Thursday, December 25, 2025

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



Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Trail Log: 12-15-2025

made it just as the sun set


  • Trail: Aguila - Back Gate south to Eagle Eye Road - Pete Rd
  • Miles: 9.57
  • Riders: Self - Celia - Robyn
  • Horses: Jack - Dirt - Big Drifter

Notes: Celia text she was riding toward my place for a "quick" ride in the afternoon. Robyn and I saddled up and met her in the middle. We rode out my back gate and looped behind Lutchs' place in search of the cattle guard gate on Eagle Eye rd. Very cool area back in there. We found a "dump" spot full of rusted cans and glass. I collected two glass flasks which Celia stuffed in her pommel bags for me. I had my endurance saddle with no bags since this was intended to be a "quick" ride. We found the gate at the cattle guard that took us on to paved Eagle Eye Rd for a couple of miles. All the horses did great with the loud semi-trucks and trailers whizzing by. It was unusually heavy with traffic for this area; perhaps the semi's and dump trailers were getting off work from a road project. Robyn and I cut off on Naked Pete Rd toward my place and Celia continued on to her place a half mile farther. We rode into my driveway just at dark. Great ride...

    

desert treasure! 


Friday, December 12, 2025

Trail Log: 12-9-2025

Eagle Eye



  • Trail: Aguila - State Land - Back Gate
  • Miles: 3.69
  • Riders: Self - Dan - Robyn
  • Horses: Jack - Bulls - Big Drifter
  • Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: Quick ride in the desert out my back gate 

Trail Log: 12-8-2025

Celia and Dirt


  • Trail: N. Eagle Eye
  • Miles: 7.20
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Drifter - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Rode west to a big tank and looped around.  

Full tank


Trail Log: 12-6-2025



  • Trail: Aguila - State Land - Back Gate
  • Miles: 4.26
  • Riders: Solo
  • Horses: Jack
  • Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: Threw on the endurance saddle and took Jack for a quick jaunt out the back gate. 






 

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Trail Log: 12-1-2025



Celia and Dirt

  • Trail: S. Eagle Eye - East Tiger Wash
  • Miles: 8.25
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Jack - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: We parked at the Harquahala Observatory TH and started to head South. It is super rocky and I didn't have Jack's rear boots so we headed more east up the wash. Came upon a full tank. pretty cool area. We let the horses run in the wash. I wish Drifter had half of Jack's speed. He loves to run 





Trail Log: 11-30-2025



  • Trail: Aguila - State Land 
  • Miles: 3.06
  • Riders: Self - Robyn
  • Horses: Drifter - Big Drifter
  • Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: A short ride in the desert behind my place after working in the arena.  

Friday, November 28, 2025

Trail Log: 11-27-2025


  • Trail: Aguila - State Land - My property
  • Riders: Self - Robyn - Dan
  • Horses: Drifter - Big Drifter - Bullseye
  • Dogs: Groot - Boo

Dan and Robyn
Notes: Dan and I worked our horses in the arena practicing barrel turns. Afterwards - Robyn joined us for a ride in the desert. She is just learning to ride. We opted to ride up the sandy wash so she could practice trotting. She said it scared her to death -but by the end of the ride, she was trotting off on her own accord. A couple times, Big Drifter broke into a lope. Robyn did well. She only lacks confidence. Once she gains more of it...she will be great. Big D is the perfect horse for her. 


We had Thanksgiving dinner about 2:00 PM. I smoked the turkey on my Traeger knock off. It turned out pretty good for not knowing what I was doing. So far nobody has come down with botulism. 




Harley Quinn has a shoe fetish

Trail Log: 11-26-2025

Dan and Robyn heading back


  • Trail: Aguila - State Land - my property
  • Miles: 7
  • Riders: Self - Dan - Robyn
  • Horses: Jack - Bulls - Big Drifter
  • Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: A nice ride behind my property onto State Land. Rode to Burro Canyon. Boo came up missing. Found her waiting for us on the porch when we got back.  

Robyn holding Jack while I check out the cool firepit.


Friday, November 21, 2025

Trail Log: 11-20-2025

Jack and Big Drifter. Big D makes Jack look like a regular sized horse



  • Trail: Aguila State Land - Neighborhood to Celia's
  • Miles: 12.89
  • Riders: Self - Robyn - Celia
  • Horses: Jack and Drifter - Big Drifter - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot - Boo

Notes: Took advantage of a break in the rain and got both horses rode. Dan and Robyn are here for the winter. They bought Robyn a horse. His name is Drifter also - we call him BIG Drifter because he is huge. He belonged to mounted shooter friends, is super gentle and a great shooting horse. He will make Robyn a nice horse to learn on. Celia and I planned to ride later in the afternoon so I took Robyn on her first ride out in the desert on Big Drifter. I rode Jack. 

