Latest news with #Hopi
San Francisco Chronicle
14-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
What to know about the Grand Canyon as wildfires burn, claiming a historic lodge
Nearly 5 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year, from day trippers and campers to people sleeping overnight in historic lodges and cabins. This year will be different, at least for one portion of the park. A wildfire has torn through a historic lodge and ended the season for the canyon's North Rim, a place where visitors could find less bustle in one of the country's most iconic national parks. As firefighters continue to fight the blaze, here's what to know about Grand Canyon National Park. Bigger than Rhode Island The Colorado River cuts through Grand Canyon National Park for about 278 miles (447 kilometers), pushing across northwestern Arizona. The eastern boundary is near the state's northern border with Utah, while the western edge is near Nevada. Grand Canyon National Park is about 1,900 square miles (nearly 5,000 square kilometers), according to the National Park Service, which makes it bigger than Rhode Island. The park is unique because of its canyon walls, which boast horizontal layers of red, orange and purple rock. The average depth of the iconic formation is about a mile (1.6 kilometers), while the average width is about 10 miles (16 kilometers). 'Four Empire State Buildings stacked one atop the other would not reach the rim,' Lance Newman wrote in the introduction to the 2011 book, 'The Grand Canyon Reader.' The north and south rims Within the park are the north and south rims, which are the primary travel destinations because of their accessibility. The North Rim receives 10% of park visitors and is known for more quiet and solitude, according to the park service. It's open from mid-May to mid-October because of the snow. But the wildfires have closed it for the rest of the season, destroying a historic lodge and dozens of cabins. The South Rim is open all year. It's more bustling and boasts a historic district, which dates to when the first steam-powered train arrived in 1901. A car trip between the rims takes five hours, according to the park service. That's because there's only one way across the Colorado River by vehicle, and its 137 miles (231 kilometers) from the South Rim Village. Hiking between rims is a shorter distance, 21 miles (34 kilometers), though by no means easy. It includes crossing the river on a narrow foot bridge 70 feet (21 meters) above the water. Unexplored by Europeans for 235 years The Grand Canyon was formed with the shifting of tectonic plates, which lifted layers of rock into a high and relatively flat plateau, according to the park service. About 5 million to 6 million years ago, the Colorado River began to carve its way downward, slowly deepening and widening the gorge. The oldest human artifacts in the area date to about 12,000 years ago, when small bands of people hunted bison, the park service said. There were gradual shifts to agriculture, the building of pueblos and the development of trade routes. Today, 11 tribes have historic connections to the canyon, including the Hopi and the Diné (Navajo). The Spanish were the first Europeans to the see the Grand Canyon in 1540, according to the park service. Francisco Vázquez de Coronado and his Spanish army were searching for fabled cities of gold. 'The Hopi were able to fool the Spaniards into thinking that the area was an impenetrable wasteland and was not navigable anyway,' the park service wrote on its website, adding that the canyon 'was left unexplored by Europeans for 235 years.' In the late 1850s, an Army lieutenant explored the Grand Canyon in search of a viable trade route, the park service said. Joseph Christmas Ives described it as 'altogether valueless" and predicted it 'shall be forever unvisited.' The Grand Canyon began to draw much more interest after expeditions in 1869 and 1871 by geologist John Wesley Powell. Powell described rock layers in the canyon's towering walls: "creamy orange above, then bright vermilion, and below, purple and chocolate beds, with green and yellow sands.' 'You cannot improve on it' As the years went on, more explorers arrived by boat, on foot and on horseback, often with the help of Native American guides. Wealthy travelers came by stagecoach from Flagstaff to the South Rim in the 1880s. After the arrival of trains, the automobile became the more popular mode of travel in the 1930s. Early entrepreneurs charged $1 to hike down the Bright Angel Trail used by the Havasupai people whose current-day reservation lies in the depths of the Grand Canyon. President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create the park in 1919 but Teddy Roosevelt is credited for its early preservation as a game reserve and a national monument. He famously said: 'Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.'
