[pct-l] Fw: Re: Fw: Re: Dogs in National Parks/horses/mules/llamas

[Charles Williams]

--- On Fri, 12/16/11, Charles Williams <charlesnolie at yahoo.com> wrote:


From: Charles Williams <charlesnolie at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Fw: Re: Dogs in National Parks/horses/mules/llamas
To: "James Vesely" <JVesely at edmsupply.com>
Date: Friday, December 16, 2011, 9:26 AM







James,
Now days, packers are limited as to the number of mules they can take on a trip and the number of stock per packer.  There are also limits as to how much weight they can load on a mule.  That boils down to strict weight capacities for each guest's possessions.  It's not as simple as just bringing an extra mule to carry your stuff or tell a guest to bring 12lbs (or whatever) less gear and clothing.  This is probably the reason for the reluctance
 
Charles
 
P.S. These restrictions are the result of belligerent hikers suing the F.S. so "goes around, comes around"

--- On Fri, 12/16/11, James Vesely <JVesely at edmsupply.com> wrote:


From: James Vesely <JVesely at edmsupply.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Fw: Re: Dogs in National Parks/horses/mules/llamas
To: "PCT list" <Pct-L at backcountry.net>
Date: Friday, December 16, 2011, 6:44 AM


When I did my JMT hike with my wife a few years back I contacted a pack outfit to see how much it would cost me to have a food drop taken to the bear boxes at the Rae Lake Ranger station.    The outfit told me that I could not add my dunnage to an existing already scheduled pack trip and when I added up the cost of a lead horse, lead rider and mule for the two day in and out trip it came out to over $300.  The outfit told me that they didn't have a problem with me contacting the people with planned trips and working something out with them directly but they wouldn't contact customers on my behalf or give me their names. 

I don't mind commercial pack trips into the area's that I hike but you would think that these commercial pack outfits might be more accommodating to the average hiker who might want to piggyback a small food drop (for a reasonable fee) into an area that they are already going to.   I know the pack outfits are there to make a profit and I am okay with that but I think us two hoofed hikers might have a little more appreciation of there presence or should I say presents on the trail if they would show a more friendly hiker attitude. 

Jim