The Next Last Packers

Mule packing is dying. Or so they say. Meet the new generation fighting to preserve nostalgia, a timeless heritage, and wilderness itself.

"It is a less likely skill for young people to take up, because they can make more money in electronics and other businesses," says Smoke Elser, the legendary 83-year-old packer who has taught the trade to thousands at Lolo National Forest’s Ninemile Wildlands Training Center. He notes that fewer of his students were raised on ranches and baseline horsemanship skills have decreased.

"To run a pack string is a lot of hard work," Elser says. "Back-aching work."

"The reason I do this is because I love the country," Elser says. "The country is my heart and soul."

By Clare Menzel

Full Story: http://flatheadbeacon.com/2017/07/09/next-last-packers/

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Back Country Horseman of Montana http://www.bchmt.org/

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Outfitters open the door to the Bob Marshall wilderness http://www.matr.net/article-77794.html

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Montana’s Wilderness Trails Need People With Horse Skills, Mule Packers and Volunteers to Keep the Back Country Supplied and Open. http://www.matr.net/article-72336.html