Heavy Snow at Grand Canyon

[Griz]

Heavy snows are falling and will continue through Monday. Tuesday is calling for clearing skies and warming temps. I am in Phoenix for business and I am wondering if the South Rim would be accessible after 15 inches of new snow. Also wondering if anyone else is going up for this opportunity. I just purchased a Shen Hao 4x5 with a Rodenstock 210mm Sironar-N and can borrow a 75mm Schneider Super Angulon and am itching to pull the shutter. Wouldn't it be cool if my very first exposure taken with large format was a beautiful sunrise over the Grand Canyon on freshly fallen snow?

[Juergen Sattler]

The South Rim will most likely be open. Call the NP service - they can tell you. The Grand Canyon covered in snow is magical!

[Wayne Crider]

All you'll need is snow tires.
I rented a car once and my brother and I went up during a snow fall. Boy that was fun driving for someone from S. Florida. I think I never got over 20mph because of the tires. Cars and trucks were in the ditch everywhere. Awesome site tho when we got there.

[MIke Sherck]

Cripes -- my cousin and his wife were supposed to be down in there hiking this weekend. I hope they didn't go, or if they did, got out all right!

Mike

[evan clarke]

And watch out for elk on the road..They're too big to hit!

[Scott Knowles]

You can always play it safe by renting a 4WD SUV or truck. They tend to come with tires appropriate for snow and ice weather, and ask if chains are in the trunk. The roads may not require them but the NPS may require you carry them in the car (they do with NP's in Washington). Good luck and don't forget to adjust the exposure for snow.

[Darren H]

Go! Go! Go!

And then post images when you get back! :-)

[Ivan J. Eberle]

I've not been to the Grand Canyon in snow, but my experience in other parks like Yellowstone and Arches is that NPS will either leave a road open or do a hard closure to all vehicles -- not selectively leaving them open to 4WD with appropriate tires or chains. I'd call Park HQ or a look at the AZ State pages to see if they've got a highway closure search feature-- before going there

[Vaughn]

Some of the best backpacking I have done in the Canyon was in between road-closing snow storms. Also some of the coldest (no fires allowed in the Canyon!) It was only above freezing when one was out in the sun -- which in the Canyon during Winter is not very often! I had to thaw my eggs tbefore I could use them for my dinners. April is much more sane.

When I worked at the Canyon, it was about a mile walk along the Rim to get to from where I lived (behind the Bright Angel Lodge) to where I worked (the gas station) -- in May there was snow on the Rim and since I started work early, I'd watch the sun come up on my way. It was the summer I really began to photograph.