Training at Queen Valley Mule Ranch, Arizona

Extracts from my travel journal:

With my 9-month US visa in the bag, and after two hours of waiting at immigration and security, I jumped into an plane for Denver, which was delayed by almost an hour. Once in Denver, I jumped into the airport shuttle and then jumped into the aeroplane for Phoenix. Unfortunately, my luggage didn’t manage to keep up the pace…

I wasn’t surprised and figured that the airline’s transport service would deliver it to the ranch for me. Once I was in Pheonix, I jumped into a taxi that took me to a carhire company in the suburbs, far cheaper than those at the airport. The sky was a brilliant, blinding blue and I was sweltering in the padded jacket that had kept me so warm in the Canadian winter climate. I then jumped into the “small” Ford hire car and, following directions from another driver, made my way without incident to the “REI” sports store.

My first surprise: it didn’t look far on the map, but getting there involved weaving my way through shopping zones, clocking up fifteen miles. The well-equipped store had all the camping items I was after. As night fell, I was keen to bring my day of travel to a close, and so I decided to postpone my grocery shopping until the next day, and called Steve, the “mule trainer”, who gave me the directions I needed to get to the ranch. I set off east on a dead straight road for one hour, leaving the eight-lane highway to take a dirt track. Steve and his wife Suzan gave me a warm welcome, and I was delighted with the comfortable bunkhouse that was to be my home for the next month. It was wonderful to put down my luggage and take the time to get used to the country at last. After the logistical success of the day, I was proud to have passed my first orientation test in the United States! Exhausted, I made my last jump of the day, into my comfortable bed. 

It’s been nearly a week since I arrived in Queen Valley Mule Ranch. I’ve started to fit in with the pace of my new host country. I’ve got to know Steve, his wife Suzan and their mules. I’ve bought all the food I need to keep going for one month. Everything for sale in the stores comes in huge packs… it all seems to be organized for you to spend your money and buy, buy, buy.

It may be winter here, but it’s more like a French summer, and temperatures can easily reach 77°F in the afternoon! However, as soon as the sun sets it starts to feel cold and there’s a frost at night. This week’s saying: “When the lizards are out, so are the rattlesnakes”! We are in the desert here, surrounded by cacti and ochre mountains, and you have to watch out for scorpions and snakes. The other night I heard coyotes barking.

Steve is determined that my project will be successful and he has been contacting people he knows all along my route to ensure I’ll have access to help. He’s been telling everyone about my project, including waiters and cashiers… quite some publicity! He will be adapting the training program to meet my needs: basic veterinary skills, mule shoeing and packing, highlining (i.e. how to tie up the mule for the night). Steve and Suzan took me to a gigantic store bursting at the seams with fishing tackle, equipment for rifle, musket and bow hunting, camping equipment, etc. Outdoor activities are really popular. I had a chance to admire some of the animals I might come across, like reindeer, pumas, polecats, porcupines and the famous grizzly bear. The stuffed version was scary enough. But I’m a lot less scared of grizzly bears since I discovered that a bear spray is more effective than a pistol and that mules are not particularly afraid of bears and quick to use their hooves to defend themselves. In fact, most wild animals are afraid of mules.

My worries are shifting as I talk with different people and work on the preparations:

... my trump card: if it becomes unbearable, I’ll drop the mule and carry on by foot on my own! 

I have chosen the mule in questions: it is Céline who will be my travel mate.