It Was One of Those Days~

Elderberry blooms are magnificent!

Where I was smiling for miles!  I mounted up, not expecting anything special - just a nice ride.  Instead - Farah gave me special!  For whatever reason, on this somewhat gray day - my mare was on her A- game!  Loose rein from the get-go, it was one of those times where I just sat back & enjoyed the ride! :-)

Wetland~

There were a few rigs in the parking area - more than usual again - especially since it felt cold - after yesterday's stellar, warm, sunshine.  I met two riders on their way back, as we were going up to the monument.

Farah enjoys "lunch"

Setting a super nice pace on our way up, trotting along at 8.3 + it didn't take us much time to reach the top & have lunch!

Over Lake McMurrary

We continued on - I didn't plan to be out too long, but since Farah was on a mission, maintaining our pace & increasing it as the miles ticked by - we went on down to the bottom of the big hill & out the long road to the gate at 300th.

From the bottom - looking back up~

 By the gate, I was at 10.15 miles.  The climb back up to the top of the hill was just over two-miles.  We did our run & I was surprised there too, since our top speed increased :-)    (There's been a lot of discussion lately about the accuracy of a Garmin GPS unit vs. a smartphone app.  The Garmin wins for accuracy.  I know riders who use their smartphone apps & always show more mileage than I do over the same route.)   Over the years & the miles I've logged - I've found the Garmin to be reliably accurate - matching stats with other Garmin users & over the same route, on different rides.  If you're interested in recording accurate mileage - the Garmin - or a dedicated GPS unit - is the way to go.

Clear Trail!

Clear Trail!

When I arrived at Linda's this morning - I knew she'd been up to something!  :-)  She had that look on her face!  Once we were up on the trails & I asked my usual question;  "Which way?" I found out that someone had been clearing some more trail!  So - of course I wanted to check it out to be sure that someone wasn't telling tales!  Well...  it was the truth & an interesting truth it is.  It took Linda 1-1/2 hours to clear a quarter of a mile of trail & at a walk - we covered it in 4 min.!  Another section - of 3/10th's of a mile - took us 6 min. to walk & another hour + to clear!  So - it's a labor & time intensive proposition to clear trail in Western, WA!  The reason that the endurance rides that have been held here in the past - are no more!

Another cleared trail!

The trail above heads down to the parking area & porta potty.  It was so heavily overgrown that it was almost impossible to get through at all - not any more!  Thanks to Linda!  Today we did some scouting & checked trails that haven't been used in forever - you have to actually know they are there to even find them!

Linda moving tree tops~

Since I'm still supposed to be in "recovery" mode...  I held the horses while Linda broke us through.  A really beautiful trail that I'd completely forgotten about called the View Trail - from the days when there was actually a great view. 

Clouds in the morning~

Lest you think we didn't have any fun at all - we did go check out the views & had lunch at the monument.  The day started so cool that we took jackets, but once the sun burned through - it turned hot in a hurry.  No need for jackets!

Count brought his snack with him!

Count wanted everyone to know that he too, does his share of trail clearing!  When we dropped off the hill onto the paving, I heard Linda say something & turned to get this photo :-)  Really great day of riding!

New Friends~

The story is a long one, the friendship is too - I referred Joyce to this particular friend & we were both introduced to Robin.  Wouldn't you know?  Robin grew up on horseback - then as with so many of us, life got in the way.  Funny how things sometimes go full circle!

Robin sets up to ride Jesse!  With Joyce's help.

 Joyce offered to take Robin out on a ride & of course I had to tag along!  Robin was very honest with us about her horse experience - her father was in the military & Polo was his sport!  Her parents first date?  Out for a ride!  As a fearless kid, she'd ridden all day - jumped anything in sight & spent all her time in the saddle.  Now, it had been fifteen years...

Joyce & Robin admire the view

Not many women would have the nerve to get on their first Arabian (a top-ten endurance horse) & head out for a ten-mile ride!   Jesse was well behaved, besides thinking that the pace could have been a little a bit faster :-)

At the Monument

Robin did a wonderful job - not grabbing rein or making any "newbie" mistakes!  As usual the three horses moved right out at the walk - cruising along at 4-mph. on a beautiful cool day could not have been nicer.

Target & Joyce

With the supracore pad gone & the sheepskin back on, I was comfortable again!  Farah too, was much happier with just the Woolback!  No inserts!  I'd also changed the saddle pack to one that holds two water bottles.  When I left my camera back at the Monument - (Figured this out when I wanted a photo at the Lake McMurrary outlook.) I turned Farah back to go get it.  We hit a trot - then a gallop - then the bucks started coming!  I reached back & with nothing behind the cantle - the pack was still coming in contact with her loin.  That came off once we were home & we'll go back - to what works!

Stinging Nettle Bloom with the ever evasive Blackberry!

It's always so much fun to show someone new your "backyard".  Even though the peaks were under the clouds, Robin really enjoy her ride & we enjoyed having her with us!

Riding in the Rain~

Farah enjoys the smorgasbord!

I actually did try to find someone to ride with - without success.  In retrospect, so glad I didn't!  This ride was all about Farah.  Decided to let her do what she wanted to do & see what it got me.  What I got - was the most fun I've had in forever!  We left the parking area at a trot!  Yes, usually I let a horse warm-up, but she'd been out all morning & wanted to go!  Part of the "deal" I made with her.  What a trot it was!   Over 14 mph  - fast, straight, consistent for just over 2-miles!   She slowed to her walk for a mile or so, then we trotted right up the first two hills - where she took another breather & ate grass while I took pictures :-)  Again we headed up - nice collected trot to the top.  Loose rein with contact the entire way.

It was no surprise to find that the view east was totally socked in.  We headed over to the west side & were rewarded by breaking cloud cover that revealed a soaked landscape.

West from the Monument

Was someone coming?  Not likely!

 After a short break, with heavy clouds moving in quickly from the south, I decided to start back.  Once over the top of the ridge & onto the east side, the sky lightened.  I could have spent the day watching natures show...  instead I pulled out my new waterproof smartphone & tried out it's video to capture this~

On the way back, as we headed up, Farah dropped her head, lifted her back, dropped her rear & moved into a gallop with one of the smoothest transitions I've ever ridden!  We started flying!  Again - straight, true, not even the glimmer of a spook!   Up to 18 mph by the time we reached the summit.  Yippee!  Deep breath & on we went!  All this & only the start of what is her first real year of conditioning!