Trail Log: 2-5-2025

•  Trail: Tiger WashMiles: 4
• Riders: Self - Dan
• Horses: Drifter - Bullseye
• Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: Dan wanted to get Bulls out and lope him. I hauled us to Tiger Wash and we did just that. I missed the turn on to my road on the way home so we drove in to Salome and had dinner. We sat with a couple of guys that ended up knowing just about everyone we know down here. I swear - Arizona is the friendliest place...maybe it's just the folks that winter down here. Who wouldn't be happy to be out of the cold and snow.  

Trail Log:2-4-2025

 

• Trail: N. Eagle Eye - Ruby Pass
• Miles: 8.76
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt
• Dogs: No dogs

Notes: Celia was told of a spot toward the foothills we wanted to try and find. She doesn't think we found it - but it was a really cool area, regardless. We rode through Ruby Pass to the N. side of the Sleeping Giant and ate lunch next to a big rock formation. There is a lot of vegetation in this area including large Joshua trees.  We tied up and hiked around for a bit. On the way back, we dropped down into a wash to check out what appears to be an old mine. It has a concrete trough thing and some old RR ties and wire fencing around. I supposed it could have been a watering tank. Hard telling. We plan on going back in my jeep to cover more ground and see if we can find the "cool spot" Mundo told her about. 

 

Trail Log: 2-3-2025

Krista and Robyn

 

• Trail: State Land - Aguila
• Miles: 3
• Riders: Self - Robyn - Krista
• Horses: Jack - Reba - Bullseye
• Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: Dan's family (mom and daughter) were up visiting for a few days. His daughter wanted to get in a quick ride before they headed back. I took them out the back gate for a quick ride on state land. 

 

 

Trail Log: 1-29-2025

The Wise Woman looking over Ruby Pass

 

 

•  Trail: N. Eagle Eye
• Miles: 3
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt & Smoothie
• Dogs: None

Notes: Quick ride up N. Eagle. Celia ponied the filly, Smoothie. She did great. 

The cool rock seen in the above photo looks like an apes head from this angle - but morphs into a shrunken head of an old wise woman from the face. Sometimes it looks like a shark rising out of the water to take a hunk out of an unsuspecting surfer....but since this is the desert and we later discovered this is "Ruby Pass" - I'm dubbing her: Ruby - The Wise Woman of the Desert

Celia towing Smoothie

Trail Log: 1-24-2025

Dan - Robyn - Harold

 

• Trail: Wickenburg Massacre Site
• Miles: 8
• Riders: Self - Celia - Harold - Dan - Robyn
• Horses: Drifter - Dirt - Jack - Bullseye - Reba
• Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: Took Dan and Robyn to check out the Wickenburg Massacre Site. Harold rode Jack so both my horses got some exercise. I didn't pack Jack's boots and part of it is a little rocky but he did great. You can keep to the sandy wash if you want. On the way back, Celia and I ran up the wash about a mile. That's as far as I've ran Drifter. He did good other than when he got tired, he tried to dash out of the wash and clothesline me on a low hanging branch. I was trying to video our run and wasn't paying a lot of attention where we were going. Fortunately, he did not succeed. 

Celia and I had a shoot the next day. Drifter did really well but I could tell he was tired. I missed a balloon on the last stage taking me out of the money. It was a course with a hard right turn and I wasn't expecting Drifter to make the turn that well. Time to trust my horse! 

Thirsty dogs

 

Trail Log: 1-16-2025

Celia and Dirt towing Smooth

 

• Trail: Tiger Wash - AZ
• Miles:4
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt/Smoothie

Notes: Short ride up Tiger Wash so Celia could pony Smoothie. I believe it was the filly's first pony outside. She did great. Smooth is built like a brick shit-house. She's going to be a nice one. 

Trail Log: 1-14-2025

(L-R) Harold/Jack - Me/Drifter - Radar - Christine/Mystique - Celia/Dirt

•  Trail: Dinosaur Wash to Box Canyon
• Miles: 10.64
• Riders: Self - Harold - Celia - Lee Z. - Christine S
• Horses: Drifter - Jack - Dirt - Radar - Mystique
• Dogs: None

Notes: It felt SO good to get out on some more technical trails. Friends from Idaho, (Christine and Lee) camped at Sophie's Flatt on their way to Apache Junction. Christine messaged and asked if I wanted to join them on a ride before they headed on to AJ. I'd never been to Sophie's Flatt.

I lent Jack to Celia's friend, Harold and I rode Drifter. I put both horses in their new Scoot Boots (fronts) and headed to Sophie's Flatt. I packed Jack's rear boots in case we needed them. Celia drove. Her trailer is big enough to accommodate without squashing them all together.  

The trail took us into Box Canyon from the backside along the Hassayampa. I was surprised to see the Hassayampa still flowing with a little water. We've had zero rain for 6 months. 

The trail had some seriously technical aspects. Specifically straight up/down steep, rocky ravines...over boulders and loose, moving rock. I kept an eye on Jack and his bare hind hooves and new Scoots. I don't know if I was more impressed with the boots or how well Drifter did carrying my weight up and down those sketchy parts. It looks as if Drifter has learned well from "Uncle Jack" and is indeed, a mountain goat in the making. The Scoot Boots were flawless.

We ate our lunch in Box Canyon. I put Jack's rear boots on for the climb back out. His hooves fared well with the trip in. It won't be long and he should be able to handle bare-foot on the rear as well.  

Jack and Drifter - Box Canyon

 I lost a boot on Drifter on the way back. We were between Harold and Celia and Christine and Lee - be-bopping by ourselves. Drifter hopped/climbed up one of the chutes we come down and his hoof slipped into a crevice...yanking off the boot. If he'd had been wearing shoes - it would have taken hoof along with the shoe. No damage to the boot. I didn't realize it came off until I caught up with Celia and Harold...discovered it was missing and walked back for it. Christine and Lee had found it and picked it up. At least I didn't have to walk all the way down and back some of those treacherous chutes to get it. I dubbed one particularly gnarly spot: "Hell's Chute." 

Celia - Me - Harold in Box Canyon

I grinned and giggled all the way back to the trailers happy with my horses AND sold on Scoot Boots.