Trail Log: 1-7-2025

South toward Aguila. You can see Eagle Eye in the background

 

• Trail: N. Eagle Eye - Petroglyph Rock
• Miles: 5
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt
• Dogs: Groot

Found it! 

Notes: Went back to the area I left Jack's rein. FOUND IT! Part of the area is super rocky so I put Jack's boots on through the rocky parts. He went most of the way barefoot and did great. He moves so much better without shoes and for the first time in years doesn't have a look in his eye like he has a major headache. Can't wait for his Scoot Boots to get here. They are less bulky and won't take up all the room in my saddle bags. 

We tied up at "the rock" and ate lunch before exploring around on foot. Steep country. We found a small cache of turquoise. That was pretty cool.  

Felt like rain but never did 

Trail Log: 1-4-2025

 

Dan and Robyn

• Trail: State Land and N. Eagle Eye
• Miles: 10
• Riders: Self - Celia - Dan - Robyn
• Horses: Jack & Drifter - Dirt - Reba - Bullseye
• Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: First trail log of 2025. Where did 2024 go? Somebody said the days go by slow and the years go by fast. I find that BS - the days go by fast as well! I try to find a way to slow down time and all I can think to do is get a job I don't like. That will drag out the years.

Dan and Robyn are up for the winter from Idaho. We rode behind my place onto State Land. I saddled Jack for that ride. He's two weeks into being barefoot and is already moving better than he did with shoes. 

Swapped horses and picked up Celia for a pre-shoot-day ride N. of Eagle Eye. We took a little different path and hit the jackpot of desert treasures. I found an old (probably 1950's heart shaped tin, a percaline bottle and a nice antler shed! Figures it would be the one day I didn't have my saddle bags. We stashed the tin to pick up on the way home - crammed the bottle in my phone pouch, stuffed my phone down my waistband and tied the antler to Drifters saddle. 

The pre-shoot-day ride paid off as Drifter and I were 1 of 37 shooters out of 120 that shot clean to bring home a little extra cash. Pretty good start to the New Year.  

Trail Log: 12-29-2024

• Trail: N. Eagle Eye - Indian Petroglyphs
• Miles: 6.21
• Riders: Self - Cindy - Fred - Texans
• Horses: Jack - Shooter - Cowboy - Mules
• Dogs: Groot - Texan dog

Waiting at the bottom for me

Notes: Friends of Fred and Cindy's were up from Texas. Cindy wanted to take them to the petroglyphs. Jack has been barefoot for a week and half and is moving around fine so I decided to give it a go. The terrain is super sandy in the flats and SUPER rocky once you get toward the mountain. I discovered Drifters original Easy Boot's fronts fit Jack's back feet. I packed those and thought I  had both of Jack's Cavallo's for his fronts. I discovered I only had one. That sucked. I put it on his "weakest" front and went for it. He picked his way through the rocks. I got off and walked some of it. The others had made it to the top of the bluff where the carvings were. I tied Jack at the bottom and hiked up. His foot was holding up well so I thought it best to stop while we were ahead. 

One of the mules got into the cholla and wouldn't let his rider anywhere near to remove any of it. Fred tried dallying up and rubbing it off in the greasewood but that didn't work. He eventually let him off the steep bluff and the gal rode him out. I removed Jack's boots once at the bottom and back to the trailer I rode. Jack's one bootless hoof made it out without so much as a nick. He moves so much better without shoes...almost too good as he was a bit on the muscle coming across that sand which made me happy! I left one of my split reins up where I tied Jack and didn't want to go through the rocks for it. I'll go back and get it another time. I'm sure it will still be here. Not too many people would ride up through there. 

This concludes the last ride of 2024. Here's to another year in the saddle! 

Trail Log: 12-27-2024

•  Trail: N. Eagle Eye
• Miles: 4.89
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Drifter - Dirt
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: Celia is back in the saddle after a month of quarantine. Some of the horses on her place had a cough so she kept them away from others to be on the safe side. We took an easy ride north on Eagle Eye where the footing is good. Even though we could really use the rain here - the weather has been great for being out. 

I didn't take any pictures (weird) but here's one of Drifter today after our CSJ. We were one of 11 clean shooters. This is Drifters 3rd shoot and 2nd win. Proud of my pony. 

Trail Log: 12-5-2024

Hidden "hole in the wall" 

• Trail: N. Eagle Eye - State Land
• Miles: 8.93
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: Veered off to the East and rode to the base of the sleeping giant. Found a really cool huge rock formation. 

Trail Log: 12-1-2024

 

Hey - we have the same shoes

• Trail: N. Eagle Eye - Harcuvar Mnts. 
• Miles: 11
• Riders: Self - Cindy G
• Horses: Jack - Sassy
• Dogs: No dogs

Notes: What better way to ring in the month of December than horseback in the Harcuvar Wilderness Mountain Range. I drove to Cindy's place which lies at the base of the "sleeping giant." We rode out from her place and headed North toward the mountain range. It gets really...really rocky at the base. The horses picked their way through sharp rock and the ever present cholla forest. We rode up to a mine tailings and looped back toward a rock outcropping with a large cave/overhang. We tied up here and explored a little before heading back. Instead of going back the way we came - we looped around to the west and made our cross country in the general direction of home until we hit the road leading to Cindy's. Mostly sunny and a high of 74° is just one of the reasons I now call this country home. 

Hmm...saddle could use a dusting

Trail Log: 11-25-2024

 

My kind of folk

• Trail: State Land - Williams Rd
• Miles: 4.92
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: I firmly believe you should know how to get to your good neighbors "the back way." You never know when the occasion calls for such a surreptitious route:  Communist attack - Government takeover - Alien invasion....or the inevitable Zombie apocalypse. 

I pointed Jack in the general direction of said neighbors place. Folks I'm confident would have the resources and fortitude to cover my back in the event of any one, or combination of, the affairs above. Upon finding a gate into the back of their property, I sent a text notifying them with my intent of riding through their place with their permission. Permission granted - Jack and I rode through one of the coolest places I've seen in this area. We made a loop off state land, through their property and back to El Rancho Gitana del Desierto in enough time to stock up on Twinkies and Beanee Weenees.