Chat
06-19-2017, 08:58 PM
Glad you got home safe, Charlie Horse! Thanks for posting a few photos. I took NONE all weekend. Phil took some on the Uncompahgre hike on Sunday, but that was it. We were so busy all weekend we decided to rely on everyone else to post photos this time. (And don't you dare disappoint us!)
It was a really incredible weekend. The weather could not have been more perfect. The items people donated to the store/auction this weekend were beyond amazing. I think we may have shattered a record with the income this year. I haven't done a head count, but this may have been the most well-attended Rendy ever. Our camping area was bursting at the seams. I had a lot of good feedback about all of the speakers. There was a nice variety of subjects and all the classes were very well attended.
I have to give a huge shout-out to the guys at the BLM. They were super excited to see us there and were very interested in what we do. They orchestrated our work project and we accomplished a lot in one day. We loaded rocks into our goats' panniers from a slide area on the trail and dumped them in a spot where the river had overflowed its banks and turned the trail into a muddy creek. We dammed up the river on that side and filled in about 40 feet of trail with rocks and gravel. Marc Warnke and I were loading about 35 lbs. of rocks into each pannier and our boys did marvelously well carrying so much weight. We didn't have to take them very far and the ground was level so they were easily up to the task. We also built two very impressive log bridges which the goats tested with us.
Most folks cleared out Sunday morning, but a few of us hiked up Uncompahgre Peak. There was still quite a lot of snow in some places and the goats had a pretty hard time in spots where the snow had become soft. Their feet aren't made for snow and they would sink down and start floundering pretty badly--especially the boys with packs. But everyone made it to the top, including our very own Australian low-lander, Kate (known around these parts as "DownUnderGal")!
What a great weekend! I can't thank everyone enough. I had helping hands wherever I needed them. I could not have done this without all the amazing support from all of you awesome packgoat folks!
It was a really incredible weekend. The weather could not have been more perfect. The items people donated to the store/auction this weekend were beyond amazing. I think we may have shattered a record with the income this year. I haven't done a head count, but this may have been the most well-attended Rendy ever. Our camping area was bursting at the seams. I had a lot of good feedback about all of the speakers. There was a nice variety of subjects and all the classes were very well attended.
I have to give a huge shout-out to the guys at the BLM. They were super excited to see us there and were very interested in what we do. They orchestrated our work project and we accomplished a lot in one day. We loaded rocks into our goats' panniers from a slide area on the trail and dumped them in a spot where the river had overflowed its banks and turned the trail into a muddy creek. We dammed up the river on that side and filled in about 40 feet of trail with rocks and gravel. Marc Warnke and I were loading about 35 lbs. of rocks into each pannier and our boys did marvelously well carrying so much weight. We didn't have to take them very far and the ground was level so they were easily up to the task. We also built two very impressive log bridges which the goats tested with us.
Most folks cleared out Sunday morning, but a few of us hiked up Uncompahgre Peak. There was still quite a lot of snow in some places and the goats had a pretty hard time in spots where the snow had become soft. Their feet aren't made for snow and they would sink down and start floundering pretty badly--especially the boys with packs. But everyone made it to the top, including our very own Australian low-lander, Kate (known around these parts as "DownUnderGal")!
What a great weekend! I can't thank everyone enough. I had helping hands wherever I needed them. I could not have done this without all the amazing support from all of you awesome packgoat folks!