Gilbert

Well, here we are again (DH and loving wife) on the way down to Arizona and the Grand Canyon.

We arrived in Tucson to sunny skies and 74 degrees - heaven. Two days later we are heading north to Cameron - spent the night at the Cameron Trading Post.

We are up bright and early for the drive to Grand Canyon National Park via the east entrance. We stopped at Desert View Watchtower - partly sunny with clouds building up over the canyon - it looks like snow.

We continue on to the GC village. We went straight to Bright Angel Lodge for our weigh in. DH changed into his "light" clothes and stood on the scale - 192 lbs (same as last year) Woo Hoo!! Then it was my turn - 2 lbs lighter than last year. Yippee!!

We drove back to the El Tovar for lunch - a salad for DH and chili for me. After checking into our room, we headed out to walk part of the rim trail and then a tour of the Kolb Studios. 2 - 4 inches of snow expected overnight.

We are both excited about the mule trip.

After breakfast in our room, we walked down to the stone corral around 7.30 am (15 minutes early). Of course we are the first ones there. Weather is cold and it looks like snow. 2 other people show up and they ask me if I am from Alaska!! I reply "yes, how do you know?" She said that she read my previous mule trip report on Fodors and that it sounded so good that she decided to do the mule trip too!! Mom and Son from Iowa.

By 8.00 am most of the other riders had arrived and we could hear the mules heading our way. Casey, the lead wrangler gathers us all around for our orientation talk - instructions on what to do and what not to do. And if you don't follow the rules you become a "hiker"!!

It started snowing - light fluffy flakes that continued for the next 45 minutes.
We watched the day riders mount up and head down the Bright Angel Trail. There are only 4 of us (along with our guide Doug) heading down to Phantom Ranch.

Doug has done over 2900 mule trips. He had a great outlook and an even better sense of humor. My mule is Zug Zug and DH is riding a white mule named Johnson.

Once again I am the official US Mail carrier (thru rain, thru hail, thru SNOW!!)

We head down into the canyon with snow still falling - it was beautiful. We arrived at Indian Gardens for our picnic lunch stop. I hope Mom and Son and having a good time - I know they are cold and sore.

We continue down the Devils Corkscrew. It has stopped snowing and the sun is shining into the canyon off in the distance. We cross the Colorado River via the mule bridge and head towards Phantom Ranch. All of a sudden we are being hit by hailstones and then it turns to rain. (Thru RAIN, thru HAIL, thru snow - the US Mail pouch manages to make it safely through all 3!!)

5.00 pm the dinner bell rang - salad, steaks, baked potatoes, peas, carrots, corn, cornbread and chocolate cake for dessert. DELICIOUS.

After dinner we spent a couple of hours in the canteen with Mom and Son.

Next morning after breakfast DH and I hiked up Clear Creek trail for some great views down on Phantom Ranch. Further along the trail we were rewarded with some fantastic views of the Colorado River. The weather was sunny, but chilly - highs around 45 to 49 (20 degrees cooler than last year).

We stopped at the mule corral and fed apples to Zug Zug and Johnson.

In the afternoon we hiked across the mule bridge and then back across the silver bridge, then sat in the sun for a while watching mule deer. Later we hiked up the North Kaibab Trail for about 3 miles.

6.30 pm the dinner bell rings - salad, beef/vegetable stew, corn break and more of that yummy chocolate cake.

Next morning after another great breakfast we head down to the corral for the ride back up to the rim. We met Dusty (still getting dressed) who said "you wouldn't believe the morning I've had".

Apparently he was in the bunkhouse getting ready when one of the Phantom Ranch people said that one of his mules was loose. Dusty thought the mule was loose in the corral, but apparently the mule was running around and headed up towards the canteen. Dusty grabbed his pants and boots and was off to look for the runaway mule. He finally managed to round him up, with the help of a couple of hikers.

The runaway mule was Johnson (DH's mule).

It was time to mount up and Johnson didn't want anything to do with it. Ears back, kicking and acting downright ornery. After several attempts Dusty said DH would ride his mule (Sam) and he would ride Johnson. Dusty switched saddles, packed our gear in the saddle bags and we were soon underway.

