Long Lakes to Sonora Pass

imported
#1

Hi All,
a friend camped at Long Lakes last night. Pepperoni is riding one horse and has another along to pack extra provisions.
Her husband, CREW, is providing support where he can.
He was just told that she won’t be able to make it over Sonora Pass.
Anyone have real time info on trail conditions? A horse weighs more than a hiker and rider/horse team has to deal with post hole-ing when a backpacker might not.
She already had to bypass (just 600 feet shy of the top) Forester Pass… and start again at Toulomne Meadows. She’ll go back and ride that part later.
Thanks in advance,
Wrecksduke

wrecksduke

#2

Dogfood,

you have no clue what you are talking about, so shut yer trap. the PCT is a HORSE AND HIKER trail. horses have every right out there as us hikers do. you would do us all a favor and start hiking off into the pacific ocean and not coming back. a horse is more accustomed to walking the trail than any of us so dont think for a second that it is hard on them. keep your idiotic comments to yourself next time.

TYVEK

#3

Three words: Indian Heaven Wilderness

DuPont

#4

Gotta agree with Tyvek on this one. Dogfood hasn’t got a clue. The PCT has always been a dual use hiker / horse trail. The horse folks are usually very strong trail supporters. I don’t speak horse / mule talk - but most stock I’ve encountered seem to be pretty content to be out on the trail - even when it gets steep.

Every summer I run into hikers who bitch about stock on “their” PCT. Reminds me of folks who by houses near an established airport then complain about the noise.

Horse crap is part of the deal - but not nearly as disgusting as the reams of TP and mounds of human crap evident near the popular PCT/JMT areas like the western approaches Whitney.

booger

#5

If the spirit of Ed Abbey is alive and well, then it ain’t evident here.

“Always question authority.”

and

“God bless America. Let’s save some of it.”

It ain’t about the horse crap, but the trail damage that 1000 pound stock animals cause. Many a mile of the PCT has been turned into a horse hoof gouged, u-shaped, sandy wasteland. And it gets worse every year, especially where the commercial outfitters roam free (and legally). This is environmental damage, difficult if not impossible to fully repair. So please forgive some of us for having a negative attitude toward all equestrian use of the trail. Hikers actually get to see and feel this damage up close, unlike those on horseback.

DuPont

#6

Share the trail dude, and do your part. Around these parts (Central WA) horse use (and damage) is heavy and persistent. But, like previously stated, horse people are STRONG advocates of the back country and preservation.

They also do a lot of trail maintenance (Back Country Horseman Association) and help out the USFS with supplies etc…

I agree about the commercial packers - they concentrate the damage and amplify hikers awareness/concerns about horses. But, they also put people into the back country who might otherwise not be able to get there (sometimes a good thing politically).

As for horse poo - do your part dude.

Rather than just bitchin about it, kick it off the trail. Seriously. The horse people can’t stop every time one of their animal takes a crap, but you can lend a hand.

I do.

PS: lots of the pooing occurs in the first few miles past the trail head. Then the horse seems to regulate their system, and it’s not so bad after that.

Daniel Smith