It was only a matter of time before several pack mules were tied together, creating a working pack string. These working strings became lifelines to the crews who fought fires, carved trails, built fire towers and bridged rivers in the backcountry. The vast accomplishments of the Civilian Conservation Corps could not have been achieved without the help of mule pack strings. Since nine mules and a horse form a standard Forest Service pack string, the working payload is about one ton. Given this capacity, the best use of mules today is packing supplies into and out of the wilderness where mechanized equipment is not allowed.
Mules are the hybrid product of a male donkey and a female horse.
Male mules are called johns and female mules are called mollies. Our beautiful mollies are a cross between male donkeys and Belgium horse mares. This pack string uses mollies because they generally have a more gentle disposition than johns. Intelligence, agility and stamina are all characteristics of mules. These qualities combine with a quirk of nature to make mules excellent pack animals.