Trail Log: 7-24-2020

• Trail: Fruitvale -Weiser River Trail 
• Miles: 10.17
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack and J'Lo
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: Wasn't sure where this day was going to end up. The only real plan was to ride somewhere in the timber where it would be cooler. I originally thought I would head up Mann Creek. I started out in that direction at least. I passed the Mann Creek turnoff without realizing it until I hit Midvale. I considered putting in at Shoe Peg, calling Jones and Dusty and riding to the cabin for lunch. Jones didn't have her phone on her so didn't get my text/invite. So...I decided to keep going farther north and put in somewhere I hadn't been before. I snapped a picture of the kiosk map in Cambridge and headed north. I passed several potential trail heads before deciding on trying out the one in Fruitvale.

A local convenience store clerk assured me that Fruitvale did indeed have a spot to put in but the parking was limited. I ended up pulling over at a wide spot across from an old store building with a sign on it that read: Yes...This is Fruitvale. Sweet...I think all towns should have such a sign. It would clear up a lot of guesswork for those of us who are geographically challenged.

A mile down the road and we hit a road closed barrier that detoured back up on the Fruitvale -Glendale road. I had no idea why the trail was closed or how long said detour would take us. I suppose if you knew such things a head of time it wouldn't be much of an adventure.

We rounded a corner on the Fruitvale/Glendale Rd...minding our own business and enjoying the scenery when a long tailed flash of tan whips around in the road and dashes over the bank toward the river. It wasn't huge, but it was definitely an adult cougar. I was hoping it climbed a tree so I could get a picture of it but alas...cougars and Big Foot must come from the same educational background: The un-photo-graphical school of Mystical Creatures.

Not long after the cougar sighting, we came upon what looks to be a large commune called "Starkey." I looked it up when I got home and it appears to be a hot springs. Not sure what all the other dozen or so buildings are for. It will require more research. Not far past Starkey and the reason for the trail closure loomed below. A large trestle bridge spanning maybe 50 yards over the river was blown out in the mid-section. Mystery solved.

The detour puts you back on the trail about 2.5 miles from Fruitvale. I stopped and talked to two lady's eating lunch by the river. They had just got back from riding the trail. They held my horses while I checked out the conditions of the porta-potty before crossing a large trestle bridge and  heading on up the trail.

We passed by a "trail board" secured to a tree for people to write on. The chalk board was covered in names, initials and cute graphics. The largest of initials in bright yellow read: BLM. Apparently that does not stand for Botanical Lives Matter as indicative of the large nails used to hammer the thing to the tree.

I rode for a few more miles through picturesque farmland and homesteads before switching horses (From Jack to J'Lo) and heading back. I wanted to get back before The Cabin closed. We arrived once again at the big trestle bridge to find the two ladies had gone. In their place were two men whooping and hollering under the bridge. J'Lo wasn't about to step on to that bridge with all the commotion going on and I had serious doubts about getting halfway across and having her spook at whatever they were doing under there. I yelled out..."Hey, could you come out from under the bridge so my horses can see you?" One of the two stepped out and waved...the other grabbed for a towel to cover up his naked butt. He needn't have bothered...soon as J'Lo could see they were human, she could care less whether they were buck-naked or not.

The horses and Hank got fairly animated back at the tree where the cougar sighting had occurred - either it was still in the area or it's scent lingered. Regardless, we pushed on and made it back in time to meet Jones and Dusty at the Cabin for dinner.

It seems like my favorite rides end up being those that go not as planned. It's easy to get into a rut and ride areas you are more familiar with. To strike out with no particular plan in mind but to discover new places to explore seems to produce the best adventures of all.

Botanical Lives Matter

Trail Log: 7-19-2020

Trail: Sweet - Bigger's Ranch

Miles: 9.37

Riders: Self - Teri - Bev

Horses: Jack - Woody - Hick

Dogs: Cinch, Rowdy, Axle, ??

Notes: If this keeps up, I'm going to rethink my whole cow phobia. More fun in the saddle than I've had in a long time! Bev invited us to gather and move cows. It was well worth getting up at 3:30 AM in order to get there by 6:30 AM. I met Teri at her place in Emmett and followed her to Bev's. 

We split up at the start...I went to the top of one draw along the fence-line, Teri went up the opposite ridge and Bev up the middle. I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to cows. I felt somewhat more confident when one of Bev's dogs went with me.....even if he were a Weirmaraner bird dog. I looked at Axle...Axle looked at me...we got this; pretend their a flock of Chukar and get 'er done. 

We gathered them from several draws and a hay field and put them in a corral to be sprayed down before moving them to another pasture. 

Some of the prettiest country I've ridden in Idaho. Absolutely stunning and the Bigger ranch looks to have stepped right out of my dreams. I could live there pretty easy. Hope to get invited back! Maybe I'll take Hank with me next time...he's pretty good at flushing up birds and Axle can show him a thing or two about being a cow dog. 

Trail Log: 7-16-2020

• Trail: Grouse Creek
• Miles: 4
• Riders: Self
• Horses: J'Lo and Jack
• Dogs: Shade and Hank

Notes: Early morning short ride to beat the heat. There's still water in the creek so Shade was able to come along without getting too stressed out. Rode J'Lo and ponied Jack.

