Thank you. I only wished I included more video/photos from Phantom Ranch. I have hiked/rode mules several times in my lifetime at the Grand Canyon. I also hiked some non maintained trails and rode the Colorado east to west thru the Canyon 3xs. I highly recommend a raft trip thru the Canyon. You ride the Colorado and its many rapids, hike around during a day stop, and then beach camp at night. 5 day trip from Phantom Ranch to Diamond Creek does it. There's also the Havasupai Indian Reservation that you can visit with its 5 major waterfalls. I think the Indians though have their costs too high these days. It's cheaper to raft thru the Canyon and you see much more.

Thanks.

Look at the video at 15:39. You'll see what I used and how it was mounted (I could rotate the camera on an axis - it is pointed at my son in the frame). I used a Sony Action Cam X3000 and it was a chest mount. I didn't like GoPros till the GoPro 7 came out in Oct. '18. The GoPro 7 was the first GoPro where I thought they mastered stabilization better than Sony's Action Cams. Since I was going to be away from power for several hours, I bought extra batteries and changed them out. I think I got something like :45 mins. a battery. I had a wrist remote control for controlling the camera. I have a lot more footage than the 20 mins. edited above.

We were instructed to catch up. The wranglers gave us the little smack sticks to do just that if our mule was lagging behind. If we did lag behind too much, they would remind us to use it.

FYI- Long range planning is usually needed for the Phantom Ranch trip. Not sure how they take reservations now but it maybe lottery and you give several dates. If you're flexible it shouldn't be any problem. If there's just two of you, ask for a king room bed otherwise you'll get a 4 bunk bed room.

You can do it. I hiked rim to rim at age 65. Worth it.

There was a lady 70 that did it. I turned 70 this month. I would do it again. It depends how you take care of your body.

www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging/phantom-ranch/ about $700 pp for an overnite. About $1200 for two

I was there last week inquiring about the mule hike and overnight stay. $1200 per person with about a year and half out reservation.

I too did that once when I was 18. I thought of never doing that again on the way back up and have kept that promise :)

@@sstefany I was just 24 and fresh out of the army in '75. My legs were sore for a week. The girl who went with me became hysterical on the way out. It was all I could do to keep me and her going. Dumb move on my part. and yeah, after that trip she never came around again.

@@gravitationalwaverider I can imagine how bad that was. I was with a buddy who made it to the top an hour or so before me. The trip itinerary called for visiting the Havasupai Indians (about 35 miles by air west of the South Rim) the next day which called for another 10 mile trail to the village of Supai. My mom had scheduled mules for us down and back. The problem was there was no pack (luggage) mule ordered, just riding mules. So the Indian told us the luggage could go on our mules but we'd have to walk down. I was ready to walk the 10 miles down because it was DOWN but my friend said, "No, way." I went a few years later and got a pack and riding mule. Lots of other hiking stories on visits to the Canyon. I actually did walk down and back up again later but on the Hermit Trail. I camped the night on a slanted rock 1/2 way up on my way out. Thought I might roll off in my sleep. Thusly, I didn't sleep.

Yeah, I like the song but the arrangement was goofy.

Hats off to you! I walked up from the bottom twice in my life. After the second time, I decided I wasn't going to walk up again. So I will walk to the river...but ride a mule or chopper out (after river rafting a week). "Can't have enough of it" I too want more. It's funny because my family members treat it as an "OK, been there, seen and done that". Not sure when I will get back out there. I live on the East Coast but since my mom and dad first took me there in 1965, I've been back in the Canyon at least 8 or 10 times since then and every trip is great. Did Hermit Trail once. Havasupai's Supai several times. I got my son (now 21) to go on 3 of those trips. For now, he wants to go other places. So we went hiking in Washington State's Cascades last summer.

It depends on the person. I've done this trip when I was 17 and also 65. Plus, when I was around 45, I rode a horse for 6 hours a day for 5 days in Colorado. I was fine both times. Having said that - your butt and legs do get a little sore and I would imagine it differs from person to person. The trip down the Canyon is around 6 hours, but you stop 1/2 down and up at Indian Gardens, so you get off the mule for at least 20 minutes. I'd do it again but family members say, "Been there, done that." The Grand Canyon is truly amazing and I never get tired of exploring it. I also visited the Havasupai area and their 5 waterfalls along Havasu Creek. You can chopper in/out of there if you want. But the best (did it 3 times - '85, '96, and '14) is the 5 day, 200 mile, river rafting thru the Canyon. During the day stops, you can hike if you want or just stay by the river boat. You can walk in to start but they chopper you out at the end.

