Category Archives: Great Western Trail

Blog posts regarding my planning and preparations for my Mexico to Canada horse pack trip

More Gear for the Trail…

GOALZERO Nomad 13
GOALZERO Nomad 13

I posted a couple weeks ago about the Goal Zero Nomad 13 portable solar charger I bought for the big pack trip. I haven’t yet had time to test it.

However, one evening last week, as I lay awake in the middle of the night contemplating the upcoming adventure (the closer it gets, the harder it is to sleep at night), I started running through, in my mind, what a day on the trail might be like. As I did so, it occurred to me that we would be using our electrical devices during the daytime, but would be unable to charge anything at night. Funny how I hadn’t thought of that before, as I plug my iphone in to charge before I lay down to sleep.

Furthermore, I realized that if our one solar charger were to be damaged, we would lose the use of all our electronic equipment within about a day, including the ability to call for help via satellite texting in case of emergency. I made the decision then that we needed a second solar charger, not only to increase our ability to recharge items during daylight hours, but as a backup in case one unit were to be put out of commission. I considered, for just a moment, the thought of buying a Sherpa recharger, however, with a price tag of over $250 for a basic model, it seemed impractical for us.

Goal Zero Guide 10
Goal Zero Guide 10

I headed back up to Cabela’s with the intention of buying another Nomad 13, but upon looking over the various models and options offered by Goal Zero, I came across the Guide 10 unit. This model is also a solar charger, with two solar panels measuring about 6 by 9 inches, putting out about 7 volts, 7 watts. It is able to charge at 5V at up to 1A (5W)  regulated – via USB port or 6.5V up to 1.1A (7W) unregulated – via mini-solar port.

2015-03-24 21.55.29Also included is a charger pack for four AA batteries that is charged from the solar charger. This battery unit may then be used as a charger for items such as my iphone 6, the DeLorme InReach Explorer GPS/satellite unit, and our recently purchased GoPro Hero 4 camera. From the literature, it appears this 4-cell unit is capable of recharging two cellular telephones on one charge. This will help for charging at night or when the sun isn’t shining brightly during the daytime. The batteries may also be removed from the unit and used as regular AA batteries. Also included is an adapter for charging four AAA batteries.

Just as the Nomad 13, the Guide 10 comes with integral cables for charging at either 5V or 6.5V, as well as an integral USB port and a separate USB/mini-USB cable for charging Android-type cell phones and other accessories. I will have to remember to bring the proprietary Apple cable to charge my iphone from the USB port. Also included is an adapter for 12V connections that use cigarette lighter-type connectors.

The Nomad 13 and the Guide 10 solar panels may also be “daisy-chained” to increase electrical charging capacity and decrease the time involved in recharging devices.

2015-03-24 22.02.25You can see the size relationship between the larger Nomad 13 and the Guide 10 units. the solar panel size of the Nomad 13 is roughly 1/3 again the size of the Guide 10, however the battery pack certainly increases the utility of the Guide 10 package and offers us one more option and backup plan for charging our very important electronic gear.

The Nomad 13’s price tag of $159.99 also made the Guide 10 a bit more appealing. Along with the benefit of the battery pack and charger came a price tag of $119.99. The combination of the two solar chargers, I believe, will serve our needs very well.

I feel much more comfortable now, having two solar charging units with us on this trip. The trick will be determining, while on the trail, the battery life of each of our several electronic devices, and developing a routine for recharging each of them in turn,  to keep them all alive and functioning optimally for two-and-a half months on the trail.

wish us luck!

Phillips Form Fitter Pack Saddles, from Outfitters Pack Station

My pack saddles arrived last Friday, as promised by Wade and Simone Mauhl, of Outfitters Pack Station. They are every bit what I hoped.

My followers will recall the post I did a couple years ago about pack saddles, when I was trying to decide whether to go with the traditional crossbuck pack saddles or the newer, more versatile Decker pack saddles for my big pack trip…and on into the future. At length, I decided to go with the Deckers style.

So, as I was preparing to place an order for a couple pack saddles, my dad called and said I should talk to a friend of ours in Arizona, who is an experienced packer and has some definite opinions on pack saddles. I gave the fellow a call (name withheld because I don’t have his permission…yet) and talked to him for a while. He referred me to a man named Phillips, who builds a pack saddle he calls the “Phillips Form Fitter.”  My friend said he is certain Phillips makes the best pack saddle in existence.

Well, my friend didn’t know the website or how to get in touch with Mr. Phillips, so I did what any good, red-blooded American…or anybody else with a computer, would do. I googled “Phillips Form Fitter” and came up with Outfitter’s Pack Station. On their home page they have a great video presentation in which they describe in detail the pack saddle, how it is made, and how it functions. I was sold.

In speaking with Wade, I learned that Mr. Phillips has retired and Wade and Simone purchased his pack saddle business and continue to market them under the Phillips Form Fitter name through their storefront, Outfitters Pack Station.

After several conversations with Simone and Wade, I placed an order for two fully outfitted pack saddles. I also ordered a number of other items, which I will discuss in another post. Things got a little dicey, however, when I learned from Simone that they don’t keep these pack saddles in inventory. Wade makes each saddle as it is ordered, which is why they can make each one to suit the customer’s needs with a number of options. Here I was only a few weeks away from D-Day, so to speak, and I still didn’t have pack saddles! This was something I hadn’t contemplated. Wade and Simone assured me they would work overtime to make sure my saddles arrived in time for my planned departure to Arizona.

What a relief it was to receive a call from Simone last week, announcing they had shipped my pack saddles.

Phillips Form Fitter pack saddle, fully outfitted
Phillips Form Fitter pack saddle, fully outfitted

After ripping open the box like it was a Christmas present, I took a very good look at my new pack saddles.

I was immediately impressed with the heavy latigo straps and heavy nickel-plated steel hardware. All the straps are approximately 13 ounce latigo (just my guess), one-inch or 1-1/4 inch in width, depending on the particular strap. All buckles are heavy-duty roller buckles.

The upper buckle on the spider strap, where it attaches to the breeching, has a nickel-plated 2015-03-20 23.20.23shroud over the buckle. As explained in the video, this was designed to keep the pack animal’s tail hairs from catching in this buckle.

For an extra $50, one can request brass or stainless steel hardware on the saddle.

The pack saddle outfit includes all straps, double straps for the breeching, as well as double straps for the breast strap, to keep them both riding in their proper places on the pack animal. The “halfbreed” is included, made of heavy 18 ounce canvas, reinforced with leather trim on the edges and filled with a two 1/2″ layers of felt padding inside. Leather pockets on each side hold a pine board that protects the pack animal’s sides from the load.

