Pix to come

Hey Sweetie,
What a fantastic ride today! Weird that I don't have a great memory about this place from our last time we rode here, though that was back in 2010, our first year on the road, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I had forgotten how lovely the trails are here! I planned a full perimeter ride, which turned out to be about 14 miles, and it was truly stunning! I guess having mostly done Tennessee trails at the time, it wasn't that much of a change, but after having ridden in all 50 states, I can tell you how fabulous it was! The footing was wonderful, mostly dirt, almost no gravel, and only a few spots where it got muddy, but not very much. The first half of the trail followed the Broad River, and was cut about halfway down the slope rather than along the top, so there were no serious grades, but a few switchbacks and lots of going up and around ravines along the way, all below the ridge line, the way the Indians/pioneers liked it to avoid being seen. The trails were well-marked for the most part, although there were a few intersections that weren't, and one trail that someone had actually put the wrong markings on, but thankfully, I had downloaded a map with Geomapping information, so I had it on Avenza, which was a tremendous help. My phone almost gave out before I got back to camp, but made it back just in time. The trails were in good shape, very few downed trees and nothing you couldn't get around, with lots of creek crossings back and forth. I ran into two guys, twice, and there were some folks parked at a northern trailhead that were getting ready to go out, but otherwise, it was extremely quiet. Lola thoroughly enjoyed herself and will no doubt sleep well tonight. The only thing that was of any concern was that Flash keep wanting to walk on the side of the trail rather than in the middle, and it was always the side where there was a serious drop-off! I was nervous he might slip and careen down the hill, but fortunately that didn't happen. I didn't like having to keep steering him away from the edge, but obviously we survived it just fine. I couldn't find the entrance to the trail on the east side, it wasn't marked and wasn't clear on the map, so we finally entered down by the boat ramp on the east side and did the trail in reverse from what I'd planned, but at least then I discovered where the east entrance is now. Got back to camp just after 4:00, did my post-ride chores and settled down for the evening, as usual. Fantastic ride, and it was a lot cooler in the woods, as the temps were in the mid-80's today, but felt fine. Can't wait to go out again! Good night, babe! Love you!

Hey Darlin',
Well, the best laid plans don't always work out, do they? Since the regular trails here have been very difficult, I decided to try another tact. In addition to the regular single track horse trails, there is also a series of roads that show up on the map, open to horses. I figured if we were on a road, if it wasn't too rocky, we'd be able to make some better time, so I planned about a 13+ mile journey on the "red" trails, as they appear on the map. Well, it didn't take long for me to figure out what a mistake THAT was! Shortly after turning on to our first road off the trail, we started climbing, on a surface that was red clay. After all the rain in the last too days, it was almost as slick as an ice skating rink. We went very slowly and carefully up that, then when we turned a corner and got on a second road, that was completely and utterly rocky. I mean, almost no road service at all, just rocks. That climbed and climbed and climbed until we finally reached the top, and for some unknown reason, there were guardrails along some edges that made it impossible for us to get off the road onto higher ground with a better surface, so we were forced to stay on either rocks or slippery clay. It has to be about the slowest ride we've ever done, it took us nearly four hours to go nine miles! Well, after the first couple of miles, and at the first opportunity I had, I got off the road and back onto a horse trail, which was better for about ten minutes, then got super rocky and climbing again. It was not much fun today! The last couple of miles back to camp were the best, still a lot of grade but at least the footing was somewhat better. Funny thing is, the best trails I've found so far are the renegade trails, that aren't marked and not on the map. Figures. We started out with both boots (I even tried duct-taping the loose one), but that didn't work, we lost that one in the first half mile, so I left it off. The other one stayed on ( I left it on to protect the split in his hoof so as not to make it worse) until the exact same place on the trail where we lost the first one, but I managed to recover that from the sucking mud and left that off, since we were almost back to camp. What an exhausting ride! That's it, I'm done with riding out here. There are a few nice trails, but they are so few and far between, and you have to go through hell and back to get to them, so no thanks. I'm not wild about the trail "repairs" they've made here, either, with frames of rocks at creek crossings, and it seems whenever they wanted to shore something up, they found the biggest, chunkiest, sharpest rocks they could find to fill it in. I can say the trails are well-marked, though I have to take issue with them not putting the markers all on the same side of the trail, I was constantly having to look back and forth, and got confused on a number of intersections because the marker wasn't clear. Anyway, no more, Flash and I have had enough, and I don't even think I'll take Apollo out again, it's just too rough. Maybe I'm getting soft (or sensible!), but I'm not that desperate to ride that I'm going to force these kinds of trails on my guys. Definitely a workout and a half! Settled down for the evening to dinner and a good movie, and fully intend to get to bed early tonight, I'm not really liking this going to bed late and getting up late, but I'm in such shade here, it doesn't seem to get light here until after 9:00! That's my plan, I hope I can stick to it! Good night, baby! Love you!

