Chronicle of Doom~

I knew that in a week, there would have to be changes.  As I was walking Farah up through the yard of the final home at the top 112th - the owner was out looking at his south fence line.  I stopped to talk & the news was horrible.  From what he's been told - the County plans to let Connor Development have access to 112th & from there - to Burn Rd.  This road, would be within 100 ft. of my neighbor's house.  When he protested, he was told he would need to purchase a strip of land - which he did.  As he said;  it is not enough to keep the privacy his family has enjoyed for many years.  After he'd walked up to see what was going on, he was told to get out & doubted I would get far.

Across my trail~

My little trail, had a huge swath cut right across it...  It continues at the base of the pile of trees in the center of the above photo.

Looking back at where we come out~

This, we had seen last week.  What had changed, was the trail that goes north to the drainage pond, had been widened.  You can see the operator's truck.

Brush clearing~

I continued on due west, to the bottom of the outflow of the large wetland & onto the trails.  At Cottonwood Cathedral, there was a young Coyote watching us.  He looked pretty ragged, but his ears were huge!

Mr. Coyote in the middle of the trail~

As we went forward, he moved off into the brush.  Only the first of many animals that will be displaced forever.

Further up~

I almost felt like I needed to take pictures of Everything - because I had the horrible feeling I was riding through for one of the last times..

Another section~

We made our little turn south, before going west again toward the power lines.  I could smell the gas before we came out the end of the trail...

Five empty gas cans~

This is about as scary as it gets, five empty gas cans - right at the edge of the woods!  Crazy!  Just Crazy!  There was a small, short, deep trench dug & some type of canister sprayer. 

Heading West again~

I wanted to see if I could still get all the way to the far trails & it was easy.  Someone had come through & cut the brush back - nice to not have to fight our way through.

Gas Lines~

The gas lines had been freshly mowed.  We took the road/trail that goes south along the right hand side of the photo - in the woods.

Through the woods~

It's so pretty over here, but I could tell there has been a lot of ATV use.  I was glad it was quiet, there's plenty of blind corners.  No way could I ride this during a weekend without running into them.

Upper loop~

We did the little loop up at the top to head back.

Our route back~

We took the new ATV trail to the side of the old road.  No rock & nice footing.

Late afternoon!

Soon, we were back where the brush cutting is going on.  It's a strip that parallels the large private properties at the crest of the ridge that runs north/south. The private properties, where owners had been told forever that  zoning would allow for no development on any land less than five acres.

Farah hears something!

Sure enough, I did too - equipment running.  Three men were talking as we rode up.  I yelled a couple times, until they finally saw us & turned the track hoe off.  All were very friendly.  I was told this is Phase II of a 600 home development.   Rural Cluster Disaster...  It will go all the way to the private golf course to the north.  Owned by the person who has now sold all this property.

Truck & Track Hoe

When I told them I wanted to be able to get through to the trails to the power lines, they assured me  soon, all the brush would be down & things would be wide open.  That I should talk to to project superintendent & usually they're good to work with.  We'll see.

My ride~

As you can tell, my Narnia was the last undeveloped tract of land in this part of the County.  Full of wetlands, large trees, (even though many were logged out about 2001) & the headwaters of three creeks.  When Pat, Butch & I first started riding here, there were Salmon in all the creeks.

Mt. Pilchuck

If that road goes through - all that traffic will see the view - those of us off in this little corner of the County have enjoyed for so very long.  Years ago, when the County wanted to put a refuse disposal site here - we were told it holds the largest, fresh water aquifer on this side of the state...

I'm going to continue to ride as long as I can - might as well continue my record of this destruction.  Our quiet - our dark at night - our buffer from Marysville - gone forever...

Out From Home~

I use the above title for a tag, but I guess I've never used it for a post.  If I'd had more common sense - I would have broken my routine & left earlier this morning.  The high clouds kept the morning nice & cool.  Instead - it was after lunch & warming up.

Time to hay~

Going through Pat's, I got a peek at the the new little guy - it was his lunch time too - so just a glimpse.  I'll have to to go back for a formal introduction & to get some photos of my own :-)  It's been a long time since there's been a new foal at Pat's.

Connector Trail~

Once we were through the final yard & onto our little trail that connects to the main trails above, it was obvious that Summer is here & the usual early July weed-whacking needs to be done.  I cut the worst of the long blackberry runners that were in our faces.

Beginning of the end~

Getting out the end was difficult - the bulldozer had broken down the small Alder & left the raw ends sticking up over 2 ft. tall.  Others were laying across the trail.  Farah did a great job of picking her way through without getting stabbed.

All the Alder that had almost closed the "trail" are bulldozed now~

At least they'll be no more of us having to saw & prune the Alder through here...

To the pretty trails~

It was a relief to cross the creek & get past the outflow of the wetland & up onto the wooded trails.  So much cooler up here too.

North on the Power Lines~

All the mowing that had been done earlier this spring, really did a number on the Salmonberries.  They were cut so low that it gave the grasses a chance to grow.

Fireweed~

The patch of Fireweed that I enjoy so much - survived, it's up on a little hill - away from the lines & near what's left of a good sized patch of woods.

Trail down to the creek~

I didn't have time to go out  farther - though we both wanted to.  Farah was being so very good, moving very nice too - after the ordeal of getting her toes shortened.  (More on that later.)

Mossy Woods~

We looped through the mossy woods, I love the moss hanging from the branches.  A remnant of how this whole area used to look.

