Wilderness Skills and Packing Clinic – August 2011

09. May 2010 · Comments Off on Wilderness Skills and Packing Clinic – August 2011 · Categories: Horse Camping, Tips, Tricks and Tid Bits, Training Events

 At the November State Board meeting of Back Country Horsemen of Idaho, the idea of a week long Wilderness Skills and Packing clinic sponsored by the State organization and open to Forest service and members of Back Country Horsemen of America was presented.  All fifteen chapters approved the proposal with the Squaw Butte Chapter, Emmett Idaho taking the lead.  The proposed clinic will have a student population of around twenty five and we anticipate a staff of fifteen, for a total of forty people.  The clinic is planned to have students arrive on a Sunday, with classes starting Monday through the following Saturday.  We will be following a curriculum developed by Back Country Horsemen of Idaho which has been presented a number of times to Forest Service personnel in Idaho and a joining state.  The instructors are retired forest service employees and BCHI members,  who have many years of back country and packing experience.  We believe that the unimproved area of the Grandjean campground Sawtooth Ranger District would make a perfect venue for this course.  The nearby trails, generally easy access for people attending and the scenic nature of the area are likely to increase interest in this clinic.

Proposal

 The Squaw Butte Chapter of Backcountry Horseman of Idaho presents the following proposal to the state board of directors.
 
WHEREAS:  One of the prime mandates of Backcountry Horseman is providing educational opportunities for our members.
 
WHEREAS:  Opportunities for attending comprehensive multiday packing skills clinics are limited and can be expensive.
 
WHEREAS:  Backcountry Horseman of Idaho has a number of members with extensive packing experience and a developed curriculum for such a clinic.
 
BE IT PROPOSED:  That Backcountry Horseman of Idaho sponsor and hold a five day Wilderness Packing Clinic open to members of Backcountry Horseman of America. The first Wilderness Packing clinic will be held adjacent to the Sawtooth Wilderness at the Grandjean trail head and campground in August 2011.
 
Submitted to BCHI, Board of Directors
By the Squaw Butte Chapter, BCHI
Details of the Proposal:  Backcountry Horseman of Idaho Wilderness Packing Clinic BCHI host a five day wilderness packing clinic open to members of Backcountry Horseman of America. Attendees will at the end of the clinic be able to safely and confidently pack and transport a variety of loads from a trail head to a destination.  They will be able to travel and camp in the backcountry with minimum impact using LNT techniques, produce hearty meals and maintain healthy stock.
 
The BCHI mentors will guide the attendees through a curriculum that is both fun and comprehensive.  Some of the items covered will be:
 
            • The function and fitting of the pack saddle and its’ uses
            • How to make up loads that will ride
            • How and why to tie different hitches
            • How to safely lead a string of mules or horses
            • How to deal with hard to handle pack stock
            • “Leave no trace” methods of livestock camping
            • Basic back country first aid for livestock and humans
            • Backcountry meal planning and preparation
            • Traditions and history of packing in the in backcountry
 
Location:  This inaugural clinic will be held at the western gateway to the Sawtooth Wilderness at the Grandjean trail head and camp ground. This facility located in Boise National forest next to the head waters of the South Fork of the Payette River provides outstanding stock camping facilities, and is a perfect venue to learn the skills needed to pack into the Sawtooth Wilderness.
 
Time:  The clinic is planned for August of 2011
 
Costs:  There will be small fee for active members of Backcountry Horseman of America to attend this clinic required at registration, and certified weed free hay will be available for purchase.
 
What will be provided by BCHI: Training material, mentors, a variety of loads to train with and a rich history of packing experience to draw from: Community Meals will be provided. A very limited number of training pack stock will be available.
 
What Attendees need to provide: Camping gear for both trail head and a back country over night. Riding stock, pack stock if they have it and all required tack and stock containment for use at the trail head, and a high line for the over night.
—–

Squaw Butte has been working with the Stanley and Lowman Rangers on getting permits and permissions to hold this event.   We have been working with Liese Dean (Sawtooth) and David Erwin (Lowman) , and they has been guiding us through the process.  We also discussed the best time to hold this event, taking into account weather and visitor loading in the area.