Hiya Darlin',
Got to sleep late, then slept a little late as well, but it was a beautiful day, so a ride was definitely on the schedule! Especially since the forecast for the next couple of days is rain! After my usual morning chores, plus putting an extra layer of silver tape on the front end of the trailer to keep the rain out, I finally saddled up Flash and we headed out to do about 12 miles of the River Trail and a couple of other loops in the northern section of the forest. It was a slow ride! Between the rough terrain and difficult footing, we hardly ever got above three miles an hour. There was only one spot about a quarter mile across a field that we were able to gait through. It took us over 4.5 hours to do just under 13 miles, which was ridiculously slow. It didn't help that one of his boots kept coming off again, so I finally had to leave it off. I kept one on his right front hoof, the one that has a little split in it, to try to keep it from any further damage. We were all exhausted by the time we got back to camp. One thing I like about the trails is that they're all single track, which is my favorite, but at times the trail was so narrow that the growth on the sides made it feel like a jungle. The inconsistent footing, which went from mud to rock and everything in between, was frustrating. Some sections were very nice, with a good dirt bottom, but you had to go through hell and back to get to them. Along the river was particularly inconsistent, with a few lovely sections, but an awful lot of rough going as well. The climb away from the river seemed like a mile on terrible rock, reminded me of the last time I was at Big South Fork in TN, which I didn't enjoy very much. Some of their trail "remedies" weren't very good, Flash did not like where there were concrete bricks surrounded by lumber squares and deep mud, so we had to find alternate routes a couple of times. It was a tough day, though it is a beautiful forest. it's just too slow, we could never get above a slow walk. Lola did well, but she was exhausted by the time we got back to camp, too. Had a nice dinner, did my usual evening routine. Then I got a call from Jo that the AERC, the governing body of the Goethe Benefit Ride that we've been a part of for so long, won't be happening this year, because of a lot of political nonsense. Very disappointing! Hope that won't have any affect on my volunteering for the forest! Anyway, a long and tiring day, I'm headed to shower and bed! Good night, baby! Love you!

Hey Babe,
A good night sleep, probably because I put my earplugs in to fend off all the partying going on out there. It was absolutely packed here last night! They did quiet down by 10:30, so it wasn't that bad, but I figured some folks would be up and moving early this morning, and I didn't want that to wake me. Slept in a bit, worked on my shoulder a little, then got up to chores, breakfast and the first of three loads of laundry that I did today. I also did some housekeeping, and then finally, saddled up Apollo for a short ride. I had to trip him front feet first, though, since they hadn't been done in awhile, and I needed to fit his boots. We only went about 3.7 miles, which took an hour and a half, but it was rough terrain compared to what he's been used. He's been a flatlander on sand for so long, these hills and this rocky footing was a challenge! He was up to it, though, I was very proud of it. He seemed to limber up as time went on, so I was glad he was moving better the further we got. Lola came along as well, wasn't sure she would want to after our long ride on Friday, but she's seems to be back in perfect condition. Gave him a nice rinse when we got back, then I filled the truck tank up again, had to replenish their water and mine so I could keep doing laundry. A very nice day, gorgeous weather, got lots done, and had a ride. Who could ask for anything more? Life is good! Settled down for my usual evening, though I may take a walk again tonight to see if the Northern Lights are out there. At least tonight it looks like we have clear skies. Either way, I'll be in bed soon! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hey Babe,
Had a better night sleep, got my chores done, saddled up Flash, including boots and his breast collar, and left camp about noon. Absolutely gorgeous weather today! The trails were a bit rockier than I like, so I was happy I had put his boots on, and especially happy that I put his breast collar on when we immediately started climbing hills and dales. I had a nice ride along the lake planned, only to discover that the main trail I had selected was not open to horses, so I had to make up an alternate route on the fly. We did end up reaching the lake, using the same trail I think we used last time we were here nearly 12 years ago, but then I added another loop further south, and finally, not wanting to repeat too much of my trip, took an even farther south loop to get back to camp. It was a lovely, albeit rocky, ride. I took a short spur to something marked on the map as a Nifty Rock, whereas the trail signs just called it a Big Rock. It was only about 150 feet off the main trail, and yes, it was a group of bigger rocks, so I guess it was a Kodak spot. Flash lost his boot a couple of times, and finally it was too muddy to stay on, so I tucked it in my saddle bag and he had to finish the ride without it. Thankfully, the last couple of miles were a lot less rocky, so we made it home okay. Got him rinsed off and put away, then got busy with some stuff on my computer. Unfortunately, while I was sitting outside with my computer in my lap, my unstable little table rocked a bit and knocked over my beer, and a little spilled onto my keyboard. I immediately pulled out the battery and turned it upside down, hoping to get most of the liquid out of it, and will leave it that way overnight. I ended up watching a very good movie called Atonement (I could see why it was nominated for seven Oscars, it had the British A-list of stars), and settled down for an early night, considering I didn't have my laptop to keep me from going to bed! Fingers crossed it will work okay in the morning. Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Pix to come.

