FAQ's
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Questions?
- How do I book a trip?
- How large a deposit is required and is the deposit refundable?
- When is the balance of my bill due and is the final payment refundable?
- Can I use a credit card to pay the deposit or final payment?
- What is the difference between a scheduled group trip and a custom all-expense
trip?
- What is the difference between the Five Day Yosemite Base Camp trip
and the Four Day High Sierra Wilderness Trip (besides one day)?
- How well do I have to be able to ride and how long are the rides?
- Is there a weight limit for horseback riders?
- Do I have to ride or can I walk?
- How much stuff can I bring?
- How many head of pack stock and how many packers will I need for a spot
trip?
- Can kids go and how old do they have to be?
- Can I bring my dog?
- Can I bring my own horse?
- What time is check-in at the pack station on the first day?
- What time do we get out on the last day of a trip?
- Where do I go to the bathroom in the back country?
- Can I take a shower back there?
- What if I have dietary restrictions or food preferences?
- What about my car while I'm in the back country?
- What do I need to bring?
- What fishing gear should I bring?
- Do I need a fishing license?
- How is the fishing?
- What isn't covered in the price of the trip?
- Can we have campfires?
- Is tipping customary?
Answers!
Call us at 925-349-5074 from October until June or 760-937-0326 June through September. Tell us
the type of trip, dates, party size, etc. and we'll put you on the calendar.
You then have one week to send us your deposit to hold your dates. Once
we receive your deposit we will send you a receipt, registration form,
and any other necessary information.
A 20% deposit is required to hold your dates and it is non-refundable. For the scheduled trips there are specific deposits which are listed on the scheduled trips page.
The balance on scheduled trips is due 30 days before the start of your
trip. Final payments are refundable with at least two weeks notice providing
we can find a replacement for your spot, otherwise they are non-refundable.
On all other trips the balance is due the day your trip starts.
We are sorry, but we do not accept any credit cards.
On both types of trips we provide all the camping gear, food and take care of all the camp chores.
For our scheduled group trips we set the dates, itinerary and menu. People can then join the trip individually,
as a small group, or book all eight spots. These trips are a great way
to meet new people. On a custom trip, you decide on the dates, itinerary, and menu, and it will be just your group in camp.
On the five day trip the horses stay in camp and are available for guided day rides if you want. On the four day trip the horses do not stay in, you ride a horse in and ride a horse out. The two full days you are in camp, you can go hiking (if you want to), sightseeing, or fishing.
Riding experience is not necessary to go on one of our trips. Our horses
are very gentle and mostly just follow the horse in front of them. All
the riding is done at a walk because of the high altitude and rugged terrain.
Most rides are about 3½ hours long. On some trips we go farther
on the first day, maybe 6 to 7 hours. When the rides are that long we break
them up with lunch breaks and rest stops.
Our ability to provide you with riding horses or mules that will meet your requirements is based on our judgement of the physical ability of each individual in your group. The judgement is made considering a combination of height, weight, and riding experience. If you are concerned about yourself or someone in your group please discuss it with us prior to your trip.
On our trips hiking, is always an option. The price of your trip is figured
accordingly.
On our all-expense trips we ask that each person limit his/her personal
gear to 30 pounds. Your coat, rain gear and trail necessities are carried
on your saddle or in saddle bags we provide and are not included in the
30 pound limit. On a spot trip your only limit is how many mules you wish
to use.
Each mule can carry up to 150 pounds (some mules may carry less if the
items are especially bulky). Anything over 150 pounds will require another
mule. Each packer can handle five head of pack and/or riding stock.
Kids are welcome on all trips, but if they are going horseback they need
to be at least seven years old. At management's discretion, five to six
year olds may be allowed to ride if the child is exceptionally active and
large for his age. We never allow any riding double. Customers with small
children often have us pack in their gear and they hike in.
Dogs are allowed in the Hoover Wilderness, but they are not allowed in Yosemite National Park, so it depends on where you want to
go. On a scheduled trip where there will be people who don't know your
dog we need to check with the remaining group first. Also, be aware that
the back country can be very hard on your dog's feet, and dogs rarely like
being packed on mules.
