Lure of the Canyon

Though I’ve been here before, returning to the South Rim is a visceral shock. Sharp intake of breath, words fail, eyes rivet to the almost incomprehensible, mesmerizing vastness just beyond my feet… so big, so wide, so far down. Standing on the edge makes me feel like a tiny insignificant speck of humanity in the presence of something very large, deep, and old.

How large? The Canyon is 277 miles long. How deep? Six thousand feet at its deepest. How old? Though this has become a point of contention lately between scientists and some creationists, NPS consensus reveals its age to be 5-6 million years. Some of the rocks though, such as ancient Vishnu schist at the River level, are billions of years old.

The uncontested highlight of our most recent trip to the South Rim was riding the mules to Plateau Point, 3060 feet (more than halfway) into the Canyon. We’d been planning this mule trip since 18 years before, but ironically, since our veer over to the Canyon was spur-of-the-moment, we hadn’t made reservations. We’d heard that they should be made at least 6-12 months in advance, so didn’t have much hope of getting one. Lucky for us, though, it wasn’t quite peak season, and we were able to snag a cancelled reservation only two days ahead of time.

Though the South Rim teems with tourists all summer long and is crowded during shoulder seasons as well, the views are superlative. Despite too many people and cars where cars are allowed, South Rim Trail is just under 12 miles of superb hiking, strolling, or on the wheelchair-accessible paved portions, rolling from one overlook to the next.

Nature in the forms of geology, rock strata, and biological diversity of the Canyon walls, creeks, and river are what people come to see and experience, and rightly so. Nonetheless, the human history of the Canyon dominates at Canyon Village. If time permits, admire luxury hotel El Tovar. Built in 1905 as a destination resort by Santa Fe Railroad, El Tovar combines Swiss chalet with Norwegian villa, topped with a shingled turret. The 1909 log Santa Fe Railway Depot is one of only three remaining log depots in the U.S. Exploits of the daring Kolb brothers, early river-running photographers, are memorialized at Kolb Studio. Excellent art, photography, and historic exhibits are shown in the gallery, changing several times a year.

Quick Tips:

With annual visitation to Grand Canyon National Park hovering around 5 million, traffic gridlock and crowds can get in the way of an optimal nature experience. Nowhere is this more so than on the South Rim. Depending on season and time of day, you may get stuck in long lines just trying to get in the park. Avoid holidays, mid-days, and if you can, peak season (Memorial Day to Labor Day). During our mid-May visit, getting through the entrance station never took more than five minutes.

Parking can be a hassle too. Take advantage of the free shuttle buses, but before hopping on, carefully study the schedules and stops. The Hermits Rest Shuttle stops at all seven overlooks on the way there, but only at two on the return trip.

A good place to begin is Information Plaza near Mather Point. Indoors rangers man a desk to answer questions, and displays line the walls. Outdoors, large posters outline hikes and other rim and canyon activities. Books & More, a large well-stocked bookstore, has a corner set aside with seats and TV where you can view DVDs about the Grand Canyon. At Books & More, we joined the Grand Canyon Association, saving us 15% on our purchase, and providing us with membership cards good on similar savings at most national parks.

BYOB, with the last B standing for beverage, water or sport drink recommended. This is an absolute unbreakable must-do if you venture below the Rim at all. Even on the Rim, there are few drinking fountains. Water is more precious than gold here. And please, wear sensible shoes. We saw people on the trails wearing flip-flops, high heels, and even one barefoot guy.

Safety in and on the edge of the Canyon: Grand Canyon is certainly one of the most spectacular places to meet your end. Not surprisingly, most deaths (one to seven yearly) occur as a result of a fall from the edge. People clowning around for the camera, or photographers taking a few steps backwards or sideways for that perfect shot found that was their final earthly act as they stepped out into the abyss.

Others put their lives in danger by becoming dehydrated and suffering heat stroke while hiking, including even the fittest of athletes who have simply misjudged the brutal heat of the canyon, the strenuousness of uphill trails, and their own limitations.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting there: By car: The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is only 60 miles north of the I-40 and the town of Williams, via Highway 64. Another access point is from Flagstaff, US Highway 180 northwest 80 miles to the east entrance.

