts, say 2,000 ft elevation or lower ... outside Phoenix (Superstitions, etc) and Tucson is perfect, with plenty of wildflowers and mild temperatures. Where you mention could have limited access due to wet roads, plus the isolated slot canyons could be dangerous.

Thanks Bill.

The wave has too many Germans. I'm just kidding. The wave is cool but...ehhh. I dunno. Done it once. I'd do it again if I didn't have to stand in line for a permit. But Coyote Buttes looks cool. Thanks for the info. Any other tips for the Vermillion Cliffs, Lee Ferry, Marble canyon area?

CB

When I was at the south rim a few years ago, I could get internet access for free in the Bright Angel lodge reception area. Sometimes I could get it without problems and sometimes I couldn't get access at all. I also got free access in the dining hall at Maswik lodge. The reception there was better but a few times I couldn't get access. It was strange. When I could get access at one place, I couldn't at the other.

<b>Any other tips for the Vermillion Cliffs, Lee Ferry, Marble canyon area? </b>

So just some day hikes, right? One easy area is near the Old Pareah site, the turn-off is I think between mile markers 33 and 34 between Page and Kanab on the north side of the highway, then a drive of a few miles on a good gravel road to the site. Long ago there was a Mormon townsite here but it kept getting flooded so they left; in the 1970's it was a movie and TV faux-western set used for commercials and movies like Clint Eastwood's "Outlaw Josey Wales", but the set was destroyed, rebuilt and then set afire.

Anyway, the attraction here is the beautiful Chinle rock formation, the same as in the Painted Desert. Open country so you can walk around as you wish. The stream is the one that runs thru Buckskin Gulch.

Also, you could try Paria as a day hike if the air temps are warm enough and the flow is not high. I did the entire trip a few years back in late May, 35 miles or so in 4 days, and as I recall the upper part had many stream crossings but it wasn't deep, maybe ankle to mid-calf. Hiking down to the confluence with Buckskin will take you past some beautiful areas and the confluence was especially scenic. No worry about a flash flood here because it's so wide compared to Buckskin. The quicksand and deeper crossings are further downstream so not a factor.

So those are two moderate to easy hikes you can do in April, though you might feel it's too cool for Paria, especially if there are clouds.

Thanks Bill!

Do you know where you are staying at the Grand Canyon yet? If inside the park, there are public kiosks available at some of the lodges. If you are staying in Tusayan (aka Grand Canyon Village South), those hotels have in-room wi-fi and some public kiosks.