The Pack Trains

In the earliest times, packing was done mostly by native people using back packs.  They would travel many miles over rugged terrain to deliver essential supplies to miners, prospectors and isolated settlements.  The standard weight for men to pack was 100 pounds.  On top of this, the packer would have his own food and supplies for the trip.  The standard pack for women was "only" 80 pounds!  Many times on top of their large packs, they would have blankets, food and a baby.  Packers would receive five cents per pound for the supplies they carried.  In the 1860's, for the trip from Hazelton to Fort Babine, a distance of almost 100 miles both ways, the packer was paid only $4.00 or $5.00.  Can you imagine that!

As the trails in northern British Columbia began to improve, packers and pack trains started showing up in the area.  The trails needed to be five feet wide and clear of brush and trees for the packs to get through without being caught.  Packers charged six cents per pound when transporting goods on these improved trails.  Many of the trails the pack trains utilized headed north and east out of Hazelton.  Some of these trails included the Babine Trail, Grease Trails and the YUKON TELEGRAPH TRAIL.  For the most part during the snowless months, pack trains replaced the native carriers.

Pack Train leaving Hazelton, 1904
Image Courtesy of BC Archives - Detail of Call #B-01365

The knowledge of packing and certain packing terms came to British Columbia through the Spanish and Mexican people in the early 1800's.  It was they who taught the local people the techniques and tricks of packing.  Words such as corregidor, stevedore and segundo became familiar terms amongst the packers.

The horse and mule pack trains usually had about 100 pack animals, however, some trains were smaller and some were as long as 150 animals.   Each pack animal had to be trained and usually carried 200 pounds.   Depending on the size and type of animal, they could carry as much as 600 and 700 pounds.

Both the mule and the horse were used in packing because they each had different packing abilities.  Mules can carry more weight, work longer hours, need less feed and can manouvre more easily around narrow rocky areas on the trails.  Horses, on the other hand, can travel through mud and swamps a lot easier than mules since their feet are broader. A packer had to take special care when packing the animals and make sure that  goods that could get spoiled if immersed in water were packed on the mules and not on the horses.  In hot weather, a horse will lie down in a creek to cool itself off and could damage the goods it was carrying.

On a routine day, the packers were usually awake by 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning to get their animals packed before the flies and bugs came out and made them hard to pack.  The men worked in pairs placing the packs on the pack saddles.  It was very important to load the pack animals properly because a shifty pack could injure the animal's back or, even worse, send them tumbling off a cliff to their death.  Once the packs were in place, the famous "diamond hitch" was thrown over the packs.

When everything was ready, a bell was rung and the train was off, with an experienced horse or mule in the lead.  This lead animal wore a bell and all the others knew to follow.  Usually, for every ten pack animals, there was one packer riding horseback.  The foreman rode up and down the train, making sure all was well.   When the lead horse came to a difficult place in the trail or a stream crossing, the boss would ride up to supervise.   

As a rule, the cook rode on ahead of the train.  He would have camp set up and a hot meal ready when the train arrived.   These stops were usually at grassy feeding places along the trail.  The animals became so familiar with the trails and the stopping places that they would become impatient as they approached the camp.

When the pack train arrived at the campsite, the horses and mules would file up in a great half-circle around the lead horse.   The packs were taken off and placed beside the harness of each animal.  The animals were then turned free to graze around the camp.  By this time, the cook and his helper had made a roaring fire and supper was on.  The packers were finally able to retire for a well-earned rest.

The pack trains usually ran from about July to the end of September when the trails were free of snow.  In the wintertime, the pack animals stayed at a ranch in the Bulkley Valley.  With the pack trains down for the winter, DOG TEAMS and native carriers would continue to transport essential supplies.

Packing was truly a rugged life.  Many men had to brave the elements and the northern wilderness to get the job done.  Men such as CHARLIE BARRETT, JEAN CAUX - CATALINE and GEORGE BEIRNES were a part of the history of packing in the Hazelton area.

Pack Train in Hazelton
Image Courtesy of BC Archives - Detail of Call #A-09675

This digital collection was produced under contract to the
   SchoolNet Digital Collections program, Industry Canada. Revised:  02/15/99