A friend of mine down in the Cucuamonga area in CA, works for the FS down there and she likes them. They help maintain the trails and have done alot of work. It is in their best interest. I think they work on their PR also, most if not all I have met while on the trail have been really friendly. On the down side, last Fall, close to home on the Plumas NF in CA, the Feather River College Pack Station Management class had a group at a lake I went to. They had the horses tied to trees waiting to be loaded up. Not sure if they were there all night, but the damage was done. They should be tied out on a picket line if that is the word, I'm not familiar with it. Basically, a line tied between two points in a straight line which the horses are tied to. If they are tied to a tree they pace around it, leaving a trench around the roots. Not a pretty sight. I left a message with the Rec Officer who I know, but never heard anything.