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Grand Canyon Wrangler Moves Mule Trains through All Seasons

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Matthew Joseph delivers supplies for rangers, clinics, researchers, campers.

An encounter with mules on the Grand Canyon trails is like finding yourself in the middle of a Western movie.  But for the wranglers, it’s the real deal and a job they wouldn’t trade for anything.

Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) Animal Packer Matthew Joseph says, “I love it! I get to be in the Grand Canyon, and the mules are the best coworkers you could ever ask for.”

A mule packer feeds and cares for the animals and carefully and strategically sorts out the cargo for transport in packs on the mules’ back. In general, mules can carry 20% of their body weight.

Working and living at the Grand Canyon on and off since 2018, Joseph began wrangling as a packer for Xanterra Travel Collection South Rim Mule Operations. After three months, he began packing supplies down to Phantom Ranch and back. “I preferred working with the mules rather than people,” he said.

When COVID hit, Joseph took some time off to spend time in Prescott where his parents live.  Soon after, he accepted a position at Rock Creek in Bishop, California, where he rode horses and packed mules. 

Returning to the Grand Canyon in 2021, Joseph was hired in his current position with GCNP.

Waking up early in the morning, Joseph packs his mules and hauls supplies to inner canyon park rangers, clinics, wastewater treatment plants and more. “You name it, we take supplies to anyone who is a Park Service employee.  That includes archeologists and anything biology related, vegetation crews, fish crews and law enforcement,” he said.

Joseph says the mule trains usually leave as early as 4:30 a.m. in the summertime. “We won’t ride in the dark because the mules can’t see well enough to pick through the trail, so we’ll wait for twilight when they can see. That’s kind of the unwritten rule for Xanterra and NPS.”

When they ride down to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon, they spend the night. “We also mainly stick to Bright Angel Trail since we have to service Havasupai Gardens Ranger Station. The only reason we are on South Kaibab this winter is because of the Transcanyon Waterline (TCWL) project.  Typically, we hit Bright Angel Trail by 7 a.m. or 8 a.m., and that’s a five-hour ride one way.”

Overnight stays at Phantom Ranch occur about five times a month. Sometimes Joseph will trek to deeper parts of the Grand Canyon such as Cottonwood Campground and Manzanita Rest Area. “We deliver parts and stock for the compost toilets there.” 

Joseph typically has a train of 12 mules. “Generally, we have two packers.  The last mule is called the whip mule, because they whip around the corners. We have a great crew and they’re all my friends. We text each other, laugh and get to enjoy the Grand Canyon. Meeting hikers on the trail is always fun, too, and I’m always learning.”

Before hiking the Grand Canyon, northern Alabama resident Joey Bishop did his research and learned that giving the right of way to the mules was proper protocol on the trails. While hiking South Kaibab Trail, Bishop said he saw a mule train about one mile away. “It was such an awesome feeling when they passed us. The organization of the mules was amazing, and I could tell the wranglers were experienced. They are truly the lifelines of Phantom Ranch.”

A memorable winter ride up South Kaibab Trail in snow and high winds is a day Joseph won’t forget. “There were two of us wranglers and we each had four mules. We were coming up to the O’Neil Saddle and everything was good. We met a hiker coming down who told us to watch out, as the winds were pretty brutal. As we rounded our way up to Cedar Ridge, the wind was blowing so strong it blew me off my mule. We had to get down on our hands and knees for a bit and then walked up to Ooh Aah Point. Our mustaches, eyebrows were iced. Once we got closer to the top there were large snowdrifts and once again had to walk.”

“As Matthew’s parents, we have enjoyed his stories and adventures at the Grand Canyon,” said his mom, Renee Joseph, a dental hygienist in Prescott. “His hunger for knowledge and willingness to learn should be admired. We are so proud of his dedication and work ethic. He is a true cowboy.”

