The day dawned cool, gray & overcast - actually pretty typical weather for Western, WA - but not during August! Driving up to Burlington - I ran through a pretty good little rain storm outside Mt. Vernon. I'd been told that the ride would go on rain or shine & was at least hoping for dry! We all met-up at the stable then headed out for the trail-head. Lots of riders - about 18 & lots of rigs too.
Let the unloading begin!
Cindi Pendel, owner of Butlerhill had done her usual amazing job of matching horses & riders. Some - including myself - brought their personal mounts - but others had opted to ride horses provided by Butlerhill.
We're mounted up & ready to hit the trail!
Everyone was taking photos of everyone else! It's the age of smartphone cameras! :-) Tom & his crew were so gracious in allowing all these amateur photos - unusual in the professional world of TV. Our travel orders were given by head wrangler Patrick & no one objected. They were intended for everyone's safety. Farah seemed to know that this would be no ordinary ride for her. With only a few bucks on the downhill descents she settled in - giving Lee's beautiful 17 hand sorrel as much grief as he would bear from behind! :-) It was so hard to get photos - the pace set was good for all the horses & we didn't have to make as many stops as I'd imagined for the crew to ride out ahead of us & get set-up for filming. I did take the short video below.
Our group was so very l o n g - that it was difficult to make conversation with anyone but the riders near you. I did mention some of the native plants & noted the springboard marks on the old Cedars. It was a shame in a way that it's been so dry, as all the little beautiful waterfalls were down to a trickle. We had a lunch break at the small dry camp near the lake. Now Checkers knows that I'm the Cookie lady too! As usual Mark was riding bridle-less & when I opened my zip-lock of trail mix, I suddenly had a new Best friend in Checkers! :-) (Farah did remember Checkers too - after that snarl that he'd given her earlier this year :-)
Forgot to turn the GPS on for a little way at the start~
Of course, anytime you get the opportunity to hang around with Bill Richey - you'll get plenty of laughs! Bill's dry, New Yorkers sense of humor is never wasted on me! :-) We tossed a few quips each others way during the ride when one or the other of us would appear around a corner of the trail :-)
The "Cowgirl" & the "Cop" - PD too!
No speeding ticket for us! We talked our way out of it! Once we were on the gravel road & almost back to the trailers, I let Farah walk & walk she did - quickly finding her way to the front, we passed Patrick at a 5.1 mph - her fastest to date!
Tom surprised me back at the trailers, when just after I'd taken my helmet off - he interviewed me! We'll see if it makes the final cut - when the show airs, I believe in November. (Farah stuck her head in on the first take - so we had to do a second :-)
Everyone involved with the show could not have been nicer - it made me want to go & visit some of the amazing places that Tom told us about - so much fun listening to just the stories we had time for! He asked what my bucket list ride was - my response - Yosemite! He replied; "Just Do it!" Good advice from a man who does just that!
The more research I do on this area - surprisingly - the more I find out. An area that conversationalists have been trying to protect - for many years now - with the "Blanchard Mountain Agreement". This trail system is just over fifty-miles north, but worth the drive. Charlotte invited me up for a ride & it had been a long while since I'd ridden there. Farah's first time, I think. Khari & I used to ride here with Diane & Elation.
Charlotte & Aliento check out the map~
Today - we were on a schedule, so had just enough time to do a nice loop & check out the trails. I'm hopeful that I'll be riding them again this coming Monday - when I'm scheduled to join the "Best of America on Horseback" group for a ride to Lizard Lake that will eventually air on TV. Either lunch or dinner is included - it was a little pricy - but I'm hoping for Farah & my two-seconds of fame! :-) Of course in the deep shadow of the woods, Farah's color blends right in!
In 95-97 I worked for a Broadcast & Industrial Video Equipment company in Everett - so I'm looking forward to seeing what equipment will be used & how the camera crew will go about filming a large group of horsemen on narrow trails :-)
Trails~
The trails are stunning - some degree of difficulty in places, where large rock cover the width of the trail - slippery when wet! Not a problem we had today! It was very dry & trails were as hard-packed as most I've ridden lately. We saw a few hikers, a few on their mountain bikes - but everyone was pleasant & friendly. From what I've been able to gather - this mountain & the recreational opportunities it holds are still threatened by possible development & continued logging - that supports the Skagit Valley economy. Someday - maybe these counties will wise up & realize that tourism & recreation can & usually do - contribute many dollars to local economies. Read here to see what the future may hold for this area.
Not far down the trail, Farah broke into a light sweat - unusual for her - then some foam on the neck. After a few miles she was again dry. I think it may had something to do with the anesthetic that she received yesterday for the float - now helped out of her system by a good ride & bath after!
