Tuesday 24 September 2024

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Tuesday 24 September

Mule Ride

John and I scheduled a mule ride on the north rim for early (7:00 am) Tuesday so we could see (and take pictures of) the North Kaibab Trail in daylight, as we would be doing this entire section in the dark the next day. This was a 3 hour tour, and as it turns out the mules are quite a bit slower on the way down than up, so we spent probably and hour and a half going down, got 15-20 minutes to take pictures down there, and spent about an hour on the climb back up.

The mules are really sure-footed, and they made it quite clear they would not leave the trail, so as long as kept them from eating the leaves along the trail, and kicked them periodically to keep them up with the mule in front, they'd do just fine. The saddle was really hard, and I bruised my bottom quite well on the trip. They ask you to lean well back in the saddle going down, and to lean towards the mule's head on the ride back up. The ride down stopped at Supai Tunnel, where there is a water stop (the water was off for us) and a pit latrine. There were only 2 other people, both women, on the tour with us.

The cowboys running the tour were prototypical ones, humorless and stoic. When they asked if I'd ridden a horse before, I told them honestly "once, but let's count that as a no", since I didn't want them to assume any competence that I didn't really have. "Give him JASPER" was the only response. I still don't know if that was a vote of confidence or he was the most subdued mule they had on offer.

The weather was gorgeous, and the ride down was pleasant. When we got to the bottom I realized the (armed) hiker following us down was, in fact, a Park Ranger. He started talking with, and doing a medical evaluation on, a (Indian or Pakistani appearing) gentleman from Austin, Texas when he was able to finally get past us at the Supai Tunnel stop. It seems this guy had spent the night here, unable to hike himself out, and while I was in the toilet I overhead the Ranger questioning him about his preparation, and what was going on with him. He listened to his heart and lungs, and was still checking him out when we finally mounted up to head back to the rim. It was a bit disconcerting hearing the Ranger ask him "so you're a flat-lander, all your hiking was at sea-level?".

As I mentioned, the ride back up was quicker and easier to do, at for me and the mules seemed to like it better even though they broke out in a muck-sweat, with their hind legs looking about 3 shades darker from sweat running off them. After the hike we walked and drove around the various vistas including Imperial Point to take pictures, did some shopping at the gift shop, and got an earlier (6:00 pm) dinner at the lodge. Again, I chose not to eat as I wanted to make sure I had ketones for the hike, and we all turned in early so we could get on trail by 3:30 am!

I spent an hour or so before dinner squaring my backpack away, deciding for sure what I would take and what I would leave behind, and getting my luggage (and that of the Trenaman's) into the car so Elizabeth could check out in the morning after dropping us off (and taking a meeting), getting a bit more rest, and then get on the road for the 4 1/2 to 5 hour drive to the South Rim. I told her that we fully expected 10-13 hours of hiking, and that we could not be off the trail before 3 pm, and probably later, so there was no rush to get on the road early. That would prove to be quite wrong, but I didn't know it at the time.

I then turned in for a short, fitful night's sleep. On Monday night I woke up having a bit of nightmare that I was trapped on the north rim, and had to hike across to get out - only to wake up and realize that wasn't just a bad dream, but was in fact my reality. Tuesday night wasn't as bad, but I was in bed by about 9 pm and up by 1:30 am to start getting body glide on all of my sensitive bits, start hydrating, take a poo, get dressed and check my camera gear. We were in the car by 3:20 am heading to trailhead in very cool (low 50's) temps.

Go back to Monday the 23nd or on to Wednesday the 25th