A Cow Trail and a Jeep Trail

 

What a great weekend!! Three days of spectacular riding. We had some wonderful rain on Friday, so Saturday we rode with chinks on and I had a waterproof jacket so we would have some protection against the cedars and madrones which hold the water in their branches. Nevertheless, the first tree we passed doused both Lynn and I across the face. Then the next one went down my neck. It just doesn't matter what one wears, water will win.

Last weekend, we rode way down toward Heidi Carpenter-Harris' place. It was the farthest we have gone down past the low meadow. It was fun and coming out was a lot faster than going in! lol

Saturday was pretty much a regular ride, except that the boys were a little skittish. It is bow season after all and we saw some hunters and there could have been more out there. On the way walking down the road there was a horse eating woman clearing out blackberries and putting up a No Trespassing sign. Sheesh. That was scary.

Sunday we went down on the ranch. We rode our regular route around the back side, then up the trail to the top of the knoll, then made our own way down and into the meadow. Apple eating and picking! Lynn had picked all different kinds last weekend and made a great pie, so she was after some more. Jupes was practically slobbering just thinking about getting over there. 

Lynn rode Zigs so we could check out a water crossing (although Toby Cobie is soo much better) and keep Zigs in shape for when Cathy comes to ride. There was no way we could get through the old way by the old corral, so she suggested we try going on the other side of the creek at the bottom and coming to the lower meadow from there. OMG. It was awesome. We followed a cow trail that lead us through to the crossing. There wasn't any brush and it was super easy. Then we tootled around down there. Lynn got off and checked out the old cemetery and took pictures of the gravestones/markers. We saw the bulls, but no one got excited or freaked out.

Monday was a surprise ride. The horses thought it was a rest day. Nope. We rode up to the top of Hennessy and took the jeep road to the right. We climbed and climbed and then rode along the top of the ridge. Then took a skid road that led us right to our Gray Falls trails. We rode it backward back to the road and then went up and around the loop and back to the top. It was a blast. We saw tons of potential trails and loops we could make. Lots to explore! 

It was a super fun weekend. 

A Long Day of Shoeing

Is he coming today? Are you sure? It's getting late. (We started tied the boys up at 9:45.)

I'll just sleep over here, Maybe you could bring me an apple every now and then. 

Seriously? What is he doing over there? And why I do I have to be first, Jupiter? Open your eyes! No relaxing while I'm being tortured! (He started working on Zigs at 11: 30.)

It was a long day of waiting. I found a chair to perch on (the middle is sort of gone).

Still waiting, but now I have my crochet.

Still waiting. Kind of even tired of scrabbling for horse hooves.

Still waiting.

Still waiting.

I know I untied  myself; I'm pretty clever aren't I? Well I couldn't see what you guys were doing and I was sooo far away. But the gravel? It hurts my feet. I promise to stop pawing, but please tie me lower on the fence so I can see you guys. Ziggy keeps whinnying; I think he wants me to come over there.

Still waiting. But maybe a cat will try to get by me. Or a squirrel!! Yes, maybe a squirrel.

I didn't take any pictures of the lightning or record the thunder or the sheets of rain that fell on all of us as we kept waiting for Pablo to finish. I put Z & K in the house when the sprinkles got harder and before the all the thunder and rain. At 4:45, Lynn got home. I met her at the car. Please hurry and put a rain jacket on and come help me. Zigs was done!! He was pacing and pushing and I know he was trying to step on my feet. Jupes was pulling his legs away from Pablo and getting smacked. Rain was running off me both inside my jacket and out and down my hat. No one was happy. I'm sure my trepidation over all the thunder and lightning above us was contagious and that probably added to the tension the boys were feeling. Plus, they had not eaten or drank since I caught them. They were hungry and tired of standing there and it was pouring down rain and running down their sides. They were cross.

He finally finished Jupes at 5:00ish. (Almost 6 hours later.) After being tied up for over 7 hours, when we turned them loose in the field, they bucked, reared up, twisty-necked, and raced all over the fields. We fed them after we could sneak out from behind the trees we were hugging! What a day. Next time I will wait to catch them when he turns into the driveway. :(

SATURDAY:

We rode up to the turtle pond. Lynn saw something in the water and there were bubbles, but we couldn't see what it was. T/C did really good in puddles and through mud bog below the pond. We wore our chinks and I had a waterproof jacket on, but our faces got doused with rain water held in the trees' leaves and needles and it still got down my neck. But it was a fun morning. 

