Well, I was able to resize and load up a few photos. There is just NO way to share them all online. Nor do photos really do any justice whatsoever to the Canyon itself or to the experience of riding a mule into the canyon. Before moving into pictures, the mule ride is heavy with history. It is the traditional way to see the canyon. It is how the first explorers experienced the Canyon and how President Roosevelt visited before making it into a National Park. It is terrifying and exciting, exhausting and empowering and altogether amazing. It is also very hard to do...there are 5 million visitors to the Canyon yearly...only 10 people per day get to ride to the bottom on mules (and stay over night)...that is less than 1% who actually get to ride the mules into the canyon. Those 10 have to weigh in (and be a certain height). If you are too short (less than 4'7") or too heavy (over 200 lbs with clothes and gear), you do not get to go...period...no arguing no exceptions. It was an experience I will never forget and one I hope I get to repeat (despite the difficulty in getting "tickets" and the expense)...it was well worth it.
We got to the canyon in the middle of the thunderstorm...in a moment of sunlight we went out to check it out and got this picture...we were soon back in the shelter of a restaurant. :)
The morning of the mule ride down was rainy again. They supplied us with raincoats and I was VERY thankful we had rain pants (even if they were camo)...it was nice to stay dry. See how I am leaning way back in the saddle. The ride is steep...you lean back to stay on...but it makes your back ache.
This is a section of the trail after we broke for a stretch and some snacks...this particular corner is called "Jesus Corner"...cause if you aren't praying you are likely swearing...it was a TIGHT corner with a steep drop ...the trail we switchback onto here is to the right of the big rocks that mark the edge of the trail...see how you can't see it...you couldn't see it from the mule either. It was so scary!! You can also see the trail cut into the edge to the right of the mule rider. Those switchbacks are called "The Devil's Corkscrew." They were a little scary too!
One of the first sites of the Colorado River (did you know Colorado means "reddish brown"- creative weren't they?). We rode alongside the Colorado for a while...unfortunately, it was a LONG way down the whole time. :) You may be able to see the bridge. That is the "hikers bridge" cause the mules won't walk across the metal mesh floor...we took another bridge down the trail a bit...it had a solid wood floor in it.
The mule behind me (named Mercy) was kinda slow (picky with her footing) so they got behind. Shane took this picture of K-Bar (our wrangler) and me out ahead. We are rounding a corner- the cliff to our left drops down to the river!
Here is a view from Phantom Ranch at the bottom. The sites were amazing. And you couldn't even tell you were in the "inner canyon." The inner canyon is big enough you can't see the ridges of the "Grand Canyon" in most places.
On the way up we had to rest the mules every now and again...this is at one of those stops looking back across what we had just climbed...amazing.
Here we are back at the top...we'd made it both ways in the rain and cold. Who would guess that I couldn't really feel my fingers and my hat was dripping rain in my face? It was an amazing trip!! My mule. Ted Bundy (who I called Teddy) kept me on my toes but I loved him. Shane's mule, Lucy, was a calm, easy going thing...until she got close to Teddy and then she would bite him... on the way up she bit him nearly every time we stopped to rest...and we would both say (in sinc with K Bar, the wrangler) "Knock it off Lucy." And she would lay her ears back, a little miffed to be in trouble. Teddy's ears flopped the entire time showing that he was pretty relaxed about the whole thing....except when we got to a puddle...then he would concentrate to not get his feet wet and consequently tight rope along the outer edge or try to brush me off his back by banging my knees along the inside cliff. I spent a lot of time going "Teddy, it's only water" K Bar laughed every time. :) But I never convinced Teddy that the water wouldn't hurt...and I think he enjoyed when I clenched from the tight-roping or hollered from the knee banging...he was really rotten I tell ya! :)
The section of rock that appears "lit up" in this photo is the battleship...it looks like a battleship with its canons sticking out the side...one of the many things hard to see in a photo. This is taken from within the canyon but it is easily visible from the south rim...it is the most photographed rock in the canyon.
From the rim you can see a chunk of the Colorado River. See the reddish brown slightly to the right of center. If you have amazing eyes, you may be able to see the TINY black line there that was the bridge we crossed. To the left of the river is a green patch of trees (you have to "cross" the little ridge and it is partly in shadow)...that is Phantom Ranch where we stayed overnight.
