Los Padres National Forest’s Monterey Ranger District teamed up with the Inyo National Forest’s Pack Stock Center of Excellence to outfit a mule train to transport water, food and tools for a crew repairing a popular wilderness trail impacted by wildfire and storm damage. Six Forest Service employees spent five days packing supplies and preparing the stock for the trek to the trail crew’s spike camp in Ventana Wilderness located in the Santa Lucia Mountains along California’s Central Coast. A total of three riding animals and 10 pack mules carried thousands of pounds of essential supplies in support of the trail crew and their 12-day improvement project on the Cone Peak Trail.

Los Padres National Forest contracted with the American Conservation Experience to assist with trail repairs and improvements. ACE corpsmembers are young people and military veterans who gain hands-on experience and build marketable, transferrable skills over the course of a few months to a year of service. An 11-member ACE crew worked to clear poison oak and heavily overgrown chaparral from the trail. From benching in new tread and laying out trail reroutes to installing erosion control structures and brushing corridors, ACE crews are instrumental in maintaining public use trails across the nation while minimizing impact and protecting surrounding habitat.

The Inyo Pack Stock team has been working together for over 20 years on Forest Service projects throughout the Pacific Southwest Region including trails, wildfire support, fisheries, research and facility maintenance. Wilderness trail maintenance enhances public access and has many direct and indirect benefits which include accessible recreation for all user groups, fuel break upkeep and firefighter access in often difficult terrain.

The Cone Peak Trail work began at the trailhead and worked uphill, focusing on areas where the brushy conditions had become a significant challenge for hikers. The trail eventually leads to the Cone Peak Lookout, a historic structure used for wildfire detection that was refurbished in recent years by volunteers and today houses the Monterey District’s most important repeater. The Cone Peak Trail eventually connects with additional wilderness trails that crisscross throughout the Ventana Wilderness.

The use of pack mules as part of the Forest Service history is long and storied. They have been used for a variety of purposes, including hauling gear into the backcountry, clearing trails and supporting firefighting efforts in areas where motorized vehicles are not allowed or where they are impractical.

“The mules are an essential component of any work within our wilderness areas,” said Kelly McCarthy, the Monterey ranger district crew leader. “Using stock to support backcountry trails crews is just as necessary today as it was 100 years ago.”