Trail Log: 8-28-2020

•  Trail: Keithly Creek - FS278
• Miles: 8.88
• Riders: Self - Jones - Dusty
• Horses: J'Lo - Zeke - Rooster
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: A mini IMO exploring. Lot's of cool places to ride - but no place to park more than a couple rigs at a time. 

Saw a lot of bear scat. One big wallow in the trees ringed in bear scat with a calf carcass in the middle. Kind of creepy - didn't waste much time backing J'Lo out of there and headed on our way. 

We made a couple dog leg detours before finding FS 278. Scored a cool full cover fly mask that fit J perfect - was tempted to keep it but pretty sure it belonged to the rig parked on Keithly so left it hanging on their trailer. 

Trail Log: 8-24-2020

 

Jones and Dusty on Honor and Diesel (The Morgans)

• Trail: Big Willow
• Miles: 9.06
• Riders: Self - Jones - Dusty
• Horses: Jack and J - Honor - Diesel
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: Scoping out an area for IMO. Most of Little Willow is private property and is now posted heavily with warnings of bodily harm should you violate the no trespassing signage. Good grief. Ended up taking Dry Creek rd. to Big Willow. It would be doable for an IMO - but the area is  kind of trashed from ATV'ers. There is plenty of parking but it would require some clean up. 

Dusty on Diesel WAY up there

Trail Log: 8-19-2020

 

Curious Cows checking out Shade

• Trail: Bear Creek Rd - Geo Cache
• Miles: 3
• Riders: Self
• Horses: J'Lo and Jack
• Dogs: Shade and Hank

Notes: Short but sweet. Another one of those "had to go to town" so might as well make the best of it. Plus, I had placed a geo cache in the area a few months ago. Some geo-cacher's found it and logged it - and reminded me that I had forgotten to leave a log book. I rode J and ponied Jack. Both dogs went since I new we wouldn't be going that far. Shade did great. She caught scent of a bunny and took off after it like she was 5 instead of 12. She's lost her hearing - but her scent tracking is keen as ever. I left a log book - rode cross country a ways and headed back in to town to finish my errands. 

Trail Log: 8-8-2020

•  Trail: Meadow Creek - Idaho City - IMO
• Miles: 22.72
• Riders: Self - Jones - Dusty
• Horses: Jack - Zeke - Raycine

I pulled in from Montana Thursday afternoon, topped off the water and got a few hours of sleep before meeting Jones and Dusty at our regular meeting place (The Liquor Store) Friday morning. 

It was nice and cool in the mountains - especially at night. If I didn't have to water, spray weeds and feed the cat's now and then - I wouldn't go home until fall. 

We found all 5 markers in a little over 5 hours. We spent 2 hours looking for marker #2. We opted to take a "shortcut" on a single track trail north of the double track. It made it hard to figure out from above  which draw the marker was in. We were in good company, as several teams pooled up with us and struggled to find the right spot. It may have been worth it - the views from up top were something to see. 

We found the remaining markers in short order and were back in camp in time for pot-luck. 

We took a short ride Sunday morning and picked up marker #2 for the ride managers. We rode the two track this time....what a difference. Live and learn! 

Following a topo in timber is a lot harder for me than a desert topo - but I'm getting better at it by paying attention to the expected travel time to each marker. 

I found a small bush of huckleberries on one of my hikes with the dogs. SCORE! I picked a handful and stored them in the new cargo shorts Dusty gave me. He ordered them off e-bay and they were the wrong size. Double Score!

Cooling off my toes! 

Trail Log: 8-4-2020 - Dillon Montana (Joe's Place)

Beaverhead River

• Trail: Dillon Montana - Joe's 
• Miles: 3.22
• Riders: Self - Joe
• Horses: Jack - Brownie

Notes: I stopped in Dillon on the way home from the West Yellowstone shoot to visit Joe and his family. I didn't get to ride as much as I would have liked but I'm sure Jack appreciated the break. I did

Joe

help move a few sprinkler lines and got a quick lesson in fly fishing. I pretty much suck at fly fishing...However, I am an excellent grubber. Grubs are used as bait. You find them in the dirt clods on the rivers edge. It took me back to hunting night crawlers in my youth. I sold them by the dozen in our grocery store. My advertising slogan read: "KRIDDERS YOU CAN COUNT ON." One of the local teachers scoffed at the hand written sign and informed me I'd spelled "Critters" wrong. I said, "Maybe....but it got your attention, didn't it." She didn't buy any worms. Go figure. 

Grubbing! 

Trail Log: 7-31-2020

 

• Trail: West Yellowstone - Continental Divide - Lion Head
• Miles: 15
• Riders: Self - Dallas
• Horses: Jack - Shiner

Notes: With temperatures in the triple digits for the next foreseeable future - it was a good time to load up and head for Montana. The Wyoming Desperado's put on a nice little shoot at the Diamond P. ranch outside of West Yellowstone. This was my fourth year shooting at the Diamond P. I've won my class the three previous years - two of which were move up wins. 

I talked myself into sacrificing my W. Yellowstone winning streak by leaving J'Lo at home with the breeder and taking Jack. He did amazing for his third shoot. We shot clean and missed 2nd. place by a little over a second. I'm asking for a little more speed on each run. He's supper smooth - which has brought us a clean shooter check at each shoot. By next spring I expect his times to exceed J'Lo's. We shall see. 

The West Yellowstone shoot continues to be one of my favorite shoots. Met up with some old friends and made a few new ones. Dallas and I hauled up to the CD trail head and rode up to the top of Lion Head. Beautiful views of Idaho and Montana with every shape and color of wild flower's splattering the hillsides. 

The 15 mile steep climb took the edge off Jack and he was calm and collected in the arena - helping us pick up our 3rd. clean shooter check. 

A gal who does mounted archery was camped beside us. She pulled out her bow/arrows and let me, Karen, Susie and Joan shoot at a target and each other! We got to participate in the "ring of fire." You place two hula-hoop size rings about 35' apart and shoot at each other with soft foam tipped arrows. It's a blast and helps you learn to knock fast and shoot without thinking! 

I loaded up Monday morning to head on over to Dillon Montana to visit a friend for a few days before making my way back to Idaho.