Joseph was born in San Diego and grew up surfing, sailing and scuba diving. After visiting his Aunt Doris who owned two horses in Chino, he caught the bug. “She taught me how to ride when I was about eight years old. I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever done. Later on in my life, I started wrangling horses. I’m very grateful to my Aunt Doris for opening the doors to me for this amazing career.”  

FAVORITE PARTS OF THE DAY

My favorite parts of the day are early morning, while it’s still dark, before the world is awake and end of day, the golden hour.

LAST MOMENT OF NOSTALGIA 

I came across a Mark Knopfler (Dire Straights) song I hadn’t heard in a long time. It’s called, “You Don’t Know You’re Born,” and it reminded me when I was a kid backpacking with my dad in the Western Sierras, Yosemite Wilderness.  

HOBBY TO EXPLORE  

In the Scottish Highland Games, the hammer throw is where men throw a 22-pound piece of metal. It’s usually guys in kilts running around in traditional dress. I came across it and it looks like fun. My family is Scottish and Irish and I’ve always been a sports guy. The mules will probably think I’m nuts.

LAST TIME I SANG OUT LOUD  

I don’t remember when I sang out loud, but I do whistle. I like Willy Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger” song and Willy’s tempo in that song. 

PEOPLE I ADMIRE

I admire my parents and former GCNP Wrangler Ed Forbis, who was also a Marlboro Man at one time in his life. Also, Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Grand Canyon National Park Animal Packer Matthew Joseph keeps mule trains moving safely through the canyon.

Women Wranglers Lead the Mule Pack at the Grand Canyon.

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The women are good with the guests and compassionate toward the mules.

The mules at the Xanterra Travel Collection Grand Canyon South Rim Mule Operations are trained for a women’s touch, because all of the trail guide wranglers at the Grand Canyon are women.  

Although it hasn’t been documented, this might be historic. “As far as I know, it’s the first time for an all-woman trail guide team of wranglers. It’s very unique,” said Grand Canyon South Rim Mule Operations Manager John Berry.

“It’s also the first time I’ve been a boss of an all-woman trail guide wrangler crew. It’s very cool and they do a great job. The women are good with the guests and compassionate toward the mules. As one of the biggest mule operations of its kind in the nation, I hope they take pride in their work here.”

Transplanted from New York, Texas, Colorado Michigan, Ohio and California, these wranglers range in age from 18 to 43, and Grand Canyon visitors who have taken the Xanterra Collection’s mule rides to Phantom Ranch or the Canyon Vista Rim have been very impressed with their work.  

Remarks such as, “You ladies are amazing,” “Great time with Julia and Kylie, they’re phenomenal guides,” and “Thank you, Harper for such a great mule ride, we enjoyed every step,” and “Tex was the best wrangler ever!” grace the Grand Canyon Mule Riders and Wranglers Appreciation Facebook page that has almost 9,000 members.

Laurie Brieget Burg, who created the Facebook page in 2009, said she started the page right after taking a two-day mule ride to Phantom Ranch. “It’s a very difficult job,” she said. “Also, it was my 50th birthday and an incentive for me to lose weight for the ride. The maximum weight is 200 pounds and I was over that. I managed to get down to 197.”

The mule ride to Phantom Ranch generally leaves the corral near the Bright Angel Trailhead early morning, making stops along the way with a lunch at Havasupai Gardens. The click-clacking of hooves marching down the corridor trails adds a bit of excitement to weary hikers.  

“One of my favorite things about riding in the Grand Canyon is the communities that inhabit it, both wildlife and human,” said New York Wrangler Lisa “Tex” Parker, who has come to work at the Grand Canyon on and off since 2019. “We’ve had curious bighorn sheep and mule deer act as roadblocks on the trail, Grand Canyon pink rattlesnakes that warn us of their presence and the majestic California Condors that perch and soar above us. We pass familiar faces, whether they are rangers, hiking guides or locals out exercising. One year, I met [musician] Dave Matthews on the trail, so my partner, Jack, and I got a picture with him. That was so cool!”

