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.

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!