Go West, Young Man

For those of you confounded by the cabin numbering system in the Big Santa Anita, try this one on for size...The Pack Station is #141. Today Brad and I packed to cabin #139. The round trip took almost five hours! That's because #139 is the cabin farthest up Winter Creek. It's actually farther west than Sturtevant's Camp.

Brad got the job to extensively refurbish the cabin, including major foundation work and new roofing. He is working with Mike Pauro and Cam Stone on the project. We started hauling building materials up today; mostly pressure-treated 2X4's & 4X4's and concrete piers. We also brought floor jacks to lift the entire cabin, nails & screws, trash bags and a wheelbarrow in pieces. We used seven animals and that barely put a dent in the materials needed.

We split the train up into two strings for safety reasons. Brad led Fred with Andy and Eeyore. I led Slim with Bill, Heasley and Calico. The night before I had to rebuild Andy's britchen and make adjustments to the saddle that Ray Underwood rebuilt for Eeyore. I was suspicious that something would go wrong today when everything started off so well. Andy and Eeyore, who normally avoid work, both let me slip halters on without any fuss or trying to run. Then the saddles fit just right. The new kind of rope I had cut up for tying lumber worked perfectly. Calico, new to hauling eight-foot lumber, didn't even flinch when the boards were loaded over her head. This is starting to sound like a set-up for something awful, but everything went relatively well. In fact, the only problem we had was with the two veterans.

The whole way up, Bill continually jammed the front of his lumber into the back of Slim's; mostly because he kept trying to snack on all the new green grass. Finally, just a couple hundred feet from our destination, Bill pushed hard enough to cause Slim's load and saddle to slip to one side. I have said it before: that's why we use donkeys for this kind of work. Mules can carry more weight, but when something like that goes wrong, a donkey stops and waits for you to correct the situation, a mule tries to run from it! Anyway, since we were just around the bend from the cabin, I just loosened Slim's saddle and let it fall to the ground, disconnected Bill's lead, and gave Slim a pat on the rear to make him catch up to the first string (good thing they're herd animals). I led the rest to the cabin and returned to carry the lumber and saddle myself; Brad taking half of the load. It seems complicated, but it was no big deal.

Another thing that bears mentioning is the result of my donkey training. I have chosen a stall for the lovebirds, Heasley & Calico, and taught them to eat in there every time. The idea was that they would be easier to catch when it's time to go to work. Besides, Calico throws a lot of hay out of the bin, and this way I can control the waste a little. So today, the second time haltering them directly form the stall, did not go well. All I have to do is halter her, and he will follow. I stepped in the stall to halter Calico and closed the door behind me. She denied my requests, then dodged my attempts, then she made a standing high jump over the stall door. I had not latched the door, so when her belly grazed the top, it opened underneath her and tripped her up. This caused her rear legs to get hung up on the old door, which has a notch worn in it just the right size for hooking a donkey hoof. She freed the hoof before I could get to her around Heasley and she landed OK. She managed to scrape some hair off the leg, but was otherwise fine. She was shaky, though, and I felt bad for her. Donkeys are big kids, and scrapes and traumas can usually be soothed by ample hugs & kisses. I'll put a guard on the top of that door.