“My most memorable experience was riding down to Phantom Ranch for the first time,” said Harper Slusher, who worked at Yellowstone and transferred to the Grand Canyon when the season ended. “I love working for Xanterra Travel Collection because I get to work in National Parks.”

Originally an Army brat, Wrangler Hunter Gilbert decided to quit restaurant work and find work outdoors. “I was working the transportation desk at the South Rim lodges and met John Berry [livery manager for the Xanterra’s South Rim mule operation]. I told him I knew how to ride horses and he gave me a chance to ride mules, which I love. It was wonderful!” 

Grand Canyon mule rides have been offered since the 1800s, but Fred Harvey, an entrepreneur who developed restaurants, souvenir shops and hotels that served railroad passengers, became the exclusive provider of mule rides in 1904. 

Wranglers say the ride to Phantom Ranch is very rigorous and riders should be able to mount and dismount a mule before attempting it. “I have had people tell me that if they knew how difficult the ride would be, they wouldn’t have done it,” she said.

“Working at the Grand Canyon as a wrangler was my dream job,” said Sherry Baker, who worked as a Grand Canyon wrangler from 1994 to 2005.  “Getting to sit in a saddle all day in one of God’s grandest creations was amazing. I loved meeting people from all over the world and to this day keep in touch with some of them. It was on one of the Phantom Ranch rides where I met the most incredible man, Bob Baker, who I had the privilege of marrying!” QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

Because of the Grand Canyon National Park Service’s major infrastructure rehabilitation projects, the Bright Angel Trail and the mule ride operation will be closed until April 14, 2024.  For more information, visit www.grandcanyonlodges.com. 

Courtesy Photo by Jack Rinaldi: Pictured from left to right: Grand Canyon South Rim Mule Operations Trail Guide Wranglers, Kylie Keefer, Harper Slusher, Hunter Gilbert, Abbie Fick, Lisa “Tex” Parker, Tiffany Chandler, Julia Escobedo, Erin Milligan, Nellie Blue. 

Grand Celebration of Art

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The CoA Exhibition and Sale is open to the public at Kolb Studio through January 15, 2024.

About the only thing better than a picture of the Grand Canyon is a painting, and Grand Canyon Conservancy’s 15th Annual Celebration of Art (CoA) showcased 24 selected artists painting “en plein air” (outside on location) along the South Rim. 

 The week-long event and fundraiser had an audience of returning fans and visitors who were captivated by the artists as their palettes brought the magnificence of the Grand Canyon to their canvases.

 “This is my first year and I’m so excited to be a part of CoA,” said artist Russell Johnson of Prescott. “The Grand Canyon is one of the first places I backpacked when I was 13 and that trip has inspired me to represent what I’m feeling when I’m here.”

 Along with Johnson, six other artists from Arizona attended, Bill Cramer of Prescott, Chris Fanning of Lake Havasu City, Matt Sterbenz of Chandler, Marcia Molnar of Prescott, Deborah McAllister of Cottonwood and Dawn Sutherland of Flagstaff.

Other artists came from as far as Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, California and Oregon.

The CoA Exhibition and Sale is open to the public at Kolb Studio through January 15, 2024. The online sales gallery can be viewed at shop.grandcanyon.org/collections/celebration-of-art.

 “Celebration of Art is a wonderful opportunity to bring a piece of Grand Canyon home with you through unique artwork while supporting the Grand Canyon Conservancy in its effort to raise money for an art venue at the canyon’s South Rim,” said Grand Canyon Conservancy Director of Marketing and Communications Mindy Riesenberg. QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

The Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official non-profit partner of Grand Canyon National Park. For more about the conservancy, visit www.grandcanyon.org.

Architect Mary Colter’s Legacy Captured in Stone

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Grand Canyon buildings continue to inspire a hundred years later.

She was tough, funny, fearless, dogmatic, imaginative, and her Grand Canyon architectural marvels continue to intrigue historians and fascinate visitors, including the only inner canyon lodging facility, Phantom Ranch, which turned 100 years old this year.

