California Bountiful Magazine - July/August 2020

Horses and mules take guests into back country

Story by Christine Souza • Photos by Lori Eanes

In the days before 20th-century transportation and paved roads, settlers relied on pack animals including horses and mules to move people and supplies to formerly inaccessible locations across the Sierra Nevada and rugged West. “Once the Gold Rush hit, miners had to get supplies such as shovels and food to remote places and where there were no roads, so pack mules were used,” said Seth Diemel, co-owner of Aspen Meadow Pack Station in Pinecrest, a popular recreation area in the Stanislaus National Forest. “You can move a lot of gear in a hurry with a string of pack animals. Today, pack animals are used for recreation, but at times are still used to move supplies.” The recreational use he speaks of provides an opportunity for people to enjoy the outdoors, away from crowds. One of the oldest national forests, Stanislaus National Forest encompasses about 1,400 square miles in four counties and lies adjacent to the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park. Diemel described his typical customer as an urban resident from the Bay Area or Central Valley. “The experience of going to the mountains for most people is pretty rare anymore, unless they go on a trip like we offer,” he said. Aspen Meadow trips are back-country trail rides, with travel on horseback accompanied by pack mules. Views include granite peaks, alpine meadows, lakes and

Surrounded by stunning

wilderness views, the Schuler family enjoys a trail ride hosted through Aspen Meadow Pack Station in Pinecrest.

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