Re: [pct-l] Banning Horses? Nah!

[bjensen4@juno.com (Birgitte Jensen)]

>[They [packers] claim that they are provding a valuable service that 
>the public wants.]

    Well, sure they are. Haven't heard yet the argument that packers are
working like field hands (at subsistance levels, BTW; aren't any Bill
Gates in horsepacking <g>) at a dangerous job for their own amusement!
Most of their business comes from hikers, some of them on this list, who
want the Backcountry Experience, but not the grief of hauling stuff
around. Can't count the # of "thruhikers" who've (privately, natch)
mentioned to this reader using packers in their resupply plans. That's
what packers do, mainly: schlep hiker's/fishermen's junk from a popular
TH to an equally-popular lake or bearbox or something a couple hours in.
_That's_ where most of the "horse damage"  - as well as people damage,
ahem -  is, coincidentally.  Few people are willing to cough up the $$ to
have their stuff (and them, tho not alot of folks enjoy
multi-hour/multi-day trail riding) placed in remote locations. Many
eastside passes are deemed Unsuitable For Stock, and thus are
horse-damage-free. Oddly, these routes get little hiker use also. Could
it be that the "problem" is not packer greed, but hiker hypocracy/sloth?
No supply without demand, I hear... And too many people using the same
easy trails (like the PCT) and TH's too often; without draconian measures
against _all_users, those areas are history as far as Pristine Wilderness
goes, whaddya gonna do?
    To my knowledge, commercial packers do less damage, not more, than
private horsemen. P.H. tend to ride in larger groups (the typical
commercial venture involves 1, maybe 2 horsemen and a string for the
dunnage), go into the backcountry farther often using more inventive
routes, and set up large overnight camps. Commercial outfits work by the
hour and/or mile, so tend to work multiple short in/out runs from the
pack station itself (trailering expenses are high for one thing) of
several hours, done as speedily and efficiently as possible, which makes
sense. Horsepacking is an old tradition in the Sierra Nevada, and most
horsepackers are working to keep up with the times,
environmentally-speaking, which is a difficult proposition for them.
[You've all read my earlier post mentioning some of the specifics, I
believe.] We all, packers, hikers, whoever, are struggling with balancing
fiscal realities with the need to preserve wilderness areas. Posts
bringing up so-called Political Issues to exclude certain groups from
backcountry use are merely trolls; (folks looking for a little
flame-excitement or having an axe to grind) and should be treated as
such, sigh... 
    One thing that fuels these hiker vs horseman threads is the image of
the horseman as Cowboy, America's greatest symbol of masculinity. Some of
the most vocal of the "horse haters" (like the ones who advocate
barbed-wire stringing) are fellows with alot invested in their own
personal image of outdoor macho - read their tough-guy trip
reports/posts, and you'll quickly get the picture. As a (by definition,
disinterested) woman,  I detect in some male hikers (or internet posters
on hiking matters at any rate) a certain sour envy of the ease many
packers display in the backwoods environment: the packer certainly looks
like the "genuine article" as opposed to us poor hikers in our GoreTex
hiking-outfits, doesn't he? (_she_ often nowadays, which is another
story.) Apparently, there is even resentment of the size of the animals
(most than one poster has griped that he finds livestock "intimidating" -
interesting....) A psychological phenomenon that is  understandable, but
hardly bearing on environmental concerns, I think.
     Personally, I find cowboy hats and what rides under 'em
unbelieveably sexy! I also think a discussion about  local (Sierra
Nevada, as the quoted newspaper article states) politics belongs in a
group of those involved. Since the PCT-L seems to be about thruhiking
(getting through the Sierra Nevada on one particular trail as quickly as
possible, usually once in a lifetime) and many (if not most) of its
members are not regular hikers in that area (most hike outside CA),
individuals looking to inflame prejudices or gather signatures for
petitions, whatever, should take their business on the subject elsewhere.
Isn't that a good idea?          bj

   Kevin (who started the original thread) is always e-mailing me to "go
get 'em"; happy now, Kevin? <VBG> Sorry I can't stick around, as you
know, I'm pretty busy right now. Will send you a snow-report, promise.

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