Meet Mary Jane Elizabeth Colter, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 4, 1869. She was 33 years old when she was hired as an interior designer and architect by the hospitality forerunner Fred Harvey Company, a contractor for Santa Fe Railway. That was in 1902.

A few years later, Colter was asked to design the Hopi House, an indigenous-influenced architectural design that launched five other projects at the Grand Canyon: Lookout Studio, Bright Angel Lodge and cabins, Hermit’s Rest, Desert View Watchtower and Phantom Ranch, named after nearby Phantom Creek.

She also designed the men’s dormitory at the Grand Canyon and Colter Hall, the women’s dormitory.

According to the Grand Canyon National Park Website, NPS.gov, Mary Colter designed buildings that would become part of their surroundings, that “would create no discordant note against the time-eroded walls of this promontory. To obtain this result, Colter insisted that the rocks not be cut or worked…so they would not lose the weathered surfaces so essential to blend in with the Grand Canyon walls.”

Flagstaff residents Allen and Carol Naille lived at the Grand Canyon for 13 years. Allen worked for Fred Harvey Company in several positions before assuming the position of general manager there, eventually moving to Flagstaff to accept his role as president of the company. In all, he worked for the company for 25 years. Carol was in charge of the Grand Canyon library.

“Mary Colter was a woman in a man’s world and her characteristics made her unique,” said Carol, who had a friend whose father knew and was employed with Colter. “She worked with men but was able to get her way. She stood up to men but she was tactful. She had to be. Also, at the time, Fred Harvey Company had all male managers. I believe she was an amazing person because of her talent and her ability to get along with the men she worked with. I’ve always admired her.”

In a Jan. 23, 1904, article, the Minneapolis Journal referenced Colter, describing artists as people who develop themselves. “There is no necessity of seeking for art genius. When it occurs it will make itself apparent.”

Though much has been documented about Colter’s design style and how she was adamant that things were done her way, little is known about her personal life.

“You don’t hear many stories about her other than her work. I would like to know what drove her to do what she did,” said Edward “Ted” McClure, librarian at the Grand Canyon National Park research library. “She traveled all over the Southwest looking at Native American construction and patterned her design for the Desert View Watchtower on what she saw. I think what is most important is that she was her own woman in a man’s world.”

Senior Contributing Editor at Preservation Magazine and author Arnold Berke in his book, “Mary Colter Architect of the Southwest” titled his first chapter “Drawn by the Desert: An Incomprehensible Woman in Pants.” Berke wrote, “She possessed a special genius for interpreting the past to create new buildings and interiors that, with their striking forms and fanciful atmosphere, have enchanted generations of travelers crossing the American Southwest.”

Colter “may well be the best-known unknown architect in the United States who helped to create the National Park Service rustic style,” stated Preservation Magazine.

Though historians, architects and visitors find her work fascinating, the Desert View Watchtower stands out, built on the South Rim with views of the Painted Desert to the east, the San Francisco Peaks to the south and the Colorado River as it exits Marble Canyon to the north.

“After exploring archaeology sites in the Four Corners region, Mary Colter closely supervised the design of Desert View Watchtower, a majestic recreation of an ancient stone tower rising from the eastern rim of the Grand Canyon,” said Grand Canyon Conservancy Director of Marketing Mindy Riesenberg.

“The conservation of the historic murals inside the Watchtower was completed in 2019 and the second phase of the development of an Intertribal Cultural Heritage Site at Desert View started this winter with work on a new amphitheater on the rim of the canyon. In the next few years, the area will see many changes, including redesigned pathways, a new tribally-
run welcome center and expanded capabilities for hosting cultural demonstrators,” said Riesenberg.

Other structures built under Colter’s architectural ingenuity outside the Grand Canyon include La Posada in Winslow, El Navajo in Gallup, New Mexico and La Fonda in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also has her mark on the restaurant at The Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal.