Hamilton Spectator
14-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
What to know about the Grand Canyon as wildfires burn, claiming a historic lodge
Nearly 5 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year, from day trippers and campers to people sleeping overnight in historic lodges and cabins. This year will be different, at least for one portion of the park. A wildfire has torn through a historic lodge and ended the season for the canyon's North Rim, a place where visitors could find less bustle in one of the country's most iconic national parks. As firefighters continue to fight the blaze, here's what to know about Grand Canyon National Park. Bigger than Rhode Island The Colorado River cuts through Grand Canyon National Park for about 278 miles (447 kilometers), pushing across northwestern Arizona. The eastern boundary is near the state's northern border with Utah, while the western edge is near Nevada. Grand Canyon National Park is about 1,900 square miles (nearly 5,000 square kilometers), according to the National Park Service, which makes it bigger than Rhode Island. The park is unique because of its canyon walls, which boast horizontal layers of red, orange and purple rock. The average depth of the iconic formation is about a mile (1.6 kilometers), while the average width is about 10 miles (16 kilometers). 'Four Empire State Buildings stacked one atop the other would not reach the rim,' Lance Newman wrote in the introduction to the 2011 book, 'The Grand Canyon Reader.' The north and south rims Within the park are the north and south rims, which are the primary travel destinations because of their accessibility. The North Rim receives 10% of park visitors and is known for more quiet and solitude, according to the park service. It's open from mid-May to mid-October because of the snow. But the wildfires have closed it for the rest of the season, destroying a historic lodge and dozens of cabins. The South Rim is open all year. It's more bustling and boasts a historic district, which dates to when the first steam-powered train arrived in 1901. A car trip between the rims takes five hours, according to the park service. That's because there's only one way across the Colorado River by vehicle, and its 137 miles (231 kilometers) from the South Rim Village. Hiking between rims is a shorter distance, 21 miles (34 kilometers), though by no means easy. It includes crossing the river on a narrow foot bridge 70 feet (21 meters) above the water. Unexplored by Europeans for 235 years The Grand Canyon was formed with the shifting of tectonic plates, which lifted layers of rock into a high and relatively flat plateau, according to the park service. About 5 million to 6 million years ago, the Colorado River began to carve its way downward, slowly deepening and widening the gorge. The oldest human artifacts in the area date to about 12,000 years ago, when small bands of people hunted bison, the park service said. There were gradual shifts to agriculture, the building of pueblos and the development of trade routes. Today, 11 tribes have historic connections to the canyon, including the Hopi and the Diné (Navajo). The Spanish were the first Europeans to the see the Grand Canyon in 1540, according to the park service. Francisco Vázquez de Coronado and his Spanish army were searching for fabled cities of gold. 'The Hopi were able to fool the Spaniards into thinking that the area was an impenetrable wasteland and was not navigable anyway,' the park service wrote on its website, adding that the canyon 'was left unexplored by Europeans for 235 years.' In the late 1850s, an Army lieutenant explored the Grand Canyon in search of a viable trade route, the park service said. Joseph Christmas Ives described it as 'altogether valueless' and predicted it 'shall be forever unvisited.' The Grand Canyon began to draw much more interest after expeditions in 1869 and 1871 by geologist John Wesley Powell. Powell described rock layers in the canyon's towering walls: 'creamy orange above, then bright vermilion, and below, purple and chocolate beds, with green and yellow sands.' 'You cannot improve on it' As the years went on, more explorers arrived by boat, on foot and on horseback, often with the help of Native American guides. Wealthy travelers came by stagecoach from Flagstaff to the South Rim in the 1880s. After the arrival of trains, the automobile became the more popular mode of travel in the 1930s. Early entrepreneurs charged $1 to hike down the Bright Angel Trail used by the Havasupai people whose current-day reservation lies in the depths of the Grand Canyon. President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create the park in 1919 but Teddy Roosevelt is credited for its early preservation as a game reserve and a national monument. He famously said: 'Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.' Error! 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Winnipeg Free Press
14-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
What to know about the Grand Canyon as wildfires burn, claiming a historic lodge
