The trail along most of the canyon bottom consisted of ground-up red sandstone--in other words, sand. You ever walk in dry, loose sand? It was very hard for me. We looked for places along the edge of the trail that hadn't been pounded as hard by decades of mule trains and so provided firmer footing.

The trail along most of the canyon bottom consisted of ground-up red sandstone--in other words, sand. You ever walk in dry, loose sand? It was very hard for me. We looked for places along the edge of the trail that hadn't been pounded as hard by decades of mule trains and so provided firmer footing.