In Supai, Arizona, the USPS maintains the last remaining mail delivery route by mule, overcoming significant geographical challenges. Each spring morning, Nate Chamberlain leads a mule train down from the remote village, navigating an intricate 16-mile round trip through the Grand Canyon's steep terrain. This unique route underlines the Postal Service's commitment to serving every community, regardless of its accessibility. Working meticulously, Chamberlain and his mules manage an arduous logistics process, delivering mail that reflects a stark contrast to modern instant delivery expectations.
The mule train, which makes the 16-mile, six-hour loop up and down the canyon five days a week, is perhaps the most extreme manifestation of the USPS mandate to 'render postal services to all communities.'
Chamberlain rises to feed the pack string starting at 3 a.m., and continues until sundown, reflecting a commitment to a logistics effort that belies an era of instant delivery.
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