Hi Darlin’!
Coldest night yet, it got into the 30’s last night! Maybe I’ve stayed too far north for too long… Though fortunately it’s warming up again in the next few days, so maybe not. I blanketed the horses last night, so they were good, but it was a frosty morning. At least yesterday’s cold wind had died down, so it warmed up quickly by the end of breakfast. I had asked about going on the long ride and was told it was leaving at 9:30, so when a group went by at 9:15 I thought I was going to miss it, so I quickly finished saddling Flash and ran after them, only to discover they were the “short” ride today, so I went back to camp and joined the long ride, which didn’t end up leaving until nearly 10:00 anyway. It was supposed to be 19 miles but ended up only being about 12.5, but it took nearly six hours, not counting a lunch stop. We started out with probably over 20-25 riders, most from a local barn coming in for the day to trail ride, and frankly, some just weren’t suited for it. One woman was in tears barely 100 yards onto the trail because her horse was acting up. We ended up splitting the group on occasion to take easier trails vs. harder trails, and poor Lola got so confused she ended up giving up and going back to camp. Fortunately there was a woman in camp that we met on the cattle drive that she went to, and she put her in the trailer, which I learned a while later when she texted me, thank goodness! Then some of the group turned around and went back at one point, then another bunch turned back a bit later, until we ended up with barely half a dozen riders plus the trail bosses, which was a much more manageable group anyway. They were sturdier riders, but they were drinking beer non-stop, and one woman was vaping away, which was fine when she was behind me, but at one point she took the lead and I had to keep pulling Flash back so I wouldn’t have to breathe her second-hand cloud of smoke, or vapor, or whatever it was, because it wasn’t agreeing with me. Of course, we had to stop every 15 minutes for people to relieve themselves, what with all the beer they were drinking (remember what time we left? Beer for breakfast, really?), so it was a very long, slow day. I mean, if it were just Flash and me, we’ be done with 12 miles in three hours, not the nearly six that it took us. The only advantage was I didn’t have to worry about getting lost, and frankly, that’s a big concern for me out here. The trails are only marked so-so, and the map is terrible. It has all the contour lines on it, which just makes it hard to read, the trails are dotted lines, not solid, which also makes it hard to read, and they absolutely do not match what’s out there. I’ve tried to line up the actual rides with the trail map overlay on Google Earth, and it’s not even close! It would be nearly impossible for someone NOT to get lost out here with the situation as it is right now. I couldn’t plan a ride with this map without some serious reservations. That said, they have some beautiful scenery, but so many of the trails are so rocky, it makes it very challenging. Fortunately, Flash’s feet have hardened up pretty nicely, and he didn’t seem to have much problem even though he didn’t even have boots on, no injuries at all that I could see, so I’m happy. Anyway, it was a good day’s ride, followed by a nice dinner, then a heartwarming movie called the Peanut Butter Falcon, now it’s off for my shower and bed! Good night, babe! Love you!
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