Nearly 5 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year, from day trippers and campers to people sleeping overnight in historic lodges and cabins. This year will be different, at least for one portion of the park. A wildfire has torn through a historic lodge and ended the season for the canyon's North Rim, a place where visitors could find less bustle in one of the country's most iconic national parks. As firefighters continue to fight the blaze, here's what to know about Grand Canyon National Park. Bigger than Rhode Island The Colorado River cuts through Grand Canyon National Park for about 278 miles (447 kilometers), pushing across northwestern Arizona. The eastern boundary is near the state's northern border with Utah, while the western edge is near Nevada. Grand Canyon National Park is about 1,900 square miles (nearly 5,000 square kilometers), according to the National Park Service, which makes it bigger than Rhode Island. The park is unique because of its canyon walls, which boast horizontal layers of red, orange and purple rock. The average depth of the iconic formation is about a mile (1.6 kilometers), while the average width is about 10 miles (16 kilometers). 'Four Empire State Buildings stacked one atop the other would not reach the rim,' Lance Newman wrote in the introduction to the 2011 book, 'The Grand Canyon Reader.' The north and south rims Within the park are the north and south rims, which are the primary travel destinations because of their accessibility. The North Rim receives 10% of park visitors and is known for more quiet and solitude, according to the park service. It's open from mid-May to mid-October because of the snow. But the wildfires have closed it for the rest of the season, destroying a historic lodge and dozens of cabins. The South Rim is open all year. It's more bustling and boasts a historic district, which dates to when the first steam-powered train arrived in 1901. A car trip between the rims takes five hours, according to the park service. That's because there's only one way across the Colorado River by vehicle, and its 137 miles (231 kilometers) from the South Rim Village. Hiking between rims is a shorter distance, 21 miles (34 kilometers), though by no means easy. It includes crossing the river on a narrow foot bridge 70 feet (21 meters) above the water. Unexplored by Europeans for 235 years The Grand Canyon was formed with the shifting of tectonic plates, which lifted layers of rock into a high and relatively flat plateau, according to the park service. About 5 million to 6 million years ago, the Colorado River began to carve its way downward, slowly deepening and widening the gorge. The oldest human artifacts in the area date to about 12,000 years ago, when small bands of people hunted bison, the park service said. There were gradual shifts to agriculture, the building of pueblos and the development of trade routes. Today, 11 tribes have historic connections to the canyon, including the Hopi and the Diné (Navajo). The Spanish were the first Europeans to the see the Grand Canyon in 1540, according to the park service. Francisco Vázquez de Coronado and his Spanish army were searching for fabled cities of gold. 'The Hopi were able to fool the Spaniards into thinking that the area was an impenetrable wasteland and was not navigable anyway,' the park service wrote on its website, adding that the canyon 'was left unexplored by Europeans for 235 years.' In the late 1850s, an Army lieutenant explored the Grand Canyon in search of a viable trade route, the park service said. Joseph Christmas Ives described it as 'altogether valueless' and predicted it 'shall be forever unvisited.' The Grand Canyon began to draw much more interest after expeditions in 1869 and 1871 by geologist John Wesley Powell. Powell described rock layers in the canyon's towering walls: 'creamy orange above, then bright vermilion, and below, purple and chocolate beds, with green and yellow sands.' 'You cannot improve on it' As the years went on, more explorers arrived by boat, on foot and on horseback, often with the help of Native American guides. Wealthy travelers came by stagecoach from Flagstaff to the South Rim in the 1880s. After the arrival of trains, the automobile became the more popular mode of travel in the 1930s. Early entrepreneurs charged $1 to hike down the Bright Angel Trail used by the Havasupai people whose current-day reservation lies in the depths of the Grand Canyon. President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create the park in 1919 but Teddy Roosevelt is credited for its early preservation as a game reserve and a national monument. He famously said: 'Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Defending my people': Immigrant advocates protest in Salt Lake City as national debate heats up
SALT LAKE CITY — Several hundred demonstrators waving U.S. and Mexican flags, holding signs blasting U.S. immigration authorities and chanting slogans of support for immigrants gathered in downtown Salt Lake City as the immigration debate across the country heats up. The Utah protestors, who gathered Thursday at Washington Square Park, referenced the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration in Los Angeles, which has prompted demonstrating there by immigrant advocates. 'We have to take notes from Los Angeles and unite as one,' said Jazz Dumas, of Utah March, one of the groups that organized the protest. Another demonstrator in attendance, pushing a child in a stroller, a Mexican flag draped around her shoulder, also alluded to the Los Angeles demonstrations. President Donald Trump attempted to deploy National Guard troops to quell the protest activity, prompting backlash from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and others, but a U.S. judge barred the action on Thursday, according to Reuters. 'I'm so proud of them for sticking up,' said the woman, who identified herself as Adriana. 