A good day in the mountains

fred slyfield

fred slyfield

Well-known member
Yesterday my buddy Larry and I decided that it was time to clean out the old trail to one of my favorite high country mule deer spots so we loaded up the horses and mules, sharpened the chainsaw and headed out. We made good time heading up the mountain, had to cut out about 15 fresh blowdowns from the winter, at about the 4 mile mark we made the last pitch up towards the old cut off to camp and hit three feet of snow! The elevation gain from the trail head to camp is almost 3000 feet, the trail is an old stock driveway for sheep so it pretty much goes straight up, not many switchbacks.

Last year by mid July there was no snow left but this year is a different story, oh well in about 3 weeks we should be able to finish the rest of the trail and get some fire wood cut and split, this year I drew a multi season deer tag so I can hunt all three deer season with a bow then muzzleloader then rifle.

If the weather cooperates I'll take my camp in mid Sept then hunt with my front stuffer first then go back in mid Oct. with the rifle.

Here are a couple shots from the day, Larry took a few of me sweating over the chainsaw as he sat on his mule, haven't got those from him yet.


The view from camp, After hitting snow I hiked up the last half mile to camp, we see mountain goats on this peak about every time we are up there.



The end of the trail yesterday.It should be melted out in a couple weeks.




How to safely pack a chainsaw on a mule, this custom made mount holds the saw, you can still get to it even with a load on a mule.



Rose is off at her sisters for the week playing at her summer home so I was being the "perfect husband" yesterday and rode her horse for her, Lassie is a super mountain horse and is one of the most powerful horses I have ever owned, when you hit a steep hill she just picks a lower gear and works her way up the trail. Some horse you have to keep pushing them when it get steep.



 
Fred - Nothing like a mule, a chainsaw and a muzzleloader to get the testosterone flowing. Thanks for sharing your goodness brother! Tough to keep my head in work after those pictures... Pat
 
Fred,
Beautiful country, love the pictures. My dad had horses and I miss the occasional ride now and then. It is a pleasure to use (or more correctly, work in conjunction with) a well trained animal, whether it be a horse or a dog.
 
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Damn, first Ray's commute and now your 'good day'.
You guys are killing me with envy!
Thanks for sharing.

Best - Paul
 
You are doing what the average American can only dream of, Fred. Sure enjoyed the pictures and was extremely happy to see all that snow you still have. Makes you lucky. Good luck with the remainder of the trail cuts later this month.
Al
 
Thanks guys it was a good day , long but good, I can honestly say I feel like I accomplish more doing this than any day I ever spent in the office!!
 
That is some fantastic scenery, some stuff we just don't see down here on the Gulf Coast!
 
Wow, beautiful....so nice to see snow capped peaks and flannels. 90 + here today, but the heat makes for good fishing........
 
That does look like a good day indeed. I gotta ask you Fred, as a guy with very little horse experience, what's the advantage/difference of using mules?

Mike
 
Mike, a good mule is worth their weight in gold, very strong, sure footed, they haul loads better , they don't sway like a horse when they walk so your load doesn't rock around.

They have very unique personalities, kind of a 1000 pound lap dog if you will.

A bad mule, horrible and not worth ten cents, they will hurt you sooner or later, you have to start them young and spend lots of time with them to develop a trust in humans.

A good saddle mule is worth a lot of money these days, I turned down $5000 for one of mine a couple years ago.
 
Fred;
35 years ago, when I had a lot more energy than brains, we hunted elk in the Blue Mts. south of Pomeroy in the Mt Misery area.( they named it right!). It was about a 2 mile pack almost straight up from where the elk hung out, up to the road. There was an old timer who had 2 white mules, he would charge $75-$100 to pack out your elk depending on location. Those animals were something to watch as they made their way up and out of those canyons that only a goat would tackle. They were surefooted, mild mannered, and very smart..........they never seemed to put them selves in a situation where they could get hurt. Most people think mules are stubborn and dumb, not so, these animals had a lot more savy than the 2 legged critters hunting the bottoms of those canyons.


Since those days, I've always held a good mule in high regards.


Gary
 
Gary, Been to the Blues and that is some steep country, I'm sure most guys thought that 75-100 bucks he charged was a hell of a bargain!!

Hunter and I went out for a couple hours tonight and made a loop up north of the house, Here is a shot of him on my mule Rosie, she is a super pack and saddle mule, pretty much like part of the family.

She was born in my Corral's here at the house 15 years ago.


 
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