The second Great Gravel Pack-in at Washington States Capital Forest near Olympia, WA. There were 26 head working in this gravel show, which moved 20,000# of gravel and rock for a two mile round trip. Sue led a string of 4 pack critters. She was the only woman packer and with the longest stringworking. Ed has been the co-coordinator of the operation with the Department of Natural Resources personnel.
Sue riding Miss Kitty and leading the string. Snow was still melting fast from a spring storm. Sue is bundled up and using a lap robe. It was a very cold and damp day.
Our gang must wait patiently to be loaded by volunteer gravel handlers.
Dropping the gravel to repair a hole from a fallen tree's root ball.
Packing tools and camp for the Washington Trails Association, supporting them in their repair of the Duckabush trail, in the Olympic National Forest. Photo is a view from Big Hump.
Sue and Ed riding out after tools only pack-in.
Rest break at the bottom of the Big Hump.
"Wash" is the first part of Washington as in "to wash away." It can be very wet even in June. Christine Peterson, riding Lizzy, is our guide to the site of a tool drop-off point in advance of the WTA trail workers.
Packing out tools and camp for the WTA crew, a week later. Maude has a bandage and duck tape on her left front leg, a nasty sharp rock cut her as we crawled down a steep new trail into Five Mile Camp.
Climbing up the back-side of Big Hump.
Both sides of Big Hump are long and steep.
Checking out the gang coming through a patch of Rhodes.
Rosie's first trip into the backcountry undersaddle. She did great! When a horse is good, they are very, very good. When a horse is bad, you wish they were a mule.
2007 was our ninth year working as volunteer packers for the Olympic National Park in Washington State. Our work primarily is on the east side of the park in the Hoodsport RangerDistrict. We packin support of the parks trail crew employees,rangers, and volunteer groups, working to keep the park trails open. In this photo we are traveling above the Duckabush Riverabout 7 miles from the trailhead, in route to Ten Mile Camp.
Crossing Slate Creek, Staircase Trail.
Sue tightening up after the first shake down, on the Staircase Trail.
The dust has just settled. Moby was tied to the tree that Liz is tied to now, with her still hooked to him. Before she could be untied, he managed to step over her lead rope and the adventure was on. I went for Moby to try and keep him still and Sue tried to get Lizzy's head off of the ground. This went on for a while, like a yo-yo on a string. Liz would pull back, Moby would be forced to sit down, and this would pull Liz’s head down. Sue was able to get Lizzy's attention and pushed down on her head, Lizzy finally understood slack was needed on her halter. Sue was then able to unbuckle her halter and let her go. You can see her with a far away look on her face, still upset and worrying.
Rolling out of the Staircase trailhead, bound for Camp Pleasant.
Pulling into Camp Pleasant horse camp.
Packing up to haul trail crew out of Nine Stream.
Passing Goat Slide, the site of a massive avalanche in 2000. All of that year we packed the trail crew into this site, as they worked to open this trail.
Crossing Madeline Creek on the Stair Case Trail. This crossing is between a log jam and a steep drop off. When it is running high, it is very dangerous to cross. We have dropped loads off here more than once, usually during a spring thaw.
Ed's view of the Park Service mules on a trip into the Duckabush. We made 7 trips for the Park Service in 2007. Ed rode 6 times as a safety drag rider for the park pack string, into the Duckabush. Ed also packed out one injured hiker on a rescue call from Nine Stream, on the Staircase Trail. We only worked in two drainages this year, when we normally would have worked in three.
Clair Donato, the Park's head packer/stock handler, tightening up packs on the Duckabush.
Park string crawling through a tight cut above a danger rock on the USFS section of trail, on the Duck. This area is one of the areas the WTA is working on for the USFS. It gets better every year.
Crossing Pitch Creek on the Duck. Janice, a park service mule, fell in this very slippery creek crossing on the next trip. A rock cropping sticks out on the right, out of the pictures frame, caught her pack and down she went into a nasty tangle to the left. The worse for wear was the loss of a shoe. Lucky girl.
There is no shortage of tight spots on the Duck.
There is even a less shortage of rock on the Duck.
This is such a beautiful country that we feel privileged to work in it. When you look around the world, you can see that God was practicingat getting it right. He stopped when he finished here. Boy'o did he get it right.
"Don't stop now it's just getting good!"
If you wish to see more of our photos, a larger gallery is often posted at The Capital Rider of BCHW site. www.capitolriders.org/
The dust has just settled. Moby was tied to the tree that Liz is tied to now, with her still hooked to him. Before she could be untied, he managed to step over her lead rope and the adventure was on. I went for Moby to try and keep him still and Sue tried to get Lizzy's head off of the ground. This went on for a while, like a yo-yo on a string. Liz would pull back, Moby would be forced to sit down, and this would pull Liz’s head down. Sue was able to get Lizzy's attention and pushed down on her head, Lizzy finally understood slack was needed on her halter. Sue was then able to unbuckle her halter and let her go. You can see her with a far away look on her face, still upset and worrying.
