Darrington Equestrian Trails - Forward Motion!

Along the Whitehorse

Thursday night - we made the drive up to Darrington for a meeting at the Rodeo Grounds.  This meeting was to discuss what trails we've managed to get on a Map!  Several people have contributed to this effort, but a lot more work needs to be done.  Rumors of old trails - are exciting - but whether they still exist is always the question - until we can find people who know where they are & get them ridden & marked by GPS.

Another proposed trail~

Martha - the one woman force for Darrington Strong & other local Equestrians are determined to make Darrington a destination not only for mountain bikers, but for Equestrians too.  With so many entities owning the land - finding trails that can be improved - along with places large enough to accommodate trail-head parking for trailers - is an incredible challenge.

North Mountain, being so accessible from town & even eventually from Whitehorse Park, is at the top of the list.  Glen Grover of DNR has offered to  guide us - in a grass roots effort to delineate the most probable trails - on DNR property.  Other trails - go - or could go through National Forest land.   The ideal of course, are large loop trails, preferably through scenic areas, or with nice views.  A spot for lunch breaks always makes a day ride more pleasant too.

With the support of the DNR, Snohomish County Parks & the local Forest Service Representatives - things are looking very promising for Equestrian Trails in the Darrington area!  New Equestrian Trails?  Wouldn't that be grand?

On a personal note~

The other day, I had a discussion with riders who explained to me that they "write checks" in support of trails.  What they & many Equestrians don't realize is that it's a numbers game.  We need the numbers of volunteers that go out & work on BCH trail-clearing days, names on the sign-in sheet - volunteer hours - that then go to BCHA.  It's those hours that we exchange for the grant dollars that are used to keep existing trails open, repair damaged trails, or even build new ones!  Participation is required - signing those cards at trail-heads, staying involved in local trail issues, attending meetings, doing what you can to have your voice heard.

When I was working, we wrote checks & were members of the local BCH Chapters.  We even did some trail clearing - Competitive Trail was popular in those days & we liked to ride!  But the question keeps coming up...  Who clears the trails if You don't?  A group of volunteers, most of us in our 50's, 60's & 70's who have done it for years & years?  Yes - that's who.

Writing a check is an easy out.  If you know someone you can pay to clear trail for you - then by all means - hire them!  Otherwise - maybe it's time to think about the trails you enjoy & put in the time to maintain them.

Who's Trails Are They Anyway?

Part of our ride today

 To say that this country is incredibly beautiful is such an understatement.  Denise was kind enough to invite me up to ride her conditioning trails outside Darrington.  I've loved the area since I got to know it a little better when our youngest daughter & her family were there.  My involvement with the Whitehorse Trail was only strengthened when I realized what an asset it would be to horsemen & other trail users alike.

Farah admires the river~

 We left from Denise's home & within a short distance were on the Whitehorse.  This trip has been weeks in the making - ever since the meetings about new bike only - trails on North Mountain, funded by DNR.  After meetings with local riders, I offered to ride & GPS the trails.

Start of the trail~

 This was a beautiful trail, through an area long ago logged.  The trees have reached a nice size & Denise remarked that soon, there would be wildflowers to enjoy.  It wasn't long at all before we were climbing!

Rock outcropping~

 The rock outcroppings were huge & beautiful.  Very soon though - I was distracted by the view off to our right!  Whitehorse looked so close & so stellar with it's fresh coating of snow that it literally took your breath away!

Whitehorse~

 This trail brought us up & over to the paved section of the logging road that goes up North Mountain.  The same road I rode on months ago & had my little set-to with the logging truck.  We went just a short way, crossed to the uphill side & here was the start of Denise's trail.  I call it her's because she uses it often to connect over to her conditioning trail, that goes up the south side of North Mountain.

Markers!

 The first thing we saw, was the bright orange markers, freshly put in & every few feet.  It's a beautiful little trail, used by local riders as part of their poker ride route for many years.

