Reid's High Country Page

Reid's High Country Page

"Continually Under Construction"

Welcome to our High Country Page. Patti and I spend lots of time in the Washington Cascades and thought it would be fun to share some of it with you. It seems we used to take a lot of pictures, but have slowed down in recent years. The horse's and Mule's are our summer time fun and Snowmobiling takes over in winter. We hope you take a look at our High Country Pics. You can click on any thumbnail to see an enlarged picture. Then you can right click on it and save it.

Patti & I have packed all over the Cascade Mountain Range. Mike started packing in Alaska in his youth and is now gray around the muzzle. (lots of wrecks to learn from) We have packed most any gear you can put on a pack animal and some things you can't imagine. "Try bed springs sometime" We presently use both Decker & Sawbuck saddles. For most of our personal packing we use Ralide Panniers. These panniers are made of super tough space polymer. Although they are light, they are also waterproof, vermin proof, and virtually indestructible. They come with heavy duty nylon rigging straps for attaching to the pack saddle. The bottom cinch (from box to box) almost eliminates the need for a lash cinch. The back sides are contoured to comfortably fit the sides of the pack animal. Size is 23" wide by 11 1/2" deep by 21" high. Top opening is 21 1/2" x 9". Weight 14 lbs. each. They come dark brown, also available in green and hunter orange. I would highly recommend them for any recreational packing. Our Tack Room does include soft panniers (for packing boned meat), some reinforced plywood boxes and many manty tarps. Every Lash Cinch we have has 50' of 1/2" climbing rope on it which I have found... "to not stretch and still untie when frozen or wet". In packing there are no set in stone rules and what ever works well is the name of the game. Understand that "what works well" comes from the experience of many wrecks. Most of us old timers have been taught by the school of hard knocks and get set in our ways, so listen to many and take the best from each of us. One of the best things I have learned is... If you are going to try something new on your stock... Tire them out first... this seems to take the powder out of em some. 160 pounds of load is plenty for a pack animal in good shape in the backcountry. Stay lighter if the going is rough.

PCT Info from Mike & Patti

We are listed on the PCT website for Thru-Ride help in the Central Cascades

When I get an email from someone, my first thoughts are always... how experienced is this person?

The PCT through Washington State is not for the inexperienced horseman in many places. Sure, sections of it are easy and can be ridden by most anyone with a good pony. Other sections are a wreck waiting to happen. The problem is the easy sections might be divided by these possible wreck sections. Riding these sections is one thing, having pack stock with you might be a whole different story. By no means am I trying to discourage an experienced horseman from doing a Thru-Ride, I would just like to caution the inexperienced.

Goat Rocks = Steep country, skinny trails & rocky

White Pass through Snoqualmie Pass = Easy country

Alpine Lakes Wilderness = Steep country, skinny trails & rocky

email me with questions

PCT & Equestrians 2010

My friend from Eastern Washington, Harold Beebe “Muleskinner”

is starting to ride some of the southern PCT starting April 4, 2010.

Here is a link to his Trail Journal.

When you get to his page, you can click on “List” on the left side of his first page to read his entries.

http://www.trailjournals.com/about.cfm?trailname=10483

Better Read this...