In august, 5 others and myself had an adventure packing from Grandjean along the south fork of the Payette River. Grandjean is located between Lowman and Stanley and is about 7 miles off the highway. It is a trailhead for both equine packers and back packers. There is a developed campground at the trailhead for RVs. There is a lodge about a mile from the trailhead back toward the highway and hot springs along the river. There were bathers using the springs and river the day we went into the trailhead.
The trailhead has corrals, tie outs and water available. There is ample parking for the trucks and horse trailers. It is my understanding that overnight camping is not allowed at the trailhead for those packing in. The ranger said they had no problem with camping the night before and after the trip but not to camp for an extended period of time.
Permits are required to go into the Sawtooth recreation area. If using equine then there is a limit of 8 people and 14 head of stock, if I remember correctly. Packpackers or hikers can fill their permits out at the trailhead but equine packers have to have a signed permit from the Stanley Ranger Station. I got ours by visiting the station but they will work by phone and mail. So there is some time needed to make the necessary arrangements with the Rangers.
One of the requirements for both the hikers and packers is that no fires are allowed on the ground. Fire blankets or pans are required. We used a fire pan that was made for the top of an old barbeque. It was sort of tent shaped and worked well. It fit nicely on top of one of the packs and was not a problem to pack. We set a base camp at Elk Lake, 6 miles from the trailhead, those before us had used a fire ring so we set the pan in that spot and use it.
I am one of those that "bow up" when requirements are imposed but after talking to the rangers I felt enlighted and wanted to co-operate with their wishes as it is obvious they want to keep the area as pristine as possible for everyone in the future and I certainly agree with that. If that takes a fire pan then so be it.
As I mentioned ealier we stayed at Elk Lake where there was excellent grazing. One of the things I like about packing is all of the free grass the government provides. We used hobbles, tie outs and electric fencing on this trip. I never did allow my mule off a tether as mules have been know to return to the trailhead when no one is watching and I don't wish to walk that far and want to ensure have an saddle animal in all events.
We packed in using 7 head of pack animals and 6 saddle animals.
The trails was very rough in places. Two shoes were lost by the group with one horse becoming lame. The horse had to have a pad under the next shoeing to allow him to be sound enough to use. He now is doing well.
The river was crossed several times. The river was beautiful with lots of white water, falls, and stretches where the water ran down smooth rocks. Think of the scene in "Last of the Mohicans" where they are climbing along the river to visualize this water. Amazing!
God has created some amazing places for us to visit. We are so fortunate in the west to have these government lands to use. In many places in the US they do not have this opportunity and all the ground is deeded to individuals.
The above photo is Benedict Lake. Fishing was fine there. Each day we rode from Elk Lake to different lakes. Get a map and look at the number of lakes in the region. On the map look to the west of Redfish, Petit or Alturas lakes to see the number of bodies of water in the area.
The above is Lake Ardeth. This had been our primary goal to camp at but Elk Lake had such good grazing I was convinced that we should stay there and I'm glad we did as the grass was plentiful. We did find other meadows higher up on the trip on the route to Queen river but it was on a stream and not a lake.
The above is Lake Everly and what a beauty laying hidden from most of the travelers in the area. If you are horse back then think twice about the final assent to this lake as it is rather tough and could be dangerous to animals that are not well suited for mountain work. There were places none of us rode the animals on the way back out.
The above is Elk Lake where we camped. It was an awesome place to wake up to in the morning.
The photo above reminds me of why it is important to do those things that we want and not be putting them off. This man is my brother and this was to be our last trip into the moutains together. He died of a stroke in October after this August trip. I am so grateful of the many places and times that we have shared in the mountains and together. He was my dearest friend and is greatly missed. He is 78 years young in this picture and is using good animals. I pray I can still go on the trails at his age. I know there will never be a ride he will not be remembered. Hope they have mules and mountains in heaven.
This is my good friend Bill getting ready to start loading one of the four pack animals he took in. Not all of this goes on one animal. It is quite an art to pack a and keep the load on while traveling.
This is part of the pack string headed out after our too short of stay. The pack seen is held on with the well know "double diamond hitch". The name comes from the fact the ropes form diamond shapes on both sides of the animal and not for any knot made.
This phot is appropriate for THE END.
I am riding my good molly mule and am wishing it was not over for this trip and already planning the next trip. I imagine I am including brother and do not know that this is the last trip on this earth to the mountains for us together. Life is short but oh so sweet.
Happy trails to you!
Tags: Pack Mules Sawtooth Trip Mountains
