Watching The Packstring

All of the guests at 7 Lazy P were excited about their 10 day pack trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and I was no exception. I guess the exception was that I only would ride for one day. The group would ride to the south part of the frequently photographed Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall and then back.

The mule packstring was behind our group and we wanted to get some photos of it. We were riding on switchbacks now and Dave suggested we tie our horses and run up two or three switchbacks to get a full view of the packstring coming. OK, I have cowboy boots on, which are not meant for running, and I have camera gear to tote so my running wasn’t up to par.

This photo is looking from two switchbacks down, as far as I got before the packstring rounded the curve. It really was a great image and I wished the mules would have held still a little longer. It was explained to me that once the packstring gets started it is best to keep them at a steady pace, particularly in narrow trail areas.

We let the packstring pass by and I was able to get a few more close-up photos. This photo is David, one of the wranglers and his packstring. It’s amazing to see how all of the gear that was piled up by the barn back at the ranch had been neatly bundled and evenly distributed on the mules.

It was early afternoon and the main group was planning to ride about a half hour further before taking a lunch break. We were going to ride a little while longer with them, then we’d turn back.

Remember all of those insecurities I had about starting this pack trip? Well, it was mighty difficult to leave the group when we got to the turnaround point. I knew there would be amazing adventures, particularly when they got to see the Chinese Wall and by now I had full confidence in my horse on these trails. If I only had nine more days…I could say I was a veteran of a Bob Marshall Wilderness pack trip!