#MyGrandCanyonStory | Michael Lerner
HECHO spoke with Michael Lerner of New York, New York to learn about his personal connection to the Grand Canyon, his favorite memories there, and why he believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.
HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?
Michel Lerner (ML): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon is that I've had the privilege and the honor to be there three times as an adult. Once as a kid, but I was honestly too young to really appreciate it. As an adult, I went on a visit to some family friends in Arizona. I'm from New York City so it's not, by any means, nearby but they suggested going there and I wasn't really aware that you could just drive up and get into the best of it without privileges or paying a lot of expensive fares or permits. So, this family friend suggested staying over at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I checked the website, it's run by a concessionaire, they had availability and it was only like 50 something bucks a night for an actual bed with running water. I thought, well, I'm getting away with something here. When I first got there, it was just mesmerizing at the rim, so incredible. It just got better and better as you start going down. You get to see these vistas up close around the structures. From the top, they're pretty, but you don't really know what you're looking at. It's kind of too vast to comprehend, but when you're winding around the base and the staircases and you finally descend, you get to see the river and all the different rock, the much older rock layers down there. It's even more impressive and to look back where you came from. Sometimes you can't even see the rim from the bottom. I enjoyed it so much. I was really blown away and I thought, man, this is a really special place and I've got to come back here and so I did.
HECHO: Why do you believe that the Grand Canyon should be protected?
ML: I think that the Grand Canyon should be protected indefinitely and at the strongest possible level, because it's really one of the most special places we have in the entire country and in the world. It's that level of magnificence and it really cannot exist on its own without human stewardship, to a degree. Natural forces have been shaping it for millions of years. As for unchecked human development or disruption, you can tell right away when it's pristine or when there are buildings going up or roads being carved out. I think that it's important for the ecological sense and the cultural sense. For all of us as parts of this society, this should be there for us in its pristine state.
HECHO: Why do you advocate for the Grand Canyon?
ML: I advocate for the Grand Canyon because it has no voice of its own and it needs dedicated, committed people to stand up for it and to defend it from otherwise unrestrained extraction, overdevelopment and degradation. It needs passionate defenders and I'm proud to be one.
HECHO: What are your thoughts about the administration’s policy aiming to open up the Grand Canyon Watershed for uranium mining?
ML: I completely disagree with the current administration's policy to open up the Grand Canyon watershed for uranium mining. I think it's irresponsible, unnecessary and also very environmentally risky. The whole greater watershed is one connected area. Aquifers and waterfalls going into the canyon or groundwater, it's all connected. It'll eventually go to the Colorado River, which provides drinking water for many cities in the Southwest. In addition to fish and other organisms that live there. With any kind of uranium mining, mining in general, the tailings are toxic. To me, it's unthinkable to have that going into the heart of the Grand Canyon and affecting everything in the park, outside of the park, down river. It shouldn't even be considered.
HECHO: What are your plans for your next visit?
ML: I was so moved by my first experience as an adult, hiking into the Grand Canyon to the bottom and back, that a couple of years later when I met my girlfriend, who's now my wife, I brought her there. It was such a special place. First, we visited Havasu falls, which is in the Havasupai reservation. It's not technically part of the national park, but it's the same geological thing. It's a canyon that's goes into the Grand Canyon, and that was amazing. The following year, we then went and returned to the Grand Canyon Proper, the South Kaibab trail, stayed over at Phantom Ranch and it also blew her mind. I want to share one inspiring little anecdote on that trip. On the way up the next day, we saw a woman who was in her seventies, hiking up the trail. We asked her, "Was this her first time, had she done this before?" She said that this was her seventh time. We were like, whoa. As young and fit hikers, this was tough. This trail is 5,000 feet elevation gain and she's crushing it, at a slow pace, but seven times. We don't have specific plans quite yet to visit the Grand Canyon, but we'll be back for sure. We're inspired by that woman. There's just so much there to see, and for all ages. It's not just for people that are fit or that are of a certain age or demographic or whatever. It's for all of us.
HECHO: What tips would you share for people visiting?
ML: The obvious ones are probably avoiding the summertime. It's crazy. Winter time is a nice time to visit. It can be cold at the rim, snowy and windy, but if you're able to descend to the bottom or even somewhat in, it gets warmer and warmer. You're actually going down quite a bit. My advice would be check out the Phantom Ranch. It's a privately-run concession authorized by the parks. So, they can't charge outrageous prices. A couple of years ago, it was only $50 for a bed with a hot shower and you can buy food there. My suggestion is if you're able to go, it's actually advantageous, because you can bring any food and drink down with you and then eat and drink it and have a much lighter pack on the way up. We brought some sandwiches, we shared a bottle of wine, and then the weight was gone the next day. So, really, it's doable. They also sell things there. There is an adjacent campsite, I don't know what the availability is for that. If you can visit Phantom Ranch, it's such a cool trip. It's really an amazing two-day thing. Like absolute world class. I guess my ultimate advice is, go into the canyon, if you can. The rim is amazing, but even better when you get in it.
HECHO: Could you complete the following sentence: Protecting the Grand Canyon watershed from uranium mining is personal to me because...
ML: Protecting the Grand Canyon from uranium mining is personal to me because, I won't stand idly by as any possible activity could spoil such a magical place that I've been blessed and privileged to go there already a couple of times, and we'll certainly be going to back. It's a cause that I'm all in for.
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