Denise & Rocco lead the way~

I was thinking all day - of how enjoyable these trails were.  Horsemen to tend to enjoy the ride, where in my estimation anyway - mountain bikers use them...

We're stopped :-)

 I was actually surprised that we got as far as we did without trees down, but sadly - this one ruined our plan.  Denise got Roco under but the pommel of her saddle hit hard.  I knew there was no way Farah would make it.  Denise removed her saddle & got Rocco back under.  She had another plan, that would involve more riding out on the power line trail, but would give us the opportunity to find the upper end of the same trail.

More logging & more views!

 Let me tell you - this was a climb - we were up to 1,781 feet!  It's no wonder that this team was & is so well prepared for any Endurance ride!  It takes conditioning & they've written the book on these trails :-)

Tank traps & markers

 We climbed & climbed, coming to this corner - Denise took a second look, but it was not the top of the trail we were looking for so we continued on. 

Whitehorse!

 Certainly no reason Not to!  On a day like this - with views like these, it's a horseman's paradise.  As I told her - established trails here - would draw horsemen from all over the state!  Combine trails with a nice place to camp - & though our numbers can't match those of the bike lobbies, they could & would still make a nice impact on the local economy!  After all, those big tough trucks take a lot more fuel than the little suburban cars.

Denise finds the trail!

 We were so happy - the longer ride was so worth finding the upper end of the "connector" trail.  This trail is very important to horsemen - as it does connect SW side with the South in a very nice way.

On the trail~

 Here too, we found exactly what we thought we would, lots more markers...   In the public meetings hosted by DNR, we were told that the bike clubs would be building trails on the mountain.  That they would not interfere with the existing horse trails.  We do not know that these markers are for those proposed user specific trails - but Denise is making local inquiries.  Building a trail involves a lot of work - but taking over an existing one would be much easier? 

Another stunning peak view!

 We turned back before coming to the downed tree from this direction.  The trail was wet, the horses were more than willing - they knew we were going the right direction, but it was time to head back.

God's Country~

With this final view of the fresh white snow on a pristine peak, we walked to the bottom, returned to the power line trails & eventually connected up again with the Whitehorse just past the little power station.

Stellar day, Stellar ride, wonderful new friend!  Now, lots more research ahead & more trail riding for me - gee - doubt I'll mind that!  :-)

Nature's Wrath~

Wrights & the Sauk

Our youngest daughter asked us to take a drive to see what was up with their abandoned property outside Darrington.  My first trip on November 2nd, I was shocked to see how much of the land between the yard & the river had eroded away.  During the course of the month, we made four more trips & with each - the river had taken more & more of the shoreline.  Our last trip,   November 22nd   it was obvious that the course of the river was changing.

Current toward shoreline~

Even though the level of the river was way down, the current was pointed right at the NE corner of what's left of the backyard.

Where the NE corner was~

It was impossible to even get photos from the same spots that I'd stood before - they're now gone!   With several inches of snow on the ground, we were careful not to walk too close to the undercut bank.  

Looking South upriver ~

 The raw look was only accented by the gray, cold December day.  Word is Seattle City Light may take over what's left of the property to include it in their conservation easement & do some planting to try to stop the erosion.  I find it doubtful that anything will stop this river from going where it wants.

Downriver~

Hopefully the house will sell soon & be moved somewhere far away from this river!

Mountain Loop & Darrington~

Up Mountain Loop~

We decided to drive the Mountain Loop to Darrington this morning.  I checked the web site & it showed the loop open.  It was just terrifically beautiful!  The road was Very icy going over all the bridges & anywhere that was in the shade.  At Barlow Pass though - the road closed signs were up :-(  I was really disappointed, we wanted to hike up to see a waterfall friends told us about.  Turn-around, drive back down, beautiful Both directions :-)  Up to Hwy 530 & on to Darrington.

