Trail Log: 7-28-2019

My GPS calls this Bostic Res. 

• Trail: Moores Hollow
• Miles: 4.86
• Ave mph: 3.1
• Riders: Self - Jones - Dusty
• Horses: J'Lo, Jack, Raycine and Rooster

Notes: Tried to ride early enough to beat the heat. We succeeded for the most part. Moore's Hollow is more of a spring/fall ride. The breeze was nice on top. We rode a loop I had not tried; past the windmill, up to the top overlooking Bostic Reservoir and back down to the trailers. \

Good to have my pony back

Trail Log: 7-20-2019

• Trail: Ear Creek IMO - Hill City Idaho
• Miles 17.3 (13.3 IMO - 4 pre-IMO)
• Riders: Circle Four (Jones & Self) 
• Horses: Jack and Raycine
• Placing: 6th
• Trail Rating: 3.8

Notes: Great weekend of IMO and shooting. I decided to leave J'Lo at home and  take Jack only. I wanted to concentrate on Jack without J'Lo distracting him or tempting me to ride her during shooting practice. We left fairly early Friday morning for Ear Creek Sheep Corrals above Hill City for the Renegades IMO ride. My truck overheated on the steep climb in - it's time to either get a bigger trans cooler or a newer truck. I'm leaning toward the newer truck.

The camping area for Ear Creek doesn't get much prettier. It was nice having corrals for the horses and not having to set up portable pens. Especially since I planned to leave EARLY Sunday morning to make shooting practice in Willow Creek.

We were the firs team out. We left early to avoid the heat and the giant horse flies. The climb up Brenner and Coyote are pretty much straight up. Jack and Raycine barely broke a sweat. Both horses did very well on the steep, sometimes technical trails.

It was one of our best IMO's so far. We made zero mistakes and managed to cut 3 miles off the 16 mile loop by taking a trail back to camp along Ear Creek that was not on the map.

We managed to place 6th. Had we not loitered around camp for 20 minutes after timing out we would have placed higher. We don't go to place though. It is not a race for us. We just go to find markers, read the map and find cool places to ride. Placing is icing on the cake.

Got up early Sunday morning and headed to Worley's in Willow Creek for shooting practice. First practice with Jack in a different arena with horses and other commotion. He didn't miss a beat. We shot two courses clean. So excited to have a backup shooting horse.

Trail Log: 7-17-2019

• Trail: Keithly Creek
• Mile: 6.1
• Riders: Self (kind of stating the obvious) - Jones - Sharon
• Horses: J'Lo - Honor - Ellie
• Dogs: Hank - Ben - Rolland - Sally 

Notes: Met at The Cabin and threw in with Jones. About a 17 miles drive up Hit Mnt. to the parking spot. 

The clutch in Sharon's truck appears to be burning up. After some doing, we manged to get it in low gear and pulled off the main road. In true cowgirl fashion - we shut the stupid thing off, unloaded and rode anyway. It would be there when we got back and wouldn't be any more or less broke than when we left it.

We planned to do a loop but didn't quite ride far enough to find the trail that turned back south. After downloading my tracks, I see we were within 3/10 of a mile from where we needed to be. It would have made it an 8.5 mile loop. Regardless - it was a beautiful ride and the weather could not have been better.

Sharon's truck was better behaved on the way back. We stopped back at the Cabin for a bite to eat before heading home.

Trail Log: 7-13-2019

Jack consoling Raycine

• Trail: Stacey Creek
• Miles: 3 +\-
• Riders: Self - Jones
• Horses: Jack and Raycine
• Dogs: Hank
• Trail Rating: 4

Notes: Well - that was an adventure. In an attempt to get out of my frump - Jones and I took a ride up Stacey Creek. The good news - mission accomplished.

Click here to read "I am OK" 

The ultimate mudding machine

Trail Log: 7-10-2019

• Trail: Grouse Creek
• Miles: 2.8
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack
• Dogs: Hank and Shade

Notes: Jones and I planned to ride up Keithly creek but Jones had to cancel due to an injured horse. I ran some errands in town before heading to Grouse Creek for a short ride since I was already saddled. The up-side was Shade gets to go since the trail follows the creek with lots of shade. Sure is nice having my horse back. Still nursing a a bad hand so I opted not to pony and took Jack only. I think he's happy to be back on the trail as well.