Wetland~

The big wetland looked great, water still flowing across the road.  The daisies were blooming everywhere & looked so pretty with the white Foxglove.

At the top of the hill home~

Farah could hear the neighbor's tractor.  I usually walk her down the steep hill & decided to today.  From cut grass to bales of grass hay!  This is one of the nicest fields in our area.

Bale's~

 As we were walking by, one of the bales fell over & Farah jumped 10-feet into the air & almost took me out.  Another reason that I usually wear my helmet even when I'm on foot on paving.  There was the time...  A story for another day.

Depending on what happens between my access trail & the top - will be the deciding factor as to whether I'll be able to continue to ride on the trails I've used for twenty-five years now.  Most are gone - but just to be able to reach the power lines & go a little from there has been so good - for so long...

We Get Through!

Did someone say; "Warm"?  Well, it was!  The humidity was high too or felt so.  I was more than ready to saddle Farah up & go to see if I still had any trails left up on the hills behind us.

Our first obstacle~

 Our trail out from Pat's was somewhere under this pile.  With my hand pruners I managed to cut us around it - but have more work to do.

Final private yard~

 At the top of the hill, our neighbor here too, had been cutting trees & putting the limbs over where our trail goes along the edge of their yard.  We went between the tree limbs & the yard to get by.

"Our" trail~

 Once past the yard, we found our trail - as usual this time of year - no matter how much we'd had it cut back - new growth was in our faces.  I had my hand pruners out again - will have to hope that I can convince Butch to come up with the weed-whacker again.

Nice~

 Our favorite section - that has stayed mostly open - was.  What a relief, we could even do some trotting!  I didn't want to spend too much time cutting - since I worried that the big fir might still be blocking our way out.

Cut out!

 Yippee!  I was so excited to see it cut away!  With it gone - chances were good that we'd make it to the power lines.

Farah notices!

 In the shade of the woods, it was really nice - once in a while a breeze would cool the sweat.

Foxglove~

 Darn, a little blurry - but the Foxglove above was so pretty against all the green & growing in the shade along side our trail.  We got out on the power lines, then went north & did our loop through the little woods.

 

Seed heads at the wetland~

 Circling back, we stopped at the big wetland.  The water lily's are getting ready to bloom.  It's almost like visiting old friends when we stop here - especially since it had been a while.

Upper end~

 Farah consumed mass quantities of Reed Canary Grass - the cattails are holding their own along the edge.

Heading back~

 A refresher course was needed for Farah to remember that it takes a lot of  side-passing & halting for me to cut all the greenery out of our way & get us through :-)

Water in the Beaver Pond

 There were puddles of water on the trails & still a good level of water in the pond here.

From the top~

I could see the haze moving over when we were almost home.  The day seemed to warm up the longer we were out.  Even so - it felt so good to be in the saddle again!  We both enjoyed it!

Dreamin'

I wanted to ride today & would have ridden with someone - if anyone - had wanted to ride with me.  But since I'd been wanting to get out from home all week - today looked perfect.  I love what trails we have left, especially so - when the landscape is coming alive with buds & blooms!  The birds were singing & flirting between the trees :-)  I must have been Dreamin'  though - since after the last big wind storm, I should have realized that the chances of getting to where I wanted to go - were - well, slim... 

The first one was hung up~

 No problem getting past the first one, nicely hung up between two trees.  Farah is still in her non-stop spring cycle - we had a couple discussions by the time we'd reached this point.  I've never seen things so wet & the trails were slippery too. 

Trail to the development gate~

 I didn't plan to go this way anyhow, it would have been jump-able.  Instead we went the usual way that takes us to the power lines.

Not looking good~

 I love this section of trail, we usually trot or gallop it.  Today though - the view was not good...  Farah easily jumped the first smaller one, but the next was huge!

Big Tree~

 Not only wide, but long - the root ball on the far side of the creek & wet area.  The top, hung up on the hillside & continuing up the hill unbroken.  I decided to try to clear enough limbs that it might be possible to take Farah up the hill, maybe find a place to get over the trees, then drop back down.  I'd done a lot of tossing, got up the hill quiet a way - just to realize that the ground was so soft, wet & littered with debris that it just wasn't work the risk.  As I was jumping back down - I slipped & caught myself just before making contact with the sharp end of a broken off limb.  Stupid & getting impaled would not have been fun :-(

Here you can tell there was a gap between the two trees~

 Farah was perfectly happy to be grazing, while I worked!  The grass is always greener don't you know?  I think she could have jumped them, but a mistake might have resulted in a hoof going between the two trees.  Instead, we did the wise thing & turned back.

I finally got bucking rolls last week from Gary Winckler.  Butch installed them & they work great!  No one had the black leather needed for the base of the rolls, but it will darken over time.  I kind of like the little bit of accent. 

Can't identify this one?

 There were many of the above Shrooms, sprouting up all around the area near the Cottonwoods. 

Salmonberry~

 The salmonberry blooms were glistening with rain drops...  The air was so full of negative ions - smelling so fresh, clean & springlike!

What is this?

 I don't care how many things you desensitize a horse to, there's always something :-)  We were coming down the edge of our neighbor's yard, on our little trail, when Farah stopped cold to check out the yellow float.  The wind had blown it from the yard, over to the trail.

Rain over Mt. Pilchuck

The sun was out most of our ride, it felt so warm!  But every now & then, a big dark cloud would roll overhead, the temperature would drop & we were drizzled on more than once.  One of our shorter rides, but the weatherman is promising that next week we'll enjoy days & days of sunshine & warmer temperatures!  Overdue I say!