In Grand Canyon, the land is hot that it melts your shoes
The National Park Service warns visitors to the Grand Canyon that extreme heat can pose a rather unusual danger: melted shoes. In addition, watch out for life-threatening temperature differences in the gorges.
Temperatures in the Grand Canyon are running high this week due to a heatwave. “Grand Canyon is an unforgiving environment. The heat inside the Canyon can cause shoes to come apart, and heavy hiking boots can trap sweat and lead to painful blisters. Before setting off on a hike, understand the limitations of yourself and your gear.”
Warning
In a tweet, the National Park Service shows that extreme heat can melt the glue of even sturdy and robust hiking boots, causing the shoes to fall apart.
Of course, the striking warning goes hand in hand with other concerns about the current sweltering heat in the area. For example, people should drink enough, rub themselves well, and stay out of the sun as much as possible.
It is also important to avoid going out at the hottest hours of the day. And it is also very important to be careful where you go for a walk.
Dangerous temperature differences
After all, visitors have to take into account life-threatening differences in temperatures in the Canyon; as the heat becomes more extreme, the more you sink into the American natural wonder.
“Temperatures can be very different on different mountains and hill ranges and in the canyons and valleys,” warns CNN meteorologist Haley Brink. This has to do with the phenomenon of ‘adiabatic heating’.
As airdrops to a lower elevation level, it is compressed, and compressed air releases heat as energy. This makes the air mass there even warmer.
Multiple rescues
Somewhere at the top of the world’s most famous nature reserve, it is already chugging this week with temperatures up to 33 degrees Celsius. Slightly lower in the Canyon, the temperature quickly rises to a sweltering 38 degrees. Even lower, it is just 44 degrees and even more. So extremely hot.
Last weekend the local services had to turn out several times for search and rescue of visitors who got into trouble because of the heat.
