Two weeks ago, Steven and I had the opportunity to go on a pack trip with some guests and Jake Courtney. Steven was along to work and assist....I for fun. I did help quite a bit though! The trip started for Steven and Jake on a Wednesday morning as they saddled pack and riding horses and headed up the road to Car Wash Falls...the trail head to Bridge Creek. The first task was to pack several loads of hay into Bridge Creek for horse feed the first night and morning of the trip. The guests arrived after lunch with their gear and the "real" packing began. They made it into camp, just as the rain started. Cragg, a guest on the trip, was our chief for the week and prepared his first meal of salmon, rice, and salad for the group. Around 5:00, I finished work in the office and packed the rest of my gear to hike into camp. I dropped off Lady at "doggy-daycare" with Sam and Cailene for the week. Mistaya dropped me off at the trail head around 6:00 and brought the truck back down the road as I started hiking. After the 3 mile hike, I made it into camp as the rain was settling in for the evening. There was a plate of hot food waiting for me and a warm fire surrounded by the guys. Fortunately, the tent-to-tent base tent was still set up so the guys didn't have to set up any tents. Steven, Jake, and I set up sleeping pads and bags in the cook tent...our home for the week. We fell asleep to the rain pounding on the tent and the smell of the fire burning. Jake's alarm clock sounded at 5:00 the next morning as a reminder to feed the horses and start the fire. Steven discovered that rat poop isn't the best flavor additive for coffee first thing in the morning. He had hung his cup on the side of the tent, completely sure rats wouldn't be able to reach it during the night....the sole reason he didn't check it in the dark of the morning before pouring a cup of hot coffee and taking a sip. His first taste was followed by spitting and multiple attempts to remove all the poop from his teeth with his toothbrush. You see...he thought it was sugary cocoa from the evening before and chewed on it a bit before realizing it wasn't so sweet after all. So, the rain continued through breakfast, then slowed to a drizzle as we packed gear and saddled horses. Steven and Jake began to pack loads for the horses as the riders loaded saddle bags and I tightened cinches and bridled horses. I lead the riders on the trail from Bridge Creek to Fireweed and the boys took care of the pack horses. We stopped a few times for breaks and photos during the day. Lunch was at 6 mile campsite, with a nice view of the river. Several of the guests (Kevin and Sam) took advantage of the closeness of the river and fished for a few moments. Around 4:00, we road into camp and began unpacking the loads and setting up camp again. I tended to the horses, unsaddled them and tied them to the hitching rails....Steven and Jake set up the cook tent and stove. They both cut firewood before relaxing for dinner. Everyone gathered around the fire for dinner and dessert....another hot delicious meal in the woods. After the food was finished, everyone helped lead horses down to the creek for drinking water. The horses had finished their hay by then and were happy to have some refreshing water before being retied to the hitching rail for the evening. All tied to the hitching rail, except for a horse named Biscuit of course. I like to call him Houdini as he can take off his halter independently and untie ropes. Of course, if he can't untie his rope...he just unties other horses around him. Jake had to secure him to a high line using a bowline knot....it worked too!! Biscuit was tied all night and we didn't hear horses coming into camp during the night. We all slept well that night on level ground in warm sleeping bags. The weather was great for the rest of the trip, only rain that first night. The next day was a short day...only 6 miles of riding up to Hidden Meadows, the destination of the trip and the location for our layover day. Same set up as the morning before...I lead the riders...Steven and Jake with the pack horses. The riders wanted to stop at McCalister Lake for lunch and spend some time fishing. It was a beautiful lake surrounded by trees just beginning to change colors for the upcoming season of Fall. I stayed with horses as the guys fished and enjoyed lunch. Around 2:00, everyone mounted up again to ride the final 2 miles to Hidden Meadows. The last mile of the trail was rather steep with beautiful views of mountains topped with snowy peaks extending into the bright blue sky. Jake and Steven were taking the pack loads off the horses as we arrived into camp around 3:00. The view was amazing!! There was a huge meadow surrounded by mountains with rocky tops....our camp for the next two nights. The evening was relaxing as we set up camp and dinner was started. A few of the guys went hiking, others went hunting for grouse. Steven and I helped set up camp and unsaddle