2015-03-20 23.22.42Underneath, one finds the pack saddle is made with bars contoured somewhat like a riding saddle’s bars, but a bit thicker. They are made of a polymer plastic, and while stiff, are somewhat flexible under load. The bars are attached to the “arches” by bolts, which allow the saddle bars to float and adjust to the back of the pack animal and move a bit as it moves. That makes them perfect for my pack trip, as we will have three horses each and rotating them as pack and saddle animals. No two of them will have the same back, being a mix of Fox Trotters, mustang, Quarter Horses, and a mule, so we will not have the luxury of being able to custom configure a pack saddle for each animal.

2015-03-20 23.24.02Each saddle bar is also enclosed in leather, with high quality sheep fleece underneath, just like a riding saddle. The theory is that the fleece helps the pack saddle stay in place without riding off the pad. Heavy-duty stitching keeps it all together, with screws attaching the leather to the bars.

I was impressed.

So, this morning I made an early start to my day and went out to trim hooves. I took along one of the pack saddles to try it on Ranger.

2015-03-23 10.04.05I am somewhat experienced in horse packing with a crossbuck pack saddle, but I was amazed at all the adjustability of this Decker pack saddle! While they are offered with a double cinch, like those usually used on a crossbuck saddle, Decker’s are usually outfitted with a single cinch. That’s what I requested on mine. The position of the cinch is adjustable fore and aft by adjusting the lengths of the fore and aft rigging straps, which, coupled with the floating saddle bars, makes this saddle adjustable to fit the back of pretty much any horse or mule one is likely to come across as a pack animal.

2015-03-20 23.23.08The Decker cinches are made with two rings on each end, a smaller one inside the larger one. The larger one is for the billet and latigo, while the smaller one is used in securing the load with the sling ropes. I outfitted my pack saddles with sling ropes and other rope accoutrements, per the recommendations of Bob Hoverson, in his book entitled, The Packer’s Field Manual, a book I recommend for Decker-style packing.

2015-03-23 10.05.22The breast strap and breeching are both made of heavy latigo leather, lined with oil-tanned leather, rolled on the edges to protect the pack animal from chafing. Both are fully adjustable for length and ride height via four straps on the breast strap and eight on the breeching. The spider pad holds four straps to keep the breeching in place and has an additional ring, which I suppose is for attaching the lead of a trailing pack animal. All these parts are stitched with heavy thread and all the straps and rings are secured with steel tube rivets. The breast strap and breeching are very nicely made and should be comfortable on the pack animal and easy to clean. Every part of this pack saddle rigging is made to be adjustable, so as to fit just about any pack animal of average size and conformation one might encounter.

2015-03-23 10.09.51The arches of the Decker pack saddle are the primary distinguishing factor between a crossbuck pack saddle and a Decker pack saddle. The Phillips Form Fitter arches are made of 3/4″ steel rods, bent to an arch, which connects the two saddle bars.  These arches, however, have small appendages, of the same diameter steel rod, welded to each side of the arch, creating a Decker arch which will also act as a crossbuck to hold Utah-style paniers intended for crossbuck pack saddles. Now I’m starting to feel right at home! I love these saddles!

One reason I decided to go with Decker pack saddles over the traditional crossbuck saddles, is the survivability of the saddle in the case of a rollover wreck. I am confident that the way this saddle is made, and the materials of which it is made, make this saddle much more likely to survive such a wreck with little or no damage, than a crossbuck or most of the other Decker pack saddles I have seen.

2015-03-20 23.20.52Lest I get too wrapped up in my enthusiasm for these pack saddles, I should mention a couple minor things I noticed on the other side of the coin with regard to these saddles. While the strap leather is, indeed, heavy latigo leather, it is not top-quality latigo, nor does it meet the standard of the harness leather I have seen on some high-dollar pack saddles. Also, rather than the steel tube rivets that secure these straps and assemblies, I would rather see copper hammered rivets. Having said these 2015-03-20 23.21.13things, I am confident the use of these materials does not in any way compromise the utility and durability of these pack saddles. With a little care and oiling, I am certain they will outlast me and likely another generation of packers as well. The use of these less-than-top-flight materials is easily forgiven when one looks at the price of the fully outfitted Phillips Form Fitter pack saddle.

At $699, the price of the fully outfitted Phillips Form Fitter pack saddle, including breeching, breast strap, and halfbreed, compares favorably with other name brand pack saddle outfits that I consider to be lesser quality pack saddles.  The saddle tree alone, with no breeching or breast strap, but with the leather skirts and fleece, runs $325, which, again compares favorably with other Decker-style pack saddles with adjustable bars. Again, I am very pleased, both with the quality and the price of these pack saddles and their rigging.

I am thinking this was the first pack saddle ever set upon the back of Ranger. He handled it very well. I’m looking forward to how he handles it with a load on the saddle, our first day out on the trail.2015-03-23 10.03.47

 

 

Help us out!

As much as it pains me to do this (I’ve always been one to do things myself whenever possible) I am in the humble position of asking for financial help as Dad and I come down to the final weeks of preparation before we embark on the first 1,000 miles of our Mexico-to Canada horse packing expedition.

I have created a GoFundMe campaign to solicit financial assistance from those fortunate souls out there who would love to come ride with us on our adventure, but who are precluded from doing so due to circumstances of life.

If you can’t join us in the ride, you can become part of it with your financial assistance.

Please be assured your funds will not go to buying pretty saddles and cool toys. I have already purchased all the gear and most of the supplies we will need with my own funds. In fact, Dad and I will both be riding saddles that are in the range of 50 years old. Where we will need help is in the department of financing our logistical help, fuel, veterinary exams, incidental veterinary care during the trip, farriery, horse feed while on the trip, and other incidentals that may occur.

The purchases of gear, horses, and other necessaries have nearly exhausted my personal funding. We could use your help.

Here’s the link: http://www.gofundme.com/westerntrailrider

Sincerely,

Tony Henrie

Going through some of my new gear…

I recently received a large gear order from Outfitter’s Supply, out of Columbia Falls, Montana. Kevin was nice enough to sponsor Dad and me on our upcoming pack trip with substantial discounts on much of the gear we ordered. When I first started acquiring gear for this trip a couple years ago, I began by perusing the various websites and online catalogs available for packing gear and ordering one or two items to see what I liked and what I didn’t think would hold up, before making a larger order. As I was doing that kind of research, I came across Trailhead Supply, and I placed an order for a couple feed bags from them. I wrote a blog post on the feed bags, which you can find here.

