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Lena Kelley's avatar

My grandma and grandpa went on a Grand Canyon mule ride for their honeymoon! Running family laugh was that they only told my grandma at the end of the trail ride that her mule was blind.

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Keely Covello's avatar

I love this story so much.

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Carlos A Flores's avatar

My name is Carlos Flores and worked for Fred Harvey from 1988 till 1993 as a fire and Safety officer. I met Casey as part of the Mule Stables operations headed by Ron Clayton. The canyon is not only part of this country's golden natural wonders but has a special relationship with everyone who values its beauty. Very fond memories of the Grand Canyon and the many people who worked there in all agencies and Fred Harvey operation/management. Casey is an icon, part of the personalities that made up the mule skinners working at the canyon. Thanks, Casy for fighting for the Mule Rides.

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Keely Covello's avatar

Carlos, thank you for this comment. Honored to hear from you!

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Timmy Taes's avatar

Thanks for this interview! My wife, when she was 11 or 12 back in the 1960s, took the mules down into the canyon with her family. My wife was terrified. Her mule kept looking over the edge into the chasm. She was afraid her mule was going to leap into the void.

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Chris Bray's avatar

Have done backpacking trips into the Grand Canyon, and loved seeing the mules. A high point of every trip.

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sadie's avatar

And all this time I thought those mules were a private company. I'd love to listen to this, but having spent some very good years of my childhood on a ranch I am very biased toward them. I just get madder and madder about so much of this. I'm very concerned about the talk of tokenizing or using our natural assets for collateral and of all the mining of resources, the destruction of the environment by the environmentalists.... crazy crazy crazy. It's like the West is the last frontier for all the hedge fund ignorants. Perhaps when I get into zen mode I can handle it.

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Keely Covello's avatar

Casey tells me the mule packers are private companies; concessioners with the Park Service. But I guess at some point the Park Service felt they were no longer welcome.

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sadie's avatar

Humph... Seems like when some people put on a uniform it goes to their head and they get all bossy. Let's put all of govt in jeans & t-shirts and see if it changes their behavior. ;)

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Keely Covello's avatar

I like that idea

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