A view of Bright Angel Trail, zig-zagging down some 4,000 feet to Phantom Ranch at the base of the Grand Canyon. If you look closely, there are a couple hikers on the trail. Seeing it brought up a memory of coming up that same trail 40 years ago on the back of a mule! We had just finished running the rapids on the Colorado River (harrowing and so much fun) but I think the mule ride was even more frightening than boating through Lava Falls. So glad I did it in my youth. Now I'm content to shoot the canyon, not the rapids.
I hiked down the South Kabob trail, over to Phantom Ranch and then back out the Bright Angels in one day. My wife and I turned the lights out on the canyon when we got out. What a long and wonderful day.
Loved your narrative and it reminded me of an old photo I posted of my grandmother making the trek down the mountain on a mule in 1913! Talk about scary!!!
I had the "joy" of following a mule train from mile-and-a-half house to the rim. That trailing mule did everything in its power to discourage me from following, I was going to kick it up that trail.
That trail is bad enough on foot, but to add an extra six-eight feet (on a mule) is not something I would do.
January 20th, 2022
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https://365project.org/gardenfolk/365/2019-01-03
That trail is bad enough on foot, but to add an extra six-eight feet (on a mule) is not something I would do.