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Backcountry Horsemen of California Trains Riders
in Wilderness Use |
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by BCHC |
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It's dirty, it's hard work, and it can be dangerous. Packing into the backcountry with livestock can challenge the most rugged equestrians, but one quiet ride on a single-track trail through a high mountain meadow with a good horse, a solid pack mule, and good companions could convert most folks into backcountry horsemen.
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Imagine riding four or five hours in spectacular country, finding an isolated meadow, off-loading your pack animal in the tree-covered hillside nearby and setting up a small camp. You hobble your stock out to graze, then set up a propane stove to brew some strong cowboy coffee. (Of course, "strong cowboy coffee" is redundant.) Settle back against a rock and listen to the hawks guiding their young, the trees shifting in the afternoon breeze, the soft munching of the horse, and |
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nothing else. These are the perks of the dirt, the hard work, and the danger.
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Now imagine riding into that meadow and you find bare spots where the stock have overgrazed, holes around the trees where the horses have pawed the ground, several blackened fire pits, and bits of toilet paper floating around. That's a different scene, and that's what the Wilderness Riders of the Backcountry Horsemen of California (BCHC) want to prevent.
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"We want people to use the backcountry, but not abuse it," said Wilderness Rider Jo Johnson, education chair for the San Joaquin Sierra Unit of the BCHC.
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Wilderness Rider candidate of 2006 and Ken Grave
Wilderness Rider instructor discuss the importance of not riding across a pristine meadow. |
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Using the backcountry, whether on horseback, on bicycle tires, or on foot, carries a responsibility to be gentle with the land, to leave no trace behind, and to be considerate of the horse and the other users. According to the Wilderness Riders, the essence of responsible and enjoyable backcountry use is leaving it in a condition that you would like to find it. This means riders plan ahead, come prepared, and use courtesy and care.
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"You have to know where you're going and what kind of camping you will have," said Johnson. "You need to be prepared for emergencies for riders and stock, know the right places to set up camp, pack out any waste you create, store your supplies so bears and other wildlife can't get them, and stay on the trail." |
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According to the BCHC Web site, a major consideration for backcountry stock users involves gentle stock management. Horses simply can't go from a meal of alfalfa hay one night to grass or pellets the next. They need to be conditioned in advance of the trip to prevent colic episodes many miles from any help.
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Each student of the course now gets hands on packing experience. |
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Riders need to practice with their horse before they go into the backcountry so the horse knows about highlines, hobbles, pickets, electric fences or loose grazing. They also need to be accustomed to crossing noisy wooden bridges, logs, rocky trails, and dark and spooky water crossings. The first hour of a five-day pack trip is not the time to be training a horse to calmly climb a steep, rocky trail in a single-file line of stock. |
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According to Johnson, there are 47 active certified Wilderness Riders in California, and each one has been through a rigorous week-long practical training process. The course is usually taught by a representative of the United States Forest Service, a representative from the State Park Service, and two Leave No Trace Stock Users Masters. The training is designed to teach Gentle Use and Leave No Trace techniques to qualified BCHC members who then are charged to go back to their individual units and teach the principles to more people. |
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Wilderness Rider Class of 2006 learn from instruction of each other on Gentle Use and Leave No Trace Principles.
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"As a Wilderness Rider, you really should have a love of teaching," said Johnson. "The main thrust of the program is to spread the word about Low Impact Camping and Packing techniques. It's the most incredible thing I had done in a long time." |
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BCHC San Diego Unit President Cheryl Wegner agrees. |
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"I went in the summer of 2007," said Wegner. "It was a great life experience for my horse and me. We each were given one Leave No Trace component to teach, and we had to come prepared with all our materials. It's a fabulous program. I was honored to be selected and excited to learn from the dedicated experienced instructors on our trip." |
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BCHC has about 3,200 members in 26 units throughout the state of California, from Yreka to San Diego, the bay area to Bishop. Formed in 1986 to preserve the historic use of trails for recreational pack and saddle stock, the group works through education and public outreach programs, activities and events, public service, and advocacy to encourage safe and enjoyable wilderness and backcountry experiences for all users. |
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For those dedicated equestrians who can't get enough of the backcountry-horse combination, the Wilderness Riders program is just the ticket. |
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"It's an absolutely fun thing to do," said Lynn Joiner, BCHC treasurer and long-time Wilderness Rider. |
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Wilderness Rider candidate of class '07 learns packing
skills from instructor Pete Krieger to enable her to
fulfill her duties in the backcountry. |
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Wilderness Rider candidates apply for training every odd-numbered year. The process involves a written application and an interview to determine the candidate's level of commitment and capability to perform the required tasks. Once accepted, candidates prepare their instruction assignment and gather at the designated training center, a different place each year. In 2007, the training involved ten students, two cooks, and three instructors including Forest Service Region 5 LNT coordinator Ken Graves, and took place in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. |
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They spend one day learning and practicing packing techniques before heading out into the wilderness. After a four or five-hour ride to the base camp site, they work together to set up camp including cleaning the restrooms, setting up a kitchen and putting up the highlines and tents. |
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For the next five days, candidates learn how to weigh a load, saddle a pack animal, throw a box hitch, manage livestock in the backcountry, minimize campfire impact, pack and prepare food, all the while respecting the environment and the wildlife. |
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Wilderness Riders have to pack to the location they will spend the week learning Gentle Use Principles.
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Once certified as a Wilderness Rider, the trainees have their own responsibilities. They are required to serve two stints in the backcountry each year, patrolling for problems at campsites and generally helping all backcountry users have a more enjoyable experience. |
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At the Golden Trout Wilderness in 2007, Joiner contacted lots of hikers and riders. |
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"We carried backpacks for them, fed the backpackers, found the lost, and generally helped wherever we were needed," she said. |
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They also have to make at least one Gentle Use and Leave No Trace presentation each year. For Wegner, being able to go back to her unit to conduct education and outreach was a main reason for taking the training. |
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Current Wilderness Riders meet every even-numbered year to review their training and Gentle Use techniques. |
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Candidates for the 2009 training will be interviewed at the 2009 Rendezvous, the BCHC's annual three-day expo usually held in March in Turlock, California. The BCHC Education Committee will conduct the interviews and do the screening. |
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"We're looking for candidates who have the capacity to carry out the training and fulfill their obligations," said Joiner. "We don't consider ourselves elite, unless you consider cleaning up a dirty camp or helping a sick backpacker a special activity." |
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Read comments or post your own comments to this article at the bottom of this page. |
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Copyright © 2008 All rights reserved. The above article is the property of the Author and may not be duplicated or redistributed in any way without permission. |
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Reader comments for this article |
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Name: Jonathan Schultz Time: 2008-07-03 23:07:46
Comment: Took the master Teacher "Leave No Trace" course in Montana. now i pack out trash on my horse and Mules. 5 gal propane tanks, 55 gallon drums, matresses, rugs, pipe and you name it out of the east fork River in the Angeles National Forest. i teach patrons of the Forest about Leave No Trace ever time i'm up in the Forest. Remember, each Forest is different on how it is managed. Angeles, San Bernardino and Cleveland see more people than all the other Forest combined. it would be nice to see a forest untouched. as we know no Forest is pristeine, natural and we must keep it that way for all to use and go into to see and enjoy.
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