Trail Log: 6-20-2020

• Trail: Lone Pine - Prineville
• Miles: 5.97
• Riders: Self - Jon - Alice
• Horses: Jack - Cochise - Dusty and Zip

Notes: A total change in plans. My original "plan" was to take J'Lo to the shoot in Prineville and have her bred to Kitty's stud. I took her into the vet on Monday for a pre-check/ultrasound. Dr. Frank said she was in heat right now and suggested I not wait since J's never had a colt and she's 11 years old. I asked if he knew of somebody local...he did. Deb Dehaven has a little bay cow/cutting bred stud that  throws some really nice babies. I called Deb and met at her place that evening with J'Lo. Long story short - I ended up leaving her there. I can shoot anytime - but if I want a colt out of J'Lo - I need to do it now.

Wasn't planning on competing off Jack just yet but as they say...shit or get off the pot. I loaded up Jack Thursday morning and arrived at Laumans' with a couple hours to spare before practice. Jack did really well in practice. I kept my fingers crossed he continued to do so the remainder of the weekend.

Folks started pulling in Friday morning for the weekend shoot. There was a big turnout being one of the first shoots in the area since the COVID-19 BS. 93 shooters signed up.

I had a few hours before Friday afternoon practice so saddled up for a trail ride behind the Lauman/Butts ranch. Jon S. and Alice S. joined me.

Practice went well again. I decided to formulate a plan for the weekend. I knew we wouldn't be competitive so my plan was to try for a clean shooter check. Saturday was the OMSA Oregon State Shoot. We weren't fast - but we were clean. Jack is so smooth at that slow lope he's easy to shoot from. We shot the four stages clean and took our first trip to the pay window. I could't have been more excited if I'd just won the Kentucky Derby. We placed 46 overall and 2nd. in our class. Not bad for barely breaking out of a trot.

Sunday was Thunder in the Ochoco's Lone Pine Rangers shoot. I missed a balloon on my first stage putting me out of the clean shooter pot. Might as well go for it...we've got nothing to lose. I let Jack pick up speed with each stage. By the last stage, our time was as fast as my class competitors and we were hardly breaking out of a slow lope. We moved up to #34 in the overall.

Jack was like a different horse without J'Lo there. He gets herd sour and focus's on her when she's around. This weekend, he didn't miss a beat. He was amazing.

Trail Log: 6-12-2020

Bearing point markers/props

• Trail: Graveyard Point - Marker #2
• Miles: 4.22
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: Rode out to check marker #2 for our IMO. Jones and Dusty headed out on four wheeler to check the other markers while me and Jack rode to #2.

I drove to Graveyard Point Friday late morning with the air conditioner blaring and spent Saturday huddled around the propane heater trying to warm up. I'm not sure what the difference is between a 70% and a 100% chance of rain - either way, your gonna get wet.

Five IMO teams braved the weather and went in search of the elusive paper plate markers. Mother nature must smile on the stubborn...she let up and 4 of the 5 teams made the 15+ mile ride finding all 5 markers with barely a drop of rain and only a light breeze. As soon as the last team came in - it was back to 100% rain and wind. Crazy weekend weather.

Trail Log: 6-10-2020

• Trail: Weiser River Trail
• Miles: 6.12
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack and J
• Dogs: Hank (Shade part way)

Notes: Another one of those, "well, I have to go to town anyway...might as well make the best of it."

I stopped in at the Vet to talk to them about having J'Lo bred. They will ultrasound her next week to make sure it's even an option. I don't know much about the whole process but looks like I'm about to learn. Keeping fingers and toes crossed that it is indeed an option. I'd like a colt that Jack can help me raise. He was amazing with the baby goats ....hoping he feels the same with baby horses!

Beautiful day on the WRT. They put in a new/real gate at the walk-through across the bridge. A guy was putting it in as we started out. It was a bit of a cluster. The guy standing at the back of his utility truck with equipment sticking up all over - a gauntlet of cows all around the bridge and a few under the bridge. If the white/blueberry cow wasn't scary enough - I feared the guy lifting the metal gate over his head and walking toward us while we were in the middle of the bridge would get us killed. I was riding J and towing Jack - I figured J is smart enough (kind of reminds me of a mule) she would't spook off the bridge and kill herself. I just squeezed my eyes shut until we emerged out the other end of it.

I swapped horses at the green gate. Fortunately the scary gate wielding monster was gone. Jack snorted at the giant blueberry cow but we made it back to the trailers and nobody died.

Trail Log: 6-3-2020

• Trail: Graveyard Point - Owyhee's
• Miles: 15.07
• Riders: Self - Lee - Jones - Dusty - Cindy
• Horses: Jack and J - Prince - Raycine - Rooster - Rio

Notes: Went back out to Graveyard Point to set our IMO ride. We changed it up just a bit at marker 5 and managed to keep it right at a 15 mile loop. I packed the props in over the saddle panniers along with a few tools to set them up. Really looking forward to this ride. Circle Four put a lot of work and thought into it and I think (hope) the IMO teams will enjoy it!

A big thank you to Lee and Cindy for going with us and helping get things set up. Not sure we can convince them to take up IMO - be we will keep working on them.