Original trail to the river is just to the left of where Butch is standing~

When we arrived at the Wright property - things had again changed, but not as dramatically as it did during & after the storm.  Quite lot of what was land - is now river.  The rest of the larger trees have fallen in, one big evergreen - leaning last week, I found in the water~

Ever widening view~

 Below is my recorded GPS.  Wouldn't you know that it would decide to glitch today.  My actual start was the same as where I ended -  rather than leaving from the neighbor's to the north.  Otherwise it looks to be accurate.  I put a white pin where the outgoing tract becomes correct.

Photo documenting this dramatic change of an ever-changing landscape has been so interesting.  I walked as close to the edge of the river as possible, without falling in :-)

Looking South - house, left behind the trees~

Grandson Ben spent seven good years of his childhood here - what a lucky kid he was!  Someday, I may put all those photos together for him.  These trips up work out well - it puts Rhodes River Ranch on our return trip home!

Sunset from RRR

 Our timing works out Great too.  Late enough in the afternoon, it's pretty quiet.  Even on, or maybe because - it was a Seahawks Sunday.  We were one of only two tables occupied - that helped with the service & the food is always good!  Sunset - on our way out into the cold early evening, was perfection.

RRR Lights~

Decorating at the ranch is almost completed, such a festive way to end a spectacular late November day~

Lands Lost~

November 2, 2015 The house, now riverfront~

Our youngest daughter & her husband purchased this property in 2007.  When Butch & I went up to see - we thought it was one of the most beautiful places they could have found.  Looking at Google Earth & county plots - it showed a 20-acre piece of property between the kids place & the Sauk River.

April 22, 2007  The work~

There was an incredible amount of work to get the property ready for the house.  We all had So Much fun!  One day Ben & I decided to take the pruners & try to make a path to the river.  We had no idea how far it would be - but it wasn't as far as I'd expected!

Ben at the river~ 4-29-07

When we all realized that the river was so close, it was pretty exciting!  Fishing, wading, swimming, all the wonderful things that would go along with living in such a beautiful spot!  As the years went by, we watched as the river went through yearly changes.  Ben's swimming hole went away, all the logs & driftwood would come & then go...

Originally, the main flow had been on the far side, with a large Delta in the middle & a lesser flow - on the same side as the property.  In November of 2014 - with weeks of heavy rains - things started getting Very Scary!  The course of the river started to change. 

Google Image July 14, 2015 - Twenty acre piece long gone~

Thanksgiving night, the kids woke to the sudden, ripping sound - of a huge piece of land falling into the raging river!  After making calls to all the appropriate agencies, it was suggested that if any more erosion occurred, or if the river continued to rage, the safe thing to do would be to leave...

January 25, 2015  All of this is now gone~

With two tiny little girls & Ben - it was the only prudent thing to do...  It was with great sadness that their home of seven-years was abandoned.

Feb. 7, 2015  Taken from the rivers edge~

By February, you could see the house from the river's edge, the river taking the bank in large chunks.

Coming over the bank~

We drove away, very relieved - that the kids were no longer living here.  As the winter ended & with it the heavy rains, things settled down.  Neighbors said that the kids were silly to have moved & that the river was done doing it's thing.

It was - at least until our first big rain maker of this season.   The kids are still trying to negotiate with their bank & also with the County.  The County has said that they would only red tag the house if the river came within 150 ft.  With the big storm we had last week, the river levels reached 12 - two feet higher than it takes to crest the banks.  Crest it did, taking away the last acre of trees & buffer between it & the backyard of the house.

Jentry asked me to go up to take a look & get some photos.  It was incredibly scary to come in the drive & see the river!  I paced off the distance from the corner of the house to the river & came up with just about 100 ft.  

What's left of the trail~

Looking upstream~

Downstream~

Directly across~

Roof of the house & river in the same photo now~

It was a fantastically beautiful afternoon, hearing the roar of the river from everywhere on the property was amazing.  I walked the property, then sat out at the edge of the river for a long while, thinking of all the fun times we had here & how the forces of nature can change things~

View from the back deck~

 I doubt that the property will even sell as a recreational lot, since with another storm, what land is left will probably be under water!