Robyn and Big D

As soon as we got back, Celia text she was ready to ride. I made like a pony express rider, swapped horses and headed down the road on Little Drifter. We met in the middle and rode to Celia's place. Celia's neighbor, Anita, has a litter of pups. I picked one out a couple weeks ago and the lady is ready to advertise them so wanted me to come over and verify which pup I picked. The female I picked was originally the runt. She is definitely NOT the runt now! Little porker plumped right up. It was hard to tell one pup from the other.  As luck would have it,  the one that jumped in my lap and was pulling on the fringe of my cell phone carrier is the pup I picked out when she was just 2 weeks old. 

I had been trying to talk myself out of getting a pup since it crossed my mind a while back.  I am not prone to puppy fever. I prefer them big enough to go do stuff other than pee all over my house and bark all night. I have only rarely gotten a pup. Most of my dogs have been strays or someone else's discards and have found me over the years. I failed at talking myself out of it. I will pick up my pup as soon as we get back from Thanksgiving in Tombstone. Her dad is Idaho Shag and her Mom is border collie. Welcome to 6 months of puppy hell. 


Oh brother...



Friday, November 14, 2025

Trail log: 11.13.2025

Celia and Dirt


  • Trail: Aguila - State Land - Back Gate to Burro Canyon
  • Miles: 10
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Jack - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Met Celia riding to my place and rode out behind my property. We rode to Burro canyon. It gets pretty rocky just below the power line. Jack handled the sharp rock really well. I feel like his feet have turned the corner for barefoot trimming. 


Cool little fire pit somebody fashioned. I need to mimic this! 


Trail Log: 11-11-2025


  • Trail:  N. Eagle Eye 
  • Riders: Self - Phil
  • Horses: Jack - Twister
  • Dogs: Groot - Pearl

Notes: Road up on a pack of "wild" dogs watering in the tank. Pearl ran them off. Later that evening I saw a post on FB of a gal missing her two dogs. 2 out of the 3 dogs I caught a glimpse of fit the description so I let her know. Hopefully they were hers and have a home. 


Automatic loading is the only way to haul... ;)


Monday, November 10, 2025

Trail Log: 11-10-2025

Hendersen Tank (I think)


  • Trail: State Land off Hwy 71 E. of 93
  • Miles: 8.25
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Drifter - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot


Notes: Several years ago, my friends Lynn and Pete and I discovered a cool little oasis out in the desert called "The Cove." It was set up for ATV'ers to stop and hang out. Celia and I have been trying to find it on horseback since last year. We got close today! It is hidden back in the rocks and you could ride right by it if you didn't know it was there. I'll have to do more research to see if I can narrow down the location. On the way, we saw our first rattler of the season. It was in the middle of the wash next to a dead kangaroo Rat we assumed it was about to have for lunch. It backed off and slithered under the brush while we rode on. We came across it again on the way back...still close to the kangaroo rat. We didn't hang out long enough to watch it eat it! 


Back on my computer - I sifted through and found the photos I took of the day Pete, Lynn and I discovered The Cove. Geo-tagging is WAY outdated but gave a general location of where the pictures were taken. I could scrounge up some of my digital forensics software and get more precise coordinates but geesh...I haven't done that since I retired! I'm sure we can find it with the info I have now. Stay tuned!



Trail Log: 11-4-2025



  • Trail: Tiger Wash
  • Miles: 3
  • Riders: Self - Celia - Phil
  • Horses: Jack - Dolly - Twister
  • Dogs: Groot - Pearl

Notes: Celia wanted to try out the new horse they got for her grandkids. We rode up Tiger Wash for a short ride. The new horse, Dolly - did great. 

 

Trail Log: 11-3-2025



  • Trail: Aguila State Land
  • Miles: 5
  • Riders: Self
  • Horses: Jack
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Took Jack out behind our property for a hike/ride. We rode up to the powerline. 





Friday, October 31, 2025

Trail Log: 10-30-2025



  • Trail: N. Eagle Eye - Rudy Pass (or not)
  • Miles: 5.75
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Drifter - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot



Notes: Well, that was a full day. We started out to set a geocache. I wanted to head toward Rudy's Pass but missed it by one canyon over. It was a really cool area but not ATV friendly so we took off from the bottom of the canyon wash straight up a ridge and rode back down a hogback. It was thick with cholla. We got off to walk and lead through the worst of it. Celia's mare, Dirt, side stepped into a cholla. She got a patch of it covering her hock and was not a happy horse. We couldn't get near it to pull them out. We got her back to my place and drug her up on Domo-Gel. Her head was drooping on the ground but she still managed to kick the leatherman out of my hand. That didn't feel great. There was no vet or neighbors around with stronger sedative. We would have tied up a leg but I don't have a cotton rope here. Celia finally got hold of a friend who had some stronger sedative  - pieced enough lead rope together to tie up a leg and got them pulled out. 