The trip back up to the rim took us back up the Bright Angel Trail. Maintenance work was being done on the South Kaibab Trail from damage done during the summer monsoon season.

I was a little disappointed that we weren't using the SK trail, but still looking forward to seeing the Bright Angel Trail from a different angle.

Most of the BA trail was in shade and the temperature at Indian Gardens was only 25 degrees - bbbrrrrr!! We stopped whenever we reached a sunny spot along the trail, few and far between until we reached the final few switchbacks close to the rim. We headed through the last tunnel, past the Kolb Studios and up into the stone corral. Hard to believe that it's over. We got our mule skinner certificates, took a few more photos and said goodbye to Dusty, Sam, Zug Zug, Mom and Son.

The sun sure felt good. We dropped our raincoats off at Bright Angel Lodge and walked over to the El Tovar to check in.

Next morning we woke to foggy skies and it wasn't too long before it started snowing. We checked out and headed towards Cameron. The roads were slippery and icy, but the further east we drove the lighter the snow became, and by the time we reached Desert View watchtower, the snow had completely stopped and the roads were clear.

We stopped at Cameron Trading Post for some fry bread, and then it was back on the road thru Tuba City and Kayenta and onto Monument Valley. Spent the next 2 nights at Gouldings Lodge - did a full day tour of Mystery Valley and Monument Valley with a Navajo guide.

Ahe'hee Jones - we had a great time.

We head back to Tucson via Flagstaff stopping off at Cameron TP again for some more fry bread.

We spent the next 5 days in Tucson, spending Christmas with SIL and visiting all our usual haunts - Sabino Canyon, Tohono Chul, St Xavier Mission, Gates Pass, Saguaro NP and of course shopping for yours truly.

Which trip was better 2005 or 2006???
I can't answer that - they were both great in their own way.

In 2005 (the first trip), we had the excitement of NOT KNOWING what the trip would be like and we had fantastic weather.

In 2006 - the snow on the way down was beautiful, and our riding companions (Mom and Son) were great - we also had the excitement OF KNOWING what a great trip it would be.

The wranglers on both trips were absolutely wonderful (thanks Dusty and Doug), and our mules were fantastic - even though Johnson had a mule "hissy fit".

We have already made our reservations for December 2007 (trip number 3).
Can you tell we're hooked?

"Hello, my name is Gilbert and I'm a mulaholic"!!!

Jolie

Poor Johnson - what did your husband do to that poor mule? He probably has to take workers' compensation leave before going on any more treks. Maybe get some psycho-therapy.

Kidding! Thanks for the detailed report. I had a lot of fun doing that ride years ago.

(My husband never gets to ride mules or horses because he's always over the weight limit - so when he sees me getting on a horse, he tells the horse he knows the name of a good chiropractor).

FLmom

Cute Gilbert...I love reading these reports. We'll be heading out this summer, but DD, 13, won't do the mule trip, too scary. Maybe when she gets older, it does sound really great.

Now about that frybread. We'll be staying one night at the Trading Post and I've heard both the "regular" frybread with honey and the taco's made with frybread are good. So, what's your favorite? Should we thrown caution to the find and get both?!!

FLmom

that's; caution to the wind

mowmow

The Navajo tacos are HUGE, split it with somebody and you'll both still be full.
The frybread is the same size as the one they use for the taco; plate sized but sweet drizzled with the honey.
I doubt if you could stomach them both.

I ate about half the stuff off the top of my Navajo taco then ate the fry bread drizzled with honey. Had my bread and ate it too...

We had to cancel our mule trip this past May after my daughter broke her arm Maybe we'll try again in a couple of years. Maybe Johnson will be over his hissy fit by then lol.

Gilbert

FLmom,
I've had both the regular fry bread with honey and the Navajo taco - both are good, but I like the regular fry bread with honey the best.
The Navajo taco is gigantic - even the smaller version they serve is way too much for me to eat.

Enjoy!