By air: Pulliam Airport in Flagstaff is the nearest commercial airport. US Airways/America West provides turbo-prop service to and from Phoenix at the small (but soon to be renovated) airport. Nearest international airports are in Phoenix (247 miles, 4.5 hours driving time) and Las Vegas (270 miles, 5.5 hours driving time). Grand Canyon Airport is a small non-commercial field.

By train: Amtrak’s Southwest Chief stops daily in Flagstaff and Williams Junction from Los Angeles and the Midwest (Chicago, Kansas City).

By bus: Greyhound has a depot in Flagstaff, but doesn’t stop in Williams.

Getting around while there: I would eagerly welcome prohibition of cars from the busiest national parks, and Grand Canyon is high on my list of those. Since 1995, NPS has been trying to address and work on their traffic problem. Solutions seem to be mired in endless bureaucracy and politics. After a light rail system was considered too costly, the focus changed to a transit center south of the park at Tusayan, where visitors could park their cars and hop on shuttles to the park. More than a decade later, this may still be in the planning stages.

The Greenway is also part of the plan to reduce auto traffic and emissions on the Rim. Portions of this hiking/bicycle trail have been built on the South Rim, such as the trail connecting Canyon View Information Plaza with Market Plaza and Grand Canyon Village. A future bicycle rental facility is planned as part of an expanding Greenway system.

Three free shuttle routes operate on the South Rim: Village Route, Kaibab Route (both run all year), and Hermit’s Rest Route (runs March 1 – November 30). These run every 15-30 minutes from one hour before sunrise to seasonal stop times. Special assistance is available for mobility-impaired visitors. Trans Canyon Shuttle provides rim-to-rim shuttles seasonally for a fee.

Grand Canyon Railway offers round-trip and one-way train rides between Williams and the historic railroad station at Grand Canyon Village, using vintage railroad cars.

Campgrounds inside Grand Canyon National Park were either too costly, or our 38 foot motor home was too big for their spaces, so we stayed instead at this delightful and perfectly satisfactory campground in Kaibab National Forest, less than 10 miles from the South Rim. Nightly fee was only $5, thanks to Bob’s Golden Age pass, which allows us to camp for half-price at most federal campgrounds (but not Grand Canyon’s Trailer Village, concessionaire operated by Xanterra).

At Ten-X, in a mixed forest of ponderosa and piñon pine, juniper, and Gambel oak, 70 spacious sites are spread out among three loops, with plenty of room between sites. Aggressive thinning had recently been carried out, burning some of the understory vegetation and blackening lower tree trunks. Small forest creatures and birds abound. Garbage receptacles are animal-proof, with retractable handles. Sites have tables, grills, and firepits, and vault toilets are spread out among the loops.

The site we chose, Space 58, was a very long pull-through on the far corner of the third loop, Moenkapi. So long, in fact, it could easily have accommodated two motor homes. We had plenty of room to set up our chairs in seclusion with a nice forest view. A mile-long foot trail began adjacent to our site. It follows the western circumference of the campground, and leads into a signed nature trail, which ends on the campground entrance road. Stays are limited to 14 days; we stayed a week.

I will always associate Ten-X with the uninvited hitchhiker who lived with us in our motor home for a brief time. Little scratchy noises up front, combined with peripheral vision glimpses of a small creature some nights led us to believe it was a mouse. But then we started finding turds; they seemed too big. Maybe a squirrel? One morning we found a towel near the dash shredded. Could it be building a nest?

The following week, checking into an RV park in Bullhead City, it was hotter than blazes. Stepping outside, I saw a tiny newborn creature writhing and dying (basically being cooked) on the asphalt beside our motor home. It had to have come from us. Googling newborns of small creatures that night, I found it: a baby rat. It must have been the last of the litter, because from then on, there was no more sign nor sound of our hitchhikers. Mama rat’s tragic choice of our motor home as a birthing nest must have led to her and her young’s demise.

Distance: 12 miles total; Trailview to Powell Point 2 miles; Elevation change: fairly level; Open to foot travel only, bicycles not permitted. Paved portions wheelchair accessible.