Outfitter's Supply's canvas/leather feedbag
Outfitter’s Supply’s canvas/leather feedbag

I bought another feed bag in this recent order from Outfitter’s Supply, having decided from the previous purchases to go with the tougher, more durable, canvas/leather bag. I am very pleased with what I received. This feed bag, bearing their Trail Max marketing name, is made with a leather bottom that is formed, so that the edges come up about an inch from the bottom.  This should protect the canvas and seams from the chafing and scraping that will occur when the horse pushes the feed bag against the ground. The canvas appears to be of 24 ounce canvas. It is made with heavy-duty leather straps, approximately 9/10 ounce weight, that are riveted to the canvas at the top of the bag and extend all the way to the bottom, where it is again riveted to the leather bottom. The straps are stitched to the canvas bag with heavy thread down both edges of the strap. The leather is well-oiled and appears to be of good quality. The length of the hanger is adjusted by a heavy-duty chrome-plated steel roller buckle.

If you read the post on the previously purchased feed bags, you will remember that I was concerned that the air vent was positioned very low on the bag. I have had instances in which horses would not eat, because they could not breathe well with a couple scoops of feed in the bag.

New bag on the left
New bag on the left

I felt the vent was low enough on the bag that it would be covered by the feed and would be of little use to the horse. Since that time I have spoken to another experienced packer who once had a horse nearly drown when it tried to drink from a stream with a feed bag on. The feed bag held the water and the horse could not breathe. He felt the vent was more of a safety feature for water drainage than for breathing. I value his opinion and experience and learned that there is good reason for placing the vent low on the bag.

The vent on this new bag is placed a bit higher on the bag than the Trailhead Supply one. In my opinion the location of the vent on the Outfitter’s Supply bag is a good compromise between the safety issue of draining off water and allowing airflow to allow the horse to breathe easier with the bag full of feed.  Outfitter’s Supply has also found an excellent place to stamp their maker’s mark – right on the vent.

The Trailhead Supply bag was priced at $21.95, but I no longer find it listed in their online store. They now offer only the nylon mesh bag with a canvas bottom.

The Outfitter’s Supply bag is a hefty $64.95, but it is a heavier-duty bag and made using heavier and better materials. Is putting this kind of heavy-duty work and materials into a feed bag overkill? Outfitter’s Supply’s experience in making their feed bags comes from doing repair work on feed bags used by the U.S. Forest Service. They seem to know their stuff.

I’ll have one of each on the trip and will report how each performed when we get home.

CHARGE!!!!!

Way back when Dad and I first started talking about taking a horse pack trip from Tucson, Arizona to Panguitch, Utah, I think it was in about 1975, there was no such thing as a cellular telephone, much less a Global Positioning Satellite system. In fact, the closest thing we had available to a cellular telephone was a “walkie-talkie”, that might have a useful range of about 5 miles, at best. Battery life on those was indefinite….as long as you brought along an inexhaustible supply of spare batteries! I don’t recall that we had re-chargeable batteries available at that time. And do you remember Kodak Instamatic Cameras?

Back then, when we talked about the trip, our main consideration was simply to get “from here to there”, so to speak. We thought about things like food supplies, horses, and gear. The gear consisted of Dad’s old pack saddle outfits, our own well-used saddles, and a bit of camping gear. When we thought of the trip, it was like going back in time to the late 1800s, or maybe the early 1900s. Planning was simple, complications were few.  We just couldn’t get our act together to actually do the trip.

Now that we’re finally ready to give our big pack trip a real try, things are a bit different in the modern world. In particular, we’re both much older now. That brings in a whole new set of concerns and complications in itself, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We now have technology to deal with that didn’t even exist way back when.

Now, we have these great gadgets that can not only tell us exactly where we are in the world, both in time and space, but can also take pictures to prove it!  Not only that, but these same gadgets can also tell the rest of the world where we are at the same time! And, if that’s not enough, I can actually communicate with anyone I choose, anywhere in the world, via satellites in outer space! Dick Tracy, eat your heart out!

My, how times have changed!

Still, all these gadgets use electricity. All of them have internal rechargeable batteries. All of them require special cables and chargers to keep them useful for anything other than paper weights. Now, horses generate a lot of “gas”, but no electricity, as far as I know.

So, now, the big question is, how long will these gadgets stay alive without a recharge? Most of them will handle one full day, as long as I don’t play with them too much. My iphone 6 will last about half a day if I take a lot of pictures and start texting them to my wife and mother. I took the Delorme InReach Explorer out for a test ride yesterday. We were out for about 4 hours, tracking the whole ride, and it ended up with over 85% battery remaining. I plan to take along a GoPro3 camera, but haven’t purchased it yet, so I have no idea about it’s capabilities, battery-life-wise, but I imagine it is a matter of hours, not days.

GOALZERO Nomad 13

Since our pack trip will take somewhere between five and seven weeks….we think…. and since most of the time we will be far away from the nearest electrical outlet, our only option is to take an electrical source with us. Hauling a generator and the fuel to run it is out of the question.

Enter the GOAL ZERO Nomad 13 Solar Panel.

The Nomad 13 is a pair of solar panels, measuring approximately 10.5 X 7 X 1 inches,  about 23 inches wide when open, and comes in its own zippered protective case with the solar panels built-in. You simply unzip, then open it like a notebook. According to the specifications on the box, the unit will produce up to 13 watts of electricity. That is sufficient to put out 5V, 0-1A (5W) regulated for USB charging, or 13-15 VDC, 0-1A (13W) unregulated for 12V charging.

Charging cables built-in
Charging cables built-in

It has several cables built into the unit, on the back side, including a USB cable, a Guide 10 cable, and two cables for chaining units together and for charging other GOAL ZERO rechargers, such as the venerable Sherpa. Also included is an adapter cable with a cigarette lighter-type connector for 12V accessories. The literature inidcates this unit, placed in full sun, will recharge a “smart phone” in one to three hours. Not that it will matter to us, but just for information, the unit will charge a Sherpa 50 in six hours, which will then charge a laptop computer in two hours.

I’m going to have to consider buying a Sherpa 50 for the trip, due to all the gadgets we’ll have along. Having the portable recharger along would certainly help if we should have a couple days of cloudy weather. Our plan is to strap it to the top pack on a pack horse and let it charge all day long. We’ll see how durable it is as we go.

At $159.99, it was an expensive accessory for us, but if it will do what it says it can do on the box and in the manual, it will certainly be worth the expense to us, as well as our loved ones left at home and our friends following us via the Internet. The GOAL ZERO Sherpa 50 Portable Recharger runs $249.99.

2015-03-01 12.43.54

I haven’t yet had a chance to test this unit, but I expect to do so in the next week or so. That test will probably determine whether I go the extra expense for the Sherpa 50.

Stay tuned!

A good night’s sleep is all I need…..