Hey Baby,
Had a decent night sleep, but had no urgency to get up this morning. I was supposed to be collecting glow sticks on the white trail today, but with no 100 milers, and with 75 milers making really good time yesterday (the last rider went by the finish line at 8:40!), they elected not to put them up, so I didn't really have anything to do today. Since I was scheduled, though, they were kind enough to let me stay the extra night, which I really appreciated, since I hate driving on Sundays. It was a beautiful day, so I saddled up Flash and rode the white trail anyway, since everyone was telling me that was the nicest trail. Well, I'm afraid I'd going to have to disagree, I didn't particularly like the white trail. Yes, it went along the river for a while, but the path was gravel and had heavy pedestrian and bike traffic, and spent a lot of time going around the perimeter of fields, just wasn't my cup of tea. It only got interesting when we were going backward on the red trail, which right now, is my favorite. So I''ve ridden the lime, purple, red and white, and haven't ridden the blue, orange or either of the yellows. Apparently yellow west is only open for this event, so I'll probably never see that. Anyway, we left camp about 10:30 and got back before 2:00, not a very fast pace, but we weren't in any particular hurry either. Got back to camp, gave Flash a rinse and cleaned up the water tank in the back of the truck, then put just enough water in to fill up the horse buckets and give me a little more for my shower tonight, I was down to one light on the monitor, and didn't want to run out. I also don't want to carry much water down that big mountain we have to go down tomorrow! I'm planning on checking the trailer brakes and possibly adjusting them tomorrow, they don't seem to be doing much when I hit the emergency button on the controller, but we'll see. Anyway, settled down for the evening to a couple of Northern Exposures and a movie, won't be long out of bed! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Pix to come!

