Trail Logs: 8-19-2024 and 8-20-2024

Above Blue Hole

• Trails: Duck Lake to Blue Hole via Indian Crossing Imnaha - Clear Creek Snow Park
• Miles: 16
• Riders: Self - Lou Ann
• Horses: Jack - Drifter - Hunter
• Dogs: Groot

 

8-19-2024: My friend, Lou Ann, came up for a few days to catch up and ride. I haven't seen her for at least 5 years. I planned on hauling to Fish Lake and riding those now familiar trails but changed my mind when we got near the Duck Lake TH. I've been wanting to explore the trails around Duck Lake and find the road my sister took her jeep years ago to the back side of the lake. The other end of the road goes toward Indian Crossing...according to the map. 

We rode to Duck Lake - found the road on the back of the lake and reverse tracked to the main road. Mission accomplished. This would be the road my sister took. There is a tree across it in one spot which will have to be cut out if she wants to Jeep through it. 

We then road back to the intersection and took the trail towards Indian Crossing on the Imnaha. With help from my neighbor - I had downloaded the North section of the Wallowa-Whitman NFS map onto Avenza. According to the map...and IF I was reading it correctly - we were within 6 miles of Indian Crossing. Crazy...it's a good 40 miles by vehicle via the road. 

The trail doesn't get much use - a few hikers I presume...as the trail is definitely not for horseback. A mile section of rocky, straight down to the river with no switchbacks. Horse trails (and most good hiking trails) utilize switchbacks cut into the sides of steep terrain to level them out. There was no leveling this out. I'm glad ..the harder the trail - the less traffic. 

There is a trail sign at the bottom of the steep section that points back towards the lake. It reads: Duck Lake - JESUS. I imagine any hiker that managed to climb out of that thing on foot felt as if meeting Jesus via heart attack was a valid possibility. 

We found ourselves at Indian Crossing TH within 6 miles from leaving Duck Lake. I was shocked and amazed that this was the same TH my sister and I drove a good 40 miles on our way to Imnaha earlier in the month. 

From Indian Crossing, we road the 2 miles to Blue Hole. Seriously one of coolest places in the country. I'd been there years before and have wanted to got back since. The water is crystal clear and you can see 18-20 inch trout begging to flop into a frying pan set over an open campfire. That will have to wait until another year - no campfires this year as the entire state has been a blaze with wild-fires.  

We ate our lunch at Blue Hole, rested and watered the horses before starting the climb back to Duck Lake. Groot didn't handle the climb well. I've never seem him get tired until that steep mile stretch to the lake. Granted - my critters and I are all fat and sassy as we haven't done much since coming North for the summer. With the excessive heat, wild-fires and smoke - the most activity I've gotten is covering my eyes during episodes of Game of Thrones and VIKINGS. Good Hell

8-20-2024: Lou had a few hours before she needed to go home. We opted for a short ride. I've been preparing Drifter to carry a pack for a pack trip in Washington the end of the month. We put in at the Snow Park and loaded Drifter with more bulk and a top pack. I towed him through brush and let the pack scrape on trees to help him become pack-aware. He did really good. I'll be packing with a group of folks I don't know very well. I don't want to be "that" person that brings a green pack horse and gets everyone killed...or worse, embarrassed! If I were smart - I'd pack Jack and ride Drifter but.....

It was an awesome week. I finally got to do something besides clean shit - move shit- lift heavy shit and/or throw out shit. I discovered several nice camping spots in the event I come back North next summer. 

Trail Log: 8-11-2024

Left - dog leg to nice camp - Right - to Schneider Meadow

 

• Trail: Trail Creek - Schneider Meadows - Trail Creek NF6610
• Miles: 7.25
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack - Drifter
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: I thought for sure I'd been to Schneider Meadows in the past but now I don't think so. I put in off Clear Creek Rd and started riding. I took a dog leg off the main road until the trail fizzled out but found a nice spot for a camp. We practically stepped on a deer while crossing a downed tree. Thankfully neither horse did much (Riding Jack - towing Drifter) There's never a good place to get bucked off, but getting dumped this far off the main trail where they'd never find your carcass might be worse. 

We rode back to the main road toward what I assume to be the direction of S. meadow. We saw a big elk browsing Clear Creek. You can get pretty close to them if your on horseback so I dove down the bank to see if I could get a picture. It was steep and towing Drifter and trying to operate a camera at the same time wasn't particularly smart in this terrain so I gave it up. 

I really need to get some sort of trail app for my phone...or better yet, get a real map from the Forest Service. There's a novel idea. After looking at my Garmin Basecamp tracks it looks like I made it to the lower end of the meadow. I crossed Trail Creek headed toward Meadow Creek. Schneider Meadows sits between the two creeks, according to Basecamp. 

The air quality was much better and didn't increase until we got to higher ground. The Town Gulch fire is at 37% contained. The wind started to gust and the smoke increased to the point it made me nervous enough to turn around and head back. 

Drifter is not a water baby so crossing this a couple times was good for him. 

Trail Log: 8-4-2024

looking toward the valley

• Trail: Tunnel Creek - NF100 - Holbrook Creek
• Miles: 4.14
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack - Drifter
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: Tired of waiting for it to cool off...tired of waiting for the smoke to clear. With most of the major moving done, it's time to get back in the saddle and get myself and my critters back in shape. I saddled both horses and hauled toward tunnel creek. Instead of staying on the main trail to Tunnel Creek, we veered off to the right toward Holbrook Creek. I grew up on Holbrook Creek and live here in the summers since moving to AZ...but I've never seen where Holbrook originates. I didn't see it today, either - as we turned around. I didn't even know it was Holbrook Creek until mom informed of such when I got back. I'll make a point of going farther another time. I rode Jack in and Drifter out. It's still smoky everywhere you ride but at least it is a few degrees cooler in the mountains. I met two DFW firetrucks on my way out. Apparently there is a fire up Holbrook somewhere. I didn't see evidence of it as the smoke is lingering from fires in other parts of the country. 

Good friends 

Trail Log: 7-24-2024

(L-R) Mark - Me - Lee

 

• Trail: Sugarloaf - Deadman - Fish Lake
• Miles: 8.35    
• Riders: Self - Majella - Darrel - Lee - Mark 
• Horses: Drifter - Jack - Sorrel - Douglas - Leah
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: Finally got my sister to ride with me. She rode Jack and I rode Drifter. It was great being able to take both horses. Darrel M. picked us up at my place and we hauled up to where Lee and the group are camped. I missed being able to camp there all week but it fell on the week my kids were all coming to visit. We opted for a fairly easy ride since Majella hasn't ridden in years. Drifter is barefoot but I didn't even have to put his boots on. His feet held up nicely. I've been shaping them myself and putting a mustang roll on the toes. Seems to be working. It's still smoky everywhere but it was a few degrees cooler in the mountains. 

We saw a nice herd of elk with a couple of bulls in the mix. The lupin was not as vibrant as the last couple of years but still present. 

Mo and the BW's