How mule packers in NC pivoted from military prep to much-needed Helene relief
%20copy.jpeg "Mountain Mule Packers walk along damaged road in Montreat, North Carolina days after Helene passed through the Buncombe County town.")
These first responders weren’t aware of their online fame.
Videos of Max, Jeb, Kev, Lil Wayne, Buzzkill, Amigo, Smokie and Patchey hauling supplies through tree-downed mountains drew millions of views and thousands of positive comments in the days after Helene swept through Western North Carolina
“This right here is what makes me proud to be an American,” one person wrote on Facebook.
Along with a black horse named Vader, the eight animals were among the earliest teams to bring supplies to stranded residents in the region’s remote hollers, advancing step by surefooted step. Their work hearkened to an era when more of society relied on 1,000-pound beasts of burden. A time without modern roads, electricity or running water. A time many North Carolinians abruptly faced in late September after the storm.
“They got up into an area of Montreat that four-wheel drives just couldn’t get to,” said Tom Wilder, a commissioner for the Town of Montreat in Buncombe County. “And they were bringing water because, of course, nobody had water.”
Water was just one of the necessities the mules carried, says Michael Toberer, cofounder of Mountain Mule Packers.
“We distributed the supplies they needed, the food and water, but then also the insulin,” he said of one effort up the steepest street in Montreat. “And then we brought ice for the insulin.”
Toberer and his wife, Michele, run Mountain Mule Packers from their ranch in Mount Ulla, a Rowan County township about 35 miles north of Charlotte and a two-hour drive from Asheville. After meeting in California, the couple relocated to North Carolina in 2012 to train military personnel on how this steady animal can assist in crisis situations.
Offspring of horses and donkeys, mules are ideal helpers. They can work longer days than horses, carry heavier loads and possess superior balance, in part because they see all four of their legs as they walk.
Mountain Mule Packers was geared up for a training in South Carolina ahead of the last weekend in September when Helene canceled the event. With packers and supplies already set, Michael and Michele chose to redirect their efforts west.
On Facebook, they asked the public to provide names of specific people who might need assistance. Many responded.
“That’s when the phones just did not stop,” Michele said. “That’s when it felt like, ‘OK, now we just have this command center.’ We had three people here answering messages and phone calls.”
Mountain Mule Packers partnered with the nonprofit Cajun Navy 2016 on treks to different towns over the next 11 days. While their direct impact was relatively minor — a single team among many working in a vast stretch of the state — the mules inspired many more nationwide.
“Not only were they symbolic, but they were obviously unique,” Widmer said.
With roads in Western North Carolina improved, Jeb, Max, Kev, Buzzkill, Amigo, Lil Wayne, and Smokie have returned to the Mount Ulla ranch. There they graze on hay and await their next mission.