The beauty of the South Rim Trail is that it’s so versatile, so spectacular, and its views change constantly with season, weather, and time of day. You can take a short hike or a long one, or anywhere in between. The major disadvantage can be the crowds, and this is especially true in summer and on holidays. Every time the shuttle stops at an overlook, here come at least a handful of tourists. But they don’t stay long, because they don’t want to miss the next shuttle.

The South Rim Trail can be accessed at seventeen or more points from South Rim Drive. Its easternmost point is Pipe Creek Vista, off Desert View Drive. Hermit’s Rest is its westernmost point. Between Pipe Creek Vista and Maricopa Point the trail is paved and mostly handicap accessible. East of Maricopa Point, it’s dirt but still well-maintained. I hiked/rode almost its whole length in various segments, but not all on the same day.

I thought I’d alternate hiking and shuttle bus eastbound from Hermits Rest, but learned quickly (the hard way as my planned stop whizzed by) that the shuttle makes very few eastbound stops, so I shuttled all the way back to the transfer station, and walked ¾ mile to Trailview Overlook. This stretch gives some great far views of Grand Canyon Village, as well as zig-zaggy Bright Angel Trail, Bright Angel Canyon, and Bright Angel Fault. From the overlook, 50+ miles southeast, San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff loom on the horizon.

Another leisurely ¾ mile walk gets you to Maricopa Point. From here, the reddish rock formation called the Battleship can be best viewed. Between Maricopa and Powell Point the trail is detoured around Orphan Mine. Orphan began as a copper mine in 1893, but poor ore and difficulty transporting caused its closure not long after.

The Orphan was reborn in the 1950s when high-grade uranium was discovered. Mined out by 1969, it was taken over by NPS in 1988. No big surprise to discover that the areas around the remaining structures and down-canyon are contaminated with radioactive materials and mining wastes. Studies are underway to determine how best to clean up the mess. Nearest views of the skeletal metal head frame are from about halfway between Maricopa and Powell points.

Powell Memorial dominates the Rim at Powell Point. The square stone structure with steps to the top leads to a plaque honoring John Wesley Powell and his fellow River runners who accompanied him on his epic 1869 and 1872 journeys down the Colorado in primitive wooden boats.

Distance: 12 miles total; Hermits Rest to Hopi Point 6 miles; Elevation change: fairly level; Open to foot travel only, bicycles not permitted. Surface: dirt.

Hermit’s Rest, on the eastern end of South Rim Trail, is architect Mary Colter’s whimsical fantasy in rock, built as a rest stop for tourists, to resemble a hermit’s hovel. Hermit Trailhead, one of the three main trails down into the canyon, begins immediately west of the Rest. From Pima Point, a mile east, you get good views of Hermit Trail, built in 1912 by Santa Fe Railroad as an alternative to Bright Angel Trail, which was then a toll-trail. Far below, the blue-green Colorado River ribbons its way past Granite Rapids.

Mohave Point and Hopi Point are the only two eastbound shuttle bus stops on Hermit’s Rest Route. Hopi Point is known as a prime location to view spectacular sunsets. I’d walked 1/3 mile from Powell Point to Hopi Point intending to catch sunset there. As the sun lowered and shadows lengthened, more and more people arrived, taking seats on the stone retaining wall, setting up cameras, and using the porta-potties. The crowds became distracting to me and made me restless.

Seeking solitude, I hit the trail for Mohave Point, ¾ mile further eastward. I was so glad I did. I was alone with the ever-present ravens circling overhead, warm sunlight painting the canyon walls gold and white on the upper layers, deep red beneath, punctuated with low-growing tufts of dark green pinon and juniper clinging to near-vertical cliffs. Arriving at Mohave Point, I was relieved to see it was spread out, with numerous separate overlooks, and there were less people than there had been at Hopi Point.

Impending sunset over the Canyon had the effect of making the people at Mohave Point speak in whispers that afternoon. I would imagine this is not always the case, especially with bigger crowds and boisterous children. But as darkness fell, it was magical standing in the hushed silence right at the edge of the Canyon on a rock outcropping, leaning on the safety of curved metal guard rails, gazing at the sunset and last light reflecting off the River far below, making it glimmer.

Distance: 12 miles total; Canyon Village to Pipe Creek Vista: 4 miles; Elevation change: fairly level; Open to foot travel only, bicycles not permitted. Surface: paved.

