Escapees November-December 2023

camping chair chat

RVers’ Sharing Tips, Opinions and Advice from the Road Submissions sent by e-mail can be directed to departmentseditor@escapees.com.

The Mules Of Grand Canyon

Park Sierra SKPCo-Op APleasant Surprise The last week of June, a lady friend and I visited Park Sierra SKP Co-Op outside of Coarsegold, California. I had made a reservation by phone, not really knowing what Park Sierra was like. W e were pleasantly surprised. When we went into the of fi ce to register, the woman informed me that my friend could wait in their very nice clubhouse, while Joe showed me the site. It was a nice, level spot with conve nient hookups, although it looked like it might be dif fi cult to back in my 28-ft trailer. Joe informed me not to worry, as he would come back and help me, which is exactly what he did. The next day, we drove into Yosemite and and had a wonderful time. Thursday dawned quite warm, so we went to the of fi ce and asked if there was a spot with a creek or other water and shade. We were given directions to a lovely creek where we spent part of the day listening to the water and a variety of birds. All in all, it was a relaxing few days with friendly people, a nice location and an abundance of quail, woodpeckers and other wild fowl to keep us entertained. Joe Sullivan #183915

Love in bloom can happen when Mr. Donkey falls in love with Ms. Horse. Their resulting o ff spring will be a mule: an animal unique among the equines and well known for being more steady, strong and reliable than a horse. But, most of all, mules are known for being sure-footed, and that fact is why mules, not horses, are used at the Grand Canyon when visitors want to travel the trails into, or along, the canyon. A mule’s eyes are farther apart than a horse’s eyes. That gives the mule the ability to see all four of its hooves. A horse sees only its front hooves. Being able to see where to put all of your feet is important on the narrow trails of the Grand Canyon. Mules also have a gentler gait than horses, which makes the mule riders happier— especially those visitors who have never been astride any member of the equine family and, perhaps, haven’t even been on a carousel! Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park can register for guided mule rides to Phantom Ranch, a small lodge and campground near the shore of the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Food, supplies, materials, tools, incoming mail and other necessities must be brought to Phantom Ranch by mule train, and outgoing mail, waste and, sometimes, exhausted or injured hikers need to leave Phantom Ranch and be brought back to the rim. The Phantom Ranch trip involves riding to the site on day one, spending the night, and returning to the South Rim on day two. Check www.grandcanyonlodges.com/plan/mule-rides, 888/297-2757 for availability. A distance to the west of Phantom Ranch, but also near the shore of the Colorado River is the Havasupai Indian Reservation. It is indepen dent of the portion of the Grand Canyon that is administered by the National Park Service. A community of about 600 people live at the site, but there are no roads to the reservation so, everything is brought in or out by mule (or horse or helicopter). The mule train carrying the mail is the only such pack train left in the US Postal Service. Limited tourism is allowed by permit only (phone 928-448-2180 or www.havasupaireser vations.com for information). Tourists began coming to the Grand Canyon in the early 20th century. In 1907, a mule barn was built at the South Rim and is still in use today. Most inner canyon trips from that barn will use the Bright Angel Trail. A smaller barn is located at the South Rim’s Yaki Point, for trips using the Kaibab Trail or rides along the South Rim of the canyon.

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ESCAPEES Magazine November/December 2023