Today is National Mule Appreciation Day and to celebrate the occasion Yosemite National Park put together this short video to honor the 80 mules that work inside the park. The mules of Yosemite come in many shapes and sizes which make them useful in are useful in different jobs.
Larger mules can carry a bigger payload when they’re headed out on the trails and are tasked with duties like working alongside sawyers carrying supplies long distances as they clear downed trees from trails.
Smaller mules are better suited for rugged trails with tight twists and turns where their diminutive stature is a positive as they wind their way up switchbacks without getting caught up on trees and rocks. These smaller mules excel in lightening the load for trail maintenance crews in tricky terrain.
Yosemite National Park:
“Over the last 100 years, mules have done a lot of different tasks to care for Yosemite, from carrying loads of supplies to backcountry trail crews to completing search and rescue missions, and even hauling waste out of our backcountry outhouses (if you’ve ever used the bathrooms on the Vernal and Nevada Falls Trails, a salute to your mules is due.) It is impossible to celebrate the mules without tipping a hat to the mule packers who care for them.
Packing is an art form. Loads must be meticulously put together and balanced so that the mule can comfortably and safely work, getting the cargo from one point to another. Our 800 miles of trails were made and continue to be maintained with the teamwork of these mules and their expert packers. These photos offer just a few highlights of the people who have made history packing in Yosemite with their work ethic, ability to read and wrangle their animals and get tough loads of supplies safely to their destinations.”