On the east edge of Canyon Village, Verkamp’s Curios is celebrating its 100th anniversary. John Verkamp opened the first curio shop at the Grand Canyon, and his family still runs the 1906-built store, though they no longer live on the second floor. Dignitaries, rangers on horseback, and camera-toting publicity crews are milling around the just-completed celebration and ceremonies.

Leaving the hubbub of Canyon Village behind, relative solitude awaits on this wide paved portion of the South Rim Trail. My companions are limited to various and sundry hikers on the trail, most of whom are speaking French this afternoon, and ravens flying overhead and perching on gnarly trees. Some of the wind-battered pines and junipers have grown into unlikely shapes, trunks bending sideways at 90 degree angles, then up again.

Peering down into the Canyon, one ray of sunlight illuminates Bright Angel Trail to the west. Maybe that’s how it got its name? Shortly, a detour sign leads around Yavapai Observation Station. It’s been closed for extensive remodeling and renovation since 2005, but was expected to open by summer 2006. Judging by appearances, I doubt construction’s running on schedule. They’re already more than a month behind the posted "scheduled completion date" April 15th, 2006. Views from the Rim at Yavapai are compelling nevertheless.

My first-ever view of the Canyon in 1988 was from Mather Point, ¾ mile east of Yavapai. Back then, after driving all night, sleep deprived and groggy, Bob and I had yet to check in at Mather Campground. An hour past sunrise, we just stood and stared at the colors brightening as the early morning sun rose, glinting on the layered walls and massive geological formations deep below, as guardian ravens circled overhead. As the closest point to the entrance station and nearest to the new Canyon View Information Plaza and Visitor Center, Mather Point is many visitors’ first view of the Canyon.

Another 1 1/3 mile east on the Rim Trail is Pipe Creek Vista, the current east end of South Rim Trail. At some time in the future, the Rim Trail may extend another 28 miles east all the way to Desert View as part of the Greenway master plan.

The Grand Canyon is where many of this ground-breaking architect’s work can be found. Not only was Mary Jane Colter one of the first female architects in a male-dominated profession, but the structures she created were truly revolutionary. For 46 years she was the chief architect and decorator for Fred Harvey Company. Rather than imitate European styles of architecture, she sought inspiration from nature and local indigenous peoples.

Red stone and adobe Hopi House was designed by Colter after she’d visited pueblo-style dwellings in Old Oraibi. It was constructed mainly by Hopi Indians themselves. Indian arts and crafts were sold on the ground floor, and the Hopi artists, craftsmen, and dancers lived upstairs. Nowadays gorgeous Indian artwork is found inside on all levels of the multistory building. Corner fireplaces, wall niches, and low doors add to the cozy and fascinating interior. Ceilings are thatched with layers of saplings and timbers.

Lookout Studio’s walls of indigenous Kaibab limestone intentionally blend in with the Rim of the Canyon. Irregularity of features is the keyword in many of Colter’s creations, and at Lookout, both rooftop and chimney are made of oddly shaped stones, allowing desert plants to take root in soil between the cracks. Inside the studio, books and souvenirs are for sale, but the real attraction is climbing downstairs outside to the multi-leveled terraces to gaze out over the Canyon.

Bright Angel Lodge is Colter’s latest work in Grand Canyon Village, built in 1935. It replaced an old dilapidated turn-of-the-century hotel, but several historic cabins of Bright Angel Camp remain, most notably, Buckey O’Neill Cabin and Red Horse Station. Bright Angel Lodge was not built luxury-style as were many of the grand old national park hotels. Attractive yet functional, it was built for tourists with more modest incomes. One of Colter’s most famous creations, the Geologic Fireplace is found in the History Room. From the hearth built from ancient Colorado River bottom rocks, up strata by strata, are the geological layers of the Canyon represented in the ten feet to its top.

Hermit’s Rest, at the endpoint of Hermit’s Rest Route, is one of my favorite Colter buildings, slapdash in appearance only. Named for a prospector/miner/hermit who’d lived nearby, it’s similarly camouflaged as Lookout Studio. An earthen mound behind it slopes into the roof, sporting whimsical rubble-masonry chimneys. Indoors is souvenir and bookshop, and best of all, an open area with hide-covered chairs where you can sit and contemplate the cavernous stone fireplace.

