We Muled the Canyon!

On May 31, 2007, Brendan and I embarked on the adventure of a lifetime - riding mules down into the Grand Canyon. Frankly, we were terrified, but determined to see it through. We did, and it was totally worth both the sheer terror and the serious pain.

Mule Operations boss Casey Murph puts the fear of God into us at orientation. I don't know if anyone from our group backed out after this, but I wouldn't blame them if they did. We met two ladies at breakfast the next morning who did back out after Mr Murph's speech, the poor things. (Seeing how we were suffering probably didn't help matters.)

I can't believe I took this picture on the way down. I'm pretty sure I was grasping the saddle horn with both hands. The trail was steep, and it took great effort to stay upright (heels down, toes up!). Hikers gave us the right of way, and this hiker (Brendan noticed he was wearing a Lobos hat) was no exception.Brendan astride Gizmo on the trail down. We got more comfortable after the first terrifying moments, and were able to relax a little and enjoy the ride.
Brendan and Cheryl at Plateau Point, our lunch stop and turnaround point. It was about 100 degrees at this spot in the Canyon. The guides hosed us down at Indian Springs so we would stay wet and cool on the Plateau.
Rafts on the Colorado River 1400 feet below Plateau Point
Cheryl on See-More at Indian Springs just before the trip back up the canyon. A little sore but still smiling.
Our trail guide Marilyn telling us about some rocks. Or something. By this time we were pretty sore and the mules were getting hungry, so we didn't truly appreciate the educational aspect. Some of the terror returned as we paused frequently on the steep trail and had to work hard to keep our mules from bending their heads down to eat.

See-More and I gazing at the trail we just came up. Actually, See-More was probably thinking about the bush just below the trail that he wanted to eat. By this point we both (rider and mule) were ready for the trip to be over. But isn't the view spectacular?

The last 1.5 miles were tough. Brendan, Angie and Benny (a couple from NYC) commiserated with one another on the way back up.

Back at the Stone Corral at last, Brendan happily posed with his new best friend and noble steed Gizmo. We could barely walk, but we were totally proud of our accomplishment.

Cheryl posing with her hero See-More. It was an awesome trip. We were very sore for two days afterward but it was an incredible ride and we would definitely do it again!