Dates for Clinic (proposed)

Staff Arrival & Departure             Saturday Aug 13, 2011 (Arrival) – Sunday Aug 21, 2011 (Departure)

Students Arrival & Departure      Sunday Aug 14, 2011 (Arrival) – Saturday Aug 20, 2011 (Departure)

Primary Clinic Location –  Grandjean Campground and Trail Head, Overflow area  (Sawtooth Wilderness)

Secondary Location (fire or what ever)  Bear Valley, Elk Meadows, Trail Head (Frank Church)

Both of these locations are in the Stanley area, and are about 40 miles apart.

We are starting to work on the logistical planning, and will have details at the next State Board Meeting.

Grandjean, Idaho

06. September 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Horse Camping, Tips, Tricks and Tid Bits

Description: 5400-foot elevation. 31 campsites near the border of the Sawtooth Wilderness. The Idaho Centennial Trail heads south along the Payette River, ultimately reaching a lush alpine paradise filled with lakes. Once in the lake area, you can complete the loop back to Grandjean. Fishing in the South Fork of the Payette. Sawtooth Lodge and swimming pool is one mile away. Natural hot springs 1.5 mile away. Horse trips out of the Sawtooth Lodge. Ten sites for horse campers. Campground is located in an old growth ponderosa pine forest.

Amenities: It’s a typical Forest Service campground, with an outhouse, drinking water, fire pits and picnic tables.

Season: late May – September

Reservations: NO

Fee: day use $5; camping $10 (Large no-fee area along the river perfect for horse camping)

Sawtooth National Recreation Area
Stanley Ranger Stanley
HC 64, Box 9900
Stanley, ID  83278

208-774-3000

Location: From Stanley, go 35 miles northwest and south on ID 21, then 7 miles east on Forest Road 524. Turn left on Forest Road 824 at the Sawtooth Lodge.

To travel to Grandjean is to journey into Idaho‘s rugged heart and the epicenter of the state’s rich history of public land and forest management.

Grandjean is in the northwest corner of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area where ponderosa pines tower and the Sawtooth Mountains scrape the sky. In Grandjean, named for one of the state’s earliest foresters, time itself seems to slow.

Though less popular than Sawtooth Valley trailheads, it is a key access to the Sawtooth Wilderness Area. It is a place to hike, camp and ride horseback. It is a place to soak in the nearby Sacagawea Hot Springs. It is a place to fish the green, pristine waters of the South Fork of the Payette River as it tumbles northwest out of the towering Sawtooths.

Sawtooth National Recreation Area Special Uses Administrator Dave Fluetsch said the area is increasingly used as a wilderness access.

“One of the things that’s growing in popularity is that it’s an access to the wilderness area. I was there (recently), and the trailhead parking was completely full,” Fluetsch said. “You’ll see a lot of through hikers. Some people will meet in the middle (of the wilderness area) and trade car keys.”

Grandjean has a storied history that has been the subject of newspaper and magazine articles for 100 years. It is where one of the West’s most educated early forest rangers hung his hat for a spell. And that is where this story really begins. Before a colorful woman by the name of Babe Hansen opened a hunting lodge in Grandjean, the U.S. Forest Service occupied the area as a short-lived ranger station. Emile Grandjean, for whom the valley, a nearby mountain and a nearby creek are named, was one of the earliest supervisors of the Boise National Forest. He lived for a spell in a cabin he built

Grandjean, 74 at the time of his death in Caldwell, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He moved to Nebraska at the age of 17 and later moved to Idaho, first to the Wood River Valley and then to the Grandjean area in the late 1880s. Although he was a Dane, his name belies the country of his birth. His family was among the many Huguenots who fled France in the religious wars of the 17th century.

As a third-generation student of forestry in his native country, Grandjean was years ahead of the first Americans to receive formal academic training in the subject. When the Sawtooth National Forest was created in 1905, he finally had the opportunity to apply for the work for which he was educated. So rare were trained foresters in the West at the time that Grandjean was promoted to supervisor of the Sawtooth and Payette national forests after only a year of service.

