Trail Riding in the Wilderness 



539 



the trips. The average party includes 

 from 20 to 30 riders, and requires from 

 50 to 70 saddle and pack animals, 

 counting those for the guides, helpers, 

 and cooks. A canoe trip penetrated the 

 roadless area on the Superior National 

 Forest in 1941 ; it was repeated in 1948. 

 Over the years a rather definite sys- 

 tem has been worked out. During the 

 winter the association arranges with 

 local guides and packers the proposed 

 itineraries and equipping of the trail 

 riders for the following summer. Some- 

 times it has been possible for an asso- 

 ciation representative or a member of 

 the Forest Service actually to ride the 

 trip beforehand with the guide and to 

 select alternate routes. Early in the year 

 the expeditions are announced in the 

 American Forests, the monthly maga- 

 zine of the association, a prospectus in 

 pamphlet form is prepared, and letters 

 are sent to former riders and inquirers. 

 Routes, dates and costs, recommended 

 clothing and equipment, and the ways 

 of reaching the meeting places are 

 included. 



PREPARATIONS for starting on a trail 

 ride begin with correspondence or an 

 interview, in which the American For- 

 estry Association wants to make sure 

 that the applicant is in good health; 

 has some acquaintance with horses and 

 riding ; can really be counted on to stay 

 by a decision to make the trip; under- 

 stands that while there is no advantage 

 in being uncomfortable the accommo- 

 dations in general are pretty rugged; 

 really wants to go on the trip; and is 

 ready to pay the moderate cost, which 

 over the years has run from $125 to 

 $188 for 10 days' to 2 weeks' travel. It 

 is also important that the prospective 

 trail rider understands that this cost 

 is from the "jumping off place" and 

 not from his home. Take-off points 

 have included Ely, Minn., Asheville, 

 N. G., Silver City, N. Mex., Kemmerer, 

 Wyo., Glenwood Springs, Colo., Mis- 

 soula, Mont., Sun Valley, Idaho, Se- 

 attle, Wash., Bishop, Calif., and Lone 

 Pine, Calif. 



As the parties fill up, an association 



representative is selected to meet the 

 riders, check their preparations, ar- 

 range such things as transportation to 

 the horses or canoes, last-minute pur- 

 chases such as a poncho here, a western 

 hat there, and most important, fishing 

 tackle and fishing licenses. 



How a trail rider dresses, provides 

 himself with small comforts, and takes 

 things which can actually be put on a 

 pack horse or in his own small bag 

 carried on the saddle (duffel weight 

 must not exceed 50 pounds a person) 

 are items that the association tries to 

 make plain in its literature. Always, 

 however, they have to be checked just 

 before the trip by the representative of 

 the association and frequently this is 

 done in the evening after the group has 

 gathered preparatory to the take- 

 off the next day. Trail riding has its 

 moments of dust, wetness, wear, and 

 even loss of bits of equipment. So it 

 is good to give thought to essentials of 

 clothing, plus cameras, fishing tackle, 

 tree, shrub, and animal identification 

 books, and toilet articles, all of which 

 go to make up the individual's equip- 

 ment. Dungarees are popular for both 

 men and women. Riding boots are 

 worn but not recommended unless they 

 are of the cowboy type for riding only. 

 Some comfortable shoes for the hours 

 around camp are needed. Bathing suits 

 come in handy. The right kind of hats 

 to cut down the sacrifice to the sun 

 gods needs to be thought about and 

 obtained. The favorite sets of spurs, 

 the rider's own saddle, trick riding 

 breeches, and other unusual items of 

 costume are not recommended. 



Then, with full instructions, the 

 party assembles, the evening before 

 taking off, for final questions, meeting 

 local forest officers, learning each oth- 

 ers' names, storing baggage, and de- 

 positing valuables. Then, also, the 

 leader extracts from each rider a prom- 

 ise not to oversleep or hold up the take- 

 off early the next morning. Usually 

 there is a long stage ride to the point 

 where the horses or canoes are to be 

 assigned. Upon arrival, each rider is 

 sized up by the head guide and his 



