Traditional California (2013, homes, to live)

[.highnlite]

The following is a slide show of a meeting of mule packers, trainers, and students.
California has 26 million acres of National Forest, 6 million acres of National Park, and about 6 million acres of designated Wilderness lands. The only access to much of this is by human foot or animal foot. Stock packing is done commercially, privately and by the government. Fire crews, trail crews, conservation crews are often supplied by pack strings.

The Forest Service began to move away from pack mules in the 1950's and 60's, but have recently began to expand the mule operations as they are much cheaper and safer than helicopters.

Recently an experiment was conducted on a large let burn fire in the Sierra, two 20 man hotshot crews were on the fire for 6 weeks to monitor the burn. One crew was supplied by helicopter, one crew by the very mules and men you see in some of the slides. Food, mail, equipment in, garbage out, and at the end of the 6 weeks, all gear and men removed.

The bill for the helicopter support was over $600,000 of your dollars, the bill for the mule support was $125,000.

If you are old and all busted up from a well spent youth, and walking long distances creates massive pain, a horse and mule is an excellent way to still get back into California's vast wilderness lands.

A side note, to get to the location of this event I had to drive the LA freeway system. It is easy to see why the SoCalians are so angry and frustrated, driving those roads, homes and shopping centers stretching out as far as a man can see. It is no way to live, I figure I'd be a psychological wreck too, if I had to live there. https://picasaweb.google.com/1175659...29554269282098

[mateo45]

Beautiful pics, thanx!!!

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Mule wranglers earn their keep. Been there done that ... LOL!

[JGC97]

California has 26 million acres of National Forest, 6 million acres of National Park, and about 6 million acres of designated Wilderness lands.

Amazing, isn't it? We never realize how large California is until you see it, in print.

Great photo, too.

[Senno]

My only concern is if helicopters would still be available in case of emergency evacuation needs? Otherwise sounds good.

[.highnlite]

thanks for the comments. We are fortunate to have vast acreages of scenic wildlands. Our wilderness lands are managed with traditional tools, mules, hand tools, crosscut saws, which are interesting in that the best ones were built before the 1930's. Most of the cross cut saws used by trail workers are over 100 years old. No one builds them like the old ones any more.

Originally Posted by Senno

My only concern is if helicopters would still be available in case of emergency evacuation needs? Otherwise sounds good.

Senno, there is no limitations placed on emergency use of helicopters. The problem with them is that they are very expensive to operate, the clatter of a ship coming into wilderness is disruptive to the purpose of the wilderness in the first place. and they have a bad tendency to fall out of the sky.

On the use of mules: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9tgmln3WLI

I am putting an associated thread on the Devils Windstorm up

[mateo45]

BTW, luv old iron like that, and I have some large sheet metal-forming tools & equipment built around the early 1900's that are still perfectly functional today. And no doubt some geezer will still be using them even in the next century when folks are flitting about in flying cars!

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by mateo45

BTW, luv old iron like that, and I have some large sheet metal-forming tools & equipment built around the early 1900's that are still perfectly functional today. And no doubt some geezer will still be using them even in the next century when folks are flitting about in flying cars!

geezer

Thanks a lot.... friend.

One of the differences with the old saws is that they were tapered, wider at the teeth than at the top, helps keep them from binding in the kerf. Modern saws, even the good ones out of New Zealand are same thickness through, just stamped out of sheet metal.

The video is excellent, the saws and the use is very well explained. I am Forest Service certified as a B feller and a B bucker on the Cross cut which limits me to less than the most complex jobs, and a C feller and bucker on the Chainsaw, , which allows me to cut anything anywhere (that is on trail work) . Of course, without emergency authorization chainsaws and other mechanized devices are not allowed to be used in wilderness. Which is why the crosscut saws are so useful in the 6 million acres of California wilderness


Crosscut Saw Training - YouTube

[mateo45]

'Ya know, seeing stuff like this makes it even all the more absurd hearing whenever folks complain about what is basically just the LA or the Bay areas, as though that's ''California''!! When really all you have to do, is just get away from the theme parks, and 'burbs, and the whole urban ''megalopoli'' here, to discover (and marvel at) the incredible geography, history, and variety of this state!!

Jeez, now I'm beginning to sound like an ''evangelist'' (...LOL)!

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by mateo45

'Ya know, seeing stuff like this makes it even all the more absurd hearing whenever folks complain about what is basically just the LA or the Bay areas, as though that's ''California''!! When really all you have to do, is just get away from the theme parks, and 'burbs, and the whole urban ''megalopoli'' here, to discover (and marvel at) the incredible geography, history, and variety of this state!!

Jeez, now I'm beginning to sound like an ''evangelist'' (...LOL)!

That and take the old Cross cut saws off the wall, sand the paint off them, send them to Dolly the Queen of the Crosscut, up in Sierra County, and put em to work!!

I posted a population density map this AM, pretty enlightening, the complaining people do are about 6 of the counties in the state. Most counties have a low population density.