Small Aircraft Missing In The Grand Canyon

The National Park Service, along with  local authorities near the Grand Canyon, are searching for a small aircraft that hasn't been seen, or accounted for, since last Friday. The plane is believed to have gone missing in a remote region of the park, although no traces of it have been found so far.

Last Sunday, a small aircraft flying over the park contacted the Grand Canyon Airport to inform them that he had detected an active Emergency Locator Beacon in a region about 30 miles from the Grand Canyon Village. The NPS then scrambled a helicopter to search the region, but found no traces of a downed plane, nor did they pick up the call from the beacon. Without nothing else to go on, they called off the search, and returned to the airport, unaware of any missing planes.

The following day, the family of 47-year-old Joseph Radford called local police in Glendale, Arizona to alert them that the man hadn't been seen since March 11th when he flew from Glendale to the GC Airport, where he stopped to refuel. After that, he set off again, and hasn't been seen since.

Since that time, the NPS has been sweeping a 600 square mile area of the park with helicopters and search planes looking for any trace of Radford or his missing plane. The search has mainly taken place in the Fossil Corridor and Scorpion Ridge area of the Grand Canyon, which is one of the more remote sections of the park. So far, that search hasn't turned up any evidence that the plane went down there, but due to thick foliage, it is possible that it is there, but it can't be seen.

Weather conditions have deteriorated today, which has hampered the search, but there are plans for an ongoing SAR operation, both from the air and on the ground.

Thanks to Bruce from 360 Adventures for passing this story my way. Lets hope for the best!

Grand Canyon National Park Faces Challenges, Embraces Opportunities

The National Parks Conservation Association is an organization dedicated to protecting America's national parks and ensuring that they remain the amazing environments that we all know and love, so that future generations have the opportunity to enjoy them too. Recently, the NPCA released their State of the Park report on the Grand Canyon, which outlines some of the challenges that that park faces, while also turning a spotlight on the opportunities for protecting it as well.

The Grand Canyon is one of America's first national parks, and it is certainly amongst the most iconic as well. Each year, more 4.5 million visitors, both foreign and domestic, travel to the park, which encompasses more than 1.2 million acres of land in Arizona. The place is a mecca for both adventure travelers and tourists alike, with many drawn in because of the spectacular scenery and options for outdoor fun, which includes hiking, paddling, camping, and much more.

In the report, the NPCA points to some serious threats to the future of the Grand Canyon National Park, including mining activities on the park borders, increased air pollution (coming from cities more than 100 miles away!), and one that I hadn't even considered –noise pollution. The threat from mining and air pollution are fairly self explanatory, as they can directly affect the health of the environment, including the plants and animals that live there and the visitors to the park. Noise pollution, on the other hand, is one of those things that you don't necessarily think about, but can still ruin the solitude and peacefulness that you feel while in a remote place. In the case of the Grand Canyon, the noise pollution is a result of so many commercial and scenic flights passing over head, having an adverse effect on those on the ground.

Perhaps the biggest challenge to the park operating as it should comes from the lack of funding that it is receiving. Considering the current state of the economy, this should be much of a surprise I suppose, but the NPCA says that the National Park Service could use an additional $6.2 million in its annual budget just to cover the park's day-to-day functions. Even more eye opening is the fact that there is a backlog of maintenance issues that is estimated to require $300 million to address. That is an awfully big hole to try to climb out of in an era when budgets are being cut across the board.

The report also cites some great opportunities to improve the natural environment in the park and protect the plants and animals that live there. Amongst the suggestions for protecting the Canyon is the suggestion that corrections to the course of the Colorado River may need to be made to help prevent the degradation of resources along its banks. Those changes would help to create a more sustainable environment moving forward, which can only be a good thing for the long term health of the park.

Other suggestions for improvements include allowing the Park Service to have direct control over the airspace above the Canyon, which would allow them to limit the number of aircraft in the area, thus reducing the noise level. There are also plans to declare the backcountry a wilderness area, which would help protect it more fully, while also annexing threatened lands that surround the park though an act of Congress. Increased permanent funding and more research on the impact of climate change are amongst the other suggestions as well.

To read the entire report, in .pdf format, click here. For the shorter, digest version click here.

Win An Epic Grand Canyon Vacation From Cheerios

I wrote about the Do What You Love Sweepstakes from Cheerios for Gadling over the weekend, but wanted to mention it here as well, specifically because on of the dream trips that they are giving away could be of particular interest to the outdoor crowd.

The contest is a simple one. All you have to do to enter is head over to the official site and select one of ten trips that are up for grabs. From there, you'll fill out a short form with your personal contact information, and make a pledge to "love your heart." (Cheerios is purportedly a heart friendly cereal.) That's really all there is to it, and although you can only enter once per day, you can come back on subsequent days in an effort to stuff the ballot box.

Some of the vacations that they are giving away include a trip to Florida for a NASCAR event, a five day escape to Rock-n-Roll Fantasy Camp, and the chance to go to Hollywood to attend a movie premiere. But the one trip that may spark your interest is their VIP vacation to the Grand Canyon that includes a $500 shopping spree for new gear and six days of adventure in one of America's most popular national parks. While there, you'll have the opportunity to explore the Canyon by jeep and white water raft, and soar high above the park in a private helicopter for a bird's eye view of the surrounding area.

If you're interested in winning the Grand Canyon tour, they are accepting entries through April 4th of next year, which means that you'll have plenty of chances to fill out the entry form, stacking the odds in your favor for a win. Some of the other trips are being given away a lot sooner, as they are spreading out the awarding of prizes over the coming months.

Seems like a great way to see the Grand Canyon. Good luck on entering the contest!

Nature Valley and Author Patricia Schultz Work To Preserve The Parks

Earlier this year, Nature Valley launched their National Parks Program in which they announced a plan to help preserve the parks by raising funds for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Nature Valley will donate as much as $600,000 to help fund three different preservation projects, and we consumers can help them reach that goal.

Between now and the end of August, for every specially marked Nature Valley granola bar wrapper that we send in to the company, they'll donate 10 cents to the NPCA, up to the $600,000 goal. You can find out more on the project, including where to send your wrappers, at PreserveTheParks.com. You'll also be able to donate directly to the NPCA there as well if you'd prefer.

The three projects that the company is donating the cash to include a plan to reestablish important plant life in the Grand Canyon, establishing free migration routes for Pronghorns in Yellowstone, and rebuilding coral reefs in Biscayne National Park as well. The funds will be put to good use working to reverse environmental damage that has been done over the years at each location.

Joining the cause is National Parks Spokesperson and best selling author Patricia Schultz. Patricia wrote the book 1000 Places To See Before You Die, which features many of the national parks quite prominently. She describes the parks as one of America's great resources, and is working to help preserve them for future generations of travelers to enjoy as well.

Nature Valley isn't just helping to preserve the parks however. Later this summer they'll also be giving away three trips to the Grand Canyon, one of the most spectacular parks in the entire system. Check back at PreserveTheParks.com and on the company's Facebook page for details on how you can win one of these trips too.