Down Into the Canyon

— Mark this one as another bucket-list item done! The first time we went to Grand Canyon NP was in 2006. It was an amazing visit that included not only that park but a few others. Of course, one of the things we wanted to do there was to take a mule ride down into the canyon. Unfortunately, that was not possible. We learned that reservations for those rides are booked up a couple of years in advance. Imagine our surprise when in 2007 we decided to go back to that national park, but this time we visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was simply love at first sight! The North Rim is so much less crowded. Furthermore, it offers breathtaking views, such as Bright Angel Point, Point Imperial, Widforss Point, Cape Royal, and many others. We also found out in that visit that scheduling a mule ride was way much easier. We actually booked ours just three months ahead of our arrival date. The main difference in the mule rides starting in the South Rim versus the North Rim is that the latter will not take you to the Colorado River. Our ride was a day-long affair. We got on our mules at 7:45 AM and went down to Roaring Springs, where we had lunch and rested. At that point we were 4,000 feet (1,220 m) below the canyon rim. Then we returned back up to our starting point. The photo above shows part of our group of riders. Look at the bottom left-hand side to see some of the riders. Also, be sure to look at that tiny bridge at the bottom center and the trail that follows from there. Yes, we went beyond that point and around the canyon walls. Those were some of the most exciting views we had. They were also very nerve-wracking. When you are riding a mule, you are high from the ground. The mules, by nature, like to hug the edge of the trail. At some points, I had no choice but to look at the canyon wall to keep calm. The precipice on my left-hand side was simply too much to take in. This trail is the only trail that connect the North and South rims of the Canyon. Consequently, it is used by mules and hikers. Hikers are instructed by the guides to stay still when a mule caravan is passing by. Mules can get scared very easily by sudden motions. In fact, that happened to us on the return trip. One hiker made a sudden move and caused our mules to do a complete 180º turn on that narrow trail. It all happened fast, and we couldn’t process it right away. However, turning the mules around the right direction was difficult and not very calming. The guides came to helps us and kept us on the mules the whole time. Back on top of the rim, at 5:00 PM, when we dismounted, everyone was walking funny from having spent a whole day on a mule. We really prefer the North Rim instead of the South Rim. In fact, our vacation in 2019 included one week at the North Rim in order to explore more of its trails.