In 1908, the 5.5 million-acre national forest was divided into the Sawtooth, Boise and Payette national forests. From it also emerged parts of the modern-day Lemhi and Challis national forests. Grandjean was named supervisor of the Boise National Forest, with headquarters in Boise.

Then and now, the Boise National Forest included the upper South Fork of the Payette River valley, where the hamlet of Grandjean is still nestled among tree-enshrouded ridges and the inspiring backdrop of the Sawtooths.

Although the Grandjean area has remained in public ownership, the way it is governed changed in 1972, when Congress established the 756,000-acre Sawtooth National Recreation Area, which includes three national forests, five Idaho counties and the headwaters of 10 Idaho rivers.  “The enabling legislation of the SNRA then provided direction of the management of the lands,” Fluetsch said.

According to Congress, the SNRA is to be managed so that “the conservation and development of scenic, natural, historic, pastoral, wildlife, and other values” are preserved. The enabling legislation continues to state that the use and disposal of natural resources like timber, grazing and mining “will not substantially impair the purposes for which the recreation area is established.”

And that, it appears, is what the managers of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area have done in the Grandjean area. It’s a place where history and recreation meld together like the ancient granite of the Sawtooth Batholith, which created the towering crags of the Sawtooth Mountains and Grandjean Peak.

Pictures of trips out of Grandjean:  http://picasaweb.google.com/sbbchidaho2006/SawtoothPackTrips#

 

Bull Trout Lake – 4th of July Weekend

24. May 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Fun Rides, Horse Camping, Work Parties and Projects

Bull Trout Lake, Stanley Basin
Latitude: 44.2988 Longitude: -115.2532
Elevation: 6955 ft (2120 m)

Squaw Butte and High Desert chapters of Backcountry Horseman of Idaho will be spending the 4th of July weekend in the Stanley basin camping at the trail head near the Bull Trout Lake camp ground. Directions from Emmett are posted on the SBBCH website or at http://www.sbbchidaho.org/Directions_toBull_Trout_Lake.pdf. Pictures from previous trips are at http://picasaweb.google.com/sbbchidaho2007/BullTroutLake#

The chapters will be camping in the meadow near the trail heads on the south side of the access road. Horse water is near, and it is a short walk to the FS bathroom and a fresh water hand pump. This is a no fee area of the campground. Members will start arriving either Thursday night or Friday morning. Friday is get your camp set up and fun ride or fishing day. There are a number of trails that are available from Bull Trout Lake. On Saturday for those members interested a work party will be formed to work on removing down fall from the Gates Creek Trail [148]. For members not interested in the work party, a ride on the Pass Creek trail [148] towards the Cats lakes by Red Mountain or Dead Man Creek [147] is an option.

Map of Bull Trout Lake trails:  http://sbbchidaho.org/pdf/bull_trout_lake_trails.jpg

Meals:Breakfasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be communal with members providing fixing like eggs, juice, melon etc. Dinners will be pot luck on Friday and Saturday night. Members should plan on providing one dish for one of the two dinners. Lunches are up to the members to provide for themselves.

Stock: There are good locations for setting up portable corrals as well as high lines. There is good access to water for you stock on the north side of the meadow. The trails in this area have some small bridge crossing. It is a good place to do bridge 101 if your stock has little experience with bridges.

On Sunday for members interested and assuming the trails are open for use (snow above 8,000 feet) an optional ride out of the Iron Creek Trail head to Sawtooth Lake is possible before making the drive home. http://sbbchidaho.org/pdf/Iron Creek Area.pdf  The trail to Sawtooth Lake is full of spectacular mountain scenery and is one of the most popular in the SRA. Bring your camera.

Summer Projects & Events

03. May 2009 · Comments Off on Summer Projects & Events · Categories: Horse Camping, Tips, Tricks and Tid Bits, Work Parties and Projects

I welcome all our new SBBCH members and say welcome back to all of our returning SBBCH members. We have a full schedule of events, activities and work weekends lined up for 2009.