The Watchtower at Desert View, on the east side of the Rim, is the other of my favorites. Colter designed it to resemble a prehistoric Puebloan tower. The ground floor has log ceiling and big picture windows. Stairs lead to the Hopi Room, with pictographs by Hopi artist Kabotie (Lomawywesa), depicting the Snake Legend and other stories. Other galleries contain reproduced petroglyphs by artist Fred Geary. The fourth and highest level is an observatory and the highest point on the South Rim at 7522 feet.

9 miles round trip, elevation change 3060 feet descent and ascent. Easy down, difficult up.

Bright Angel Trail has an interesting history. The trail itself is an old one, used for centuries by Havasupai Indians to reach their gardens. It was named Bright Angel after the creek and canyon named by intrepid Colorado River runner John Wesley Powell.

In the 1890s miner Ralph Cameron improved the trail, gained control of it, changed its name to Cameron Trail and began charging $1 toll. Alternate trails such as Kaibab Trail (east) and Hermit’s Trail (west) were developed to avoid the toll. After lengthy legal battles, the trail was wrested from Cameron by Coconino County in 1928. It was renamed Bright Angel in 1937.

The hike to Indian Gardens and back on Bright Angel is one hefty and memorable hike. Bob and I, younger and more foolish in 1988 during our first visit to the Grand Canyon, hiked down to Indian Gardens from the South Rim, starting early morning. The popular Bright Angel trail, though grooved, dusty, and manured by heavy mule use, was a breeze to descend, with wonderful vistas around every bend. The elevation at Indian Gardens is 3,800 feet, still about 1,400 feet above the Colorado River, but almost three quarters of the way to the canyon floor.

After arriving at Indian Gardens, still full of energy, we were tempted to hike out to Plateau Point. But we wisely changed our minds, wandering around the campground and picnic area, visiting the small ranger station, and watching mule trains come and go. It was pleasant to sit and eat our packed lunches under the cottonwood trees next to Garden Creek. We felt well-rested and ready for the uphill climb, though the weather was warmer than we realized beyond our shady oasis.

But hiking back up under the brutal summer sun that afternoon was no picnic, especially that excruciating last mile. Step after exhausting step, it seemed like we’d never reach the trailhead. We did, though, and promptly staggered into our camper and fell soundly asleep for the rest of the day, that whole night, and most of the next morning.

We’d been careful to wear wide-brimmed hats, wet bandanas, and good hiking boots. We brought enough water and refilled our canteens at the rest houses along the trail. In spite of our precautions, I was actually nauseous at our hike’s completion, and we were both about as wore out as we’d ever been.

Once we’d recovered enough to converse with one another, we agreed that if we ever went down into the Canyon again, we’d hike down but ascend by mule. Several groups had passed us as we were struggling uphill, looking so comfy just sitting in their saddles while the mules did all the work. Of course that’s not the way it works: it’s not quite as easy as it looks, and if you want to ride mules up, first you have to ride them down.

"Any of you expect this to be an easy ride?" wrangler Marilyn asks our group of about 40. We’re gathered around the corral where mules are being readied for day rides to Plateau Point and overnight rides to Phantom Ranch. There are negative murmurings from the crowd. Apparently not enough of a response for Marilyn. "Any of you expect this to be easy?" she queries a bit more insistently.

From beside me the voice of my husband, ever the tease, "Yeah, I expect this to be real easy". "No… no-no-NO!" Marilyn is reeling us in. "It’s not an easy ride. You’ll be sore and tired. This is NOT an easy way to see the Canyon; this is hard. We want you to understand there’s nothin’ easy about the mule ride. We want you to keep that in mind this afternoon when your knees are hurtin’, your rear end is hurtin’, your back is hurtin’, your feet are hurtin’, and you’re dirty from the dust and stink from these mules."

