There's A Cow
In The Canyon

I'd like to extend my appreciation to the unsung heroes in Gateway's shipping and receiving department who packed my P5-75 Family PC system and monitor. Both survived the 7.2-mile mule ride down the dusty, mile-deep Kaibab Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The only other choice was rafting them down the Colorado River, but your catalog said nothing about waterproof cases!

Phantom Ranch has been welcoming greenhorns and seasoned cowboys alike since the late 1920s. The phrase "getting away from it all" takes on new meaning here! Those in dire need of outside contact can use the public phone or try to discover where the staff hides their TV and VCR.

Wondering how long our guests can "rough it" down here? Visitors usually stay only a day or two, but our 17 employees live at the ranch for 10 days at a time, then enjoy four days off.

Fresh spring water is piped down to the ranch from Roaring Springs, located nine miles up the canyon. Food, mail and other supplies are packed in daily by mules. On the return trip they become four-legged garbage trucks, carrying the trash to the top of the canyon. It's all part of what we call "mule disobedience school." Good mules get to carry people.

With or without a heavy load, navigating rock-strewn trails is not for the faint of heart! Our lead packer, Ross Knox, might look happy in this photo, but I think he's relieved the mules had an uneventful day on the trail. Ross describes his job as hours and hours of boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror.

So there you have the exciting tale of Phantom Ranch. We're about as far off the beaten path as anyone can get, although we're proud to have a Gateway on the premises. Does this nullify my one-year on-site service warranty?

Warren G. Tracy, Manager, Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Arizona