Rainbow Falls - Day One~

With the camper loaded - when Butch came home Thursday afternoon - we were soon on the road & heading south.  We'd planned to meet our youngest daughter & her family for a Summer camping trip for months!  Of course as time went on, it seemed that we'd need at least three of this particular weekend to do all the things that we were either invited to or could have scheduled to attend.  When it comes to time with three of our favorite Grand-kids though - there's no question as to where we'll be!

I-405

  I'd somehow managed to think we were heading to a park in OR - we'd planned on stopping for dinner on our way.  By the time we reached Chehalis - we were hungry!  Shortly after we were back on the road, Grandson Ben called - checking on the status of his bike :-)  Thankfully - when I told him we were leaving Chehalis he said;  "Great!  You'll be here soon!"  I said;  "What?!"  Whereupon I was informed that I had the wrong spot in mind & indeed we were only one exit past where we needed to turn to reach Rainbow Falls State Park.  We pulled into the park & here was Ben & his Mom waiting for us with flashlights to guide us to our spot.  It was pitch black - but I could see that we had Huge trees all around us!  Stars sparkling in a black sky!

Morning~

It was So quiet, just the sound of the wind in the truly amazing old growth trees!  Friday morning, Butch was out ahead of me - I saw why when I went over to the kids camp across the way :-)

Josie & Papa~

Soon, we were on the trail to find the river!  Friday was a very warm day & cooling off sounded perfect!  The Chehalis River is truly amazing - it's destructive history of flooding is extensive.  Photos at the Kiosk showed all the damage just within the campground - where a beautiful bridge was swept away.

Skyla~

This river was very different from others I've seen, with layers of bedrock under the water.  The water level was summertime low & very warm.

Grandson Ben makes a splash!

It was the perfect place to spend a warm Summer weekend!  Rascal had been in the Sauk River, so walked along the edge & didn't mind getting his feet wet.  Nika - wanted nothing to do with it!  Finally, I put her in & with a lot of coaching from Butch she stood in the water :-)  No way did she plan on going in any further! 

Nika in the water :-)

 We all had some good laughs at her expense :-)  We watched as the sun moved lower in the sky & eventually the kids were ready to dry off & head back to camp.  Dinner was yummy - as it always is when you're camping.  After dinner we celebrated Josie's fourth birthday!

A Ballerina Music box!

  The Chocolate cupcakes were a big hit!  Sitting around the fire was the perfect end to a perfect day.

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!  :-)

Whitehorse Trail - Arlington

I'd hoped we'd get my trails open over the weekend, but with the pouring rain, we sure didn't feel like hauling the chain saw up there.  Instead, with the trailer hitched & ready - if the weather sounds plausible at all, I just plan to drive, to ride.

Filtered sun through the fog~

The Whitehorse sounded good, no mud there & I wanted to ride to the Arch in Arlington.  A check to see how it's holding up & look at the area where the homeless keep trying to move in.  As we were leaving the trail-head, the day didn't look as promising as it had in the sunshine at home...

On the Whitehorse

But...  before we were very far out, the sun burned through!  Riding into the sun was so bright, the river running gray with silt.  Things warmed up, everything was dripping - the rock of the surface - the crunch, crunch, crunch - the sound of Farah's feet almost rhythmic.   About half-way to the Arch - our goal, we stopped for lunch.  

Farah & my shadow :-)

By now, it was warm!  My jacket came off - the stop was short & we went on.  Walking along the river is one of my favorite places to ride anymore.  It's still remote enough that it doesn't get much use, there were a few tracks from bike tires, but we didn't see anyone.

Not rock, old volcanic soils~

Water was seeping out of the hillside, shining in the sunshine like tiny sparkling diamonds.  One of the prettiest sections of the trail, also one of the most unstable - since these hillsides could easily slide, or crumble - which a section did last year.

Ramp from the Quarry

Out at the Arlington end, this is the ramp that may become access for horses to the Whitehorse Trail.  I'm hopeful too that the County can work through all the paperwork that's required for us to have trailer parking here on the Quarry property.  The Quarry is willing, the County Engineer is working out the details & I hope to have an update shortly.  The underpass you see in this photo is where the Centennial Trail goes over the Quarry entrance.  Parking here, would give Equestrians a perfect spot to access the Whitehorse at it's beginning & also the north end of the Centennial Trail without having to cross the Haller Trestle.

At Resilience Arch

The new bricks that have replaced the old ones, are so much nicer!  The etching is deep & the bricks themselves are a better product.  Bricks are still available for purchase with personalized engraving!

Our brick~

We turned back from here~

Looking East~

This is the section of trail, close enough to Arlington - where homeless people have tried to set up camps.  They've been moved out a couple times now, over the past two-years, but still return.  This private property is between the river & the trail.

Homeless camp~

The thing that gets to me the most - is the mess...  Trash Everywhere!  Homelessness is one thing - leaving trash everywhere is something Else!  Our Park Rangers are busy enough - without having to continually pick up all the mess.  The hope is, with more access for Equestrians & use of the trail - they will move out & move on.

Wetland along the trail~

I'd expected to see more water in the river after the days of rain, but the level was about the same as the last time we where.  A Bald Eagle flew over us on our way back.  We'd returned to Tin Bridge when I realized that I'd lost my sunglasses...  When we'd stopped at our break spot on the way back, I'd shook out my jacket & put it back on.  That was the clue that we had to turn back.  This time, it was more of a trudge than a walk :-)  Found them, at the side of the trail in the leaves.

