North Rim, Grand Canyon
Digest more
"Though it was definitely not your average vacation trip, everything worked out okay. We made the best of it," Russ Christian said.
A water treatment facility at the North Rim had been compromised by the fire, causing chlorine gas to fall towards the bottom of the canyon.
The NPS recommends avoiding hiking the Grand Canyon's inner trails between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when temperatures are at their peak. Temperatures in the inner canyon can reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade, creating "extremely hazardous conditions for hikers," the NPS said.
A 67-year-old man hiking in the Grand Canyon National Park died on a trail while hiking in extreme heat, which possibly caused hazardous conditions. The Grand Canyon National Park Service said that at about 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of an unresponsive hiker.
Here's what's open and closed at Grand Canyon North Rim, South Rim and Phantom Ranch in the wake of wildfires that destroyed the North Rim lodge.