Whitehorse Trail - Beauty & Dissapointment~

Heading down the trail~

Farah & I needed some fresh views & long trotting :-)  I love the Whitehorse trail in the fall - we hadn't been here for quite a while.  The white thing on the right is a Satellite Dish, cabled to the RV parked near the barn.  The next difference we noticed - Hamilton Mill has enlarged their yard for hog fuel, stacks of logs etc.  It now goes about 7/10ths of a mile down the right side of the trail.  There's just a narrow strip of trees & shrubs left between the trail & the yard.  The noise from the heavy equipment is incredible - so if you want to take this trail, be sure your horse is used to that kind of noise.

Truck driving through the yard~

In just a short way - we were beyond the noise & the beauty of the trail captured my attention.  With only three bridges left to deck - I really hoped that the one at the Fortson Mill would be Done!  Whitehorse mountain is holding on to it's high glacier - but it's very small now...  From a cool morning - the day warmed rapidly!

Whitehorse from the trail~

Lots of the leaves are turning brown, curling & dropping from the trees without turning color, but some of those that are hanging on are incredible!

Riot of Reds!

It was a perfect day - I would have enjoyed a breeze, it did get very warm, especially for Oct., but nothing I'll complain about. 

North Fork of the Stillaquamish

The area above is used as a local swimming hole & for fishing too.  The water level is so very low that it would be great swimming, but not so good for the fish...

The video above is on our way to Fortson.  We did a lot of moving out!  Some of the longest stretches of trotting that we've done with the Stonewall saddle & I'm loving it.  Today we used the pad Jackie recommends & it did not move at all!  I did have to drop the rigging - so now it sits on Farah's sides off the pad.

Blue Grass Festival Grounds~

 The festival grounds were quiet - What a view for the musicians when they perform!

Vine Maples in Oranges~

The Vine Maples are saving our color this season!  So far they are single handily providing us with those blasts of color that we expect!

So near & yet so far...

Well...  We got there & guess what?  No decking yet...  Unreal - I'm stopped heading west by this bridge & heading east toward Darrington by the "hole" :-(

The gaps are just wide enough & the wood old enough that I won't risk it~

Time for lunch then~

Farah loves the grass!

There's enough water running off the pond that we could still enjoy the sound of it.

Whitehorse~

Heading back, there's still wonderful views & this one of the mountain is a favorite of mine.

Road crossing - toward Fortson~

This road crossing is at about 6 miles out from Darrington.

Other direction from the road, toward Darrington~

All beautiful trail, enough organics on the rock ballast that it's become a more solid surface than the loose rock that covers miles of the trail.

Some water still in this creek~

Above was the most water that was in any of the creeks that feed into the Stillaquamish.  Some were completely dry.

Ditching along the trail~

We stopped to talk to the two Rangers who were doing this work along the trail.  They shut the equipment off - but were surprised at how Farah took it all in stride :-)
I did get some new news too - none of it good...  The infamous hole at Cloverdale is now considered a wetland!?  Do you believe?!  The County give out permits that allow new houses to be built on my trails - an area rich with natural water, springs &the headwaters of three creeks...   Then -  the hole - that was originally a rail bed - is now a wetland?  That designation will require the trail to be routed off to the side to get around it!  Another slowdown there - is due to the Japaneses Knotweed on the noxious weed list - that's gained a foothold there...  It is being sprayed & killed.  It must be Dead - before the County crews can bring in or remove any soils from the area!

The Bronco & Trailer wait!

We were back in Darrington sooner than I'd hoped :-)  I'd hoped for more trail - hoped to get over that bridge & the next two - that ARE decked...  Lots more questions for Parks!  :-)
Really an American Beauty of a ride!