Trail Log 1995-1997 - Lamar at Colorado State University

47
At Skukuza, I separated from Johan and Jane to go on the Metsimetsi Trail, with Cleve Cheney (P.
Bag X402, Skukuza 1350, South Africa). He is taking a correspondence wilderness management
course from Colorado State University, one which had some articles I wrote in the readings (and
one I consulted some with George Wallace and others to set up). The course is being moved to
the University of Montana, however.
Mike Landman, whom I had met earlier in 1990 was the director of trails until recently, when he took
a job still with the parks board in tourism promotion. Cleve is now the acting director of trails, and
he expects to be named the permanent director, though there are many slips nowadays with the
new politics. Trails are 8 people, and go out twice a week in most camps. They take 7,000 people
a year on trails, 65% of them are repeaters. The men/women ratio is 50-50. 92% of them are
South Africans, only 8% are internationals, presumably because there is such a long wait to get on
them.
The black guide (2nd gun) is Fernando. He speaks Portuguese, and a little English. Trail
participants here go out in a rather fancy bakkie, outfitted with seats in the back and a canvas top.
I rode up front with Cleve.
This is called a "trail," and you have to book a year and a half in advance to get one. But it is not
a backpacking trail; you go to a camp with a fence around it, stay there; there is a cook and food
is provided, as is bedding. You go out each day and hike about, and return.
Other people on the trail:
An Afrikaans family of four: Dennes and Lorraine Rousseau, and their sons Jacques, finishing
grade 11 and Rikus, finishing grade 6. From Schoemanville, near Pretoria.
Philip R. Sagar and wife, Diz. Financial Director, Streetbeat Shoes, 17 Doris Street, Berea 2198.
P. O. Box 603, Northlands, 2116. Other addresses, on the photos he sent: Box 354, Bruma 2026.
Inside address: 31 Turnstone Street, Dewetshof, Tvl. 2198. Phone home: 011 622-7271; work: 011
484-3618. Fax 011 484-1191. They have a son in the U.S., in Florida in school and will come to
the U.S. next year.
Richard Tucker, electrical engineer originally, though now he manages various projects. Wife: Mary
Tucker, a bookkeeper. From Edenvale, near Johannesburg. Both men were rather good with birds.
All four had been on trails before and were well travelled in South Africa.
Notes from Cleve Cheney en route to camp. Buffalo are very overrated; old bulls are more trouble
than herds. There are 1400 white rhino in the park, 140 black rhino, which are solitary and far
slower breeders. Once Kruger had no rhinos at all, they were all shot out by perhaps 1910.
The baboons here are chacma baboons, very similar to the olive baboons in East Africa.
The duikers here are grey duikers usually, red duiker are in riverine habitat.
There is a large elephant typically coming to drink water near camp, with a broken tusk.
Metsimetsi, the name of the camp, means "water, water."