San Rafael Back Country Horsemen, Fall 2014

San Rafael Back Country Horsemen, Fall 2014
Almost Quarterly
A Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of Utah
Newsletter
Fall 2014
Editor: Priscilla Burton
[email protected]
Candland Mountain Electric Lake Trailhead
article and photos by Rod Player
Inside This Issue:
Spike Elk Hunt
2
Leave No Trace
3
Cowboy Chair
3
SRBCH Calendar
 November 15 Fuller
Bottom Trail Ride and
Work Project. Meet
at BuckHorn Well/
Staging Area 9 a.m.
 December 11 Annual
Soup Supper at Carbon Events Center.
6:00 p.m.
 January 8, 6:30 p.m.
Carbon Events Center
First meeting in 2015!
Two years ago it was just a dream but now it is a reality. Parking space for the trailheads accessing Candland Mountain has always been limited. The access was further reduced as a result of the
Seeley fire. For nearly ten years a few people have been accessing Candland Mountain by parking along the Highway near Electric Lake, crossing a short section of land owned by Rocky
Mountain Power, to a primitive trail on Forest Service lands which led to the ridge top.
After the Seeley fire the San Rafael BCH saw the potential to develop a trailhead at the location.
An on site meeting with officials from the Emery County trails committee, Forest Service, San
Rafael BCH, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and Rocky Mountain Power was held
late in the summer of 2012. Rocky Mountain Power agreed to allow UDOT to dump fill material
from flooding at the location to
establish a small off road parking
area. As a result there was then
off road parking for two or three
truck-trailer rigs and one or two
vehicles.
In August of 2014, using their
own funding, Rocky Mountain
Power cleared a much larger site
with room for six or seven trucktrailer rigs and three or four vehicles. This has doubled the
trailhead capacity for accessing
the entire Candland Mountain
trail system. San Rafael BCH
has obtained a grant to enlarge
the area even more. This work
will take place during 2015. This partnership is a great example of what can happen when we
take the initiative to make things happen.
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San Rafael Back Country Horsemen, Fall 2014
Fall 2014
Page 2
Spike Elk Hunt, photo and articles by Sara LeCrone
Four years ago I moved to Utah from southern Illinois, where the land is flat and the only big game animal to hunt is a
deer. My dad and brother have been
avid hunters for as long as I can
remember. They enjoy the art of
hunting, which is something I was
never really interested in. I preferred
to spend my free time working
horses and riding.
After living in Utah for several
hunting seasons, it became apparent
to me how my passion for riding
horses can be incorporated into big
game hunting. My brother, in particular, has always wanted to hunt
an elk and I decided to beat him to
the punch, so to speak. Last summer
I bought a spike elk tag over the
counter since I still had not been
drawn for a bull tag. I made plans to
take my horses, and husband, on a
weekend pack trip to Candland
Mountain in an effort to get my elk
and prove to myself that I could do
it.
The SRBCHU chapter has a pack saddle that can be checked out to current members. I was able to use that pack saddle for
my elk hunt pack trip. Mark and I took three horses with us and knew that we would have to lead-pack our way back to the
trailer in order to get everything packed out in one trip.
Opening morning began with a crisp fall sunrise and the sounds of elk ‘singing’ all around camp. Mark and I began our
trek to the nearest herd of elk. We got 100 feet out of camp before having to hide under a pine tree—a 5x5 walked right up
to us with a look of defeat from the herd bull. After he passed, we continued another 200 feet, maybe, before seeing three
cows and a spike bull peel off from the main herd. They ran up the mountain about 100 yards ahead of us. I shot twice, but
missed. They kept running and I figured they were gone. After a few more minutes of stalking the main herd and waiting
for another group to peel away, the cows and spike bull circled back around and were on their way back to the herd. I shot
again, and this time made a clean kill shot. After
about one and a half hours of hunting and hiking less
than 10 minutes from camp, I had got my elk. Mark
and I headed back to camp to have some breakfast
and load the horses. We made it back to the elk, had
it quartered out, packed, and were headed off the
mountain by lunchtime. We hiked our way off Candland Mountain, which is thankfully mostly downhill,
and were back to the trailer in less than 24 hours of
leaving it the day before.
Mark says this is the best hunting trip he has ever
been on, and the only one where he was not the trigger man. I am proud of myself for taking on this adventure in life and very satisfied with the outcome.
Thanks to the SRBCHU chapter for loaning me the
pack saddle—we used it to pack camp. A big thanks
to my husband, as well, for being the strength I
needed on this trip. We make a great team.
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San Rafael Back Country Horsemen (SRBCH)
Fall 2014
Page 3
Rod Player, President
Email: [email protected]
Wayne Ludington, Vice President
Email: [email protected]
A chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of Utah, with members from Carbon and Emery Counties. Founded in 2005.
BCH of Utah serves the common interest of its members by
providing them an opportunity to influence laws, regulations,
and attitudes regarding the use of pack and saddle stock on
all public lands.
On the web at www.bchu.com (San Rafael chapter]
On facebook under San Rafael Back Country Horsemen
Cowboy Chair, letter by Olivia Burton, accompanying photo from the
internet.
To whom it may concern:
It has come to my attention that the installation of these so-called "saddle
seats" or "cowboy chairs” (photo
above) would improve productivity and
morale in the ____ office in ___, UT. I
am writing to request the implementation of these high-efficiency chairs in
the aforementioned office, starting with
my own cubicle.
I appreciate your cooperation in this
important matter.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
Chief Expert in All Things
Leave No Trace, article by Pam Hansen
As I ride the backcountry of Utah with SRBCH, I often wonder
what has happened to the "Leave No Trace" and "Pack It In,
Pack It Out" trail ethics. Have people forgotten these? As
those committed to the outdoors, we need to remind ourselves
and others of these principles and put them into practice. Leave
No Trace means to;
1) plan ahead and prepare,
2) travel and camp on durable surfaces,
3) dispose of waster properly,
4) leave what you find,
5) minimize campfire impacts,
6) respect wildlife, and last be considerate of other visitors.
We should even go one step farther and leave trailheads, trails,
and campsites better than we found them. Be that example to
others and LEAVE NO TRACE.
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