The good news...we did manage to get a cache set. Still...it was a nice ride up to the point of the cholla incident. 

Secret cache location "Snags-N-Nags"



Trail Log: 10-24-2025



  • Trail: S. Eagle Eye - Little Big Horn Peak 
  • Miles: 3
  • Riders: Self - Celia - Phil
  • Horses: Jack - Dirt - Twister
  • Dogs: Groot - Pearl

Notes: Went looking for a geocache. We parked in the wrong area so was too far from the cache to ride on a hot day. 



Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Trail Log: 10-21-2025

My favorite desert critter! 


  • Trail: N. Eagle Eye
  • Miles: 4.54
  • Riders: Self - Phil
  • Horses: Jack - Twister
  • Dogs: Groot - Pearl

Notes: Hauled out past all the standing water in hopes to avoid mosquitoes. It appears to have worked. No mosquitoes. Saw some cool wildlife! An odd colored, a silvery white, big antlered buck! He was a good one. Never seen one that color. He was sort of light grey/silver and had a large rack. Jack spotted him first and I thought he was checking out a dead saguaro. On the way back, Phil spotted a desert tortoise! This is just the second one I've seen out in the desert. Coolest things ever. 

The White Stag


Trail Log: 10-20-2025

Been a good water year. Both tanks in this area are full


  • Trail: S. Eagle Eye - Corrals
  • Miles: 6.0
  • Riders: Self - Celia - Steve
  • Horses: Jack - Dirt - Flash
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Steve rode their new stud horse, Flash. I don't think Flash has been outside the round corral much but he did awesome. He was scared of the little washes at first but by the end of the ride, he was crossing them with much more confidence. When Celia said I could go along, I first questioned the wisdom of taking a stud horse, a horse that thinks he's a stud and a mare in heat. Ended up as mellow as any other ride. Very well mannered stud and I kept Jack away from both him and the mare for the most part. 

Steve and Flash


Trail log: 10-18-2025


Me - Drifter and Groot


  • Trail: Hwy 71 - Mining World area
  • Miles: 5.78
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Drifter - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: We went after another geocache and FOUND IT! 



Trail log: 10-15-2025

Celia and Nina


  • Trail: Aguilahood
  • Miles: 4.42
  • Riders: Self - Celia - Nina
  • Horses: Drifter - Dirt - Seattle
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Celia rode over for shooting practice and Nina hauled over from Brenda/Hope area. Nina wants to expose her horse to mounted shooting and possibly pick it up. After practice - we rode with Celia part way back to her place. 

Trail Log: 10-14-2025



  • Trail: Wickenburg Massacre Site
  • Miles: 8.18
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Jack - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Rode out to the Massacre site and looked for a geocache I downloaded earlier. We did not find it but found where it likely was. Might go back another time and dig in that spot in the event they buried it.  

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Trail Log: 10-12-2025

Celia and Dirt

  • Trail: Aguila - State Land
  • Miles: 7.44
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Drifter - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Left on horseback from our respective houses and met in the middle. We rode out behind my place to the power line. It's been raining on and off for a few days but we managed to get back before getting rained on. 

Friday, October 10, 2025

Trail Log: 10-10-2025

Lame attempt at selfie



  • Trail: Eagle Eye Rd. 2nd Windmill
  • Miles: 7.68
  • Riders: Self - Celia
  • Horses: Jack - Dirt
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: I picked up Celia after chores and hauled out S. Eagle Eye. We opted not to go to N. Eagle eye because of the bug situation. We unloaded at the 2nd windmill...actually the only windmill out there now since they took the first one down. Other than being muggy due to the pending rain - it was a good day for a ride. I left Jack's boots at home and he made it the entire way barefoot. I've been trimming him in accordance with a barefoot trimmer I follow/subscribe too: David Landreville: On the Vertical. It's been an eye opener. I am learning a lot about proper hoof care for function and soundness. I can already see a difference in both him and Drifters' hooves. Celia made us fabulous chicken/apple salad on a lettuce wedge for lunch. It was to die for. I was starving. 



Trail Log: 10-7-2025

The sleeping giant. Tank had water in it


  • Trail: N. Eagle Eye to Tank
  • Miles: 4.63
  • Riders: Self
  • Horses: Drifter
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: Drifters' turn to head out in the desert after doing chores for friends gone for the week. The mosquitoes and flies are bad out here so mask up the horses. 



Monday, October 6, 2025

Trail Log: 10-6-2025

The sleeping giant

  •  Trail: N. Eagle Eye
  • Miles: 2.40
  • Riders: Self
  • Horses: Jack 
  • Dogs: Groot

Notes: I am doing chores for Fred and Cindy while they are at the Senior Pro Rodeo finals. I hauled Jack up for a ride after doing chores. I'll take Drifter tomorrow and NOT forget the fly mask...which I did today...again. The flies are bad up there.