Hill of Death & Beyond~

Joyce & Jesse

Joyce is back in the saddle & we'd planned a ride up Simpson Ridge.  But - it was darn hot, humid & it's a hard ride for a hot day.  I'd forgotten my camera & Joyce her gloves.  We decided to change our plans & head up the aptly named "Hill of Death" - which would still give us a a good climb, then head down & finish off in the shade of the woods.  The first thing we noticed was the amount of water running down the old road.  More water than we'd ever seen & it was really eroding the road - in places over two-feet deep.  We had to think that something up above has changed.

As we climb~

The views open up.  It was a hazy day - but the Olympics were still clear to the west.  I used my Smartphone for these photos today.  Almost to the top, we saw something in the center of the road?

The top shell of a Troxel Helmet!

 We followed hoof prints - friends had ridden here yesterday - obviously going so fast that they blew the top off someone's helmet!  :-)  If anyone is interested, we took it down to the final intersection that takes you up the hill.

Once we'd made it to the top of the HOD - we were surprised that there was a new logging road cut in to the uphill side & heading on up!  We took it~

Steep & more UP!

As we continued, it was plain that we'd see some views that we haven't before & that's always so much fun!  Garmin is having upload problems today - but soon I hope to see my data & find out if we were indeed heading around the side of Mt. Washington.

Views to the north~

Probably a while since this clear-cut happened.

Huge Snag~

Our elevation was over 1,800 ft. & it was blessedly cool with a nice breeze & no bugs!  Finally - we found the end of the road - which dashed our hopes of it possibly circling the mountain.  Turning back, I had to take a couple more photos.

Heading back down~

Once down, Joyce took us back into the shade of the woods & onto one of my favorite trails - a long uphill with fairly soft footing & a nice grade.  Farah took off & both horses did some really nice galloping - almost effortlessly.

Tiny pretty blooms~

These tiny flowers were blooming everywhere - again - another to look up in my native plant book, but not sure they're even a flower - maybe a weed?  We were out over four hours, covered a lot of ground & brought both horses back to the trailers at the Morgan Horse Club dry.

"Hill of Death"~

HOD, zig-zag on the right~

Our local test of fitness for our horses heading to the first endurance ride of the new season - Home On The Range - is how well they can trot up a four-mile climb that we named appropriately, the "Hill of Death".  It's a tough, tough climb - heart rates go up & stay up - all the way to the top.  Once you're up there though - the view is always well worth the trip.

Khari admires the view in a borrowed headstall :-)

I feel so lucky to have managed some really nice rides this last week, in spite of jack-knifing my truck/trailer in my own gate...  (Thanks to a neighbor, we managed to get me unstuck.)   Since I'd planned extra time, still on schedule, I drove over to the farm - pulled Farah from her stall &  grabbed what I thought - was her headstall.  Arriving at Kathryn Taylor, it became obvious when I started to try to put the bridle on Farah -  that it wasn't hers!  As a matter of fact... it was Thoroughbred size!  That made for some interesting re-working with some thick string :-)  

Early Thursday morning - Khari & I head up north to ride with Fish Creek Team members & a Pirate...  Opening the tack room door on my trailer - I realized that I'd forgotten Khari's headstall!    OK, do I ride her in a halter?  Not easy with a group of competitive horses!  To my rescue is Aarene of Haiku Farm fame!  She produces a a nice halter/bridle combo with bit - that sported Calvary brass!

Tagged!

Finally - today - I meet Charlotte up at the Glass School for a couple loops, one slower paced with a friend conditioning a youngster, then a second faster paced loop.  We return to the trailers to find that we'd been tagged!  Of course we have NO Idea WHO the offender could be - but...  we both think that the fact we did see Aarene getting ready to leave might be somewhat suspicious?

Hill of Death Ride~

GPS Track

Our ride today, up the "Hill of Death" which is actually maybe half way up Mt. Washington.  The road ends where we did & the horses we were in about 8" of snow at the top.

Siri, Dory, Patty & Connie

Photo above at about 1,600 feet.  We did see the Sun!  Great day to get out!  12-mile round-trip!