Here we are on our last day at the canyon. We had already ridden the mules and were still standing upright. :) The sun had FINALLY come out and we did some walking along the rim trails and trading picture taking with other couples.
This is a favorite "rim shot" photo. I like how the trees frame the photo and the light emphasizes all the layers and the beauty of the canyon.
We got to the canyon in the middle of the thunderstorm...in a moment of sunlight we went out to check it out and got this picture...we were soon back in the shelter of a restaurant. :)
The morning of the mule ride down was rainy again. They supplied us with raincoats and I was VERY thankful we had rain pants (even if they were camo)...it was nice to stay dry. See how I am leaning way back in the saddle. The ride is steep...you lean back to stay on...but it makes your back ache.
This is a section of the trail after we broke for a stretch and some snacks...this particular corner is called "Jesus Corner"...cause if you aren't praying you are likely swearing...it was a TIGHT corner with a steep drop ...the trail we switchback onto here is to the right of the big rocks that mark the edge of the trail...see how you can't see it...you couldn't see it from the mule either. It was so scary!! You can also see the trail cut into the edge to the right of the mule rider. Those switchbacks are called "The Devil's Corkscrew." They were a little scary too!
One of the first sites of the Colorado River (did you know Colorado means "reddish brown"- creative weren't they?). We rode alongside the Colorado for a while...unfortunately, it was a LONG way down the whole time. :) You may be able to see the bridge. That is the "hikers bridge" cause the mules won't walk across the metal mesh floor...we took another bridge down the trail a bit...it had a solid wood floor in it.
The mule behind me (named Mercy) was kinda slow (picky with her footing) so they got behind. Shane took this picture of K-Bar (our wrangler) and me out ahead. We are rounding a corner- the cliff to our left drops down to the river!
Here is a view from Phantom Ranch at the bottom. The sites were amazing. And you couldn't even tell you were in the "inner canyon." The inner canyon is big enough you can't see the ridges of the "Grand Canyon" in most places. 
On the way up we had to rest the mules every now and again...this is at one of those stops looking back across what we had just climbed...amazing.
Here we are back at the top...we'd made it both ways in the rain and cold. Who would guess that I couldn't really feel my fingers and my hat was dripping rain in my face? It was an amazing trip!! My mule. Ted Bundy (who I called Teddy) kept me on my toes but I loved him. Shane's mule, Lucy, was a calm, easy going thing...until she got close to Teddy and then she would bite him... on the way up she bit him nearly every time we stopped to rest...and we would both say (in sinc with K Bar, the wrangler) "Knock it off Lucy." And she would lay her ears back, a little miffed to be in trouble. Teddy's ears flopped the entire time showing that he was pretty relaxed about the whole thing....except when we got to a puddle...then he would concentrate to not get his feet wet and consequently tight rope along the outer edge or try to brush me off his back by banging my knees along the inside cliff. I spent a lot of time going "Teddy, it's only water" K Bar laughed every time. :) But I never convinced Teddy that the water wouldn't hurt...and I think he enjoyed when I clenched from the tight-roping or hollered from the knee banging...he was really rotten I tell ya! :)
The section of rock that appears "lit up" in this photo is the battleship...it looks like a battleship with its canons sticking out the side...one of the many things hard to see in a photo. This is taken from within the canyon but it is easily visible from the south rim...it is the most photographed rock in the canyon.
From the rim you can see a chunk of the Colorado River. See the reddish brown slightly to the right of center. If you have amazing eyes, you may be able to see the TINY black line there that was the bridge we crossed. To the left of the river is a green patch of trees (you have to "cross" the little ridge and it is partly in shadow)...that is Phantom Ranch where we stayed overnight.
Here we are on our last day at the canyon. We had already ridden the mules and were still standing upright. :) The sun had FINALLY come out and we did some walking along the rim trails and trading picture taking with other couples. 
This is a favorite "rim shot" photo. I like how the trees frame the photo and the light emphasizes all the layers and the beauty of the canyon. 
1 comment:
oh you looked so happy thanks for sharing
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