Mule delivery remains the most practical and cost-effective way to get the mail to Supai, a tiny community of about 200 people at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. No car or four-wheel drive vehicle is capable of making the trip, so Nathan Chamberlain (pictured) and his uncle, Charlie Chamberlain, make the treacherous trek, hauling mail for the U.S. Postal Service. It’s 2½ hours down and 2½ hours back— a daily routine the pair have followed for the past 20 years. “Get it done, come up, go home,” Nathan said. “The faster I get home, the more rest I get, and the more rest the mules and horses get." Charlie and Nathan are among a fading breed of cowboys, and together they keep the nation’s last official USPS mail route going. The only major disruptions come when storms wash out part of the trail as they did two years ago, halting service for a couple of days. When it comes to getting mail to and from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, no technology has surpassed the mules.