'I'm proud of the the LA citizens for going out there and defending my people.' The protestors packed the northwest corner of Washington Square Park, where the Salt Lake City-County Building is located, and they were loud and boisterous. Organizers dubbed the protest 'From LA to SLC: ICE Out!' In a press briefing afterward, Salt Lake City police spokesman Brent Weisberg labeled the event 'unplanned' and said the crowd size reached an estimated 600. The demonstrators, who later marched through downtown Salt Lake City, were 'mostly peaceful,' he said. He reported a few 'agitators' in the group and said there were 'a few small skirmishes' in Washington Square Park. A Tesla received unspecified damage while the demonstrators marched through Salt Lake City, according to Weisberg, and that incident remains under investigation. In one of the skirmishes at Washington Square, a man wearing a shirt reading 'Trump is GOAT of presidents' blasted one of the speakers for talking in Spanish and shouted down the protesters. Several crowded around him, shouting back, and he eventually left. The tone of Thursday's protest was defiant, with speakers variously urging solidarity with immigrants and blasting immigration agents, police and the wealthy people perceived to be the ruling class. 'The real criminals are the billionaires who run this country and (exploit) the rest of us for their own profits. The real criminals are the racist police and the ICE forces who arrest us and deport us to keep us from demanding equal rights,' said Liz Maryon, with the Salt Lake Community Bail Fund. Among the many in the crowd was Seka Groves, of Salt Lake City, there with a group of other Native Americans. 'We're Northern Ute and Hopi, and we feel like it's important to stand up for our brothers and sisters, our cousins,' he said. He hopes a takeaway from the event is that even in a conservative state like Utah, 'there are still people that support immigrants and brown people.' Jodi Archer, of Lehi, there with two of her daughters, Eli and Gwen, said the Trump administration's moves to deploy the National Guard and Marines in support of the immigrant crackdown went too far. 'It's just out of control,' she said. The presence of immigrants in the country isn't 'something that's really ever bothered me. If they're not causing a problem, and they're contributing, they're working, I don't see any problem with people coming here.' Gwen Archer said everyone deserves dignity. 'Everyone is a human, and I think being from a country were we pledge justice for all, that's what I hope for, that's what I vote for, that's what I want in this country, in a country that's made of immigrants,' she said. The demonstrations in California and planned anti-Trump protests on Saturday across the country, including several set for Utah, have prompted hand-wringing among some Utah officials. They support the right of free speech and the right to protest, they say, but won't stand for violence. 'We ask everyone exercising these rights to use good judgment and remain peaceful,' the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement Thursday. 'Acts of violence, vandalism or any other criminal behavior will not be tolerated and will be addressed immediately. We remain committed to safeguarding both the right to protest and the rule of law.' In light of the situation, nonessential employees at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City and the 4th District Courthouse in Provo were asked to stay home on Friday. Chris Palmer, director of security for Utah State Courts, said similar moves were implemented in 2020 in response to protesting that year. The anti-Trump demonstrations on Saturday, dubbed No Kings protests, are spearheaded by Indivisible, a group formed in opposition to Trump. They are scheduled to take place all across the country. Protests in Utah are scheduled for Logan, Ogden, Park City, Heber City, Provo, Moab, Boulder, Price, Ephraim, Bluff, Cedar City, St. George and Kanab, according to the No Kings website. Two protests are set for Salt Lake City, at Pioneer Park and on the University of Utah campus. Contributed: Daniel Woodruff
National Geographic
10-06-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
Snakes
There are over 3,000 types of snakes in the world. They have wide distribution, living everywhere except in Antarctica, Iceland, Ireland, Greenland, and New Zealand. In the United States, snakes live in almost every state, except Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine. About 600 species are venomous. Of those, only about 200 can kill or significantly wound a human. Nonvenomous snakes, which range from harmless garter snakes to the not-so-harmless python, dispatch their victims by swallowing them alive or constricting them to death. Whether they kill by striking with venom or squeezing, nearly all snakes eat their food whole, in sometimes astoundingly large portions. Almost all snakes are covered in scales. As reptiles, they're cold blooded and must regulate their body temperature externally. Scales serve several purposes: They trap moisture in arid climates and reduce friction as the snake moves. Several species of snakes are mostly scaleless, but even those have scales on their bellies. Cultural significance of snakes Throughout history, snakes have been important symbols in cultures across the globe. In ancient Egypt, people often associated snakes with royalty. The goddess Wadjet was depicted as a snake. Pharaohs wore head gear and held scepters topped with a uraeus, or the