We need all of our members to participate so we can achieve all of our commitments. While we do have fun rides, the core purpose of our organization is service. We work to maintain access to trails and trail heads. But we are a volunteer organization; we don’t kill ourselves in pursuit of this work. And we have lots of fun and fabulous food while performing the work.

Food is a core value of our chapter and figures prominently in our work weekends. We make work a social event. Work weekends are a great way to get to know the various SBBCH folks. Our monthly meetings are filled with lots of information, but are not a great way to get to know SBBCH and its members.

So just what are the work weekends like and what are they NOT like?

Work weekends are NOT marathon work events. We hit the saddle Saturday after a very filling communal breakfast. We stop for lunch. We try to be back in camp about 4:30 in the afternoon. Sunday is usually a fun ride in the same general area.

Everyone is NOT required to have pack stock. We usually have a few tools, a couple of chainsaws, and fuel to pack along and only need a few animals to tote it. Everyone does NOT need to run the chainsaws. There is plenty to do lopping out the overgrowth, removing cut logs, and holding horses. If you have a bad back, bad hips, bad knees, or bad whatever, stay in the saddle. But do come and ride with us.

The trails are NOT for ONLY experienced horses and riders. Most trails are suitable for novice horses and riders and riding the trails with the SBBCH folks will increase you and you mount’s experience and confidence.

SBBCH folks observe trail etiquette guidelines. We ensure every one is in the saddle before moving off, we wait to make sure everyone has crossed the bridge or water, we keep tabs on the slower riders and wait for them to catch up.

SBBCH DOES try to make it easy for our members to attend the work weekends. SBBCH provides the certified hay. Trail head directions are available on our web site. Trailer sharing and trailer caravanning is available. SBBCH members are willing to help others learn to camp with their horses and often have excess equipment, like a highline, to lend. SBBCH sets up a communal kitchen, Saturday and Sunday breakfast is communal and Saturday dinner is pot luck.

I look forward to seeing familiar faces and new faces this year at our rides, events and work weekends. I look forward to getting to know each of you better.

National Trails Day – Yellow Jacket TH, Near Warm Lake (Cascade)

17. April 2009 · Comments Off on National Trails Day – Yellow Jacket TH, Near Warm Lake (Cascade) · Categories: Horse Camping, Work Parties and Projects

Saturday/Sunday  June 6-7 2009

Project Leader- Rob Adams, projects@sbbchidaho.org or 208.584.3780   Directions:   Http://sbbchidaho.org\pdf\Yellow_Jacket_TH.pdf

Camping at the Hunters camp at the junction of Rice Creek Road and Stolley Road //  It will be marked and reserved.  Lots of parking for trailers, water for horses near.  Some old corrals, may not be in useable condition.

Three Projects:

1:    Rebuild foot bridge to Vulcan Hot Spring
Tools needed:  Hammers, power drills and bits, socket wrench set, wrecking bar / crowbar, shovels, polaski,  (Dan Fisher – Ranger will be crew chief on this project)

2.    Remove old dam from the hot springs,
Plan on getting wet:  Wrecking Bars to remove dam, springs has silted up due to fire.

3.    Trail rehab crew //  Standard trail project.  Yellow Jacket trail or Telephone Ridge trail possible.

Most members will travel friday night and camp at the trailhead.  Breakfast Saturday morning, work parties start at 09:00.  Provide your own lunch.  Potluck  Dinner Saturday.  Breakfast Sunday.   Plan on a halfday fun ride Sunday.

Hitt Mountain

24. August 2008 · 1 comment · Categories: Horse Camping, Tips, Tricks and Tid Bits, Work Parties and Projects

We had a great turn out for the Hitt Mountain Tool Cache project. Ten members and one guest worked on two trails. Eleven head of riding stock and eight head of pack stock were brought to support the project. The riders on the 268 trail reported it was an enjoyable ride, with great views, ending close to the Sturgill Peak Lookout.

The 270 trail was difficult at first to find due to numerous cow paths and healed over tree blazes, but was successfully found after some scouting around. There were quite a few down trees, and a lot of brushing done. Approximately 2.5 miles of the trail was cleaned.

