JMT 2024 - Day 4 Part 2 - Five Escaped Mules Escape Yosemite Valley and Summit Donohue Pass

I found out through the John Muir Trail grapevine that a lady accidentally did not secure her mules, so they were able to escape in the middle of the night from Cathedral Lakes. From there, almost 30 miles away, and not bearing heavy loads, they had an easy time submitting Donohue Pass and descending from Yosemite National Park into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. The lady could never match their hiking pace, so she had to drive her car. There are not many accessible roads in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, so this must have been particularly stressful for the owner of these majestic mules. What an adventure as these mules did the ultimate ultralight adventure. As the old adage goes, they hiked their own hike.

[@mkaufer05]

If they were wild horses, they would get defensive when humans get too close to them and they will be stomping their Hoofs at you. I know from personal experience.

[@PhoenixGenesis]

Those wild horses you saw in Montana were amazing. 😻 I wish I could have been there. What a great memory!

[@mkaufer05]

@@PhoenixGenesis Yes it was, bit now I learn my lesson, Dont get out of your car and try to take a selfie of a group of wild horses.

[@l214laus]

Here in the mountains of south east Australia, introduced species of animals are destroying vast swathes of peat bogs and lands not used to hoofed animals. Wild horses, deer, pigs are feral and would count in their millions. I was away last week in the snowy mountains area and we had a number of daylight encounters with herds of deer wandering on the roads. There was snow on the road so we weren't going too fast.

[@PhoenixGenesis]

@@l214laus That’s sad. Are you allowed to hunt the deer?

[@l214laus]

@@PhoenixGenesis Well, unlike your country, there are very strict gun ownership laws - unless you are a drug dealer, outlaw motor cycle gang member etc (sarcasm)! If you actually have a gun licence, people can hunt the vermin, within the rules of not shooting in built up areas, out of your car window etc. It is suspected that rogue hunters originally released deer from commercial farms. This will be argued by them as being an untrue situation. I suspect there might be millions of feral deer roaming the countryside now. 🦌