[pct-l] Non-Canine Buddy

[Kevin Corcoran <kevin@hughes.net>]

	PCTA members probably saw in the Nov/Dec PCTA Communicator the
story of Sandra Johnson, who hikes with a goat.  (No, I'm not making this
up)
	A 1991 PCT thruhiker herself, she got it from a guy in WY that
raises, trains, 'rents' and sells them just for packing.  It carries up to
20 lbs of gear, doesn't need to take its food along (they can eat and
process anything, kind of like thruhikers ;-), it needs no trailer to get
to TH's,  is well-behaved, and can negotiate blowdowns with ease.  It even
has its own little tent to sleep in at night. As far as access is
concerned, I expect that a goat could be allowed anywhere a horse is
allowed, and that's the entire PCT. They need to be led by a leash in some
areas to abide by rules, NP's I'd expect....
	I ran into the pair on the PCT last July and paused to find out
about this woman hiking with a goat.  She was writing some trailguides and
the goat helped carry the journals.  The goat was sure a cute little
thing....Sandra told how that with the extra capacity, resupplying can be
less frequent. While we talked the goat was very well-mannered.  When they
headed down the trail it hopped a big blown-down tree and made it look
easy, then climbed up and over some big dumb El Nino snowdrifts.

Kevin Corcoran


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