upright form of an Egyptian cobra. Many East Asian cultures see snakes as symbols of immortality and renewal because they can shed their skin. The snake is also one of 12 animals that hold a spot on the Chinese zodiac and star in many folklore. Snakes are also familiar creatures in Native American folk tales and traditions. The Hopi and Cherokee see snakes as connections to the Underworld that deserve reverence and respect. How do snakes hunt? Snakes eat all sorts of animals, from small mammals and small fish to larger prey up to three times larger than the width of their head. They're able to swallow such large animals because their lower jaws unhinge from their upper jaws. Once in a snake's mouth, the prey is held in place by teeth that face inward, trapping it there. Snakes hunt by flicking their forked tongues in different directions to smell their surroundings. That lets them know when danger—or food—is nearby. Snakes have several other ways to detect a snack. Openings called pit holes in front of their eyes sense the heat given off by warm-blooded prey. Bones in their lower jaws pick up vibrations from rodents and other scurrying animals. (Snakes gang up to hunt prey—a first) Left: A green tree python (Morelia viridis) at the Riverside Zoo. Right: Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii) at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Photographs by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark Behavior and reproduction About once a month snakes shed their skin, a process called ecdysis that makes room for growth and gets rid of parasites. They rub against a tree branch or other object, then slither out of their skin head first, leaving it discarded inside-out. Most snakes lay eggs, but some species—like sea snakes—give birth to living young. Very few snakes pay any attention to their eggs, with the exception of pythons, which incubate their eggs. (These are the rules of king cobra fight club—no venom allowed.) Here's a fact to make ophidiophobes feel uneasy: Five species of snakes can fly. Sea snakes Most snakes live on land, but there are about 70 species of snakes that live mostly among the coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific oceans. These family elapidae sea snakes and their cousins, kraits, are some of the most venomous snakes that exist. The yellow bellied sea snake is one of the most venomous. Most sea snakes pose little threat to humans because they're shy, gentle, and their fangs are too short to do much damage. What to do if you see a snake in the wild Experts say it's best to leave snakes alone and give them plenty of room. A rattlesnake (Crotalus) can lunge about two-thirds of its body weight. Most nonvenomous snakes will eventually glide out of the way. If a snake doesn't move, experts say to wait it out or just turn back. Do not attempt to handle it or touch it with a stick. Rattlesnakes don't always rattle their tails in warning, so it's important to be extra careful. (The key to protecting rattlesnakes from extinction? Clearing their name and reputation.) Conservation status There are nine IUCN Red List categories: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, and Extinct. Roughly a hundred snake species are endangered, typically due to habitat loss from development. Of those endangered snakes, 17 percent are vipers. Pythons 101 From unbelievably flexible jaws to rows of razor sharp teeth, a range of impressive features make the python one of nature's most formidable predators. Learn about ball, burmese, reticulated, and other types of pythons, what the snakes eat, where they live, and how a surprising feature might be a sign of legged ancestors. What are the top 10 biggest snakes? The 10 biggest snakes in the world are the African rock python (Python sebae), amethystine python (Simalia amethistina), black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), boa constrictor, Burmese python (Python bivittatus), green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), Indian python (Python molurus), king brown (Pseudechis australis), king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), and reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus). —BBC Science Focus Magazine What are the four most poisonous snakes? India has nearly 60 highly venomous snakes, including a few known as the 'Big Four.' They are the common krait, Russell's viper, saw-scaled viper, and spectacled snake with the deadliest venom in the world is the western or inland taipan. These snakes live in arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. Taipan venom contains a mix of toxins that paralyze muscles, constrict breathing, and cause internal bleeding. —Wildlife S.O.S. and Britannica What will keep snakes away? There are many ways to deter snakes from entering your home or property. Discourage rodents by maintaining a tidy yard and patching any holes or cracks where animals can enter. Keep pet food stored indoors and consider fencing or concrete walls to provide a physical barrier to snakes. Most experts don't recommend chemical repellents, which can be ineffective and harmful to others. Experts also discourage inhumane deterrents such as glue traps and ceramic eggs in chicken coops. —Utah State University How dangerous are snakes? Of the 3,000 species of snakes in the world, only about 10 percent are venomous. Half of those have venom deadly enough to cause human fatalities. —Rainforest Trust This story originally published on January 25, 2019. It was updated on June 10, 2025.