Trail Log: 7-9-2019

• Trail: WRT - Galloway to second gate
• Miles: 11.02
• Ave mph: 3.9
• max mph: 14.8
• Riders: Self - Cliff K. 
• Horses: Jack - J - Chase
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: Poured on the deet and headed for an evening ride on the WRT. I worked Jack in the arena prior to hauling to Galloway so rode J and ponied Jack. Sure is nice to have my horse back.

We long trotted most of the way. Cliff's horse is a really nice walker. J, not so much. She has to trot to keep up. Fortunately she has a smooth trot you can sustain for miles.

Trail Log: 7-2-2019

• Trail: Lone Pine Ranch (Lauman Ranch) Terrabonne Oregon
• Miles: 10 +/-
• Riders: Self - Kitty
• Horses: Jack - J'Lo
• Dogs: Hank (Shade stayed in camp - not sure of water situation)

Happy to see me

Notes: J and I headed to Lone Pine to pick up Jack from his 60 days of training/boot camp. Kitty wanted to spend a few hours each day working with him and I before taking him home. While Kitty put on a 4H horse boot camp for kids, J and I rode the trails behind the ranch.

Jack and J really missed each other

Once she was done with boot camp for the day - we rode in the hills and did some arena work. The second day, I rode Jack and she rode J. First time I've been able to shoot off him in a controlled manner. It felt great. I had sent 300 rounds of ammo with Jack for her to use in his training. I got less than 25 back. :) :)

We will be going back over the next few months and working with Kitty on shooting and tuning up Jack. She did an amazing job with him. He is super soft - moves off my legs and could not care less about gunfire or popping balloons. Now to make sure I don't screw him up.

Camp for a few days

Trail Log - June 2019 - Multi

J'Lo hanging at the newly redesigned corral/tack up station

• Trails: Grouse Creek
• Miles: 20 +/-
• Riders: Self - Sharon - Jones - Pam
• Horses: J'Lo - Ellie - Raycine - Bay mare
• Dogs: Hank, Shade, Rolland and Ben

Notes: I've spent the last 60 days working around my place and getting things ready for "retirement." Jack was at a trainers in Lone Pine for that 60 days. I took the opportunity to redesign my corrals and tack shed area.

Other than some mounted shooting here and there, I was limited to a few short rides when I could squeeze them in. I think I'm missing a few for my log but whatever. :P

WRT

J'Lo is not much of an "in your pocket" kind of horse. With Jack gone - she became one. You can tell she really missed him...almost as much as me. She's been taking up the slack with Jack gone as my IMO and everyday riding horse. She's not a real fan of IMO and is a bit doggy - but she goes. It's not her fault, really - she's just not in that type of shape for sustained long trotting and hill climbing.

 I took Sharon, and then Sharon,  Jones and Pam on a short ride up Grouse Creek. It was a beautiful day for both rides. The trail follows the creek most of the way, making it an excellent trail for the dogs to come along.

Sharon and Ellie

This was the first time Sharon has ridden with me since I got us lost a few years ago. She assures me time and circumstances are the real reason but...I'm not so sure. ;) Click here for a write up of that adventure: Horses and Hobos

Anyhow - I'm sure glad to have her back in the saddle with me and look forward to the day Ralph heals up from hip surgery and can join us.

We decided to to share Grouse Creek with Jones and Pam a few days later. The all female troupe saddle up and followed me cross country as I struggled to find the passable water crossings that take you up the creek toward The Crawfords place and Devils Hole. We did manage to bush-whack our way as far as we wanted to go for the day. As always - the trail was much easier to follow on the way back. We stopped at Homestead for a bite to eat and made plans to explore more of this very cool area.

Jones and Pam

I picked Jack up from boot camp about a week later. I've never been so happy to see anybody or anything in my life. I think he was pretty happy to see me, too. He learned SO much in boot camp and I now have a backup shooting horse. I won't be rushing it - as that is where I went wrong with him when I first started shooting. We will take our time and from what his trainer (Kitty Lauman) tells me - I will have a seasoned shooting horse with the speed and ability to take me to a level 6 or as far as I want to go in mounted shooting. I'll do my best not to shoot him in the ear and screw it up this time!

Jack and J waiting to kill some balloons