In our scrapbook of our 1988 trip to the Grand Canyon is a brochure showing a mule train making its way up Bright Angel Trail, captioned "This is how we’re going next time". Back then, mule trains passed us, toiling and sweating up the endless switchbacks of Bright Angel Trail in the dry but lethal July Canyon heat. And it looked much easier than what we were doing. Now, almost 18 years later, we’d been lucky enough to secure two last-minute spots on the day-long mule ride to Plateau Point, two days prior to the ride itself, due to recent cancellations. Cost for two: $284.42.
Due to the weight restriction of 200 pounds fully clothed, we’d worried that Bob’s weight of a wee bit over 200 would disqualify him from the ride. The big scale at Bright Angel Lodge Transportation Desk was kind, though, and weighed him in at exactly 200 pounds. Registering for the rides the day before, we were handed rain slickers, bota bags, packets of lemon juice to flavor our drinking water, and an activity ticket instructing us to arrive at the stone corral no later than 6:45am.

So here we are, bright and early at the corral on the South Rim of the Canyon, next to Bright Angel trailhead, listening to wrangler Marilyn with a mixture of excitement and slight apprehension. Neither of us ride, we couldn’t even recall when we’d last gone for a horseback ride but it was decades, not years ago.

Marilyn is instructing us how to use our motivators, 3-feet long leather whips, to keep our mules going, but more importantly, to prevent more than a 5 feet gap between mules. Apparently mules have the propensity to take off at a run to catch up to the mule ahead if they find themselves too far behind. Grand Canyon would like to maintain their perfect record of no deaths by mule on their rides; therefore, the use of motivators is emphasized and encouraged.

In the brisk invigorating early morning air at the edge of the South Rim, we watch as a slew of wranglers are efficiently readying upwards of 40 mules and supplies. Anticipation builds in the hustle and dust of the corral next to Bright Angel Trailhead. How lucky we are to be taking the day ride down into the Canyon, through Indian Gardens to Plateau Point, and back. Thank goodness for last-minute cancellations. Another’s misfortune becomes our good fortune.

Soon it’s time to match riders with mules and wranglers. J.P. and Johnny, our wranglers, pair Bob with big brown Sleepy. I’m assigned to Cracker, white with unusual light-colored eyes. We’re assisted up onto our mules, slickers and canteens strapped to our saddles, the first group of 10 to take to the trail. J.P., lead wrangler, tells us on our first rest break that he’s from Florida, and flew fighter planes before coming to the Grand Canyon. He likes the mules to stay in a tight formation. "Keep up, and drink water" he tells us, as we all take a swig from our bota bags.

I’d read that Grand Canyon mules like to walk disconcertingly close to the canyon’s edge, so I was prepared, and it’s no lie. The rider in front of me tries to pull her mule more towards the center. But I’m only nervous on heights if I have to do fancy balancing acts. Sitting on the firmly cinched saddle, I put my trust in Cracker, give her free rein, and enjoy the view as we descend on this bright, sunny, almost cloudless day. The downhill ride has us lurching and bumping so much, I soon learn to take photos only during rest stops.

Variegated red, tan, and gray layers of canyon slowly envelope us. Below, the trail snakes far and steeply down. We are making our way through geologic time as well, from upper Kaibab limestone, the youngest layer at 250 million years old, through the darker Toroweap Formation and light-colored Coconino Sandstone. Each layer takes us 10 million years further back in time.

Little Cracker turns out to be a dream of a mule, sure-footed and eager to keep up. In fact, most of the time she has her nose stuck almost into the tail of the mule in front, who doesn’t seem to mind. Not so with Sleepy. Bob constantly has to use his motivator on his big, slow mule.

We dismount at oasis-like Indian Gardens, halfway down the Canyon, for a pit stop, mule drink, and watering down. Thick cottonwood trees growing thanks to the graces of a spring-fed creek provide welcome shade. Yet, mid-morning, we’re amazed to see the temperature gauge reading 102 degrees! This means that we get watered down. The cold water J.P. hoses on our upper backs soaking down through layers of clothing is most refreshing. Here the trail forks, with overnight mule riders taking the right fork to the suspension bridge across the Colorado to Phantom Ranch.

We’ve descended 4 ½ miles and 3,000 feet by mule from the South Rim of the Canyon to Indian Gardens, in a lush grove of cottonwoods where the Havasupai Indians used to grow corn, beans, and squash. Now it’s a campground and rest stop for hikers, riders, and mules. After discovering we can still walk, though stiffly, it dawns on us that it’s quite warm here (102 degrees F in the shade of cottonwoods). Wrangler J.P proceeds to hose us down one by one, with a convenient garden hose.

