Good morning Oro: You asked --> Do you tether, picket, hobble or just allow to forage but make sure your mule will come when called?
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When I first started exploring the then basically unknown regions of the Barranca de Cobre, Rio Mayo, Rio Chinapas, and the Rio Yaqui with their tributaries. I used Mule transportation exclusively., This is still the only way short of flying, to travel in that country.
I soon acquired a little pinto mule that was as tough as they come. She could go for weeks in regions where a horse would starve or simply collapse and come out fatter and sassier than when we entered. She was a scrounger.
Whenever I tightened the single cinch, she would turn her head and give a vicious snap at my shoulder, but somehow, she never bit or kicked me, just showed her displeasure.
I could never keep her out of a green wheat field, no matter how many strands of barbed wire surrounded it. She had learned from her father, to lie on her side and squirm under the wire or pole. Whenever I missed Her, I only had to ask who had wheat planted, and there she would be contentedly chomping away. I have no idea how much green wheat I had to buy because of her.
The usual manner to control the wandering of animals at night while on the trail, is with hobbles. This is where you tie both front hooves together, since it restricts their mobility yet allows them to graze at night. Unfortunately for me, she could run faster with hobbles than I could run, so I looked around for something to attack her in the cold mornings.
I tried sugar, salt, fruit, etc, the usual stuff, but nothing worked. Then one day I noticed that she loved "clean" toilet paper, that solved my problem. I merely had to wave perhaps 10 sheets of the paper in the air and she would come trotting over to me, take the paper gently out of my hand, close her eyes, lay her ears back, and contentedly chew away
One day when I had been on the trail for a couple of weeks without encountering anyone, I saw a small isolated ranch. Since most ranches like this, always have a small store for the Indians and ranch workers. I headed for it since I was running low on supplies.
As I approached, I saw the usual "hangers ons" loafing in front of the door. so I sat very erect in the saddle and tried to look dignified. As I drew near, I was very aware of their watching my every movement and remarking in low tones to each other.
I dismounted, and threaded my way through them, greeting them courteously as I passed. I entered the store whch had the usual very limited items, purchased coffee, sugar, Tortilla flour etc. The owner was very friendly, and we talked about my exploring and looking for lost Spanish mines and ruins. He gave me some valuable information..
I finally turned to leave, and as I reached the door, I remembered that I was running low on the toilet paper for my mule. Without thinking, I turned around and in a loud voice, said "I need 4 rolls of toilet paper for my mule".
There was a dead silence for a minute, then hell broke loose. The men were literally rolling around on the ground laughing hysterically. It was several moments before they stopped laughing and I was able to get in a belated, lame excuse as to why I need the paper sheesh, talk about embarrassing.
Even today in that country, I am still known as the Gringo that w--- his mules er ah butt.
However, as an after effect, the word proceeded me and the people were extremely nice and informative to me. It had broken the traditional reserve to a stranger. ©@
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You asked --> How long did it take you to hike or ride out the day you found it?
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Interesting thingie here, I actually drove to it in my Isuzu Trooper -- let down?? They had opened a lumber mill cooperate right next to it, one of my main problems. I had a stack of aerial photographs with which I was able to identify the Tayopa canyon complex, almost exactly as drawn in Dobies infamous map before i actually went up there. If you go back to the photograph of the Tayopa barranca, post # 59, you can see the lumber mill up on top of the Mesa overlooking Tayopa.
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You posted -->the look of that topography does not show a lot of flat areas to pitch any sort of a tent
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Where there is a will, there is a way.
On that backpacking trip to look for Mayan ruins, one day the Indians told us of a cave up near the ridge where an outlaw had lived. So with gleams of Reales in our eyes we decided to go check it out. Sun set found us still below it, so we looked for a spot to spend the night, We found a small finger of a ridge, about 15 x 24ft long in a grove of small bamboo (Carizzo).
After clearing out a space sufficient for both of our mosquito netting combinations. we ate, then settled in for the night, each in his own skeeter cage. As usual we were both nude because of the heat and humidity. He was laying on his back, smoking, while I was drinking my tea on my tummy. We heard the sound of a heavy animal creeping around us just below the edge of the ridge. It was stepping on the dried bamboo leaves.
It circled us several times, giving loud sniffling sounds as it checked out our odor. Naturally we were in a high state of alert, gripping our .22 pistols and Machetes -it is surprising how defenseless one feels when naked, sheehs.. After several minutes had gone by without any more noise, I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. I cautiously unzipped the netting comb, and slid outside, still nude, and clutching my .22, walked to the edge and commenced peeing. For a second everything remained calm, then there was a horrible growl / snort combination, the sound of a heavy body crashing down the side of the hill. We later figured that I had peed directly upon him.
Of course by this time I was safely ?? back inside of my skeeter net. My partner was laughing hysterically and making garbelled, gurgally, obscene remarks comparing my physiology to the totally inadequate .22 pistol. Sigh. My revenge came a little later when he had the bathroom call, however he never left his skeeter comb, just unzipped , rolled over, then scooped out a shallow hole. That was my cue to get him hehehehe
The next morning we found Jaguar tracks that must have been 7 - 8 inches across, he was a huge one. ©@
Don Jose de La Mancha
. It reminded me of a story my mom told me about sending my dad to the grocery store with a list of items right after they got married. He grew up on a farm, and I doubt he EVER went grocery shopping as his mom took care of all that sort of thing.
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