Two Yosemite articles - overcrowding and mule riding

[oldranger]

Packing in with horses and mules was never cheap! The people who used them even way back when were relatively wealthy or people who saved up for the trip of their life. I started using packers or renting burros in the early 70s, the number of packstations were already dropping. But as I recall the cost of renting a burro in Yosemite was about $50 per day but that enabled my wife and I to carry our daughter on one of our backs, the other a pack, and the burro to carry 75 lbs of gear. Back then I think the cost for horses an mules was about $75 per day with the same cost for the packer. So a spot trip for packer, 3 horses, one mule would be about $375. Doesn't seem like much now but (any economist in the forum is welcome to chime in) but I think inflation would make that amount equal to about $1100 dollars today. Which is just about what a packer and 4 horses/mules would cost today for one day. Don't forget to add at least a 10% tip to the packer, too. Being retired after living frugally until retirement, and trying to avoid leaving much for my kids spending money on this type of thing is reasonable to me. Since I would go on these trips with or without Mark I charge him just the additional cost of his pack animal and a small portion of the cost of the packer and horse. Plus I wrangle a few of his paintings which I will leave to my kids instead of money when I croak!