As usual, we had delicious group meals and lots of good conversation. We have some fantastic camp cooks in our group.

A loop ride on West Mountain (Wilson Corral & Gabe’s Peak)

12. August 2008 · 2 comments · Categories: Fun Rides, Horse Camping, Work Parties and Projects

If your interested in a nice ride up West mountain with interesting trails and nice views I can recommend that you make a loop ride out of the Wilson Corral trail [TR135] and the Gabes Peak trail [TR136]. Truck / Trailer parking can be either at the Wilson Corral trail head or Rammage Meadows camp ground where the Gabes Peak trail head is located. I recommend you ride up [TR135] and down [TR136] but either way works nicely.   The Gabes Peak trail has some climbs that make it slow going up.

Wilson Corral trail follows a creek in tall timber for the first couple of miles and then crosses a string of meadows ending up north west of the Radar Dome on Snow Bank mountain. In the meadows the trail gets quite indistinct, as cattle summers graze this area. You will see trees marked, and rock carrions. Continue up the meadows until you can not go any higher without dropping down into a small valley, around 7400 feet.

Look to your right and you will see a small meadow down through the trees and a rocky hillside between you and the radar dome. The trail heads down the hill through the trees into the north end of this meadow. You really don’t want to cross the rocky slope as the going is dangerous on very loose rocks. A nice place to give your horses a drink is located in this meadow.

From here the trail heads south and is easy to follow. You continue south along this grassy valley until you come to a line shack. At this shack, the Gabe’s Peak trail branches off to the right. The trail go left of some large rocks and works it’s way along a south facing slope into a series of meadows along a ridge. Stay in these meadows and on the crest of the ridge and you will have little trouble following the trail. The trail leaves this ridge on the north side and works its way through some large timber coming out on an old logging road. Follow this road to Rammage Meadows. Robbin, his grandson Al, and I rode this loop trail easily on a Saturday leaving the trail head around 10:00 and being back at camp in time for cocktails. This assumes that trail maintenance has been performed prior to making this ride, else it will take a bit longer.

4th of July – Beginning Pack Trip

15. June 2008 · 1 comment · Categories: Horse Camping

Squaw Butte BCH 4th of July Pack Trip
During the three day weekend of July 4th Squaw Butte BCHI will be hosting a beginner level pack trip for members and their families. This is the perfect opportunity to experience a backcountry trip and to put into practice some of the skills you were introduced to at the Backcountry Skills Clinic in March. The trip is to the Corduroy Meadows area of the Frank Church Wilderness. This is an easy trailhead to drive to, and a very easy area to pack into. The plan is to pack into a base camp that is an easy 90 minute ride from the trail head. From this base camp there are a number of day rides to explore this beautiful country. Our trailhead is the North Fork of Elk Creek [34] and we will ride north on trail [005]. Our base camp is located in the “UR” area of “Corduroy” just south of Porter Creek and west of Elk Creek. This is an easy ride of just over three miles. Our chosen camping area has a good location for stock and a separate area for tents and the kitchen. There is good access to water and grass for the stock. If this area is taken, there are a number of other spots in the area that will work also.

Planned Schedule:

Friday: July 4th
Travel to trail head, pack-in and set up camp. We will be riding and packing in twice – once at 10 AM and again at 1 PM. Opportunities to day ride and start exploring area. Tasty Dutch oven dinner. Quality time around the camp fire to get to know each other better.

Saturday: July 5th
Hardy Breakfast, day ride to Bernard Lake. This will be the only opportunity to fish, as fishing is not allowed in either Porter or Elk Creeks. Bernard is a beautiful mountain lake and a great place to enjoy lunch. Delicious Dutch oven Dinner, more quality time around the camp fire.

Sunday: July 6th
Rib sticking breakfast, break camp, opportunity to take a morning ride, pack-out, return to our homes.

