Trail Log: 1-29-2026

• Trail: Wickenburg Stagecoach Massacre Site
• Miles: 7.83
• Riders: Self - Jim H. 
• Horses: Drifter - Rowdy
• Dogs: None

Notes: Jim spends most of his time giving lessons and clinics and hasn't explored much beyond where he spends winters outside of Congress. I took him to the Wickenburg Stagecoach massacre site. I have been there several times but I've never gotten to it the same way twice. I left my GPS at home to see if I could find it without it. I figured if I got us lost I could tell him anything and he wouldn't know: "See that pile of  rocks right there..that's where they buried one of the bodies. Cool, huh?" 

Jim and Rowdy

Trail Log: 1-24-2026

• Trail: Back gate to Sheep/Donkey Ruins
• Miles: 12
• Riders: Self - Jim H. 
• Horses: Jack - Oakie - Whiskey 
• Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: I have been taking mounted shooting/horsemanship lessons from clinician Jim Hanson while he is in Arizona. I took a clinic from him years ago when he was at the Diamond P shoot in West Yellowstone. I learned more in that one short session than any clinic I've done before or after. I normally hold practice at my arena on Wednesday's but everyone had other obligations so I offered to take Jim on a tour of the sheep/donkey containment ruins. 

Hanson's Horse Sense website

Trail Log: 1-16-2026

Celia on Smoothie towing Dirt

• Trail: Hwy 60 - NW Wickenburg
• Miles: 4.86
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt - Smoothie
• Dogs: No

Notes: Celia's little filly Smoothie is back from the trainer and ready for miles under saddle. She rode Dirt in and Smoothie out. So far she is a nice little filly and should be a good one. Nothing seems to bother her. She looks to be taking to mounted shooting well too as we worked with her last week exposing her to gunfire. She didn't bobble an ear. It is warmer than normal here in AZ and the weather has been awesome. 

Finally got a flag up

Trail Log: 1-12-2026

Ruins...whether sheep or burro

• Trail: Eagle Eye - Sheep/Burro Ruins
• Miles: 4.18    
• Riders: Self - Robyn
• Horses: Jack - Big Driffter
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: Roby needed a break and she has not been to the ruins. We hauled to Eagle Eye and rode in to the ruins. I've been told in the past they were built for sheep but recently was told it is a burro containment for the mines. That actually makes more sense as there are mines all around the ruins and burros were used in the mines. Not much can be found on them but I'll dig deeper when I have time in an attempt to find out more info on them. Whatever they are...it's one of my favorite spots in this area.

Robyn  and Big Drifter

 

Trail Log: 1-11-2026

• Trail: State Land - Transformers to home
• Miles: 5.58
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Drifter
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: I hauled Drifter to the transformers west off hwy 60. I parked the truck and trailer and started to ride to my place.  My plan was to ride Drifter home, swap horses and ride Jack back to get my rig. It was fairly uneventful for the most part. About half way home, Drifter got animated quick and was spooked by something coming up behind us. I expected it to be Groot. It was not Groot. At first it looked like a big hairy dog...too big for a coyote and the wrong color. I quickly rationalized it was not a dog but a javelina trotting up behind us. I'm guessing this is the first time Driff has encountered such a beast! I really don't know much about them other than some say they are technically not a pig but a rodent. Other research just calls them "pig like" peccary. Whatever they are - if they look like a pig, sound like a pig, act like a pig and smell like a pig...it's probably a pig! Plus, horses are terrified of them...same as they are pigs. I've never had my horses try to jump out from under me when a kangaroo rat strolled by. Drifter handled it pretty well and I let him scoot on through the wash and put distance between us and "it." I doubt it was chasing us. I imagine Groot scared it up and it was trotting away from Groot and didn't know it was heading right toward us. Like pigs...these non-pig big rats have poor eyesight! Damn things are pigs...I don't care what Wikipedia says. 

We made it home without another pig/rat sighting. It was a beautiful day after several pretty cold ones. I caught a ride back to my truck instead of saddling Jack so I could help Dan and Robyn transport their RV (used to be my RV) to Forepaugh to it's eventual new owners. 

No, I didn't get a picture of the javelina. I didn't get a picture of the ones Jack and I encountered several years ago either. I was too busy trying to not get ejected from my saddle! 

 

Trail Log: 12-29-2025

• Trail: Aguila - N. Eagle Eye - East
• Miles: 6.54
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt
• Dogs: Groot

Notes: Well, that didn't go as planned. Apparently, I got distracted worrying about running over my puppy while hooking up the horse trailer and forgot to lock the hitch. I threw Jack in the trailer and picked Celia and Dirt up for a ride out N. Eagle eye. Once the pavement and decent gravel ends, the road turns into more of an off-road, rutty mess littered with whoopty-does. One whoopty was a bit too much for an unlatched trailer and it jumped off the ball, dug a trench dang near six inches deep before bending the jack horizontal and breaking one of the safety chains. We had to jack it up as far as we could to get Dirt out first. Then came Jack. Without the balanced weight of Dirt and Jack - the trailer rocked back like a teeter-totter as Jack backed out. Once he stepped out, it slammed back down with a crash. Jack handled that WAY better than I expected and just went to eating. We tied the horsed up and went about finding anything we could to brace it until we could jack it up high enough to get it back on the ball. Once that was accomplished - we continued on our ride. We rode east to the base of the saddle that would take you into Robson's Mining World. 

Back at home, Dan helped me straighten the jack the best we could. The jack itself was not damaged so I ground it off, straightened the bracket and welded it back on. I am not the neatest welder on the planet - but that thing isn't coming off again. There better not be an "again." It was a good lesson. I got complacent and didn't walk around my truck/trailer several times before heading down the road. I will not do that again. 

As I type this - I realize this will be my last log for 2025. Time goes way too damn fast. Spend it doing what you love with people that don't make you crazy...er. 

Oh shit...

Trail Log: 12-23-2025

My friend Celia and Dirt

•  Trail: South Eagle Eye
• Miles: 6.40
• Riders: Self - Celia
• Horses: Jack - Dirt
• Dogs: No dogs

Jack checking out old mining stuff

Notes: It is still above average temps down south here but today was a little cooler than it has been. We hauled to the second windmill and rode up the wash and looped back to the trailer. We checked out some old mining ruins and wondered how they actually mine this area. No running water to speak of...although we did come across an open well casing. I dropped a rock down it and hit water maybe 40-50 feet down. As scarce as water is around these parts - I always wonder why they don't keep those wells active. 

Powder House - I think