Last week I went on buying spree at Cabela’s. One of the items I came home with…two actually, were air mattresses for the trail. When I was a kid I used to sleep on the ground, and quite well, I might add. In high school, these new-fangled foam sleeping pads came out. They were 1/2″ of luxurious medium-density foam rubber that rolled up onto a 20″ X 4″ roll that weighed hardly anything and you could tie it to your pack right above your sleeping bag. Then, as an adult, I found the self-inflating 3″ foam pads that truly improved my sleep rest during camping and pack trips. However, these pads roll up into a bulky roll about 22″X8″…that is if you get it real tight. It weighed a bit more as well, at about 3 pounds or so. I stuck with those a long time. Recently, however, I’m finding I don’t sleep so well on those self-inflating pads anymore.

Now, Dad has always preferred air mattresses. Of course he was 24 years ahead of me in experience. Seems like my air mattresses always ended up flat about the time I was gliding off to sleep, and it was back to my childhood days of sleeping on the hard ground…or not. Anyway, Dad seems always to have done pretty well with his air mattresses, so for this trip I let him talk me into buying a couple of backpacking air mattresses for our trip. Mostly the decision was made to save space on the pack horses, but truthfully, I was willing to try an air mattress again to see whether I could get a good night’s sleep on one while out on the trail.

Cabela's XPG Ultralight air mattress
Cabela’s XPG Ultralight air mattress

After talking on the phone to Dad while I was looking at the mattresses, we settled upon two of Cabela’s XPG Ultralight Extreme Performance Gear air mattresses. They came rolled into a 3″ X 9″ roll, stuffed into a nice little nylon bag. I have to tell you, I was pretty skeptical that this little thing could provide a nice resting place for my tired bones after a long day on the trail. I found Cabela’s display, where they had samples of each of their mattress offerings already aired up, so I pulled each one down in turn and laid on it, right there in the store, for a first-impression test. Surprisingly, I found this little XPG mattress to be the most comfortable of the bunch.

The XPG Ultralight measures 72" X 23.5" X 2.5" inflated
The XPG Ultralight measures 72″ X 23.5″ X 2.5″ inflated

The XPG Ultralight mattress measures a nice 72″ L X 23.5″ W X 2.5″ H, inflated, which was among the widest mattresses offered. I found the goofy-looking way the mattress is designed to be very comfortable. It has round air pockets in the center for comfort and larger air pockets on the sides to keep you on the mattress during the night. This mattress didn’t make me feel high in the middle while lying on my back, which tends to give me a backache, nor did my hips touch the ground when I rolled onto my side. I was quite surprised and impressed. This is a well-designed mattress, and very comfortable to lay on.

I took a good look at the seams and materials, trying to imagine it lasting the whole trip. The mattress is made of a reinforced rubberized nylon material (no trade name for the material is given on the packaging), which appears to be fairly durable, however I wouldn’t try laying it directly on the ground. We’ll have canvas ground cloths under us on the trip, so wear from the ground should be minimal. Just in case, though, the mattress comes with a patch kit slipped inside a pocket inside the stuff sack, consisting of about 30 square inches of material (two 3 X 5 pieces) and a small tube of cement.

The seams are either glued or heat-sealed
The seams are either glued or heat-sealed

The seams appear to be sealed with cement, or possibly heat-sealed. They appear to be solidly joined. With the new “space-age” cements available, I feel confident that if I can keep Dad from jumping on the bed, they’ll last the trip.

A couple nights ago, I blew up one of the mattresses to see how much effort goes into it, wondering whether I would pass out before getting it filled at elevations exceeding 9,000 feet in some places. Again, I was surprised that I was able to fill the mattress to capacity in 17 breaths. While that will make your head swim if you do it too fast, it’s not anything that would make the average person uncomfortable if they take their time.

Pull to open, push to close, twist to lock
Pull to open, push to close, twist to lock

The air valve is a little larger and somewhat differently designed than other mattresses I’ve used before. It has a push-pull system, to keep the air in while you take a breath as you blow it up, then a twist-lock to keep it from being inadvertently opened. It took me a minute to figure it out, even with the instructions plainly spelled out on the top of the valve. Sometimes I have a hard time pouring water out of a boot with the instructions on the heel. Twist the valve to unlock, then pull. Blow into it, then push to hold while you take a breath, pull again to blow air in. When done, push in and twist to lock. Simple! Much easier than the old ones you had to hold and squeeze with your teeth while you blew.

I laid the mattress in front of the television and lay down on it to see if I could lay on it comfortably for an extended period. I was quite pleased with the results. I nearly fell asleep.

After the limited testing I have done on this mattress, I am quite pleased and convinced this XPG Ultralight mattress, marketed by Cabela’s, will do the trick for us. With a price tag of $99, I feel it is a good buy for us.

Now, a good night’s sleep is all I need.

Stay tuned for more gear reports.

My New Fox Trotter Mare, Lizzy

When I decided I would buy a Fox Trotter as my trail horse, I was told one can not own only one Fox Trotter. Seems that has proven to be true. I recently came home with my second Fox Trotter, Lizzy.

Lizzy
Lizzy

Lizzy is a coming four year-old mare (May), registered Fox Trotter of good breeding, standing 15.1 hands. I bought her from a friend and Fox Trotter breeder out of Ephraim, Utah, named Michael George. Mike had heard I was looking around for a second horse, so on a ride he mentioned he had a young mare he would part with if I wanted to come look at her. He said he had brought her from Missouri to train as a working horse and use as a brood mare, but that she just didn’t have the lateral movement he looks for in a good working ranch horse. She moves down the road well and is a willing worker, but just didn’t have the movement he was looking for; for what I wanted she might do just fine. We talked about it a few times and I decided I would take the drive down to see her.

Seems like the best-laid plans can always go awry. I made arrangements half-a-dozen times to head down to see this little mare, but each time something would come up to side-track me. As things would turn out, I was invited by a mutual friend, Jon Tanner, to fill a slot in his trailer for a ride down in the Saint George, Utah area last weekend. Since Mike was also planning on attending that ride he agreed to take the mare, so I could take a look at her and evaluate her on the trail.

During two days of riding, some of it on pretty rough trails, I was favorably impressed by the young horse’s temperament and willingness on the trail. She proved to be very sure-footed and not prone to be excited or panicky. I didn’t take the opportunity to ride her, since I was busy trying to put a few more training miles on my gelding, Ranger. In retrospect, I should have traded horses with Mike for a few miles, just to get the feel of her. Regardless, I saw enough of her to convince me that I should buy her.