Thanks William. I just enjoy making them for our friends and to remember it by. As new cameras come available, I want to do some of the trips over again :) My employment at ABC News was in the Radio division but we brushed with TV on some assignments. Met many 'big wigs.' Usually all the interchange was, "Can a get a mike level please?" Back to the cameras- all small so I can move freely. Didn't like GoPros before the Hero7 because Sony had better stabilization. Stabilization is a must for 'adventure' videos where you are always moving. On cameras without it, I use ProDad's Mercalli on the shaky footage, but it can do only so much. GoPro has it mastered now so I have a Hero 10 and the 360 GoPro Max. Also, have a Hero 7. Trips and videos coming up in 2022? Well, I have St. John (USVI) scheduled for June with my son and his same friend from the Washington trip. Still, my favorite destinations are the American SouthWest and the Caribbean. I will checked out the Cape Flattery Trail online soon. Thanks!

Sunburn is the culprit and I didn't mind cotton long sleeves/pants - it breathes and the sun doesn't get your skin hot. The ride out starts early when it's not too hot. The mules get stops on the way up. And there are 2 longer stops on the way up also. There is a weight limit, 200 lbs. You get weighed before the trip. Nobody 201 or above gets on a mule.

Gabriel- In recent years, camera manufacturers have perfected stabilization. I believe I was using a Sony X3000 video camera on that trip. I preferred that camera's stabilization over any GoPro. However, starting with the GoPro 7, they (GoPro) have made major advances and I prefer using that camera (or later). The 360 GoPro Max opens up many more possibilities since 2018. I have a Colorado 2020 video that uses both cameras. The Canyon trip was great and I have visited the inside of the Canyon many times.

Glad you enjoyed it. A river trip is another way to really see the canyon too. If I had my choice, I'd walk down and take the mules out. I've walked up from the bottom, I never want to do that again. Butt/legs get a little sore on the mules.

My first visit there was in 1965. You did the trip back in the Pioneer Days!

They seem well treated and rested. Sled dogs like the work they do. Maybe the miles do too.

Gad, what a generation.

Fahrrad- Started watching your video. Thanks for the English subtitles. Great compositions of videos and pictures. I started from the beginning then saw it was about an hour and a half! Wow, that's a long video. I am going to watch it all over the next few days. I love the Southwest and looking forward to it all. I like to create videos also but what I find is that the shorter it is, more friends will watch, and the longer it is, just a few will watch. But I have my share of 90 min. videos! What I try to do now is use the least amount of frames to show the same thing. It's amazing how you can pop a scene up for 1 or 2 secs. to express a mood or story. Anyway, I look forward to seeing again the South Kaibab which I think is a more beautiful trail. Yes sir, it is a lot of work and someone who doesn't edit has no idea how much. I tweak in Photoshop every picture I use and tweak video also. Hopefully in August, my son and I are jeeping the Colorado mountains. Got my cameras ready! Steve

I just noticed you hiked down the Kaibab and up the Bright Angel in one day! I did that when I was 17 and I swore I'd never do that again in one day! Even the Park Service does not recommend that. Hats off to you and I know you're not 17. You must exercise or hike a lot. Even so, I think you might agree if you do it again you may want to spend the night at Phantom Ranch?

Hi Steve, thanks for your comment, I realize you are interested. You're right. I am now 64 and had been preparing for this hike for a long time. My hobby is to cross the Alps by mountain bike and backpack to Lake Garda in Italy ("Alpencross.") Nevertheless, I was done after this canyon hike and was very happy when I was back up there (I think you can see it in the video.) But it was a great life experience and an interesting feeling to experience your own limits. Next time I would go on the Kaibab, which is the nicer way, to the Phantom Ranch. Tent there and then a day to the Indian Garden and there again camp and up again on the third day. Then I would have a nice hiking tour and could visit and enjoy everything in peace. But this time the Harley was waiting for me at the motel. That's right ... the video is very long for YT ... but it was also a big tour of the Four Corners. I had about 5 hours of pictures and footage from 2 cameras and cell phone pictures ..... well ... and I don't need to tell you much about editing and cutting, I shortened what's possible but I also wanted to keep memories and impressions ... and the video is well received by YT. Only watch if there is enough time...with a glass of wine on the couch🍷🍷 I was lucky enough to see my video here in a real cinema, it was a special screening with many friends and bikers. It is a strange feeling when you see yourself on this huge screen. It was supposed to be a remake of my 1983 motorcycle camping tour, but it got a lot more! In 1983 it was still a real adventure with the soft chopper to cruise through the states, at that time we were all infected by "Easy Rider". At that time I had made 600 slides which I have now digitized and can also be seen at YT. 35 year old pictures in moderate quality. (I am the one with the full beard😎) My videos from my alpine tours are all shorter, but they weren't that intense either. America the beautiful .... such a beautiful big country !!! I hope I can do it again ... before I bite the grass. I hope for you that you can explore despite Corona Colorado and wish you many nice impressions and experiences ... and continue to have fun cutting✂️✂️✂️ Best regards from the Teutoburg Forest (Germany) Hansi

Oh yes ..... "Alpencross 10" (2019) is also with subtitles 👈 Ciao ...they say in Italy

Yes, Catherine, you have my permission to use it. Contact me at [email protected] if you need anything more. Thanks Steve