Firsts

Memorial Day Weekend finally arrived and all the rain blew away and it was gorgeous--blue skies all around! We loaded quickly Friday and left Willow Creek at 4pm. We arrived and set up camp with plenty of daylight to burn. We walked the horses around the camp so they could stretch their legs and see what there was to see. The campsite was weed-eated (is that a verb?) only near the table and fire so the horses had lots of grass to graze on and the corrals were neat and clean.

Lynn brought all the horses' blankets and Shirley remembered all her blankets and extra sleeping bags, so everyone was warm. This was Jupiter's first camping trip. He was in the #2 corral by himself and Ziggy and Star were together in #1. They settled right in. Jupiter kind of liked the idea of eating alone--he got all his grain and didn't get moved around from place to place.

Lynn only got up once in the night because Ziggy was winding himself up going around and around in his corral. Star was going corner to corner, but Zigman is so big, he was getting himself into trouble. He settled down when Lynn went out and rubbed on him and talked to him. Some time in the night, Ziggy lay down in the poop in his corral and got it all over his blanket. Jupiter had a good night.

Our ride on Saturday was full of firsts for Jupe--big gray batches of dead weeds were kind of scary and big gray rocks gave him pause, but after he sniffed them all he didn't mind as much. We crossed the creek a bunch of time and I only got my boots wet once. Of course Lynn was high and dry! We took a little razzing about how little we are. We went on Baxter trail and way up toward the lookout. We went really far, but it was a lot of dirt road riding after we left the trail and Ziggy's feet started really hurting. He is not healed up totally, yet.

We headed back down the road and we met some women on their way up. We were friendly and asked them about the trails and for any ideas on good loops. They were snotty and unhelpful. As we rode on past them, Lynn said, "I think those were the same unfriendly women we asked directions from last year! I remember those horses." I laughed and said I remembered the big hair woman. Later I remarked that they probably rode on and said to each other, "Those are the same dumb women from last year! They've probably been lost for a year!"

Snobby women aside, we have met a lot of really nice women on this trip. On Sunday, we saw Joyce and Julie (?) from the trail trials. We met them on a tight trail so we back tracked and let them by. We met a really nice woman from McKinleyville who would be fun to ride with as well. We did not go up and join the caterwauling in the group camp, but I think most of the people thought we were nice and spoke to us when we met them on the trail.

We rode the Indian Orchard trail/loop again that evening. It may have taken us a couple of hours, but it seemed quick. Jupiter loves to trot and see everything first. We all spent a lot of the day trotting on the roads. All three of them set good, strong, fast paces on the trails and we took turns leading. After a yummy meal of steak, potato salad, and garlic bread (and undone corn), we had wingdingers!!

Jupiter found his voice. He called and whinnied for a couple of hours. His high pitched voice is getting a little deeper or else a little hoarse (pun intended). ha

Sunday we saw more deer and a turkey hen with babies. We went on the Johnson trail which we had heard was closed after a point, so we knew we would have to double back, but it was the switch back trail that we started last summer and Indy was too worn out to make it. It was a beautiful ride. We went up and up and finally made it to where the tree closed the trail. Although it was obvious others had taken their horses over it--it looked a little dicey. We had granola bars and leftover meat from the night before and then headed back. The whole ride may have been about 4-5 hours.

On the way back we met lots of people--people walking, hiking, on bicycles, and of course, ahorseback. We had to back track for one set of people riding and both Shirley and Lynn got off to lead Star and Zigman respectively back up the trail. Ziggy had been close to the edge of the trail all day. Well, the soft dirt gave way and he fell off the trail. Luckily, Lynn was walking in front of him and not on him. His long legs flailed around and found purchase and he was able to get up and keep going. He was not hurt, but maybe was a little embarrassed and probably surprised a lot! For the rest of the ride, he hugged the bank.

I was in front when we met a hiker. I hollered, "Hello!" and he answered quietly and little slowly. As I neared him, I said, "It's good if you talk, so the horses know you're not a monster." He said, "I'm a monster?! You're the one riding a war horse!" I was nonplussed--I laughed but could not come back with anything--my baby, a war horse? Hardly. (:

Star was wound as tight as a top. He went as many miles up and down as he did forward. Shirley has had Lynn graining him twice a day because Shirley said, "I need a horse under me!" Hmm. All day she told Lynn, "He's had too much grain! You know he's probably had everyone else's grain, too!" Anyway, she had a horse under her.

That night I think Jupiter was tired. He put his butt into his new hay bag and broke the dowels. We weren't sure if he was scratching or sitting on it. Lynn said he was so tired, it balanced him so he could sleep. We took them up to the sandy rolling pit and both Jupe and Star had good, groaning rolls. Zigs was too embarrassed to flop himself and flail his long legs around in public.

Monday morning Lynn got one of the shows of a lifetime. The wild turkeys came into camp and the males put on a hissing, fluffed up, macho performance. I missed that part, but was fun to see them with their feathers all fanned out.

I know there's more to tell, but for now--it was fun. I can't wait to do it again.