About Diamond Creek Cable Crossing
You’ll notice a cable and small trolley just above Last Chance Above Diamond Camp. The purpose of this is for the USGS. They use it to access the Diamond Creek gage which is located just upstream of here on river right. Additionally, this cable crossing allows for manual measurements to be taken from the river. These include river flow (always a good idea to audit your automated gages), sediment load, water quality, and more. What makes this cable crossing significant for measurements is its ease of access, as you can drive to Diamond Creek, which is just half a mile downstream.
In the photo you’ll also notice an orange ball, which you’ll probably recognize from tall powerlines. These are called marker balls and are meant for aircraft. Today, aircraft in the Grand Canyon would almost certainly mean helicopters, but of note, the former cable crossing near Bass Camp was very nearly clipped by an airplane during the search for Glenn and Bessie Hyde.
