Like most Americans, I love the National Parks. Every year attendance at the National Parks keeps going up. The parks are our shared treasure capable of providing truly magical experiences which keep on giving. The Bright Angel Trail is one of the most popular trails on the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The trail drops from 6,850 feet in elevation to 2,480 feet once you reach the Colorado River at Phantom Ranch just shy of 10 miles from the rim. The trail is well-maintained with water stations and rustic shelters along the way.
The name Bright Angel comes from explorer John Wesley Powell who recollected a hymn....“Shall we gather at the river, Where bright angel’s feet have trod.” It is indeed a challenging trail, but around each bend is a new discovery with ever-changing views. It is truly amazing. Your experience will be something you will love sharing with friends and family once you get home. A Fred Harvey brochure from 1909 captured a truism, which still exists: "The trail is never as narrow or as steep as you will describe it when you get back home."
For every dollar we invest in our National Parks, fifteen dollars is pumped into the local economies close to the parks. It is so shortsighted to drastically cut funding and staffing for the National Parks when attendance is so strong. The user experience is diminished by the cuts, and the viability of our parks is threatened. Deferred maintenance piles up. This is not the way we should treat one of the crown jewels of our democracy. In response to this threat, we have decided to do our little part. We will donate $3 for every pair of Birkenstocks, which we will sell during the week-long run of this post to the National Parks Conservation Association. Save our Parks, not only for ourselves, but future generations too.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
