Water Slide Trail Cleanup
#1
Yesterday afternoon, Phil and I loaded up Finn and Sputnik and went for a hike to the natural water slide. I fastened the Sopris pack on Sputnik as his back is now easily long enough to carry it comfortably. I slid the  trash cans into the panniers because we had a mission: to clean up this beautiful trail that is too often used as a garbage dump by people who should know better. 
   

Sputnik carried the pack like a champ. This goat has really come into his own this summer and is no longer the skittish little guy who jumps at every touch of my hand. He stood perfectly while I saddled him and didn't flinch when I tightened the cinch or even the britchen. He didn't even spook when I slid the trash cans into the panniers. He was a little unsure of himself at first because the wide pack kept hitting trees and rocks in narrow places (and this trail has a LOT of narrow places!), but he soon got used to it and even learned very quickly when a spot was too narrow and he had to go around or over instead of through.
   

It's obvious to me that Sputnik really, really likes having a job. It makes him feel important and he takes his work very seriously. He even posed for a few photos--something I'm not at all used to with this goat. I'm pretty sure that with this one hike his self-esteem just tripled. 
   

Finn came along too, but he was useless--he didn't have a pack on at all and he spent the whole time goofing off. 
   

"I'M the hero here!" 
   

By the end I had filled both panniers with garbage--mostly plastic water bottles and granola wrappers, but also a few odd things. The nastiest was a discarded pair of underwear that had been partly shoved under a rock. I can only imagine why. I picked that one up with a long stick. Luckily I remembered to line the trash cans because even a trash can shouldn't touch some things. 
   

This trail has several water crossings, and I was impressed with Sputnik's bravery. He hesitated the first time, but after that he never missed a beat. There was a spot on the way back where Phil was carefully crossing from stone to stone with a hesitant Finn in tow. I knew that Sputnik with his big packs would have a hard time negotiating that route, so I decided to take him right through the creek. I jumped off a boulder into thigh-deep water, expecting to have to pull Sputnik in after me. But before I walked far enough to tighten the leash, I heard a tremendous splash as he plunged in after me, garbage cans and all. Such a change from the Sputnik who panicked in the lake at Rendy last year or who had to be physically dragged into the pool at Calf Creek Falls last October!
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#2
LOL i find it funny "By the end I had filled both panniers with garbage--mostly plastic water bottles and granola wrappers." What do the yuppies and green people like to take with em on the trail? Yep, bottle water and granola bars. Great job Nanno!!!
Pack Goat Prospects For Sale. http://trinitypackgoats.webs.com

S.E. Washington (Benton City)
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#3
Hello Nanno
Give Sputnik a couple extra pats and cookies for me. Good Boy Smile
Notes:
#1 If I was a horse you would shoot me bad knee last month that has cleared up
Took a fall chasing a turtle Landed wrong. Smile Yes have fun with it.
#2 Now I have a bad left hip, no idea were that injury came from.
Probably Susan used my billy club on me.
#3 102 heat index here today"Not nice" and our AC can not handle it.
#4 Even the goat boys are hanging out in their shed were we have a good fan running rather than in woods.
============================
Great Pictures You Got of your Troops.
For me I would never be out on trail dressed like you are. Smile You are a eye full Smile
Non-Standard trail dress in my book. But that is coming from a person that grew up in jeans and heavy boots for everything outdoors,
The Goats did good,you did good is the important part. Use whatever works.
BTY: You have another "Camera hog" in Sputnik
Happy Trails
Good Job
hihobaron
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#4
Yeah, well it's hard to do this in jeans and heavy boots. At least, you really wouldn't want to--it would be a cold, heavy walk back!
   

We went to the water slides again next day with some friends, this time just to play. I gave Sputnik a well-earned break and made Finn do the work this time. He was a trooper, but I'm not sure he was quite as proud of his job as Sputnik. 
   

Finn stowed Tigerlily along with him. Can you see her peeking out of his pack?
   