I made arrangements with Mike to meet him last Friday to finish the purchase and get the brand inspection done. As things would happen, again, I had to cancel and postpone the meeting, because I was called-in to work on a new part-time job I have acquired (to pay for my horse habit), and I didn’t feel right about trying to get out of it. I called Mike and explained. We put the meeting off until yesterday (Saturday). It turned out, however, that I got off work early on Friday, so I called Mike up and headed down his way.

Mike had explained to me that one can buy a lifetime brand inspection in Utah, that is transferrable to any new owner. It turns out that Utah State law requires a current brand inspection to transport a horse within the state, but with the lifetime inspection they issue a nice plastic card with a photograph of the horse that is good for as long as you own the horse. The lifetime inspection costs $25 and transfers to a new owner with a simple application and a $10 fee. Since I was going to have one horse inspected, I figured I might as well have both done at the same time, so I loaded up Ranger and took him along.

I arrived at Mike’s corrals around 3:30pm. I was greeted by several horses, all Fox Trotters, gathering around the truck and interested in the new arrivals.  After a minute or two most of the horses had satisfied their curiosity and moved off…all except for this one little colt that was constantly into everybody’s business and making a general nuisance of himself. That one belongs to Jon Tanner, and what a beaut he is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more precocious horse animal in my life. I told Jon that if he ever decides to get rid of that one, he is to call me first!

2015-02-28 15.00.05As I said, Lizzy is a registered Missouri Fox Trotter, and while I don’t know anything about MFT pedigree, Mike assures me she has some very nice lines in her pedigree. She is coming on 4 years old in May and she stands a measured 15.1 hands. She looks a bit on the small side, because she could use a little muscle and a few more pounds on her frame, but Mike actually measured her height with a gauge. I think she’s going to fill out nicely. She is sorrel with flaxen hocks, and once she slicks out, she just might end up with a flaxen mane and tail. She has a spot of brilliant white on her nose that isn’t quite a blaze. It looks more like she has some paint in her and it only showed in that one spot on her nose. Unique, and I like it. She has a longer back, in proportion to her height, than Ranger and her shoulder line may be a bit more vertical, but she has a good, deep chest and moves well. She has an old scar on her right rear pastern from a bad cut when she was younger, but it has healed up nicely. It doesn’t seem to cause her any tenderness and I did not see her favor it at all in two days of some pretty aggressive trail riding. Since I’m not going to be showing her, and since it was a contributing factor in the low price at which Mike offered her to me, I am OK with it.

I let Mike show me his process of handling and saddling the young mare and as he did so I began to realize she is a little more green than I had thought. She was a bit jumpy, due to the other horses ranging about, and a little less focused on what we were doing than she might otherwise have been. Mike took her out for a few minutes to work the kinks out before I got on her. I then took her down a dirt road a ways and into a pasture field for a test drive.

Lizzy with her new pasture mate and trail partner, Ranger
Lizzy with her new pasture mate and trail partner, Ranger

I found Lizzy to be less concerned with me than with the fact that she was leaving her pasture mates, but she continued ahead nonetheless. After a little riding around she began to settle down a bit and pay a little more attention to me. I was able to get her into a fox trot a time or two, but it was a very rough approximation of the gait. I was not able to get her into a flat walk, as she kept wanting to go from a slow walk right into a trot, due to her agitation at being away from her pasture mates with a rider she didn’t know. Eventually I was able to get her into a decent enough fox trot that I was sure that she will smooth out and produce a very nice gait with a little more work and training. She seems to be at about the same place with her training and gaits as Ranger was when I got him. He has begun to develop a very nice flat walk and fox trot and I’m sure a few more miles on Lizzy will produce the same results.

The one thing about her gaits that concerns me at this point is her walk. She has about the most exaggerated “camel-walk” I’ve ever ridden. It is very uncomfortable and would be a killer to ride that walk for a full day’s ride. She has an enormous over-step, back to front, of maybe 12-14 inches, about the longest I’ve ever seen in a horse her size (being mostly acquainted with Quarter Horse types, myself). She walks with an extremely long stride, causing a very pronounced up and down motion in her withers, however, once she speeds up just a bit, that seems to go away. Once her flat walk develops, I think she’ll be a very comfortable horse to ride. Once I got her moving comfortably, she seemed to step out nicely at a speed that will match Ranger’s pace very well. I am told the long over-step is one of the factors that contributes to a fast and smooth fox trot. I have seen that in other fox trotters, particularly the big gelding Jon Tanner rides.

MIke George on Lizzy at Red Mountain Trail
MIke George on Lizzy at Red Mountain Trail

Having watched her move and negotiate some rough trails the week before, I had noticed none of the few negative issues I’ve just mentioned, so I’m pretty sure it was mostly her anxiety at having a strange rider on her and being so near, yet so far from, her pasture mates. I’m satisfied that she’ll smooth out and become a very comfortable ride with a smooth, fast gait eventually.

But right now, I have about one month to get her tuned up for a very long ride.

Lizzy is a little light – could use a few more pounds – and a little greener than I would have preferred, but I’m pleased with my new mare and look forward to many, many pleasurable miles with her and Ranger.

Running out of time….

Seems like I have hardly had time to sit down these past several weeks. Since the second week of January I have been busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest at a county fair!

I spent the first couple weeks of January looking for a part-time job, so I could pay for my horse-related activities, as directed by my family financial advisor (wife). I was putting in applications at places like Cal Ranch, Tractor Supply, and Ace Hardware, etc. so I could keep it at part-time, so as not to defeat the purpose of getting the job in the first place…which was to pay for my horse habits. Why pay for a horse if you can’t ride him? I had no idea what my job search would set in motion. So much for retirement!

After a couple weeks of job hunting, I picked up a few hours a week driving a night courier route, delivering car parts through a stretch of back country in central Utah. I was driving two nights a week, leaving about 10:30pm and returning home around 6-7am, and covering 350-400 miles. I found I was almost completely useless for a couple days after each run. Didn’t like that feeling, but the money was decent and I enjoy driving, and particularly driving at night. At least I had some money coming in.

The driving job helped me pay for the fees for several certification courses I decided to take to become an NRA Firearms Instructor as well as an instructor for the Concealed Firearm Permit (CFP) in the State of Utah. Since January 17, I have obtained my Utah CFP, certified as an NRA Basic Pistol Instructor, and taken the course to become a Utah CFP Instructor. I’m still waiting for my CFP Instructor card to come back.

After finishing the CFP course, I got to talking with the instructor, who mentioned that he was associated with a group who was putting together a team for special projects related to security details and personal protection. He wondered if I might be interested. I told him I’d think about it. I called him a couple days later and expressed my interest and asked him to put me in touch with his contact. A couple weeks later I interviewed with Bedrock Protection Agency and became an on-call employee for their special projects group. I completed my Utah Armed Security Officer certification and am now a licensed Security Officer in Utah.

