On Feb 26, 2008, at 1:47 PM, Janice McDonald wrote: > what i wonder about, if you were going in for more than three days, > you would be packing in a horrendous amount of feed. I guess then you > would need a pack mule.... > Janice
Or pack horse. On the Rock Creek rides they camp in the mountain meadows. (which they don't over use -- the different rides during the summer will have different overnight spots) Most of the horses and pack mules are turned loose to graze at night, having been trained to hang around with the bell mule mare. The clanking of her neck bell was a comforting sound at night. The wranglers would keep a few horses in the picket line, in case they needed to round up the animals, but since the mules and horses got a cup or two of sweet feed in their nose bags while they were saddled up in the morning, they were usually front and center at dawn. The pack mules mainly carried the guest and wrangler's duffles, the tents needed, the camp kitchen for the wrangler cook, . . . and a privy seat (a real luxury . .. to be able to sit <g>). Somehow the cook wrangler managed to pack food for about 15 people in one mule's panniers. Plus we ate a lot of trout that people caught. Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/ http://www.dslextreme.com/~napha/JoyOfRiding/index.htm