Here's our girl! She is as athletic and gung-ho as her father, Finn. But she HATES water! The first little creek crossing was just a toe-wetting along the very edge of the creek where a cliff came down to meet the water. She started to follow me then suddenly turned and tried to scale the cliff. She hit the end of the leash with a snap before I could react and came tumbling back down where she landed with a splash on her belly in two inches of water. It was very traumatic! Her worst fears about the horrid liquid were confirmed--water is wet!
   

We saw some lovely butterflies along the trail. Shortly after this sighting we had to cross the dreaded creek. It's a somewhat tricky bit where you can cross to one side on a single long, smooth rock shaped like a fallen log, then you double back and have to cross through the water and some stepping-stones. I don't like the stepping stones part. It's much too rough and slippery. The pool below the big crossing rock is about thigh-deep if you skirt the edge of it. This is the place where Sputnik showed his water bravery yesterday. Tigerlily, on the other hand, made a spectacle of herself. Finn was being reluctant about the water himself, so I put him on a leash and made him follow me. I tied Tigerlily to the back of his saddle and expected her to follow. She did at first and even plunged into the "deep" water. Unfortunately she didn't follow Finn onto the big rock when we got to it. She panicked and plunged and decided to try to escape to shore through the pool instead. She very quickly ended up in water over her head and was hanging by the halter from Finn's saddle. Finn wisely stopped and stood still as a statue while I untied the unfortunate Tigerlily. I couldn't lead her back where we came from to the easy water exit because Finn was standing in the middle of that narrow rock and I didn't want to try backing him up in that slippery place. With nowhere to go but forward, I towed the now-pathetically baa-aa-ing Tigerlily behind me through the deep water. She apparently gave herself up for lost at this point because she didn't even try to swim but instead collapsed like a dead thing, bobbing limply along in the water. She was heavy, but I got her to the exit point where I needed her to climb. She had nothing to push off of underwater because it was too deep, and she wouldn't kick against the water or clamber with her front legs but just laid there baa-aa-ing and refusing to move. So I braced my feet on the rock and hauled her out by the the collar like a big fish. Once she was on shore she immediately came to life and stopped crying, but we're going to have to give her some better water experiences very soon after this!    
   

There's a steep hill at the trailhead, and the youngest member of our crew didn't think he could climb it without help. So I put a leash on the back of Finn's saddle and told him to hang onto it. Finn towed him up quite easily. 
   
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#5
Hello Nanno
Foolish Question from me:
You have pack goats let them take swim suits in packs (for ya'll) and pack wet gear back out?
Or other dry cloths. Hike in to swimming spot change to swim wear, have fun, change back to dry trail gear.

.jpg   High Water Goats.jpg (Size: 124.56 KB / Downloads: 22)

Maybe you need to get Tigerlilly some of these.?

Using your goat to drag the kid up the hill just proves another reason to have them trained to drive. Smile

Great Pictures

I'll post some when I can get some from Wildcat Falls Hike here.

Happy Trails

BTY: My white legs if I were in shorts would probably scare the goat boy's off.!!!!!

hihobaron Blizzard,Fuzzy,Pete,Sam and the Troops in SC
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#6
Tigerlily definitely needed a life preserver! Poor thing was pretty traumatized.

Finn carried everyone's towels and water bottles and he could have packed swimsuits, but there's nowhere to change at the slides and there are often quite a few people up there. I also like walking back in my wet clothes. They're usually almost dry by the time we get back to the truck but they keep me cool on the way there. Since we only hike to the water slides to cool off, it seems counterproductive to get all hot and sweaty again on the hike back! The kid, Rodney, changed into dry clothes for the hike back only to get his jeans and shoes soaked when he slipped into deep water in one of the creek crossings. Tongue
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#7
Hello Nanno
The BIG thing is fun was had bay all,Well maybe not Tigerlilly
You know they do make Life Vest for dogs?
They look like a Sofis pack saddle and strap on like a harness.
The flotation is right along the top line of the dog. get one for Tigrerlilly Smile
also would be good for early pack training.
What kind of comments do you get from other people at the slides about the goats?
Here comes that crazy goat lady again!!!! Smile
RE: Getting wet after putting on dry cloths (Been There Done That a Few Times)
Happy Trails
Keep Splashing
hihobaron Blizzard,Fuzzy,Pete,Sam and the troops in SC
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