As it turns out, Bedrock likes my qualifications and has approached me to take over the training program for their security officers. So, this week my application was submitted to become a PACSCO certified instructor for the Utah Armed and Unarmed Security Officer licensure training.  Additionally, I have already worked one special project for them.

In preparation for instructing at Bedrock, as well as doing NRA Basic Pistol and Utah CFP courses, I have registered the business name of “Guardian Personal Firearms Training” in Utah, under which I will conduct all my firearms training-related business. I also intend to register the name in Arizona and obtain business licenses to instruct courses for the Arizona CFP, since Arizona accepts the Utah CFP course for their CFP certification, as long as it is taught by a qualified instructor. Arizona accepts certified NRA instructors as qualified under their laws.

All this sort of interfered with a project I had going on already, of building cabinets for my daughter and son-in-law, who are finishing their basement. So, I’m behind on that, but making progress when I can. I hope to have them finished by the end of next week.

On top of all that, I sold both pairs of my chaps two weeks ago (the ones I made last year – see my blog posts on them), which was good, except that now I don’t have any chaps for my pack trip in April. Then the fellow called back last week and needs another pair for his nephew. So, this evening I ordered leather for his third pair of chaps, as well as leather for pairs of chinks and chaps for myself. I’m hoping the sale of my first three pairs of chaps opens the door for further business in that direction. I am hoping to be able to expand my leather working, and the sale of the chaps has helped me further that purpose, allowing me to buy more tools and leather.

Additionally, I still have my old Hamley Ranch Saddle to finish repairing.

Then today, I got a call from the CEO of Bedrock, who wants to pull me in a little deeper into the company. I explained that while I am very excited about the opportunities presented to me by the company, for the next several months I cannot commit to full-time employment. I explained that in April and May I intend to be with my dad, riding horses from the border of Mexico to Panguitch, Utah, and that was my main priority for the moment. I let him know that once that ride is over, that I will be able to put forth whatever effort and time is required to make myself fully useful to the company. He seemed satisfied with that answer, for which I was glad, for I am truly excited about the prospects of working with this young and growing company.

So, for the moment, I will be working part-time for Bedrock, part-time in business for myself as a firearms instructor, and part-time as a cabinetmaker, and part-time as a leatherworker….how many parts was that? I am also a Cub Scout leader, a husband, a father, and grandfather…and I have to pick up the dog poop every Monday (nothing like that to keep me from getting too proud of myself).

So you can see I have been rather busy. Busier than I really want to be. I haven’t had but one chance to even mess with my horse in the past three weeks. That is about to change.

This weekend I will be joining Jon Tanner, Michael George, and several others on a ride in the Saint George, Utah area for a couple days this weekend. I’m truly looking forward to it.

I have to say that when I told my new boss, the CEO of Bedrock Protection Agency, in the face of a very good opportunity for me, that I would be unavailable during April and May for a pack trip with my dad, I suddenly felt for the first time that this trip is really going to happen and I was not going to let anything get in the way of it this time. Dad and I had the chance to do a similar trip many years ago, but we both let other aspects of life sort of pinch it off. I have been planning this trip now for more than two years and I have lived with the fear that I would allow some other part of life smother it again. Today I sort of a flushed all doubts from my mind and a whole new level of excitement has filled me.

Only problem now is that I’m running out of time! Just a little more than a month left before we hit the trail! Lots to do.

Back to Planning the Big Pack Trip

To those of you who have been following this saga from the beginning, thank you. You will be pleased to know that Dad and I are actually in the “OK! We’re going to do this!” stage now. For those just joining us, my father and I have been trying to plan a horse pack trip from Mexcio to Canada. We have both been dreaming about something like this since I was in high school and we’re finally going to make it happen. We’ve had to scale our plans back a bit…a lot…because of a number of factors coming into play. The thought of making it all the way from Mexico to Canada is still rolling around in our heads, but we’ve decided it would be much wiser for us to break the trip up into “legs” and try not to bite off more than we can chew at a time.

Our hope for this year, 2015, is to take the first two legs of the trip, from the Mexican border to

The first two legs of our Mexico to Canada trip.
The first two legs of our Mexico to Canada trip.

Panguitch, Utah. Shown in the graphic in red and green, as close as I can figure, using Google Earth and USFS maps, that will cover about 800-1,000 miles. I’m confident it will be closer to the 1,000 mile mark, since the Arizona Trail has been fully documented at 800 miles and our route through Arizona will be at least 100 miles longer than that, due to our desired stop in Eagar. We intend to document the trip by GPS, so there will be no question as to mileage and so anyone who wishes to follow our route later will have that information to help in their planning.

Truthfully, the second leg of the trip, from Eagar, Arizona to Panguitch, Utah, is the part of the trip Dad and I have been dreaming about. He and I have talked about crossing the Grand Canyon on our own stock for more years than I care to remember. From Eagar to Flagstaff, we’ll follow portions of the old Honeymoon Trail, which the early Mormon settlers of northeastern Arizona used to travel to be married in the LDS Temples in Utah. We’ll also travel the old General Crook Trail which he blazed from the White Mountains to Camp Verde in the late 1800s. We’ll then travel north on the Arizona Trail, crossing through the Grand Canyon, then on up through portions of southern Utah where my great-grandfathers used to ranch and run cattle. The legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy was known to have frequented the areas we’ll pass through. We’ll end up this leg, and likely our travels for the year, at Panguitch, Utah, where Dad was born and raised. This leg of the trip will be between 500 and 700 miles, as close as I can figure, and should take us about 6-7 weeks. Dad will turn 81 years old during that leg. There is a lot of history, both general and personal that we’ll be passing through on that part of our trip.

As of today, the plan is for us to depart sometime in April (a lot will depend on weather) and try the first leg of the trip. This will take us from the U.S./Mexico border just east of Douglas, Arizona, northward to Eagar, Arizona. That leg will be approximately 300 miles and should take us about three weeks, give or take a couple days. Eagar will be a sort of home-base for us, since that’s where my folks live. Once there, we’ll rest up for a week or two while we assess how we did and what we need to change. We will see how we feel about our horses, decide whether to add a couple to the string and whether any of the ones that made the first leg need to be changed-out. We’ll assess our gear – saddles, pack saddles, halters bridles, packs, cooking gear, etc. – and make adjustments where needed. Not among the least of things for a couple of old farts, we’ll assess our own health and determine whether our old bones can make the second leg of the trip.