Both boys were pretty sure there were horse eating monsters in the woods today. And maybe there were! It is hunting season (bow). Walking down the road to trailer, we had to convince them it was safe. But then it wasn't!! There was a lady in woods by the fence cleaning blackberries (?). All the animals saw her, Lynn and I were the last to observe her. I think I kind of jumped, too.

Nope, not going. Horse-eating monsters are between us and the trailer!

 July was a great month of riding! I am sure since I am doing this so late, I will forget things that I wanted to share. 

Cobweb Alley

First of all, we got to ride with Alisa twice! The first ride, Lynn took off Friday and rode up to Little Happy Camp. It was great fun as always. We could see the burn scar and stayed out of it; thankfully it did not affect most of our trails. It was warm enough to just wear our tanktops and the road wasn't too bad. We did do some logging, but the rocks weren't too bad and we didn't need the chainsaw. On Saturday we rode up Underwood. It is always one of my favorites. (or was this the following weekend?)

Alisa left her trailer and Keota to hang out with our boys for the next week and the following weekend, Lynn took another Friday off and we drove over to Dead Fall Lake trailhead to meet up with Cathy & Roany and Karrie & Noah. The Forest Service Road 17 was awful--it was narrow and rocky. The ride itself was enjoyable. We had plenty of water for the horses and Noah went down in the lake with Karrie on him and then at the last lake, she took off his saddle and he really got in and got wet. Trail is the Pacific Coast Trail, so there were lots of hikers. The horses all did just fine and with the exception of one cranky, unfriendly older man, all the hikers were friendly, talkative, and did not appear to mind stepping off the trail. Thankfully it was not too dusty or hot and although there were tight places on the trail, overall it was easy and wide open. T/C did pretty well with the water crossings, but the first one on a tight turn on the trail with rocks and little margin of error, Lynn jumped off and walked him very quickly through the worst part of the trail (probably where she hurt her knee!).

Riding with Cathy and Karrie is also a treat. We ate lunch at Dead Fall Lake and visited. It's a little hard to hear each other on the trail, but when you're close enough, there is much laughter shared between us. The following day, Alisa and us rode together at home on our trails. I wish both she and Cathy lived closer so we could ride together all the time.

The Tevis 100 and the Hennessey 10

The last weekend of July it was just Lynn and I. Saturday we rode our trails along the Gray's Falls area. We did some trail clearing (which is probably where I tore a little of my bicep tendon!). All along the trail is the evidence that the Forest Service has been there and made big burn piles. It is awesome that they are clearing brush and protecting our area from fire! T/C wasn't so sure though. We did not hear the big swarm buzzing, so hopefully they are GONE! We rode our long loops and considered which trails we could take Cathy and Karrie on. Our trails are nothing like what they ride. AND they ride big horses--tall and wide. Would they like horse yoga? Would their horses do okay on our sketchy trails? We are not riding Back Country Horsemen boulevards.

Sunday we rode out on the ranch planning to do the original Hoop-de-doo trail. It was the kind of morning that had a little of everything. First we saw turkeys and their babies--probably eight all total. That's always fun. Then we saw cows. Hmm. Not as fun. lol. T/C was snorting and letting those big bulls know he did not like them. The cows took off and disappeared, but Lynn said T/C was tight. We rode to the little messy trail that we used to take to get us to the road crossing. Nope. No go. It was always a mess; it was always skinny and included lots of knee jabbers and leg scrapers and clothesline opportunities, but this time it was impassable. So we turned uphill and rode the driveway/road to the County road and crossed over to the property where the old Morgan horse lives (who wasn't in view).

I teased about T/C, but Jupes was pretty sure the boogie man (or cows?) were behind him, so he was a little tight, too. We trotted out the trail, jumping logs and tiptoeing through boggy, scratchy tight spots. We reached the water crossing, which is one of the reasons why Lynn rode T/C instead of Big Zigs, and the trail was impassable due to a yew tree across it just above the creek. The bank on the opposite side has also deteriorated. I couldn't tell if our trail is still up there. That was always a fun ride, so we plan to hike it with chainsaw and clippers after our riding season is over. We turned around and trotted back out and over to the meadow. We went up the trail backwards and found the cows. We didn't get too close, but T/C blew the biggest snort out I have ever heard him do. 

