Ride from Home~

Water flowing over the road from the Beaver Dam

It was cold, but we'd had a sun break or two, so saddled Khari & headed up to see what we could see.  

To the right of the photo above

 The wetland I've been trying to protect all these years is directly behind the evergreens.  The trail to it has now become a creek bed & the clearing that was done is now full of young alders - making it impassable.  All of this is a "good thing" for protecting the west side.  

Once up on the power lines, we cut over to the west side & through an area where we used to have trails, but in the last few years - the trails sprouted houses on small acreages.   We'd attended a clinic at the "Flying Filly" but all was quiet there this day.

Covered Round-pen at the Flying Filly

We turned back & headed on south down the power line access road.  Past more of the Wetland ponds that are full to the brim!

Love the cattails & water!

  At the southern end of the access road, we turned east, back toward "our" trails, expecting that the gate there would be locked.

Many locks on the gate

 I should have taken a photo of where Khari squeezed through, between the gate post on the other side & an ecology block.  She was Amazing!  Best in the West at obstacles :-)  Some of the big snags that had been put at that side had rotted back enough to give about 18" of clearance.  Getting through this way put us near the paved side of our old trail system.  Now I was wondering if we'd be able to get out!  At the bottom of the trail, there was another gate that had closed off the shorter route back home for several years.  It was unlocked & standing open!  Bonus!  We went through & onto "our" trails to complete our upper loop!  

 My new GPS is working perfectly!  Lots of new Garmin tools on-line too & the ability to save & send out data sheets from our "workout".  Even a setting for "horseback riding"!