Just Wanted To Share This

...in case anyone is able to help out.

I hiked this area a couple of times as a teen, and had another reservation, I'm guessing about ten years ago, for fall, when they had a HUGE flood in the spring and had to close the Canyon then as well. It's very special to me so I am passing the word about their current issues...

This is the major part of an article in the Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff local paper) earlier this week, it was passed on to me by one of AZBCR's Flagstaff members:

Recently, on a more local level, there was a natural disaster in the Grand Canyon area. The Redlands Dam, just west of Valle, broke in the early morning hours of Aug. 17. That break, combined with heavy rains, brought destructive flooding to the Supai Village area of the Grand Canyon. Hundreds of members of the Havasupai tribe, tourists and others had to scramble to higher ground as the flood waters rose and later had to be evacuated to safety via helicopter.

Supai Village, considered one of the most remote towns in the lower 48 states, is accessible only by foot, mule/horse or helicopter. Tourism is the main livelihood of the members of the Havasupai tribe and the horses and mules of the tribe are of extreme importance. Approximately 400 mules and horses carry U.S. Mail to this remote village, deliver supplies to residents and campers, and provide transportation for the residents and campers. This region, which is now expected to be closed to the public for at least the next 6 to 8 months, will suffer a great economic loss without the tourism. But the losses to the horses and mules may be even greater.

These animals eat an average of 8,000 pounds of horse feed per day at an estimated cost of almost $2,000 per day. While the major source of income to Supai Village is suspended for the foreseeable future, feeding the horses and mules may prove to be the most difficult task ahead for this remote village. During the estimated closure period of 6 to 8 months, the animal care costs alone could reach $500,000.

The Just Roughin' It Adventure Co., an Arizona based hiking and backpacking tour company, leads excursions into Supai and has established a strong relationship with the Havasupai tribe. The company is currently making efforts to help their friends in Supai Village. Just Roughin' It has established a relief fund to help the Havasupai people with the cost of animal care until the tourism operations can be resumed.

If you would like to make a contribution and be a part of this important relief effort, please contact the folks at Just Roughin' It Adventure Company at (877) 399-2477. You can also check out its Web site, www.justroughinit.com, for more information.

Thank you very much!

Sheila V. Madrak can be reached for comments, questions and suggestions at animal.instincts08@gmail.com.