FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) – A Washington state man is charged with violating federal regulations that limit the number of people who can hike from edge to edge in Grand Canyon National Park.
Joseph Don Mount from Chehalis organized a trip in October with more than 150 people who had hiked from the north rim of the canyon to the more popular south rim. This resulted in a complaint filed this week in the US Magistrate Court in Flagstaff. He is charged with a handful of offenses, each with up to six months in prison and a possible $ 5,000 fine.
A special usage permit is required for groups of 12 to 30 people in normal years. Larger groups are not allowed, even if they split up. The park further restricted group size during the pandemic.
The complaint also alleges that Mount was not authorized to provide commercial services. Park officials searched Mount’s social media posts and found that he was planning a large group hike and charged fees for it, the complaint said.
When park officials told him it was not allowed, they said he refused to plan the trip. Through a Facebook group, he recommended that people split up into smaller groups and use handheld radios to communicate while hiking.
“Remember, nothing is stopping you from climbing the Grand Canyon that day,” Mount wrote on an affidavit online.
Mount didn’t return a call from The Associated Press on Thursday. He is due to go to trial later this month.
Some of the hikers told park officials they were in a group of 100 or more “from anywhere,” the complaint read. Most were evasive when asked about the planning efforts or the tour guide.
Others on the trails that day complained that the group did not distance themselves or wear face covers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and that they clogged the trail and delayed travel routes.
The Daily Beast first reported on the case.
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