PHOENIX – On a clear sunny morning, the range staff from the Payson Ranger District on the Tonto National Forest prepare a pack string of horses and mules for a four-mile trek into the Mazatzal Wilderness, carrying equipment and biologists from Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD).

A pack string, composed of several horses and mules, enables the Tonto to transport personnel, supplies and equipment to remote areas on the forest not accessible by vehicles. At the four-mile marker, the range staff unloads equipment packed in by the mules and the biologists prepare to hike further into the wilderness to conduct fish surveys in the headwaters of the gorge that connects to the East Verde River.

The pack string program on the Tonto has grown exponentially over the past three years with the training and assistance of the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. “Last year alone, our pack string program racked up over 5,000 miles assisting our partners, and providing support for Forest Service specialists and projects,” said Jeff Sturla, range staff supervisor on the Payson Ranger District.

Many areas of the Tonto are not accessible by motor vehicles and in some areas motorized vehicles are prohibited, such as in the seven designated Wilderness Areas on the forest. Without the pack string program, trail maintenance, research and other critically important work could not be completed in these remote areas.

“The Tonto’s pack string program is a vital part of wilderness management and is sadly becoming a lost art of sorts. Our Wilderness Areas are vast, with miles of recreational trails, allotment fencing and improvements,” said Ron Turner, Tonto’s trails and wilderness coordinator. “Having our own pack program means that we can get some of our long overdue wilderness trail projects back up and running. This program is essential to supporting the various needs of our partners and the Tonto’s wilderness program without compromising wilderness values.”

The upper section of the gorge has never been surveyed by AZGFD due to the remoteness and rugged terrain, but with the assistance of the Tonto’s experienced range staff which oversees the pack string program, researchers now have access to conduct valuable surveys on the roundtail chub populations in the gorge.

“There are a handful of streams that are extremely difficult and dangerous to hike due to the rugged terrain and lack of water along the way, whereas the pack horse trips allow us an opportunity to survey safely and efficiently,” said Aquatic Wildlife Program Manager Amberle Jones, of AZGFD.

After completing two days of surveying in the Mazatzal Wilderness, Jones and her crew from AZGFD met the range staff at their original drop-off point. The Tonto’s pack string program transported them back out of the wilderness, saving them time and the strenuous all-day hike uphill.

Since November of last year, the pack horse program has completed 15 trips assisting various programs and partners, with more trips planned for later in the year. “It’s really important to develop these relationships and pool resources. We understand each other’s missions better and are able to assist one another with project work,” said Sturla. “I think the relationships get stronger every year, and as a result we become better at doing this, both the packing and getting the work done.”