Montana - Bob Marshall Wilderness - Here I Come!

I've always wanted to go on a pack trip, but I don't have enough horses, the equipment, or the knowledge to organize my own.  Here in MO we have the Ozark Trail, which is long enough to pack on but not much opportunity for grazing the horses--leading to a vicious circle.  You need extra horses to pack horse feed, but those horses need feed, so you need more horses, which also need feed...well you get the idea.

To go somewhere like Colorado or Montana would be a difficult proposition, too.  As you travel higher in elevation, the oxygen level in the air decreases.  Your body, and the horse's body, acclimates to the oxygen level in air at the elevation in which they are acclimated.  It takes a few weeks at a higher elevation to acclimate to the reduced oxygen, and depending on how long you've been at lower elevations, your body may never be fully efficient at the higher elevations.  Therefore, taking our horses to "real" mountains like the Rockies is not a reasonable goal.  It would be a long trailer ride, require weeks of acclimation, and they might still not make it.

And then the chance of a lifetime presented itself.  One of my coworker's father used to work for the USFS, using pack strings in his work.  He also used to subcontract as a cook for a local outfitter that organizes pack trips into the Bob Marshall, packing the food and cooking supplies in and out of camp.  He still lives next to "The Bob", and has several horses.  He has graciously agreed to let me join him on a week long trip this summer, along with one of his coworkers and that man's wife.  He's even more graciously allowing me to borrow one of his horses, even though he's never met me and has never seen me ride.  I did warn him that I prefer my horse to amble so he knows I'm not interested in running around like a city slicker.

Of course, we will be sleeping on the ground (in tents), and although there will be a portable shower the restroom facilities will be rather...um...primitive.  You know what?  I don't mind at all.  It's only a week.  It's not like I'll have to sneak behind a tree for the rest of my life. 

He's going to shuttle me to and from the airport, put me up at his house the night before and night after the trip, supply all meals, the horse, the tack (except he's asked me to bring my saddle as he thinks it will fit the horse better than the one he has for it), all gear except my sleeping bag and personal items (clothes, camera, toiletries, etc.), and anything else required.  I won't say how much he thinks it will cost, but let's just say as far as I'm concerned, it's an absolute steal.  No way will I let him accept so little money.  I've also made a surprise for him, but I won't post what it is until after the trip on the off chance he somehow stumbles across this blog!

My vacation request is approved and on file at work, and I have my plane tickets.  (Just in time, prices just got a lot higher for that same itinerary).  I'm also started to get a few things together to take with me:  a new saddle slicker (for day trips I always used a poncho but that won't cut it if I have to be out for hours in the rain), some more wool socks (even in July it gets down to freezing at night), biodegradable soap, a new hat that is both waterproof and breathable (and has a good sun protection rating), stuff like that.

I've also created custom trail maps for the general area, with our planned route highlighted.  I've even created maps that download into my GPS receiver, so that's cool.  Probably half my weight allowance for gear will be taken up with the GPSr, the camcorder, and batteries for both. LOL I can wash undies in a stream if I have to, as long as I take enough batteries!

I thought I would post some of the positive that's going on in my life, not just the things that depress me or make me rant.  Of course I've rambled instead of ranted, but I suppose that's an improvement?