Looking upstream - North Fork of the Stillaquamish

It was getting late by now, clouds had moved in & our sunshine was gone.  We did a lot of trotting to get back to the trailer & made it just after 4 p.m.  Driving home, the sunset was spectacular - in our gate & just enough time to do chores before dark.  I think we're all counting down to the Winter Solstice - looking forward to the longer days on the far side!

Fall Fun with Friends~!

Beth on Kate, Amanda on Cato

I'd wanted to get together with these two - plus Lynn for a ride for a while!  Finally, schedules merged - except for Lynn's...  We met at Bracken Road, several rigs already there.  It was a nice dry, if brisk morning.  My usual loop is roughly ten-miles & everyone was game for that & a break at Cloverdale.

Farah in a huff~

I thought Farah would be so happy to see her friend Cato & she'd usually gotten along with Kate.  It had been a long while since we'd been out with more than one horse.  She was so ornery...  A threatened kick toward Kate, put her in the rear.  Cato was setting a super nice pace.  I tried all my usual tricks to calm her down, but it took several miles until she settled enough to start enjoying the ride.

Toward Cloverdale on the Whitehorse

It's always a pleasure to follow these two buckskins!  We'd brought rain jackets, just so we wouldn't need them.  The temperature felt like it was dropping by the time we'd had our break & started back.  Now, Farah trotted beside Cato & Beth & I got to visit a little side-by-side.

As we finished up our ride, Amanda mentioned lunch, so I called Donnie to get the name of the local restaurant in Arlington - that she & Pat had recommended.

We didn't do much talking - we were too busy feeding our faces!  About all we said was "YUM!"  I had the onion rings & they are truly the best I've had.  I won't say no next time Pat suggests coming here!

It was just such an amazing Fall day!  Not too cold, the super charged fresh air & good company!

Haller to Nakashima - Centennial Trail~

North Fork of the Stillaquamish

It was a gray morning, light drizzle - I loaded Farah & drove to Haller Park.  The last time we did this ride was in July & I love seeing it in the Fall.  With the leaves dropping so quickly now, I wanted to enjoy what was left of the color on the trail.

Bitter Cherry Trees

Our native cherry trees can create a mess, the cherries are Not edible - but their fall color is so lacy looking!  The drizzle was steady all morning.  We did a lot of trotting, so I soon removed my light weight rain jacket & just rode in my vest.

At Pilchuck Creek

There was enough water flowing in the creek that it sounded louder than what we've been used to these last few months.  Only one jogger was on the trail & he turned back long before we did :-)  Farah's mane sparkled with tiny dew diamonds.

Big Leaf Maples

The Big Leaf Maples on the far side of the bridge were stunning - it was like riding into a picture postcard!  It didn't seem like long before we were coming up on the north end of the trail~

Nakashima Barn

Once past & onto the unimproved portion of the trail, we stopped for our lunch.  Nice wet & long reed canary grass was what Farah wanted!  Then we continued on...

Red Dogwood

The dogwoods were just so Bright!  Their color was so intense, especially against the bark of the Alders.  Once up at the top, cars were whizzing by on Hwy 9.  We trotted up the road, headed up the hill, then turned south on the Mainline.  At the end, we dropped down the hillside to the ditch.  I dismounted &  as I expected, Farah leaped it - easily clearing about ten-feet with her jump.  More obstacle training :-)

Soon, we were back at the bridge over Pilchuck creek~

Our pace was steady all afternoon,  the few miles pass quickly heading back to the Bryant Store & on south toward town.

Centennial Trail South~

The only other people we saw on the trail had umbrella's :-)  They kindly spoke to Farah - as she was totally unsure just what they were up to?  Guess I need to get out my umbrella one of these days!

Onto the Trestle

Soon, we were back on the Trestle & happy to be back to the park, we were wet!  Really a great ride - it's finding trailer parking somewhere besides Haller Park that's the struggle.  Many horses, or their riders either - don't appreciate having to cross the Trestle to access this beautiful trail & the beginning of the Whitehorse.
Post from last year~

Going Away Again!

Going over Stevens Pass

We'd planned this get-away with our friends Scott & Barb.  Scott asked if we'd be interested in accompanying them to one of their favorite hide-a-ways?  To camp, socialize & best of all - ride in a new place!  Of course we said;  "yes"!

We caravan over~

It's the drive that I usually dislike, since traffic isn't my favorite thing - especially when we have Farah with us.  Leaving mid-week was a super idea, no traffic to speak of & perfect weather too!
It wasn't long until we stopped at Coles Corner to let all the dogs take a break :-)  Yes, we all brought our dogs!  Soon we were past Wenatchee - not too much further & we turned onto the gravel roads that would take us to our destination.  We pulled into the private ranch, where we were expected by mid-afternoon.

Our view~

The view?  Yes - we had a magnificent view!  We camped on grass, with a great fire-pit area, picnic table & pipe corrals for the horses.  There was one issue...  A Thoroughbred mare was loose in the area of the corrals & she instantly went to Farah's pen & tried to eat her hay!  That - of course - was Not going to work!  Next thing we knew, Farah was rearing into the air & screaming like a stallion...  The Thoroughbred was bigger than Farah & when she reared the two of them almost came to blows...  NOT!

Farah, relieved to be away from the mare~

 Being the resourceful people we are - we just set up our hot-wire corral & moved Farah away from the mare & closer to us.  A better arrangement all-round, since she's our one & only - she's used to being near us.

Dinner time!

By the time the sun was getting low in the sky, we were all set up, comfortable & very happy to be in such a beautiful spot!  I was excited & couldn't wait to see what the country would look like from Farah's back!  Ride stories to follow!