First Leg To EagarTo add a little more detail, shown in the graphic in red, the first leg will have us departing from about Border Monument #77, just a couple miles east of Douglas, Arizona. We’ll track generally north from there, crossing State Highway 80 and on into the Chiricahua Mountains. As I will be taking my trusty trail dog with us, we’ll stay clear of the boundaries of the state park there, tracking around it on the east side. We’ll trend northwest from there, following portions of the Grand Enchantment Trail through the mountains until we come close to Safford, Arizona, where we’ll head east until we come to Eagle Creek. We’ll head north from there, passing east of the San Carlos Indian Reservation border, wind our way up to cross Highway 191, and head over into the Blue Wilderness Area. We’ll drop down off the Mogollon Rim and find Blue Road and follow it northeastward until we come to a friend’s place just south of the town of Blue. We’ll likely stay there a couple days and rest ourselves and the horses, before heading up Foote Creek Trail, or possibly Grant Creek Trail, back up on top of the Mogollon Rim near Hannagan Meadow. From there we’ll be tracking northwest, passing west of Alpine and Nutrioso and on up to Eagar, Arizona. That will be the end of the first leg, as I said before. As close as I can figure that should be very close to 300 miles.

That route for the first leg makes good sense for us, because it crosses roads at various places and passes through or near a couple of towns. That will make it a fairly simple matter for our logistical support. We already know we will have to pack our horse feed, or at the very least supplement it on this first leg. It’s not likely there will be much grass along that route at that time of the year. We will plan to have a driver meet us at planned locations to re-supply us with feed…for both horses and humans. From what I see on Google Earth, though, we should be fine on water for the stock and for ourselves all along the route that time of year, as there are numerous stock ponds and tanks and a few creeks. Snow run-off and rain should have them all pretty full.

After taking a couple weeks for rest and recuperation, as well as assessment and adjustment as necessary, there at Eagar, we hope to embark on the second leg – the trophy leg – of our trip. This route, shown in green in the graphic, will track northwest from Eagar, Arizona along the edge of the pine forests of the Tonto National Forest, to Show Low, Arizona. Just west of Show Low, we’ll meet the General Crook Trail, which is a designated trail for foot/equine travel. It will take us on down the mountains to Camp Verde, where we’ll join the Arizona Trail. The Arizona Trail will take us north, passing west of Flagstaff, Arizona (actually through Flagstaff for a short distance), then on

Second leg from Eagar, AZ to Panguitch, UT
Second leg from Eagar, AZ to Panguitch, UT

north to the park entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park. We’ll stop there to make all the necessary last-minute arrangements with the park service and the mule outfitters before heading down the designated trails to the bottom.  While horse travel in the park is permitted on designated trails, coordination is necessary, so as not to encounter a string of mules coming the other way on a narrow portion of the trail. We’ll spend a night at the Ghost Ranch at the bottom of the canyon, to which I look forward with much anticipation. We could probably make it down and up in one day, but I can’t imagine making that passage without stopping for a night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. That is something I have dreamed of. Sadly, my dog will have to travel this portion in the truck with the hired help.

From the Grand Canyon, we’ll move northward to cross U.S. Highway 89, where it makes a big jog as it crosses Paria Canyon. We’ll follow Paria northward to Willis Creek, which we will follow westward to the Grandview Trail. The trails up Paria and Willis Creek hold some spectacular scenery, winding through “slot-canyons” so narrow in some places that we’ll likely have to unpack our horses to pass through. The Grandview Trail wanders around the outskirts of Bryce Canyon National Park. It offers much of the same scenery, although from a less spectacular perspective, as the park does, but is on BLM land, which allows me to take my dog and is unregulated as far as horse travel. The Grandview Trail passes around the south end of Paunsaugunt Plateau (Bryce is on the southeast side of the plateau), then turns northward along the west side of the plateau. We’ll follow that trail up to Red Canyon, where we’ll come down off the plateau and make our way on into Panguitch, Utah.

We still have family living there in Panguitch, and Dad still has many old friends there. I expect we’ll be met there with open arms….and shaking heads. That will be the end of our trip for the year, completing the first two legs of our Mexico to Canada trip, covering about 800-1,000 miles.

It will also be the fulfillment of a long held dream for one son and his dad.

2013-04-29_13-28-33_320

A New Year’s Day ride in the Antelope Island State Park

What a great New Year’s Day I had for 2015!

Last Monday I was invited by Jon Tanner to join him for a New Year’s Day ride with the local chapter of the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association (MFTHBA) at Antelope Island State Park. It didn’t take me long to clear it with my family and jump on board. We agreed that I would haul my horse up to pick him up and the two of us would head over to Antelope Island, a short drive from his place. In the end we invited my son-in-law, Scott Palmer, and Michael George, a friend of Jon’s, as well.

16" of snow on top of the horse trailer
16″ of snow on top of the horse trailer

I got up at 5:30am, after a late evening – New Year’s Eve, you know – showered, made myself a breakfast, then headed over to pick up my horse and trailer in the dark. I had the forethought to prepare my trailer the day before, having shoveled off the 16″ of snow on top of it and made sure I had everything I needed already in it. I had also pulled it out of the pasture where it is being stored and the landowner had cleared a path in the snow with his tractor, so I could make an early departure without having to dig out.

I easily hitched up the trailer. Catching up Ranger in the dark, though, was another problem. The day before, the landowner had offered to feed Ranger an extra bait of hay early, so he would have something to go on during the ride. I asked him not to, so that Ranger would be hungry in the morning, so I could more easily catch him in the dark. I figured to feed him alfalfa cubes and a little sweet feed in the trailer anyway. I used grain in a bucket to help me catch him. On the third try he let me get the rope around his neck. Seems like he always lets me catch him on the third try. We’re going to have to work on that. Anyway, I caught him up, and after a little persuasion, was able to load him in the trailer. We’re going to have to work on that, too.

By 6:40am I was headed over Spanish Fork to pick up Scott. He was ready, so we didn’t waste time. By 7:00 we were headed for Pleasant Grove to pick up Scott’s horse. His horse, a 16-hand Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH), was easy to catch and load, so by 7:50am we were heading for Kaysville to pick up Jon and Mike. We got to Jon’s a bit earlier than anticipated, so we waited there a few minutes for Mike to get there. Mike borrowed one of Jon’s Fox Trotters for the ride. We had Jon’s horses loaded and were moving out by 9:40am, headed for the park, which was just a short 30 minute drive from Jon’s place. Upon entering the park, there is a guard shack, where the park fee of $10 per vehicle is collected. We arrived at the White Rock Camp Ground parking area about 10:10am. Upon arrival we found the parking lot filling up with trailers and lots of riders heading out for the trails. I would guess there were upwards of 50 riders, representing several horse and mule associations, as well as some folks just out for a ride.

