Last weekend in July

Saturday, we headed up to the top of Hennessey and this is what we found! A lowboy and a newly graded area along with a new cat trail (dozer trail the ambulance crew corrected me). Because of the Hill Fire across the river and the purported lightning strike on our beloved Hennessey mountain, the crews came over to build some fire breaks and check on things in general. This is now the "new" version of the former jeep trail. The dozer made several passes up to the ridge and around. The rescue crew told us that they would be coming back in to put trees across the dozer the lines so people couldn't use them. We looked at the them askance and basically said that a tree wouldn't stop us from riding on them. They quickly assured us that they meant, "motorized vehicles couldn't use them and thus couldn't tear them up." I had just been thinking our motorcycle friends would be loving the new open trails.  Although we smelled smoke last weekend, we did not see where there might have been a fire. This day, we saw where there was probably a lightning strike. Sure glad they put the time in last year and cleared all the brush and burned it!

We headed back from Gray's Creek area toward where we knew there was a small bit of water for the girls to wash the dust down. As we went along, several fire pickups drove on the road above us. When we reached the top, we could hear another one coming, so we stopped to wait for it. It turned out to be the emergency vehicle from Visalia. That's when they got out and visited with us for a bit. Then we headed down the hill toward the truck.

*Reminder: look before we head up the shortcut trail for the paper nest on the tree (head high!). I didn't see any bees, but. . . .

Sunday we went to the bottom meadow. We rode to the left loop and up the little ridge, but today we veered off and went east for a ways (I always think of it as the skunk trail!). Then back to the meadow. We headed over to the circle around the meadow and come up the west side. As usual, Lynn was hoping to see a bear in the briars. :) Nope. But we did see some big, fat cattle running up the hill in front us. Lynn said she could feel TC's heart pounding. It was a tough day for him. Cows and a boggy, muddy, water crossing.  

The cows had really made it deep mud in front of the actual water. TC did not want anything to do with it. Lynn told him that he had to go first. After much backing up and dancing around without actually touching the mud, Jupes had had enough and basically pushed past him and said, "Let's go! Sheesh!"

Sorry, Lynn. No control. 

I love riding the meadow and coming up the west side. It is so crazy to me how different one mountain can be. It was a beautiful, cool morning and a great way to end July's rides.

And a Sunday

We finished off the weekend with a short ride on Sunday. We went up up Widow Maker Ridge. Just saying: we are NEVER riding up there when it's windy. Geez oh Pete. Talk about limbs everywhere and more tree tops twisted off and slammed on the ground. 

We made our way down to road and then to the turtle pond. From there we went down to the bottom road and TC went through the boggy area at the base of trail with no problem. I had the only problem, but it is my usual problem: Jupes shot through the cedar and fir trees at the bottom before I could duck and once again my face got scraped by the branches. Sheesh, that horse.

I really like the new part of the trail down from the top. It has steep parts, but it's really different from just diving off the road and going around the motorcycle ruined spots on the trail. They created this one, but it's not rutted and it's more horse friendly. 

In the logging mess part of the trail, TC stopped cold and stared over toward the secret pond. Lynn was in the process of saying he thinks he sees something and then I am pretty sure I too saw something moving. Probably it was a bear. We rode over to see what we could see, but it was gone. 

It was another great day of riding!

Three Saturdays in July

 We have had three good rides early in the morning--beating the 100+ heat by starting about 5:30. Every ride has been been about logging and trimming as much as riding! Today's ride had the most, though. The other day Lynn texted me that she had 17mph winds. Well, it  must have been at least that up the Hennessey! Limbs were everywhere and we had to do lots of sawing and clipping in addition to finding new ways around large trees that twisted and snapped off. 

Ride #2 we checked out the motorcycle guys' trail off the top road. It connects to the new/old trail down the mountain back to the trailhead. It needs some trimming, but overall, it's a nice trail. Jupes keeps his eyes peeled and warned me that this is the area he always watches for monsters and whatnot. (I'm thinking bears.) However, we've used it twice now and have not seen any scary wildlife on the new addition to our trail.

TC is doing fantastic. He barely hesitates at running water and has navigated boggy ground without being led through by Jupes. He has had limbs hanging off him, branches snapping him in the face, and lots of "technical" stuff to walk through. Jupes (knock on wood) has not had his one day of misbehaving and has been a perfect gentleman. 

The little hitchhiker burrs are everywhere! At my house, at Gene's house, on the trails. Ziva is covered in them and I am continually picking them off her. And I can't find my good comb that pops them off! But that's the only negative in my life. :)