Why no porters/"sherpas" in the Sierra?

[Barton2018]

This is quite common in the backcountry ski community. Most of the "porters" are guides or professional/semi-pro athletes who are happy to get paid for a workout. And then they ski home with an empty pack. It's not a job, but rather a way to make some extra cash. I could see this working in the way Wandering Daisy wishes, except for the communication aspect. I've had porters go to the trailhead who were supposed to meet us in town, etc... You would want an inreach or similar if you were relying on them showing up in the backcountry with more food. Of course that is also an issue with horsepackers...I had some friends whose packing company forgot to pick them up. That was not good. In any event, it's win-win.