On spot trips you can, but we don't recommend it. Unless your horse is
in very good shape and used to high altitudes and rocky trails the trips
can be very hard on it. On an all-expense trip, we don't allow it since
your horse would have to mix with our herd which sometimes causes problems.
You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own saddle, though.
Check-in time is 7:30 am at the pack station, unless another time or place
is specified. Customers going on all-expense trips will be served breakfast
then and after breakfast we get you set on your horse and headed down the
trail. Sorry, but spot trip customers don't get breakfast; however, after
you unload your gear we will pack you up, get you set on your horse --
if you're riding -- and we'll hit the trail. Hikers can start out as soon
as they unload their gear.
Given packing and riding times it is best to figure that trips can end
as late as 6:00 pm on the last day, We often get out sooner, usually by
4:00 pm. If you have time restrictions, discuss them with us when you make
reservations. We will try to accommodate all requests.
On base camp trips we generally will have a latrine set up with a potty
chair. On traveling trips when we aren't going to be in any one camp for
very long we ask that you use "cat holes". These are 8"
to 10" deep holes you dig yourself and put the potty stool over and
cover up afterwards.
On all our all-expense trips, both scheduled and custom, we take in showers.
You can't stay in them forever but you can get your hair washed and the
top couple of layers of dirt off.
On a custom trip, we will design the menu around whatever restrictions you have.
Since the menu on the scheduled trip is pre-set it is harder to adapt it to
individual needs. The menu on the scheduled trips, however, tries to take in the most
common food preferences. We serve very little red meat on these trips and when we do they
are served separately. All meals include fresh fruits and/or vegetables, so you can
usually find something you can eat.
We provide free parking at the pack station for customers' cars. If you
are going in and out of a different trail head there is parking at the
trailhead. We have never had a problem with cars parked at any of our trailheads.
On our all-expense trips we can provide shuttle service for either you
or your car.
Check out our gear page. It lists what you need for an all-expense trip and
what you need for a spot trip.
You'll need your rod in a hard case with the ends taped on, your reel,
license, creel and tackle box. Six pound test line and 1 to 3 pound leader
material should work fine. Good flies for the area are black gnat, mosquitoes,
gray and brown hackle and ginger quill on no. 12-14 hooks. Lures should
be 1/16 ounce or 1/8 ounce. Panther Martins, Rooster Tails and Kastmasters
are all good lures. If you use bait, worms, power bait, salmon eggs and
floating cheese all work. Egg and worm hooks should be no. 12-14. Float
tubes are legal in the Hoover Wilderness but are not allowed in Yosemite
National Park. We can pack in float tubes, but they have to be uninflated.
In both the Hoover Wilderness and Yosemite National Park all anglers over 16 years old must have a current
California fishing license and have it displayed at all times while fishing. Short term licenses are available at most
sporting goods stores.
Fishing is usually fantastic.. The fish are native brook trout, rainbow
trout, a rainbow/golden cross and some brown trout. You won't find trophy
fish back there because of the high altitude and short growing season.
However, you will often find fish in the 18-22" range and, on light
tackle, a fight with a 20" rainbow is hard to beat. There are lots
of fish so you can practice catch and release if you choose but you can
keep some too, if you want. Anyone who has had cold-water, high-mountain
trout knows that it is a taste hard to forget!
Trip fees do not include lodging or food the night before or after a trip.
Alcoholic beverages are not covered either, although we do serve complimentary
house wine with dinner on all-expense trips.
Campfires are allowed anywhere in Yosemite National Park below 9600'. Campfires
are not allowed above 9,000' in the Green Creek drainage, this includes
East Lake, Nutter Lake, Gilman Lake, the Hoover Lakes, and Summit Lake.
Campfires are not allowed within 1/4 mile of Peeler Lake in the Robinson
Creek drainage.
Tipping is customary and greatly appreciated by the packers and cooks but
it is not required. The rule of thumb most use to determine if and how
much to tip is the following: if you had a great time tip 10% of the cost
of the trip, if you had an "OK" time tip 5%, and if you think
the crew did a lousy job don't tip. You can give the tip to any of the
crew members that helped you. They will split it among all of those that
worked on your trip.
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