Question of the Week: “Can I Hike to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon and Ride a Mule Out?”
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Boy, my Active Listening teacher Nancy would have a cow if she read this….
Good morning everyone and hope your spring break was “grand.” It certainly seemed to be windier than in years past, but that’s the way it goes with Grand Canyon weather. Back to the subject at hand: those of you who lived through the 1980’s corporate scene have to remember those “Active Listening” classes – remember Stop, Think, Acknowledge, Respond? Anyhoo, one of the things my instructor chided me for was for being a “yes, butter.” She told me, “Al, “no” is a complete sentence. You CAN say “no” and not be denounced as a heretic for it.” Well sue me, Nancy, but I firmly believe that my “yes, butting” stemmed from my days at the Grand Canyon, particularly the Bright Angel Transportation Desk, where I was duty bound to diplomatically tell people things that they did not want to hear about the Grand Canyon. It seems that I’m dispensing one of these particular chestnuts a lot this week, so I made an “executive decision” (how ‘80’s of me) and made it this week’s “Question of the Week:”
Q: “Can I hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and ride a mule out?”
A: “Yes, but it’ll cost you.”
If you really really really really want to hike down to the Colorado River and really really really really don’t want to hike out, you can ride a mule out – for a price. A one-way mule ride from Phantom Ranch (Colorado River) back to the Canyon Rim is called a “drag-out.” What happens is a string of 5 mules is “dead-headed” (taken empty) from the South Rim to the Colorado River where they wait for you. Many hikers – present company included – actually feel that the hike down is harder on the body than the hike out. Folks of this bent might consider a “drag-in,” where you ride a mule from rim to river, then hike back out. This still requires that the mule string be “dead-headed” back to the canyon rim after depositing you at Phantom Ranch. Due to the logistics involved, the in-park concessionaire, Xanterra South Rim LLC, charges an extremely high price for this service – approximately $900 for a party of 1 to 5. Arrangements for this service must be made well in advance. For more information, visit www.grandcanyonlodges.com or call 1-888-297-2757 or 303-297-2757.
Face it, folks, the Grand Canyon has its own law of gravity: “what goes down must come up.” In other words, you should be fully prepared to get up out of the canyon the same way you got down into it. If you walked down, you walk out; if you muled down, you mule out. End of story – well, kind of. If a hike or a Grand Canyon mule ride is not practical for you, consider one of many bottom of the canyon experiences that will be easier on your body and probably your pocketbook. GrandCanyon.com’s most popular tours that will get you to the bottom are:
The Inner Canyon Jeep Tour. This is an all-day excursion that begins from either Tusayan or Williams. You’ll 
tour one of the last remaining segments of Old Route 66 and pass through Seligman, which was the true-life inspiration for the town of Radiator Springs in Disney Pixar’s movie “Cars.” In Peach Springs Arizona, you’ll then tour the Grand Canyon Caverns, a limestone “dry cavern” with unusual features and discoveries. After touring the Caverns, you’ll board safari vehicles and go all the way to the bottom of the Grand Canyon! On the scenic Diamond Creek Road, you’ll see unusual desert plants, towering rock formations and maybe even wild burros before. At the Colorado River, you’ll have a chance to hike, explore, and if so inclined, take a splash in the water before heading back topside. Those traveling during the summer months may also choose a sunset departure for this tour. Children must be 5 to take part. For more information, click here ->: http://www.grandcanyon.com/inner-grand-canyon-jeep-tours-williams.html Las Vegas visitors can also catch this tour out of Peach Springs, which is about a 3 hour drive from the Strip. Doing this reduces it down to a half-day excursion.
The Colorado River Day Float Trip. This is a wonderful relaxing day where people age 4 and up can experience rafting on the Colorado River with no rapids. This 12-hour day that starts bright and early in the morning with pickup at your hotel or other designated location, then a Motorcoach ride along the East Rim drive of the Grand Canyon and through the Navajo Indian Reservation. In Page, Arizona, you’re transported to the base of the Glen Canyon Dam where you board pontoon rafts for a 15 mile trip down the Colorado River through Glen Canyon. You’ll take an easy walk to view a panel of ancient petroglyphs inscribed into the canyon walls by Ancestral Puebloan people and stop for lunch and a splash on the riverside. After leaving the river at Lees Ferry, you’ll be transported back to Grand Canyon South Rim by Motorcoach and be dropped off at your hotel or the Grand Canyon Airport. Children must be at least 4 to participate. For booking information, click here ->: http://grandcanyon.com/coloradoriverfloattrip.html
A popular option is the “upgrade” to the above trip, called the Canyon River Adventure. Instead of the Motorcoach
ride from Grand Canyon South Rim to Page, you take a scenic sunrise flight in a fixed wing airplane over the Grand Canyon, Marble Canyon, Lees Ferry, the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. Upon landing at the Page Municipal Airport, you take a short break for a light breakfast, then board safari vehicles for a tour of one Antelope Canyon, an example of a formation known as a slot canyon. After enjoying Antelope Canyon, you’ll then be transported to the base of the Glen Canyon Dam, where you’ll embark on the exact same float trip described in the previous tour (including lunch and the petroglyph walk), then ride the Motorcoach back to the Grand Canyon. For ages 4 and up. For booking information click here ->: http://www.grandcanyon.com/canyonriveradventure.html
Visiting Las Vegas? Consider going to the bottom of the Grand Canyon at Grand Canyon West. Our best selling Las Vegas Grand Canyon tour is the Grand Voyager Tour. You’ll be picked up at your hotel and transported to the Boulder City Municipal Airport, where you’ll board a fixed wing airplane for a flight over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Western Rim of the Grand Canyon. Upon landing at Grand Canyon West, you’ll board a helicopter for an exciting flight to the very bottom of the Grand Canyon and a short float trip on the Colorado River by pontoon boat. Reboard your chopper for another thrilling ride back to the top and a Motorcoach for a tour of Grand Canyon West and the Hualapai Indian Tribal Lands, stopping for lunch at Guano Point. After lunch, it’s time to get back on the plane and head back to Boulder City, where your shuttles wait to take you back to your hotel. All ages. For more information, click here ->: http://www.grandcanyon.com/GrandCanyonVoyagerTours.html
If you’re really crunched for time to the point where you can only spare a few hours, consider the Las Vegas Grand 
Celebration Helicopter tour. You’ll be picked up at your hotel and transported to the Boulder City Municipal Airport, where a helicopter waits to take you on an amazing trip over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and Grand Canyon West. Then, you’ll descend 4,000’ to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, where you’ll enjoy a light picnic meal and beverages (including champagne)! After about 30 minutes, it’s time to head back to Boulder City, then shuttle back to your hotel. The Las Vegas Grand Celebration tour is conducted aboard Bell Jet Ranger helicopters, or ask about upgrading to the Las Vegas Canyon Escapes tour, conducted aboard newer, quieter Eco-Star EC130 helicopter, built expressly for sightseeing. All ages. For more information about these click here ->: http://www.grandcanyon.com/grand-celebration-helicopter-tour.html Right now, GrandCanyon.com is offering a killer sale on the Las Vegas Canyon Escapes helicopter tour – you can upgrade to premium Eco-Star service for just $10 more per person than the Grand Celebration! How cool is that?
Someone once asked me, “what’s so exciting about the Grand Canyon?” Personally, I think it’s the fact that there are more options than ever before to get to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. And if you have questions about any of these, just ask!
‘Til next time, make your day as “grand” as it can be!
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May 10th, 2009 at 4:53 am
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