The ride from Indian Gardens out to Plateau Point is smoother, since we’re now on the fairly level Tonto Plateau, and cooler, since we’re wet. Our group gets to Plateau Point around 11:30am, and J.P. and Johnny break out the lunch boxes some of the mules have been carrying. Potato chips, bun, cheese, baby carrots, apple or orange, and fruit drink, with Oreo cookies for dessert. Bob doesn’t watch his closely enough and a bold, fat squirrel makes off with an Oreo, undoubtedly not the first time.

Incredible panoramic views of the Canyon and Colorado River keep distracting me from my lunch. Tiny specks on the blue-green River are lucky rafters. The River flows through the oldest rock in the Canyon, 2 billion year old Precambrian Vishnu schist. This is the only time that I’m envious of hikers, who aren’t restricted to a 30 minute stay on Plateau Point as we are. There’s so much to see here, far vistas and near. Bright yellow and magenta wildflowers bloom on the cacti that thrive on Tonto Plateau.

I’m not the only one that doesn’t finish all their food, and J.P. collects the leftovers. They’ll be left at Indian Gardens for hungry hikers. All too soon our lunch break is over, and it’s time to mount our mules. Funny, but every time it’s getting harder to do so! Cracker isn’t a big mule, but somehow she’s gotten taller. And now she’s carrying some of the empty boxes in her saddle pack, requiring me to lift my leg even higher to swing it over on the other side – ouch! Not used to riding, the stiffness of muscles I rarely use is already setting in.

On the ride back, we discover riding uphill is easier on us but not on the mules. They require more frequent rest breaks, during which J.P. tells us Grand Canyon stories and geology. Though a part of me doesn’t want the ride to end, my legs absolutely do. I fear they’ve been permanently bowed, unnaturally bent around Cracker’s wide ribcage. After dismounting at Stone Corral, I give Cracker a thankful hug and say goodbye. J.P. and Johnny then call us together in a circle, congratulate us and hand us our genuine Master Mule Skinners certificates.

As Bob and I gingerly sit down in our car, I recall Wrangler Marilyn’s morning words: "Those mules goin’ down this canyon, it wears on you. But you’ll be better for the experience."

For some strange reason, both times we ate out during our most recent Grand Canyon visit, we ate pizza in Tusayan, the small community 10 miles south of the Rim. The first time, the evening after our all-day mule ride, we ate at the Spaghetti Western place, duped by the name and the ridiculously cheap $6.95 pizza sign. We should’ve known better. We were sore from the ride, dusty and thirsty, and really in the mood for a BIG pitcher of beer, but unfortunately, they only had bottles.

Had we known, we would have gotten up and gone to that other pizza place, plainly named We Cook Pizza and Pasta, where we later found nice big pitchers. But the prospect of getting up from the soft black leather booth into which we’d sunk not only didn’t appeal to us, it could be downright painful. So we went ahead with the bottles and ordered a pepperoni. The $6.95 was for the most basic of cheese pizzas, prices increasing rapidly with toppings and sizes, so our tab came to $36, including the beers. Once we were done eating, we did have to get up anyway and it was painful, but alleviated somewhat after a couple of bottles of Bud.

Towards the end of the week, we did end up eating at We Cook Pizza and Pasta and liked it much better. Brightly lit inside and an obvious favorite of locals, the menu options were clearly spelled out on a backlit board behind the counter where we ordered. For almost exactly the same price ($36) we got so much more. Our medium "the Works" pizza was top-notch, great crust, tasty sauce, nicely loaded with pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, olives, onions, bell peppers and mozzarella. A generous pitcher of Fosters went well with it. Another plus point for those so inclined is that the We Cook folks offer Veggie and Pure Vegan Pizzas and Calzones.

We almost ate at the Canyon Star at the Grand Hotel in Tusayan. After stopping by and checking it out one morning on our way to the park, both Bob and I agreed it looked like our kind of place. Fancy rustic cowboy-style decor combined with a tantalizing and not all that pricey menu was most attractive. Added to that, Native American dancers perform nightly at 7pm on the dance floor in the center of the dining room. We didn’t make it back this time, but it’s number one on our list of places to eat next time.