Sunday, February 28, 2016

Pack Mules, Mid-1960's

It's Sunday, and that means that it is time for more so-so images. It's nothing personal! Low Sunday  readership gives me the chance to use up some stuff that is ordinarily not ready for prime time.

I actually quite enjoy this first photo, a rare view taken from the back of a trusty Pack Mule as it lopes along one of the trails through Nature's Wonderland. YOU ARE THERE! It's hard to say where this was taken, since we only see a bit of grassy hill on our left, with an apparent drop-off to our right.


This is a photo that does not belong to me... I found it on the internet years ago. If it belongs to you, let me know and I'll give you credit! Anyway, besides being a beautiful and striking photo, it looks like the line of mules and riders might be approaching the part of the trail that we see in the first picture.


This one was essentially a reject, but... all bets are off today. It's very blurry, however we can tell that the intrepid riders are somewhere in the vicinity of the Rainbow Desert.


7 comments:

Nanook said...

Ya' know, Major-

I'm quite fond of that first image. Just how many shots pop-up depicting the Pack Mules as seen from this angle-? And the second one (shhhhsh-!) I won't blab - but it's another great shot. And as for the final shot - well, you can always include a notation about "requiring 3D glasses".

Thanks, Major.

K. Martinez said...

Major, You need to give the Walt Disney Company credit for the Pack Mule/Columbia photo. It appeared on their Disney Parks Blog a while ago. Of course they probably borrowed it from someone else without giving credit to them, just like they borrowed a certain "Flying Saucers" image for their D23 Expo. ;-)

I really like the third image. Cool plantings which I assume are actually real. Thanks, Major.

Unknown said...

Left-uggies? My left foot! On board shots of the Pack Mules are a rare treat. I like the early version of a lap bar restraint system. I remember the sign out front of the attraction: "The Pack Mule Train is a low-speed, turbulent Old-west style adventure and should only be ridden by guests in good health with no history of heart problems, back disorders..."

Well, maybe not. It almost looks like Cascade Peak is missing but it's hard to conjure from memory where everything used to be.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, not many! I have only two or three at the most, out of thousands of photos. The second slide does look like a 3D movie, without the glasses!

K. Martinez, yeah, I’ll credit those losers! ;-) I suspected it was a publicity shot of some kind, given its unusual high angle. I wonder if it was taken from the roof of one of the uppermost buildings in Rainbow Ridge? If not, I can’t figure out how else they would have gotten this shot.

Patrick Devlin, the first photo is pretty good, even if you are looking at a lot of backsides! The second slide is so blurry that I think it has to fall into the “leftuggie” category, even considering its uniqueness. But I’m glad you like them! I have no idea of the date of the second photo (the publicity shot), so it’s hard for me to say if it is pre-Cascade Peak or not.

TokyoMagic! said...

Ha, ha, Major! Those losers! Could that publicity photo have been taken from the Natural Arch Bridge? The angle looks like the mules could have already passed Cascade Peak and are maybe approaching Natural Arch Bridge.

Do mule wag their tails when they are happy? If so, then that first mule in the first photo is a little happy camper because his tail is sideways. Maybe he was just trying to swat a fly with it?

Tom said...

All the shots are awesome, seldom-seen (if ever) angles. Too bad the donkeys have to be so wiggly, ruining that third photo with motion blur.

Excellent photos today! I hope you keep finding more of these gems.

Chuck said...

That second photo is apparently a Disney publicity photo (which makes sense considering the camera location). I stumbled upon this photo both here and in the Daveland archive this evening researching the Pack Mules. Dave's copy has a "© Disney" in the upper right corner.