So there it is. July is gone! It was the best month so far. I hope we continue to have great weekends in August. 

COWS!!! SNORT, SNORT!

 

Cattle Call

(We need to print out the words and sing along!)

T/C saw cows on the Hennessy ranch today. He snorted a loud warning for them to stay back, because he was ready to run fast the other way if they got too close. :)

Aborted the original Hoop-de-doo trail's reconnaissance on Sunday. It is going to be a long walk with a chain saw and hand saws. The good part of the ride was T/C got his feet wet in the creek. We did a little ride around the ranch and back home. Always fun (and a lot of trotting out and away from the boogie men with horns).

Birdsong, a sack of potatoes, and peace

                                    

Saturday

 SHOES!!!  Yay! Finally, the farrier made time for us to get our shoes replaced. It's been a month. Okay, maybe only three weeks, three LONG weeks without riding during prime riding time. It made me cranky. 

So Saturday, we were off!! What a great day. All I could hear were all different kinds of birds singing and maybe even some baby birds chirping. At the top of Hennessey, we turned left and went up Widow Maker Ridge (also known as Deadwood Ridge--I forget what I call it each time! lol) and turned left at Indy's frog pond. We went off to do some bushwacking. We have not done that spot the same way twice. Jupes is always trying to tell me, but I don't always listen and we go off behind Lynn who isn't listening to her horse either. LOL. Then we rode down to the turtle pond and back up through the big meadow. It was nice. Katie got a lot of running in. She was everywhere and running hard to catch up with us.

On the way out, we were trotting. Jupes and Zigs like to do the rollercoaster trot and sometimes Zigs even gets in a lope. We go down the last little hill back toward the trailer and then up and a pause by the tree and then swoop down the trail. There's a tight little turn right before the creek bed. Jupes likes to do that quick turn, so I leaned down and into his neck so I would miss the low hanging branches. Then, YIKES! Jupes got caught up with the down madrone right there sticking in his chest and I was caught on a sharp limb hanging down. He jagged and I slid down his neck like a sack of potatoes. WHUMP.  I was on the ground and he trying to get out of the mess of madrone. T/C was "outta here!!" Something scary just happened and he whirled around and wanted to head back up the trail. I was trying to tell Lynn, "I'm fine," but the wind was knocked out of me. She asked, "How's your arm?" So I waved them at her, wheezing, "I'm fine, I just gotta catch my breath." Too funny. I didn't fall very far or very hard. Just kind of slid down him. I have a few bruises and scratch from the limb, but all's well. Lynn thought I was going to hang from the tree branch, but I think I might have broken it on the way down. lol

Sunday

My dad passed away in December 2010. I had his ashes forever on my entertainment center. I just didn't know what to do with them. The more time passed, the harder it was to face it. Finally, several years ago, I made up my mind to just deal with it. On Father's Day, I would take him to the top of the ride on Underwood. It's a beautiful place. I asked my brother if it mattered to him. It did. So in a fit of frustration, I told him to take the ashes (and our uncle's) home with him. He put them outside in the fern bed. Once upon a time, it was a really pretty place. Then my brother passed away. I told my nephew to find the ashes and please bring them to me. They were full of water. So I have left them in my garage since January. Every time I passed by them, I felt disrespectful and awful. Once again, I was in the dilemma of what do I do? 

Finally, I asked Lynn if Big Zigs could pack my dad up to Underwood. So on Sunday, we took his ashes to the rocks below the big white snag. It's a special place. As we rode up through the bushes, we saw a huge bird sitting on the tree. It was white with light brown speckles on it. It lifted up and flew before we could capture its picture. I think it was a Red Tail, but we could only see its underside. Its presence was powerful. 

I put my dad ashes right by this big clump of yellow flowers. He planted a yellow rose at his house and gave me one for my house. He knew I liked yellow. It felt so good. Both Lynn and I felt the peace and overall perfection of what we did. I feel so much better. I am very happy that we did it! 

I'm so happy we have shoes! It was a GREAT weekend--looking forward to the next one!