Who should come on this trip?
Anyone who is interested in learning minimum impact backcountry camping techniques and would love to safely explore a unique section of Idaho’s backcountry. If you have pack stock and would like to improve your skills, or like a little mentoring, this is the perfect trip. If you don’t have pack stock, that’s ok, our members with pack stock will make sure your duffel makes it from the trail head to the base camp and back to the trail head at the end of the trip. This is a hands-on trip with everyone expected to lend a hand. If you want a catered trip, contact an outfitter. It is highly recommended that members who plan on going on this trip take time to watch the “Horse Sense” DVD that was part of the package at the clinic. If you didn’t get a copy, and would like one,
contact Rob Adams.

Requirements:

You need to bring your own riding horse, and personal gear. A suggested list will be available on the website in .PDF format. If you do not have pack stock, your duffel, with personal items, and sleeping gear has a 30 pound limit. You will need to bring your own lunches. Bear safe storage will be available for your lunches, snacks, and toiletries when in camp. Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast and dinner and Sunday breakfast are group and will be provided. A small fee to help cover the cost of the food will be collected with your trip registration. When you’re packing, think light weight, but also variable weather conditions. Nothing ruins a trip faster than being wet and cold.

To help us plan for this trip, to make sure we have enough stock, food and marshmallows everyone who is going must fill out a trip registration form and have it and your check – payable to SBBCH – for food mailed to Squaw Butte BCH, 2790 E. Black Canyon Hwy, Emmett, ID 83617 by June 22nd. Questions about this trip can be emailed to Projects@sbbchidaho.org

Devil’s Slide Project – June 7th – Peace Creek area

03. May 2008 · 2 comments · Categories: Horse Camping, Work Parties and Projects

This project will be a nice ride to the work site and back with the project work itself boots on the ground. We in concert with the Emmett ranger district and some other volunteer’s are going to re-route a section of this trail from off a very steep ridge into a series of switch backs. The problem with the current trail is erosion and currently installed water bars just made the problem worse. Plan on a few hours with shovel and pick. We will have pack horses to carry the tools, but you should bring your favorite shovel. We will be setting up high lines at the work site for the stock while we work. Directions to Peace Creek Trailhead

Wapati Meadow Ranch – Trail Project June 21-22

03. May 2008 · 5 comments · Categories: Horse Camping, Work Parties and Projects

This project is to open four trails in the Johnson Creek and Riordan Lake areas. Assuming we have enough members to have four crews, each with a chain saws and other required equipment. All trails were impacted by last years fires, and may have their access limited by late snow and or mud. Wapiti Meadows Ranch will be providing tent camping / camper space, and areas to set up high lines or portable corrals and access to stock water. The chapter will be providing weed free hay for the weekend. Wapiti Meadows Ranch will be providing Saturday and Sunday breakfast and Saturdays dinner. Friday dinner is a chapter provided BBQ, members will provide their own lunches. To attend a “Wapiti Meadows Trip Registration Form” must be filled out and sent in no later then June 5th, 2008 This is going to be a great trip, don’t miss it! Directions to Wapati Meadows South Fork / Johnson Creek Area Map / Wapiti Meadows trip Registration / Directions to Wapati Meadows via Landmark

Memorial Weekend Horse Camping – Big Willow Creek May 24-25

02. May 2008 · Comments Off on Memorial Weekend Horse Camping – Big Willow Creek May 24-25 · Categories: Fun Rides, Horse Camping

I am planning on driving up to Big Willow Creek to camp on Friday night, camping Friday & Saturday, doing the Saturday ride in the wild horse area, and the Sunday ride at Sheep creek. This is a very flexible trip due to it’s short distance from Emmett. Members can camp and ride, or just day ride. Members who choose to day ride on Saturday, should also plan on sharing the pot luck dinner,  before heading back to the homestead. Rides on both Saturday and Sunday will start at 10:00

Information: http://www.sbbchidaho.org/pdf/0805MemorialWeekendHorseCampingTrip.pdf

Directions to Big Willow Creek: http://www.sbbchidaho.org/Directions_to_the_4_Mile_Horse_Management_Area.pdf

Directions to Sheep Creek: http://www.sbbchidaho.org/Directions_to_sheep_creek_camping.pdf

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