Allen Clyde - Life Lessons on the Sierra Trail: 40 Years Experiences in the John Muir Wilderness

Life Lessons on the Sierra Trail

40 Years Experiences in the John Muir Wilderness

Allen Clyde

Fresno, California

Life Lessons on the Sierra Trail

Copyright 2020 by Allen Clyde. All rights reserved.

Illustrations by Claudia Fletcher

Cover photograph: Packer with Mules on Tuolumne River Trail.

Photo by Don Paulson / Jaynes Gallery / DanitaDelimont.com

Book design by Andrea Reider

Published by Craven Street Books

An imprint of Linden Publishing

2006 South Mary Street, Fresno, California 93721

(559) 233-6633 / (800) 345-4447

CravenStreetBooks.com

Craven Street Books and Colophon are trademarks of
Linden Publishing, Inc.

ISBN 978-0-941936-04-0

135798642

Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file.

This is a modern-day parable based on true events, places, and people. Many of the individuals names have been either changed or eliminated for the sole purpose of protecting the guilty.

Allen Clyde

CONTENTS

Allen Clyde on horseback with packhorse

Foreword

T he book you are holding is an awesome read! It will enrich your life! Dr. Allen Clyde, a master storyteller and wilderness expert, will take you on an unforgettable ride through the high Sierra wilderness, a ride on which you will experience the grandeur of the majestic Sierras and learn vicariously the skills of high-country horse packing.

You will be exposed to the thrilling wonders and rigors of the magnificent John Muir Wilderness. Throughout these actionpacked scenarios you will learn what it is to ride hard, learn crucial lessons equipping you for the challenges of life, and laugh out loud often as you become acquainted with the skills of horsepacking and meet unique and colorful characters, mostly pleasant, and some not so. Dr. Clyde held me captive from page one to the end, and left me wanting more. You are on the right trail!

Jack Hannah, teacher, coach, singer, song writer, cowboy

Prologue

Y olanda was worried about her son Pablo. He was a good boy and never got into any serious trouble. He had just turned eighteen years old and was feeling more independent by the day. The friends he had been hanging with were turning toward the bad, and one had already been arrested. So far, Pablo had been able to avoid getting involved with any gang, but his friends hadnt.

Yolanda knew bringing him up here from Mexico when he was ten years old was the best choice for him, but she feared that if Pablo went with a gang, all would be for nothing. Pablo had done extremely well in school and had gotten accepted at California State University, Fresno. She hoped her son would follow through and attend college, but lately she was hearing him talk of not going and taking another path. As a child growing up in their poor village down south, Pablo had spent all his spare time on horseback with his uncles. She had never seen him far from horses since the age of four. He had spent days on end riding and enjoying every minute of it. But up here, in the center of the city of Fresno, Pablo felt somewhat lost and incomplete. He had immersed himself in schoolwork, but lately that focus was waning.

Yolanda worked hard all day as a house cleaner, and her feet were paying the toll and torturing her every step. She was glad her primary care doctor had set up an appointment with Dr. Clyde, a foot specialist.

Yolanda arrived at the office ten minutes early and was captivated by the pictures on the waiting room wall. Each one had an image of a horse in it. Many had high-country scenes, and others were of rodeo bronc riders. Right on time, Yolanda was led into an exam room. Along the way, she had noticed similar pictures on display in the rooms she passed.

Within a minute, Dr. Clyde entered, introduced himself, and sat on a stool near her feet. Yolanda described her foot issues, and Dr. Clyde explained her treatment options and went to work on her feet. She felt compelled to ask him about all the horse-related pictures in every room. He looked up, smiled, and told her about his nonprofit rodeo program and his forty years of outfitter-guiding in the John Muir Wilderness east of town. Soon he changed the subject and asked about her and her family.

Yolanda first spoke of her eldest son, Pablo, and his plans to go to Fresno State in the fall and her hope that he would follow through. This caught Dr. Clydes attention. He mentioned that he was on the Fresno County Board of Education and wanted to know more about Pablos ambitions. She said that he was a good student but unsure about his future goals. She divulged that this was a confusing time for Pablo. Dr. Clyde then asked about his main interests, thinking they might give her son some direction. She said that he had spent his childhood totally absorbed in horses in the mountains back home in Mexico and how much he missed that life. She added that Pablo had no regrets about coming up to California, since his education had been top-notch, but now that he had turned eighteen, he was faced with decisions.

Maybe he needs to go someplace else for the summer, Dr. Clyde suggested. Get away from his so-called friends and maybe afterward see the world in a different light. I guess him traveling out of the country is not an option due to finances. Yolanda nodded her head in agreement. How about having him come by the office so we can talk when my wife, Deb, is here. I have an idea that might work for everyone. We need a rider, and he needs to get out of Dodge for a while.

Two weeks later, Yolanda dropped Pablo off at Clydes mountain pack station to start work. Pablo was full of apprehension and anticipation. He knew about horses, but beyond that, the learning curve was just beginning.

CHAPTER 1

Outward Bound

W ake up, Pablo. Its already 5:00 a.m. and the sun beat ya, Clyde yelled. Pablo opened one eye and the other soon followed. The small lodgepole pine cones he saw out the window were still, indicating a calm and clear day ahead.

Pablo shuffled into the cookhouse where Clyde already had the cowboy coffee to a rolling boil. He had added one coffee cup of cold water to settle the grounds. He poured his cup and the one Pablo presented. Meet ya at the corral, Clyde said, after I take Deb her coffee. This was his ritual every morning while she was still in bed. With just a small amount of cream, no sugar, but a sprinkle of love he always told her as he set the cup on the small table beside her.

Which way are we headed today? Pablo asked.

Were going to the Niche again with a load of resupply for Outward Bound, Clyde answered. Looks like five packhorse loads, all tight and heavy as usual. Well take the youngest horse, July, and put him in the training position, right behind the lead packhorse. Should get along just fine. This being his second trip this summer, the four hours in and four out shouldnt be any trouble for him today. Go ahead and put packsaddles on Nevada, Pearl, Poco, and Loper to finish the string. Saddle Jay for yourself and Ill ride Harley today.

The typical resupply loads for Outward Bound always go in duffel bags and one large plastic bag. Three to five cans of stove fuel were packed separately. Clyde and Pablo filled the two canvas-leather bags (sometimes called panniers) for each horse and placed them in the back of the flatbed. Ten pack loads in all. Then came the five lash ropes and five canvas top tarps.