Visiting Phantom Ranch, February 2009
Last Sunday, (February 15th), my wife, La Quita, and I drove from our home in Sedona up to the Grand Canyon. A room at El Tovar was our staging area as we prepared to enter the Canyon for a brief stay at Phantom Ranch; we checked in and hauled our gear up to the room. We had called on February 1st more than a year ago to make reservations and for the first time we had scored a cabin for two nights and were excited to have the chance to experience the Canyon in the setting of one of the historic rustic cabins. We then wandered over to Bright Angel Lodge and checked in at the Bright Angel Transportation Desk, receiving a print out of our itinerary. I wanted to check in the night before just to save us from having to check in the next morning when things can be a bit more hectic. We ate at the Bright Angel Café and returned to our room. Since we were returning to El Tovar in two days, we also made arrangements with the bellman to hold our luggage for our return on Wednesday.
Monday morning bright and early, after a restful nights sleep, we secured our luggage and donned our packs. Less than a week ago it had snowed nearly eighteen inches and temperatures had been remaining cold, so a mixture of snow and ice had formed on many of the walkways. We decided that we should put on our instep crampons as soon as we had stepped outside of the main hotel entrance, using their outside benches to sit down and strap ourselves into our cleats.
With our crampons firmly secured, the morning was crisp and cold with high hazy clouds as we headed over to Bright Angel Trailhead, our cleats crunching in the snow as we approached the trail. Bright Angel Trail was snow covered and La Quita really liked the fact that instead of having to step down from the numerous trail timbers, the trail was ramped with snow. The trail was covered with snow all the way to Three-Mile Resthouse, from there it dried out quickly and we continued on to Indian Garden. I must say, I do like going into the Canyon in February, it is so quiet, so different from having to deal with the throngs of people that will start filling the Canyon in another month, so Indian Garden was nicely sedate.
After about fifteen minutes break we made sure we had collected all our gear and headed down the trail following Garden Creek and into one of the most beautiful areas along Bright Angel, the Tapeats Narrows. The Narrows eventually opens as the creek falls away off to the left and your breath is taken in a gasp as you stare far down into the Corkscrew. From the bottom of the Corkscrew it is an easy, (although always longer than I remember), jaunt to the River Resthouse. The NPS has installed a wilderness (open air) toilet just past the Resthouse (follow the sign toward the Colorado River and take a quick right onto a side trail leading over to the semi-secluded toy-dee).
We departed the River Resthouse area and the sky turned a deeper blue as the sun came out and warmed the day. Before we knew it the Silver Bridge came into view and we crossed into the first developed area of the Inner Canyon along the Central Corridor Trails. Passing up the water, toilets, and emergency phone, we crossed the Bright Angel Creek footbridge and headed left (north) past the Bright Angel Campground and on into Phantom Ranch.
During our stay we had two meals featuring the famous Phantom Ranch “Hiker Stew,” it is always a tasty delight, while the cabin was rustic, simple, and welcoming. Please check out the YouTube videos I will be posting soon to see more of Phantom Ranch and the cabin. It had rained a little during the night but had cleared nicely so we chose to day hike around a bit, rested, and made ready for the next day’s journey. I do want to make a quick shout out to Brian, Mike, Tim, & Carol - just a few of the folks we met and spent a bit of time with during our stay in the Canyon.
Something new we decided to try, as Quita’s hip was bothering her a bit, was to have her pack duffled up by mule ($65.00). We made arrangements at the Canteen (luckily there was still availability) and followed their directions, putting the pack in a grain sack, marking it accordingly, and dropping it off behind the Canteen by 7:00 a.m. the next morning, before we hiked out.
Wednesday morning we woke early, had our scheduled 7:00 a.m. breakfast, and were on the trail by 8:00. The morning was sunny, crisp, and clear. I’d have to say it was one of the most beautiful hikes out I’ve ever had and all was going well. About half-way up the trail near Skeleton Point I had stopped and was talking with Eric from Prescott when a huge condor flew between us, not more than fifteen feet away. It was startling and exhilarating to see such a majestic bird in such an up close and personal way.
The Kaibab mud started just above Skeleton Point. People had already warned us, but it is the nature of the beast that the South Kaibab Trail, because it is predominantly in the sun, stays very, very muddy as snow melts from above and drains down onto sections of the trail. I put my crampons back on to provide a bit more traction going through the slop, and of course as soon as the trail would go into the shade it would turn to ice where you really need to be wearing cleats anyway.
All was well and we were nearly out of the Canyon when a situation occurred…The last steep pitch before topping out at the trailhead is a series of tight switchbacks, each one maybe sixty feet in length. Just as I had begun this last climb a mule train came up in back of me, so I stepped far off the trail, found a rock to rest on and waited. It was the supply mules coming up from Phantom Ranch with two mule skinners, each controlling a string of about six mules all loaded for bear. They stopped about fifty feet away and rested the mules. The lead mule skinner said they would be out of my way in a minute, and I responded that I was in no hurry and we talked for a few minutes before they and I subsequently headed back up the trail.