 

Never a dull moment

 Saturday:  BBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz

Jupes got his shoe put back on and we not only found Ziggy's shoes, he too had them reshod. So off we went to finally ride Lynn's favorite trail. Well, it was a bit creepy in the process. I always think I hear things (go figure) and the wind kind of blows through my helmet so if I turn my head just right, it kind of hums. That and the sound of the airplane that always finds me. So when Lynn said, "Stop. Listen. Do you hear anything?" I was like, "Yeah." But then I really listened. I asked, "Motorcycles on Gray's Trail?" "No," she said. "Someone running a chainsaw?" "No," she said. I forget what else I guessed and we went on. 

We were on the westside hoop-de-do trail and dipping and diving and DUCKING. I hollered for myself. Then I yelled back at her, "Low bridge!" But it was too late, she was scraping under, too (T/C is taller than Jupes). Every 20 feet or so, we would stop as we were coming down to the creek and listen. The sound was getting louder. Definitely it was the sound of a SWARM of bees. A LARGE SWARM OF BEES. We think it was up the hill where the motorcycles have a steep trail. The horses were looking up there and it was LOUD. AND SCARY. We hightailed it out of there, hoping they didn't smell us. It was freaky.

As we rode on, T/C did great through the little water crossings. We got up to the little meadow and they ate grass and granola bars. Then we headed up the steep part. Sort of. Trees and detritus everywhere. Jupes was in the lead and he did a great job skirting all the downed stuff. Then we got to the part where
we skimmy along the log. There was a huge tree down blocking the path. He and I went a bit and came back to the turn to look up the hill for a way to the road. 

There's a deep water trough that runs along the trail. Toby/Cobie got nervous. He couldn't see us very well and he doesn't like to be left behind. Lynn and I were discussing what I could see and what she thought might work. I hollered back that she should follow us--Jupes found a pretty easy way up. We waited on the road for her. She was on foot! She worried that Cobie would slip down in that deep ditch and both of them would be hurt. Yikes. But they made it up fine and away we went.

On the way back, Jupes had a clinker. Dang it. Thankfully he didn't lose it. Lynn crimped the nails tighter when we got home. On the ride home, Jupiter must have been itchy. He didn't have his halter on when I opened the door. Sheesh.

Overall, it was a good ride and a great day.

Sunday: No Buzzing: Just a Deer, Jackrabbit, white Bunny rabbit, Grouse, and more flowers

Jupiter still had his shoes on! Yay! I want to ride my own horse. He is being so good. Lynn rode big Zigs. He was happy to go--even on a full belly. Lee said he ran the whole time we were gone on Saturday, so he is at least staying in shape. 

Lynn let Ziggy choose his own trail, so we went up Deadwood Ridge to the Turtle Pond. The irises were like a blanket on the hillside. Pictures don't do it justice.

Both Lynn's horses are quirky. Ziggy had the itches. Unlike T/C who straddles scratchy trees and bushes, Ziggy stopped right in front us and backed up to a rough fir tree to scratch his butt. 

It was another wonderful day on the Hennessey. May we have many, many more.

Memorial Day Weekend 2023

 

T/C Puddle jumping  (my video of Lynn)

*Saturday was a great ride. What a day for wildflowers! I could not stop my head from swiveling! It was gorgeous. The lilies were everywhere and the spaghetti flowers had popped open and were in clumps along the trails. It was so awesome.

We went to our Gray's Creek trail and with very little trimming made the whole loop. It was fun. Lynn rode T/C as you can see in the videos and both dogs stayed close by and there were no mishaps. Oh! And I found a very nice small ax. Score!

Lower Cobweb Alley Dry Creek Trail (Lynn's video of us)

Toby/Cobie is still struggling with some of the water crossings and yet, some he doesn't even hesitate over. Jupiter was great and did everything I asked of him. He has been very responsive to leg cues and we are working on being great partners.

Ziva found shade to relax in every time we stopped and Katie ran twice as many miles as we rode, but always stayed close enough to readjust her direction to stay with us.

*Shoeless Joe strikes again! Monday we were going to ride Lynn's favorite trail on the Hennessey, but the clinker I noticed on Saturday came off somewhere in the field. Although Jupes was good and let us fiddle with his foot trying to shave of some hoof and get him in a boot, it was to no avail. Lynn offered Big Zigs for me ride, but we elected to get that fence painted. We have been planning it for ever and it just never happened. Well it's DONE! It was fun and not too hot.