Trail Log: 11-5-2019

• Trail: WRT - Galloway toward town
• Miles: 8.0
• Max MPH: 22
• Riders: Self
• Horse: J'Lo
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: Don't usually go toward town on the WRT.  I went this way as there seems to be less gopher/badger holes and I wanted to see if J would stretch her legs out at a faster run. I think it helped a little - she still has a weird shutdown...bunny hops in the back-end when she goes to slow down from a run. Weird.

Isn't much to see heading west on the trail toward civilization...unless you count the zebra. The zebra and the miniature Brahma bull. Oh ...and the emu. The zebra, the miniature Brahma bull and the emu. If encountering a zebra or an emu on the trail doesn't get you killed - a miniature Brahma bull certainly will.

I'm pretty sure J saw the zebra - even though it dashed into the willows to conceal itself. She couldn't miss the emu. It....bounced? Bounded? I can't describe it's movement - something between a giraffe and Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. Scared the shit out of me - but J was more focused on something trotting toward us on the other side of the trail resembling a hunch back pig. Apparently it was more terrifying than a stripped horse and a mutant, feathered giraffe. I've come to the conclusion that J is terrified of everything miniature. Ponies ...hates 'em. Mini's...nope. Mini pulling a cart...not happening.

We managed to make it to the trailer without stroking out...barely.

Trail Log: 11-1-2019

• Trail: Hwy 201 to Loves Res. 
• Miles: 10.8
• Riders: Self
• Horses: J'Lo and Jack
• Dogs: Hank - Shade stayed in trailer after shorter hike

Notes: Haven't ridden across the freeway this year. Took advantage of the warmer weather to leg up the horses. Rode J in and Jack out. Jack was feeling his oats on the way home. That horse has some power and would really like to run flat out. Dragging J'Lo behind hinders us both - she gets pissy and tries to bite at him while we are sprinting across the desert 9-0. I'm going to stop towing a horse as much  and ride each of them separate before we get into a wreck.

The reservoir was more full than I've seen it in years - maybe ever.

Trail Log: 10-24-2019

Glassing the meadow 

• Trail: Squaw Creek - Mill Creek Summit
• Miles: 19.89
• Riders: Self - Linda E
• Horses: Jack and Ranger
• Trail Rating: 2.8

Notes: Went back up the mountain to hunt for game and my dads knife I'd lost the week before. We planned to drive up Wednesday evening and put the horses in Bev's corrals - then haul up to the Summit and saddle up. We missed the gate to the corrals and ended up camping along Squaw Creek. It worked out better being close to the creek for the horses to water.

We were up early Thursday morning  - drove to the summit and took off on horseback. We decided to hunt for deer on the way up to the base of Buck Mountain where I felt I most likely lost my dads knife. If my knife wasn't there - we would hunt for it as we came back down.

If anyone doubts the power of prayer - they aren't paying much attention. Every step we took - every misstep - the weather - the conditions of the trail...from the closing of one season to the opening of the next. From Linda's familiarity of the mountain, to getting a little turned around -  to my GPS reading -  everything led us to spotting that knife where we least expected it...not 1/4 way from where we first noticed it missing. With knife in hand - we were able to spend the majority of the day hunting game and enjoying the mountain. We both knew that Dad and Devon rode the trail with us, keeping us safe and making sure we found that knife.

Dads knife

Trail Log: 10-18-2019

Linda and Mildred

• Trail: Squaw Creek area above Ola
• Miles: 13.31
• Riders: Self - Linda E. Mildred B.
• Horses: Jack and J - Ranger - Profit

Notes: My first big game hunting excursion! I've bird hunted - bow hunted a little - but never carried a rifle. Linda E. invited me along with her and her mom, Mildred, to hunt with them. Mildred, at 86, carries a rifle but doesn't feel she can see well enough to shoot. Linda scoped her eye a couple years ago tearing the membranes in her face. Understandably, she is not comfortable shooting. I grabbed my .257 my dad gave me - ran down to Bi-Mart for ammo and accepted the invitation. I haven't shot a high powered rifle since I was a kid. I loaded up the dogs and a box of ammo and headed for Steck Park to sight in my rifle. At 2 bucks a round - I shot three times. Hit a paper plate at 150-200 yards and called it good.

The hunting trip was a blast. We saw plenty of game. Nothing legal to shoot - but I was able to practice sighting in on a big doe. No matter how long I scoped that deer she did not grow antlers. But...I'm more confident I can hit one if it's no more than 300 yards away.

We came back a day early due to a storm. Wanted to get our trucks/trailers off the mountain before the snow got any deeper. It was scary as shit - but we made it.

I left/lost my dads old Case knife somewhere on the trail. Not use to wearing a belt and I didn't fasten it and the knife slipped off. About makes me sick to my stomach. I've found stuff I've lost before and I'm fairly certain I know where it came off. Going back the end of the week to retrieve it and make one more hunt. I will bring back Dad's knife AND the fixings for venison stew to boot.

Blog to follow.

Click for more pictures

Everything I have on belonged to my dad. I sure miss him

Trail Log: 10-12-2019

• Trail: Steck Park - Boat Ramp to Crazy Lady Creek
• Miles: 6.88
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack and J'Lo
• Dogs: Shade and Hank

Notes: Pretty day on the Snake. The Sumac is on fire with the fall coloring. Shade went the entire distance! It's a steep climb in and out. I was worried but kept checking on her. I swapped horses at Crazy Lady Creek and when I did - I dropped my phone. Climbed to the top of CLC before I realized it so had to go back for it. I really worried about Shade but she didn't want to wait for me at the top and hiked back with me. I figured she wouldn't be able to move this morning. She's stiff - but moving better than I expected and is still climbing the stairs to lay under my desk as I post this. I wish every month was October and dogs never grew old.

Trail Log: 10-8-2019

• Trail: WRT - ShoePeg - North toward Cambridge
• Miles: 6.60
• Riders: Self - Jones - Dusty
• Horses: Jack - Honor - Raycine
• Dogs: Hank - Savannah - Dealer

Notes: Put in at Shoepeg and rode north toward Cambridge. Tried to find a place to cross the river to the trail on the other side but failed. The grass was so tall and thick you could not tell what was underneath. You would ride along and drop into a hole like the bottom just fell out from under you. Kind of creepy so opted to stay on the mail trail and ride back the way we came.

Came upon several of those rocks people paint and leave for you to take and move somewhere else. I need to start doing that - it is kind of fun.

Stopped at Mann Creek Cafe on the way home for lunch and split a raspberry cheesecake chimichanga thing to die for.

Trail Log: 10-2-2019

• Trail: Weiser River Trail - Shoepeg to Midvale
• Miles: 9.7
• Riders: Self - Athena
• Horses: Jack and J'Lo
• Dogs: Hank (Shade in trailer)

Notes: A much needed break from the pain and sorrow over the last few weeks. Losing grandma at 97 was one thing - but the unexpected loss of my dad was pretty hard to take.

Athena hasn't ridden much since she was a little girl. She rode J'Lo and I rode Jack. We had a blast. It was breathtaking beauty all around. The weather was ideal...fall colors everywhere. We put in at Shoepeg and rode to Midvale, tied the horses to the hitching post and had lunch at The Cabin. A wonderful day we both needed.