Colter died at age 88 on Jan. 8, 1958. T-shirts and stickers commemorating the 100th anniversary of Phantom Ranch can be found at shop.grandcanyonlodges.com. QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

Navigating with Purpose

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Through her education business, This Earth, she brings students into her world of adventure and exploration.

Lava Falls Rapid is white-water fierce. It is, by far, the most famous and daunting rapid on the mighty Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. It comes up after a nice calm stretch of laid-back, almost complacent, floating. Most wouldn’t even notice the distant spray and subtle splashing up ahead. But Christa Sadler does. With oars thrusting forward, she remains on high alert, reading the river. Within about half a mile of the falls, the passengers in Christa’s raft also will be on high alert as they hear the thundering roar of a massive churning, thrashing, wild river dropping 15 feet or so across a span of 100 yards in just 20 seconds.

Lava Falls is a Class 10 rapid, the highest rating for rapids under the Grand Canyon’s old classification system. Sure, there’s more intimidating and challenging white water to be found in places like Alaska, says Christa, a seasoned river runner and world explorer who has navigated through Lava Falls at least 90 times since she was 23. But for most people, this is the most formidable natural force they will ever want to face.

Christa, a small woman with a fabulous belly laugh and a full-speed-ahead kind of appetite for adventure, has many titles – archaeologist, paleontologist, geologist, educator – but out here, she is Wonder Woman, a river running superhero, and this is her territory.

Whatever your image of a river runner is, Christa is not that. Don’t be looking for someone who hasn’t seen a hairstylist in eons and wearing a stinky t-shirt, stained and streaked by decades of sun and sweat. Keep moving on down the sandy shore because that would not be her. In fact, she says, “This is where I feel beautiful and strong. I wear my favorite skirts and dresses and jewelry – sometimes three or four bracelets.”

Christa is glowing and having a blast. “I will literally be laughing so hard that I can’t row – not in the rapids, because something bad will happen – but just being on the river,” she said. “This is the real world. This is where I feel most alive. This is my church, my home. I get to spend time in the most extraordinary places in the world and I’m never as happy, connected and fulfilled as when I’m outside. There’s nothing more grounding to me than having my feet on the earth or in the water and being surrounded by something that humans didn’t make.”

And for her, time on the river isn’t just about the big-adrenaline moments. “Part of it to me is that life here is reduced down to its essence,” she explained. “It’s very simple – you’re cold, you’re hungry, you’re exhausted – and when you’re with a group of people, it’s a tribal thing. You take care of each other. Other elements take over and you’re participating on nature’s terms.”

Reinvigorating her boatload of new tribal members, Christa cooks for them and serves them and basically trains them to eat like a river runner. One of her most satisfying and substantial meals is her famous Green Curry. With a mixture of boiled-down coconut milk, tofu, chicken, ginger and peppers, she fortifies five to 30 rafters at a time. “It’s really creamy. I make it for spring and fall trips, not in the summer. It’s warm, spicy and heats you up from the inside out.”

Christa pursues a mission of helping to open the eyes, hearts and minds of river rafting guests to the extraordinary history of our planet and all its creatures. Through her education business, This Earth, she brings students into her world of adventure and exploration. She offers interactive classroom presentations, field trips and lab exercises, and most of all, facilitates discovery.

“Kids do a lot better learning about natural sciences when they are outdoors,” she said. “It makes more sense to everyone. And I love teaching them about fossils,” she added.

Common fossils found at the South Rim are brachiopods, shellfish that are a distant relative of modern-day clams. They lived 270-million years ago when a shallow ocean covered the region. “We talk about what kind of environment these creatures lived in,” she said, “the depth and temperature of the water, and how they were filter feeders, eating plankton that were just floating along.”

Unlike those prehistoric organisms, Christa is doing anything but just floating along. Beautiful, strong and in charge, she has found her strength, confidence, passion and purpose among ancient rocks and powerful forces. It is here that she ponders and appreciates that one of the most powerful forces on the planet today is education. She has “adopted” dozens of girls and women that she calls her daughters in places like Haiti, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

“The thing that gives me hope is when I’m actually doing something to make the world more equitable,” she said. “It breaks my heart what people have to go through in other nations. Research reveals that worldwide, countries are better off when they educate the women, but the world still fights that.”

