Well I guess this will be my third chapter on learning How to Pack.  Our ultimate goal is to pack in the Sierras for a few days with our own stock and feel comfortable doing it.  Our previous experiences have been a 3 day trip with the Sierra Unit taking us up to the Golden Trout Wilderness giving us the taste and then last fall we went with Mike Lewis as outriders to pack out the Trail Gorillas.  Mikes enthusiasm for packing is contagious.  He has a real passion and a great ability to teach.  He wants to give everyone an opportunity to learn and enjoy packing so he gave his first pack clinic on January 12, 2012.  Morning dawned and lucky me we are only a ½ mile from the Lewis’s homestead. I saddled up Mr. Pete the painted pony and threw on the old pack saddle we had bought from rendezvous last year on Tanner and went to school.  The weather was threatening to rain and Pete was feeling all 14.2 hands of himself doing the Charro dance all the way.  Tim loaded up the truck with the panniers we had bought used and met me there.

     Riding up there were already people milling about and the sun was beginning to peek out.  Mrs. Pebbles Lewis had the coffee on and donuts to be had.  Tied up the boys to Mike’s trailer and got to work. We had 34 people signed up and we were ready to go.  Mike had asked Tom Firth to assist him in the clinic and bring some of his pack equipment.  We also had some members bring they’re equipment and when you laid it all out there was every different type of pack saddles, panniers, bags and boxes you could imagine.

     Everyone settled in and we were introduced the Don the steel mule.  Mike started out with why we pack.  Why walk when you can ride, to get to the beautiful places in the wilderness and bringing the comforts of home with you i.e. bed rolls, tents, food, Pebble’s shower and beer.  Mike and Tom also pack for various service organizations such as United States Forest Service and the Pacific Crest Trail Association bringing in supplies and taking them out.  Using Don as our model we learned the different pack saddles mainly settling on the saw buck design and the decker saddle. The importance of proper rigging, cinching and balancing your load were covered.  Mike and Tom covered the different types of bags, boxes and manties (a canvas to cover and protect your load) and answered questions.

     The next topic was knots and hitches.  How to secure you load with a rope. Of course there are as many opinions as there are what kind of ropes to use.  Did you know that rock climbers will only use a climbing rope 3 times unless they fall with one? Then that rope is useless.  Climbers will cut that rope into small pieces so it won’t be used to climb anymore.  But wait!!  Used climbing rope is one of the best ropes to secure your loads with.  There is minimal stretch.  Amazing!

     Next our teachers went over the versatile box hitch and the diamond hitch. Of course they make it look easy.  Over this, pull here, this is your tight rope, knot here piece of cake right?  As with everything related to equestrian there is a different way of doing everything.  Mike showed us the diamond hitch then Tom showed us the eastern sierra diamond and the western diamond.  Huh?  You know same thing but different! Ok brain is in overdrive. Someone said cake, time for lunch.

     Lunch was hamburgers, hotdogs, beans, three delicious salads oh and did I mention cake? Yeah baby!  At lunch we started selling tickets for Redshanks drawing for a pack saddle made by Mike and the drawing for a free pack trip to Trinity Alps for two and a round pen from Rendezvous.  If you did not make it see what you missed?

     After lunch we broke into small groups to practice the box hitch on the steel mules.  Now I will let you on a little secret.  The weekend before Tim, Stacy and I stole Don the mule and set him up in our tack room.  Four hours later and a bottle of whiskey all three of us had the box hitch down.  Again, I will mention everything related equestrian everyone has a different way of doing the same thing different.  Maybe we had an advantage so Mike trots out his little mule Diamond and we get to try our hand on real stock.  Believe me it is totally different tying on a real mule than Don.  Following your tight rope on a moving mule can be a challenge.

     All in all the day was a success.  Everyone had a great time and wonderful day.  Congratulations to Terry Wright for winning the drawing for the handmade horse hair vase.  Thank you to Mike and Pebbles for opening your home and putting on a wonderful clinic.  Thank you Tom for helping and sharing your knowledge.  Stay tuned for clinic number two.  I know I’ll be there!