Re: More on picket lines?

[Kim <aliakey@geocities.com>]

Duncan Fletcher wrote:
> 
> The current requirement by USFS is to tie stock at least 200 feet from
> water, and please do follow the rest of the advice about being responsible
> back country stock users.
> 
> This is not the only post about nylon not stretching. I hate to tell you
> otherwise, but nylon is the stretchiest material used to make rope (well
> excuding bungee cord material). Now I am referring to the stretch of fiber
> not the rearrangement of the fibers which is more related to construction
> (braid, twist, etc.) - and it immediately returns to its original length
> when the load is removed if it has not been overloaded. You want to minimize
> stetch, use polyester unless you want to get real exoctic and use kevlar. If
> you want good information about rope, go visit a marine supply store - they
> will probably have booklets on various fibers and construction techniques
> (just don't expect to find the hard lay of lariat rope).
> 
> Duncan Fletcher
> dfletche@gte.net
> 
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The 100 ft versus 200 ft requirements may differ for our particular
areas.  As one ridecamper mentioned in an email to me, "Is there any
place in the eastern Sierras that is more than 100' from an open water
source??? :)".

We received personal instruction from the FS that 100 ft is fine, as
long as it is obvious that your picketing area does not slope as to
allow runoff to hit the creeks or lakes (of which there are plenty).  If
they said "200 ft" for picketing, then using stock in the wilderness
would be very difficult. 

Should this wilderness be "stock prohibited" then because of the sheer
number of lakes and creeks?  I hope I don't have to answer that some
day, but I can assure many that several "non-profit" protection
organizations who would rather see pack stock eliminated did go out and
take water samples, etc. for analysis in those water sources.  The water
results obviously did not incriminate pack stock, as they are still
there and packers just don't have any lobbying power ;-)

As far as rope is concerned, I also know that nylon is pretty stretchy. 
However, I guess I failed to include in my orginal post that pack
outfits are notoriusly *cheap*!  Nylon rope is very inexpensive compared
to other ropes for what it provides and its *longitivity*.  Just can't
afford Kevlar (g).  I stand corrected, and my appologies if I misled
anyone on the properties of nylon.

Anyway, thank you Duncan for letting us know the USFS requirements as
they usually stand.  I have never packed anywhere outside of the East
Sierras, so my knowledge of other states pretty much non-existant ('cept
of course, the thing about "seed-free hay").  I think 200 feet is a
better distance myself, anyway!  So, I guess the "Golden Rule" of
picketing is to stop by the USFS office to get the local information
first.

Kim