I was keeping a pace just a bit slower than the mule train when I heard a ruckus going on ahead. It seems that one person in a group of about six folks coming down the trail had reached out trying to pet one of the mules as they passed by, that misguided action had in turn caused the second mule skinner to be thrown off his mount, and kicked in the hip by the same. As I got closer I could see the skinner was trying to get the last two mules turned back around since they were now heading back down the trail. The skinner had untied the two wrong-way mules from the rest while the tourists who had initiated the situation clung to the Canyon walls being chastised by the lead skinner for their actions. At about this time the two skittish mules start acting up again, knocking rocks off and down the switchbacks, and eventually pushing the skinner off the trail. Catching himself about three feet down the side of the trail before he tumbled another 10 feet or so down onto the lower switchback.
He then got up; the other skinner asked if he was alright and he grumbled a bit as he headed back up the trail to get his mules and turn them around. The lead skinner could sense the second string of mules getting antsy and started heading up Canyon, as he did you could hear the second ‘free’ string of mules start to pick up speed while the lead skinner repeatedly yelled “whoa,” with more urgency reflected in his voice each time he’d yell. The second string of mules was now galloping fast and getting so close they were beginning to pass the first line. If allowed to get inside and begin to pass the first line of mules, the second string would push them off the trail and ultimately cause a massive accident. The lead skinner was yelling ahead for people to clear the trail, and they made it up to the top just in the knick of time – narrowly avoiding a catastrophe.
Meanwhile, I had moved back down the trail, knowing the skinner with the two errant mules would have to come down the trail to the end of the switchback I was on, where there was just enough room to get them turned around. He got them turned, then again headed back up the trail with the two skittish mules in tow. It was slow going as the skinner, wearing cowboy boots kept slipping in the icy snow that covered the trail. Along the way he also picked up one of the huge leather satchels that had fallen off during the mayhem and had to throw that over his shoulder, and try to get the whole disheveled mess up the trail. After getting past the tourists who caused the mess, the skinner continued up the trail, falling, getting up, and continuing on. At one time I was close enough that I told him to let me know if I could be of any help, but he didn’t answer, I’m pretty sure he was running on steam about that time. Luckily the trail was very quiet and the skinner finally got his two obstinate mules back up to the top of the trailhead without further problems.
As I passed the folks that initiated the mess they seemed to be rather oblivious to the problems they had caused, and amazingly, they were on a guided day hike. Although their guide didn’t have much to say as I passed. Once on top I did go over and verify what had happened with the lead skinner and commended them for the excellent job they did in avoiding what had the potential of being an extremely harmful situation to both man and mule.
I had always thought the mule skinners had such an easy job, riding in and out of the Canyon – just along for the ride, hauling supplies and tourists around in this spectacular setting. After being witness to what can go wrong the skinners have really earned my utmost respect.
Please remember; always step off to the inside of the trail whenever a mule train approaches, do not reach out, do not take flash photos, and listen to, and do exactly what the mule skinners tell you.
After that little event we were both up and out, grabbed the shuttle back over to the El Tovar and checked into out room where our luggage was waiting for us in our room. Thanks to all the folks working for Xanterra at Phantom Ranch, El Tovar, and the Bright Angel Transportation Desk for making our time so very special.
See you next year! (Yes, I have Phantom reservations for next February, 2010 - but that won't keep me from going into the Canyon at leat a few more times this year!!)
Photos: Brian Lane (save for the first one - a wonderfully happy woman by the name of Tamara Kinnaman took the photo for us 
.
1. Brian & La Quita at Bright Angel Trailhead
2. Quita along the Tapeats Narrows - Bright Angel Trail
3. View of the Colorado River from the River Trail
4. Mules coming up South Kaibab Trail (not the ones mentioned above)
incredibel photo's and sounded like an awesome trip.
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Hey Carol...Our good friend! Thanks for the kind comments, being able to stay at Phantom Ranch in the winter is just wonderful!
Brian
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Brian, reading these stories makes me miss you guys more than I already do. You really do have a way with words. Anyway, can't wait till August, and at that time we can talk about Phantom next Feb.
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Do you know if cell phone service is possible around Phantom Ranch and/or anywhere else in the canyon?
Hi Terry...Thanks for the question! Quite simply, no. You would have to be extraordinarily lucky to get any kind of cell phone signal while anywhere in the Grand Canyon. Sorry.
All the Best,
Brian
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Do you know if cell phone service is possible around Phantom Ranch and/or anywhere else in the canyon?
Hi Terry...Thanks for the question! Quite simply, no. You would have to be extraordinarily lucky to get any kind of cell phone signal while anywhere in the Grand Canyon. Sorry.
All the Best,
Brian
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This was a great article! It helped me with my project... thanks once again!
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