horses. My favorite moment of the evening was turning the horses lose to graze in the meadows for the next two days. The horses expressed their appreciation with whinnies and kicks into the air as then ran to the watering hole...then up onto the meadowy mountainside to find the best grass to consume. Steaks were served for dinner and stories were read around the camp fire that evening before everyone retreated to their tents for the night. The next day, we slept in a little as the horses were grazing on their own without need for hay. After breakfast Steven and I hiked up onto one of the peaks surrounding the meadow. It took a few hours and the views were amazing! We were thankful we decided to bring coats though as the wind was rather brisk on the top of the peak. Our afternoon adventure was a hike to a lake, known as 6111 lake and named after the elevation. It was an interesting little hike with a siting of a huge black bear running up the mountainside from us and the shooting of a grouse by Steven. The lake was great too and we saw some of other guests fishing there. We hiked back to camp where a pot of beef stew was waiting followed by brownies for dessert. The evening fun ended early as we all slid unto our sleeping bags to rest and prepare for an early rise the next morning. The alarm sounded at 4:00 this time for an extra early start....we had 12 miles to ride before 1:00 on the final day of our trip. As the guys started to awake and pack up camp...Steven and Jake headed out into the meadow to find the horses. They started haltering them around daybreak...all the way on top of a huge rock ridge. Just as they started down with side of the mountain with two strings connected with a series of tail knots...the rest of the herd ran back up onto the ridge. The horses and tired guys made it back to camp a little after 7:00...right on time for our early departure. Little did I know a day of "horse olympics" would soon begin. All the horses were saddled and the last few riders were mounting. Steven and Jake were to finish breaking camp and pack the gear as we started down the trail. The first event of the day was a bucking episode by Trymm....the horse that is. He decided Domino was too close and when he went to kick at Domino, his hind foot was suddenly caught in Domino's reins. Trymm didn't like the situation he was in...so as he bucked and spun around...his rider tumbled to the ground. He ended up with some bloody fingers and a big knot on his head and decided to walk for a while instead of riding. We started down the trail again....made it about 200 yards and Domino decided he didn't want to walk anymore...he just stopped to take in the sights and wouldn't move. After several episodes of this, he finally decided to walk with the rest of the horses. We continued across McCalister Pass to the sound of horseshoes crunching on frost-covered grass and the feeling of cold air on our fingers and faces. The day progressed nicely as we turned back and forth down switchbacks for about an hour. We were nearing the end of the switchbacks when I heard one of the guests say "I think my saddle is sliding forward." Just as I dismounted and handed Ally's lead line to another guest...I turned and saw Ivan (the rider on Gurry) diving toward the ground. No worries though..he quickly stated that he remembered to head towards the uphill side this time. (See...he fell on the second riding day too when Gurry tripped...no injuries of course.) Anyway...I continued to hurry along the line of riders and approached his horse to see that his saddle wasn't slipping forward. It was all the up on the horses neck!! I readjusted it and we were on our way again. I just started laughing to myself at this point wondering would could possibly happen next. We continued on for about 20 minutes or so and then I hear one of the riders, Sam, laughing. I turn back and see that Kevin, Sam's dad, is no longer on his horse. As I jump down and hand my lead line again to another guest...I see that Jaws (Kevin's horse) is laying down in the trail. I began to laugh...a loud this time...and pull on his lead line. At this point I am thinking these horses must have had to much grass in the meadow and they must have aching bellies. Either way...we had to make out it...so onward we went. Jaws did lay down twice more....but Kevin was able anticipate the moments after those and keep his horse upright. The rest of the ride was uneventful and we made it to the trail head by 1:30 and the bus waited for all the gear and riders. They were leaving on the 2:00 boat that day and hoped to grab some treats from the bakery on the way down the road. I unloaded some gear and headed up to the ranch to help unsaddle horses and put away tack before relaxing for the evening. It was truly a great trip to a beautiful place only a handful of people see in awe each year...I am thankful we were a part of that group this year.
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