17 Nov A Backcountry Recovery in Yellowstone
Getting ready for a long horse expedition always takes longer than expected. The morning we headed into the Teton Wilderness to meet veteran Green Beret Ray Knell and travel with him through Yellowstone was no exception. A common misconception is that horse journeys are easier than bicycling or backpacking because all you have to do is sit on a saddle. While its certainly true that riding a good horse up mountains is physically easier than walking yourself, it takes a tremendous amount of preparation and work to get moving every day! Horses have to be caught, watered, fed, brushed, have their feet cleaned, saddled, and loved on. Packs have to be weighed perfectly to balance correctly, saddles have to be fitted just right to ensure horses don’t get sores, and you have to take more stuff to properly take care of the animals. Backpackers don’t need extra horseshoes, veterinary supplies, nails, 1-inch 50-foot rope, picket stakes, hobbles, extra pads, etc… So it was an embarrassingly late 9 a.m. start, especially since we had more then 30 miles of trail ahead of us! Our goal for the day was to meet Ray Knell, who was riding 1,000 miles along the Continental Divide, at Hawk’s Rest Mountain by nightfall. From there we would ride with Ray through Yellowstone National Park.