Henderson, NV to Crand Canyon, AZ (or Friday the 13th)

Today was a driving day, so fewer opportunities for interesting images and interactions. The drive from Las Vegas to Yavapai Lodge on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is about four and a half hours. It was pointed out to me early this morning (thanks V) that I had reflexively and mistakenly mentioned the North Rim . The North Rim is already closed for the winter, so not even a possibility. Not to mention the fact they were expecting two feet of snow. More on that later.

The Hoover Dam was literally right on the way, and I had never visited, so I decided it merited a stop. I had to get through two security points (no guns, no drugs ma’am). Oh right, Federal land. I even had to get out of my car and open the hatch. I think they gave up when they saw how stuffed it was with luggage. After parking in the lot, you climb up a set of stairs (or a ramp) to a pedestrian walkway that spans the dam and the power plant. Note that I did not bother to try to remove the power lines from these photos as they are actually part of the story.

In the Hoover Dam we again meet the mighty Colorado River, this time tamed in a feat of engineering prowess to provide water and power to large areas of the West and Southwest. Ironically, the Salton Sea disaster (described in a previous post) provided much of the impetus for harnessing the Colorado River via construction of the Hoover Dam. Engineers at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proposed a large, multipurpose dam that not only would control floods, but harness the Colorado for irrigation and hydroelectric power. In addition to years of debate regarding the economic feasibility and engineering expertise for such an enormous project, six of the seven states in the Colorado River drainage area (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada) expressed fears that California would get the lion’s share of the water. Then-Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover oversaw a compromise in 1922 that became the Colorado River Compact and led to the dam becoming his namesake.

Back on the freeway, you immediately cross the state line into Arizona (The dam spans the State line). I could not capture a photo of the sign from the freeway so I borrowed one from the Internet. Just a few miles further, there is a viewpoint, at which I found Navajo Man. He explained that he had driven up from his home in the Grand Canyon area to sell his jewelry. He declined to provide his name but did allow a photo. He requested that I use the moniker Navajo Man. He allowed me to photograph him, but not his jewelry (possibly because there was a sign that prohibited commercial activity).

Navajo Man wanted to share his thoughts first on the Hopi-Navajo conflict . This bitter, century-old dispute between the Navajo and Hopi over thousands of acres of Arizona desert, surfaced again in 1974 over a desolate range of sandstone plateaus known as Big Mountain. Navajo Man believes that in 1974 then Senator Barry Goldwater made a deal with the Hopi tribe because they were weaker and would allow more concessions. He then moved on to the 2012 water rights bill championed by John McCain and Jon Kyl in which the Hopi and Navajo tribes were being asked to give up ancestral rights to the Little Colorado River in exchange for the shallow promise of uncertain federal appropriations to supply minimal amounts of drinking water to a handful of reservation communities. That led to withdrawal of his support for McCain, who he previously had backed. This limited conversation highlights the complicated and fraught relationship both among the indigenous peoples and between indigenous peoples and the U.S. Government.

I arrived at Yavapai Lodge, checked in to my room and - as has become my habit - headed to the tavern. I decided to try the Elk chili and, contrary to my usual preferences, decided a beer was the right accompaniment. Kamareon, whose family originally hails from Cape Verde (not to be confused with Camp Verde) helped me pick out the perfect beer, the local Oak Creek Nut Brown Ale .

A snow storm is predicted for tomorrow (Saturday) evening, with the possibility of road closures on Sunday, when I am scheduled to had to Sedona. Stay tuned.