New Views!

The Olympics from the Cascade Range

Today Joyce had time to ride, so we met at the Morgan Horse Club camp area & rode out onto the Pilchuck Tract trails.   They've changed a lot since the last time I rode up here & that's been probably a couple years ago!  Overgrown - oh yes!  In places so overgrown that we didn't think we'd get through!

Joyce & Target

In the shade of the stands of trees though - the trails were nice & it was cool & beautiful!  We did more climbing than it looks like from the GPS image below.

Both the lower loop we did today & the high "loop" from 6-22

Someone had marked out a ten-mile loop - we're thinking that Scott needs the thanks for that - will check with him to see.  There's plenty of clearing work to be done.  We even talked about a monthly "trail-clearing" day that would be for whoever rides up our way to come out & have coffee, donuts & spend a morning clearing.  If we did that once a month even - it would sure help!

On down the trail ~

Joyce spoke of her experience crewing at this years Tevis ride, the amazing horses, riders, crews & management that make it a ride to remember.  The California sunshine, the beautiful views - but still - here we have so much & it's accessible pretty much year-round.

Mt. Rainier on the skyline to our south

We covered ten tough miles in about 2-hours.  Farah saved us from a very bad fall when she stepped down & into a whoop-de-doo that was completely hidden by the brush.  I thought I was going off over her head - hard - but she somehow managed to pull us up & lift us out so smoothly that Joyce didn't even realize that we'd been in trouble!  What a Good Girl!  Great day & a really nice ride!