2015-01-01 11.17.16By 10:30 we were saddled and heading out on the trails. We grouped up with several others on Fox Trotters and headed out at a pretty good clip. At first, Ranger had trouble keeping up, moving from a fox trot to a pretty choppy trot. I worked to keep him in the fox trot and trying to encourage him to stretch out his stride to get a faster clip. Meanwhile, Scott’s horse, Bandit, the Walker, was a bit excited and Scott was working to keep him settled. He and I ended up getting a bit behind our group. It took us about a mile to catch up with them. During that spread, Ranger started to get his gait in order and move at a faster clip, while keeping his fox trot, with which I was very pleased.

During the ride we saw several buffalo, for which the island is famous. Each year the park service holds a roundup and auctions the excess buffalo in order to keep the population in check. The park service allows the general public to participate in the drive. I am told one has to register at least four months in advance nowadays, and that the roundup has become such a popular attraction that people come from all over the country to participate. I am also told that the day of the roundup has become somewhat of a circus, due to the participation of some 300 or so riders of widely varying experience levels, both human and equine. Accidents and injuries during the round up have become something to be planned for by the park service. According to Jon, it seems that every year there are several riders and horses injured by charging buffalo.

In the upper left, if you zoom in, you can see a small herd of buffalo
In the upper left, if you zoom in, you can see a small herd of buffalo

We also saw a small herd of bighorn sheep, a coyote, and several upland game birds. The island, of course, is also know for its Pronghorn, also know as American Antelope. We saw none on this ride, but there is a substantial population of them on the island.

The use of the trails on the island is strictly regulated by the park service. As usual in a state park in Utah, as well as other states, dogs are allowed on leash only. Riders, hikers, and bicyclers are restricted to travel only on the designated trails,  departure from which can result in a fine. We passed a small group of park rangers on horseback who were patrolling the trails. I am told the park allows no more than 10 feet deviance from a marked trail before a citation may be issued. Good to know if you plan a trip to Antelope Island. There are restrooms (no water) at the parking areas and a ranger station is not far away. Jon mentioned that when the snow gets deep, the White Rock parking area is closed and parking is moved to the ranger station parking area.

2015-01-01 10.59.29Antelope Island is the largest of several islands in Utah’s Great Salt Lake. It covers about 42 square miles. The tallest peak, Frary Peak, rises to almost 4,500 feet above sea level, which amounts to just over 2,200 feet above the Great Salt Lake. There are several trails that are open to equine travel on the island, as well as several loops one can make in a vehicle. From the White Rock parking area there is a trail head with a 7-mile and a 14-mile loop. Some of the trails are closed at certain seasons, such as springtime during the period when antelope are bearing their young, so it is advisable to call ahead to the park service if planning to ride a specific area. The only time deviation from the designated trails is allowed is during the fall buffalo roundup.

2015-01-01 11.49.22For our ride we selected the 7-mile loop, but were enjoying the ride so well when we reached the loop intersection that we all chose to go on and take the 14-mile loop. It was the right decision. The longer loop enters some pretty rocky areas and offers some wonderful views from higher elevations on the island.

My horse was barefoot, but handled the terrain well, although one has to factor in the snow, which I’m sure made a difference. I only felt Ranger wince just a couple times and he never got tender-footed at any time during the entire 14 mile ride. There were several spots on the trail where melting snow had created puddles, which had then frozen, creating a slip-hazzard, as well as the possibility of a horse getting a nasty cut by breaking through the thin ice crust. On one switchback, Scott’s horse slipped and fell on his side, catching Scott’s boot in a stirrup. Luckily, Scott had the presence of mind to keep hold of the reins and was able to bring the horse to a halt with no injuries to him or the horse. Scary, though!

2015-01-01 10.52.04
Scott on his Tennessee Walking Horse, Bandit

Also, snow packing into the horses’ shoes was something to be careful of. I took a turn at riding Scott’s TWH, Bandit, so he could take a turn on my new Fox Trotter, Ranger. While working on Bandit’s “stop pedal”, I gave him a “Whoa” command, at which time he dug in his heels…or tried to. Turns out his shoes were packed and he had been walking on a pad of ice about an inch thick. When he dug in his heels they slipped right up under him and he went down on his rump, which promptly projected me onto the trail on my rump! It was rather humorous to all, including myself, with both of us hitting the trail on our rumps. Again, I was bright enough to keep hold of the reins, and so was eligible to ride on to the trailer, rather than walking. I told everyone I was just working on perfecting Bandit’s sliding stop and thought he was doing rather well. I recommend taking along a hoof pick for winter rides.

We arrived back at the parking area about 2:30pm, where we unsaddled and enjoyed a good, hot bowl of chili, compliments of MFTHBA, and good conversation. Met some nice folks, saw some very pretty horses and mules, and some very nice saddles and other tack. All-in-all, it was a great way to spend a New Year’s Day. I hope it is a good omen for the rest of the year. Enjoy the photo gallery.

We left the park just before 4pm, after needing Scott, Jon, and Mike to help me get Ranger loaded into the trailer (again, something Ranger and I are going to have to work on) and headed home. We unloaded Jon and Mike’s horses and gear at Jon’s house and headed back home to Salem. I let Scott’s horse off in Pleasant Grove, let Scott off in Spanish Fork, and dropped my trailer and Ranger at his pasture in Woodland Hills, arriving back home in Salem long after dark, at about 7pm, just in time to get a nice New Year’s Day supper with lots of black-eyed peas and ham.

Me, in my cold-weather gear, on my Missouri Fox Trotter, Ranger
Me, in my cold-weather gear, on my Missouri Fox Trotter, Ranger

It was a very long, but good day for me, and a great way to start the new year.

Here’s to lots of horse trips and lots of blog entries in 2015!

 

 

P.S.

For those of you still wondering about my Mexico-to-Canada trip, Dad and I are making plans for at least the first two legs of it, from the Mexican border to Panguitch, Utah for this spring. We hope to depart from near Douglas, Arizona on or about April 1st, arriving at Eagar, AZ about three weeks later. That leg will be about 275-300 miles, much of which is already familiar terrain to us. At that time we will evaluate our horses, equipment, tack, and ourselves, to decide whether we can make the next leg, from Eagar to Panguitch this year. If we feel like we can do it, we will rest a couple weeks at Eagar, make the necessary adjustments, and head out around the first week or so of May. The second leg will will be about 500 miles, will follow the Arizona Trail through the Grand Canyon, and end up at Panguitch, where Dad was born and raised. As close as I can figure, it should take us about 5-6 weeks for that leg.

Stay tuned. I’ll be posting as things develop.

TH