Hey Babe!
Well, today was more like it! A good night sleep, easy chores, then out on the trail before 11:00, with a much more interesting trail that was much more to my liking! Rarely on the road, lots of hilly terrain, seventeen miles, Flash really got a workout today! He's been a flatlander for so many months, and even though he's very fit, he had to work harder than usual today. Nevertheless, he came shining through with his usual aplomb! The trailmaster here, a man named Stagg, had generously given me some tour tips for this trail, which included a stop at an outdoor venue with a big pavilion tent, a statue of Diana, and an incredible view of the front of the Biltmore house, with a whole layer of mountains beyond it. Truly spectacular! I had to put Flash on a hitching rail and walk over, and then managed to get a woman there to take a couple of pix for me. Got back to camp, worked up the trail details, and discovered it was a bit longer than it was supposed to be, something I"ll have to talk to Stagg about when I get the chance. Had a quick dinner, then attended the last half of the ride meeting (I didn't know it was going on, never got a schedule, first one I've ever missed), then back to the trailer. Bonni came by to take me out to where my spotting and crosswalk duties were to be done, getting back around 8:00. Having a little trouble with my TV streaming today, no doubt because there are so many folks in camp using up the bandwidth. Heading to bed soon anyway, got an early start in the morning! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Hiya Darlin'!
Went to bed early, took awhile to get to sleep because I realized the increased altitude had made the bed much firmer than I like. I forgot to deflate it before I left the last place, not realizing what a big mountain I had to climb just before getting here. I thought about it as I was climbing, and hoped I wouldn't do any damage to the new air mattress, and evidently I didn't, it was just too firm. I finally fell asleep but woke up just after 4:00 and had a hard time getting to sleep, again, because it was too hard! Before going to bed tonight, though, I've let some air out, so hopefully it will be a more comfortable night's sleep. Had a wonderful ride today, my first here at Biltmore. I was instructed to check the lime green trail and the purple trail, most of which was shared with just a few places that were different. It wasn't as pretty as I had hoped, lots of roads, going around perimeters of fields, and some areas that had been logged so it was a case of trail by bulldozer, not my favorite. There was one section on the purple trail I really enjoyed, with tower pines and a fern floor. It was short-lived, unfortunately, I would have like to see a lot more like that. I understand the red trail, which I'm doing tomorrow, is supposed to be nicer, and the white trail, where I'll be picking up glow sticks on Sunday, is the nicest of all, so I'm looking forward to that. I put boots on Flash because I didn't know that the terrain was like, and I was glad I did, as there were quite a few sections with gravel, though I could tell Flash wasn't that happy about it, but he went along with it. We passed some bearded goats and lots of geese, heard some cows bawling but never saw them, and had to deal with a lot of cars and runners. It's a busy place! The end of the purple trail finished where the riders are camping, and I saw Patsy's truck, so I went over and chatted with her for a few minutes before heading back to my trailer. Once Flash was back in the paddock, he spent a lot of time laying down. It's the most comfortable place he's had to lay down in in a very long time, and he is taking full advantage! The grass is about a foot high (though they've been munching on it and rolling on it, so it's getting flatter all the time), so it's a very lush bed, so I can't blame him. Apollo's been doing some rolling as well, so they're both happy campers at the moment! Went down to Patsy's for dinner, then to a volunteer meeting where I finally met Bonni, who is the volunteer coordinator, and we got along great! She had several volunteers that had to cancel at the last minute, so she's very grateful I called, and I'm very grateful to be here! After our meeting I came back to camp and found that my new neighbors are the same volunteers I met at the meeting, and they have a very energetic, 14 month old Doberman that Lola (who came with me to the meeting) wasn't sure about, but once they met off-leash back at camp, they started running around and playing together, so I can see Lola getting plenty of exercise, which she'll need since she can't come with me on the trail here. She was mad at me when I got back from my ride, but there's nothing I can do about it here, so this is good that she has a playmate next door. Finally settled down to a Northern Exposure, a bit of bourbon and a small cup of ice cream for the evening. Just about ready for bed, now that it's going to be more comfortable. I do love that bed! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hey Sweetie,
Had a hard time getting to sleep last night, read until the wee hours, but was up and ready to ride by 10:00, but Patsy was running last and didn't get here until after 10:40, but we were out on the trail with her friend Cynthia by just after 11:00. There was a lot of dog activity today, evidentally a field trial competition (the shooting started even earlier than usual, at 7:45 a.m.), so she led us out to a detour around the working areas, mostly on the Red arrow trail, which was quite nice. As usual, Flash was in the lead, and Lola came along, and soon we were way out front with his four mph walk. I had to canter him out a few times just to settle him down, but overall he did very well. We ended up going about ten miles on some very nice trails, just a little bit of the road. After they left, I got ready to go into town to pick up the part for the truck, but that ended up being delayed. I went into Walmart to get Lola's prescription, but there turned out to be a problem with it, they didn't have the right dosage, but that turned out to be a mistake on the written Rx, as I learned after I got home. Going to have to figure that out tomorrow as well. Got a few things there, topped of the fuel tank so hopefully I have enough to get all the way to the Biltmore on Tuesday, went to the AutoZone and had to wait for the delivery. I had been told 4:30, turned out to be 5:30, but at least I have the part in hand now. I sure hope they can put it in for me in the morning, or at least let me have a corner to do it myself, in case I need their help. Finally settled down for the evening to a fun Sly Stallone movie, Avenging Angelo, and heading to bed forthwith! Good night, baby! Love you!

Hiya Babe,
Had a good night sleep, puttered around in the morning, did a little research of possible places to go after this. I emailed some folks at the upcoming Biltmore ride, and they were happy to take me on as a volunteer! I've always wanted to go there, but as you know, it's pretty pricey, but as a volunteer, I was delighted to learn I can get free camping! Very happy I checked that out! So I extended my stay here until next Tuesday for now, depending on whether I can get into Biltmore Tuesday or Wednesday, and thankful they didn't make a fuss about the maximum camping time, which may or may not be 14 days, I don't know, I didn't check. Anyway, once I got that and a few other things sorted out, I finally groomed and saddled up Apollo, though I also had to trim his back feet, they were if dire need of trimming. I thought I had a sign to pick up out on the green trail, but when I got there, there wasn't one, and after seeing where it was, way, way off the road, I can understand why. Note to self, take a better inventory of what we put out so I can keep track of what we need to get back! I did find two more signs by the road that belong to the other group, so I after getting back to camp, I drove out and picked those up. It was a great ride! Apollo finally got some exercise (we went about 7 3/4 miles!), and Lola came along, her first ride in a very long time! I trimmed her sore nail as much as I could, and it didn't seem to bother her one bit, thank goodness. She's been sleeping all evening, so it was obviously a good run for her, which she badly needed. Had dinner (I've been eating nothing but hot dogs, beans, and mac and cheese leftover from the ride all week, and probably have enough for another week!), watched a Northern Exposure and a quirky Robin Williams movie called the Big White (when aren't his movies quirky?), now I'm heading to bed, hopefully early. Starting to feel like my summer is shaping up, particularly if I can keep following the endurance ride circuit, though I'll be in NYS less than I had originally thought, which is fine. Been there, done that, anyway! And believe it or not, most of my fairy lights are STILL LIT tonight! Amazing! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!