And Christa is fighting back. Through her non-profit organization, One New Education, she has supported young women through secondary and advanced education, where they, too, can find their strength, purpose, power and passion.

As Christa shows us, the natural world, and Lava Falls Rapid in particular, has a lot to teach us about resilience. There are obstacles we need to maneuver around, massive waves and huge holes that we need to pay attention to, and if we get flipped, well, she says, “We’re going to feel like a Raggedy Ann in a washing machine.”

But, as Christa demonstrates, we have everything to say about our own rescue and our own experience. “If you just float along, the journey is going to be harder. If you’re waiting for things to happen to you, it doesn’t always work out as well as you hope. You have to make things happen.” QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.

The Last Large Parcel of Private Land in Northern Arizona Goes into Escrow

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500 Acres Just Outside of Flagstaff in Williams To Also Include Approximately 75 Custom Home Lots within Larger Master Planned Community

One of the largest privately owned parcels of land in the cool pines of Northern Arizona is currently in escrow and scheduled to close this year.

Located in Williams, just 30 minutes from Flagstaff in Coconino County, the 500 acres are owned by Valley entrepreneur Max Biegert, who spent 85 million to develop and build the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel in the late 80’s. He is selling the land to developers to make way for a new mini master planned community that would include custom homes as well as other housing options. Developers are also in negotiations with an undisclosed theme park entertainment design company to develop 85 acres of the land into a possible western themed story park including other hospitality uses. Williams is already a tourism destination as evidenced by BEARIZONA, who saw 500,000 visitors in 2020 alone.

Listed for $20M, the property is currently in escrow after a comprehensive two-year marketing campaign. The property is located at interstate 40 and Grand Canyon Boulevard. The purchase is scheduled to close escrow later this year.

Principals Brent Moser and Mike Sutton of Lee & Associates are representing the transaction. Moser and Sutton specialize in large and complex mixed-use land and development projects throughout Arizona.

Moser said this will be one of decade’s most significant sales for the region.

“There is nothing of this magnitude currently for sale or possible for development on the private land side in Northern Arizona,” said Moser. “We are moving swiftly to get the property closed and entitled so that we can announce more exciting plans for the project in the coming months.”

Moser says once completed the project will have regional and even a global draw as it sits at the gateway to the Grand Canyon National Park. Gail Jackson, President and CEO at ECoNA says, “This new development will bring much needed housing and diversity to our strong tourism offerings in Northern Arizona.”

Offering views of the 35-acre lake, pine trees and Bill Williams mountain, the property is expected to draw a huge interest list. While it’s still early in the process, Moser says 90 of the 500-acres will be used for private custom lots which will be elevated over 100 feet above Gonzales Lake and available for purchase by the general public.

“Housing is really the driving force for this project, as the demand has never been greater in Northern Arizona,” said Moser. “We are in the process of getting all the approvals and entitlements in place with a plan of breaking ground in early 2022.”

More details will be announced in the coming months.

For media inquiries, please email Jparks-Sturgeon@rosemoserallynpr.com or call 480.495.3806.

For real estate inquiries email CanyonGatewayWilliams@gmail.com

About Brent Moser and Mike Sutton

Brent Moser and Mike Sutton are one of the most successful land sales teams in Arizona. Their forty-five years of combined experience in commercial real estate, expansive market knowledge and invested relationships across Arizona provides clients with the holistic approach to land sales and development. They focus on commercial and residential land opportunities in Arizona with a major focus on significant transportation corridors. Some current major projects include master planned communities in the Surprise area of Maricopa County, Marana and Northern Pima County, as well as urban mixed-use projects such as South Pier on Tempe Town Lake and One Scottsdale, in addition to multiple large investment opportunities in the Phoenix Metro Area.