Category Archives: Great Western Trail

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

Great Western Trail, Western Horsemanship, Western Trails

Making Steep Ascents and Descents on the Trail

A recent post by Jon Tanner on the Horse Trails and Camping Across America facebook group about a ride he took to Robber’s Roost, in southern Utah, brought some comments that showed a wide range of experience (and lack thereof) with regards to ascents and descents on a horse. There have also been a couple other related threads recently with regard to trail riding. Thought I’d offer a post about it, based on quite a few years of experience riding the rough trails, hoping to dispel some of the misgivings and erroneous ideas I saw posted.

Dropping into Robber's Roost, southern Utah (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)
Dropping into Robber’s Roost, southern Utah (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)

When one is riding mountain trails, even ones that are well-maintained, there is always the chance that you might have to deviate from the trail for a short distance to avoid a problem in the trail, be it a wash-out, a fallen tree, or even a dead animal (or maybe a live one!). This could require you to make a steep ascent or descent, or both, to circumvent the obstacle. I was once reading an article in Trail Rider magazine in which the author provided a picture of a mountain trail that was somewhat narrow and a bit washed out, with the caption that the trail “was obviously impassable”. I found that caption to be somewhat humorous, as I run into worse trails on my pack trips quite often. Differences in experience and training, I suppose.

Riding rough trails in southern Utah (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)
Riding rough trails in southern Utah (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)

In recent years, many of the older, lesser-known trails in wilderness areas and on public lands outside state and national parks have fallen into decay, as the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management no longer maintain them. Often, the only remaining vestiges of a trail are the ancient blaze marks on large pine trees. These are the trails I love the most. These are the trails that take you to places no one has visited in many, many years. In trying to follow these trails, frequent detours are necessary, due to fallen trees and washouts, and more recently,  wildfire burns. Most of them, however, are still “passable” with a little care and thought. These are the trails that are not for the faint of heart, and where experience and training, both for the rider and the horse, really pay off.

Imagine running into a washed out trail on a steep sidehill 20 miles into a 50 mile pack trip. Now what do you do? What if you have a pack horse or two in tow, how do you turn them around on a steep hillside? Often, the safest thing to do is to simply keep going and let the horse pick its way around the obstacle, but sometimes it takes an experienced hand on the reins, and even a touch or two with the spurs to safely pick out an alternate route and keep the horse on it.

In my training of trail horses, I make regular steep ascents and descents to teach the horse a couple of things. First, I want the horse to learn that I am in command, no matter where we are and no matter what I ask of the horse. It must learn to trust me…or at the very least to be obedient. Second, I want the horse to learn how to manage my weight on his back during ascents and descents. As the horse gains experience, it will begin to learn to pick out its path and to place its feet well to keep itself balanced with the load on its back.

Coming down into a canyon (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)
Coming down into a canyon (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)

Some people believe that the horse should be given its head and allowed to choose its own path up or down a grade. Once a horse is experienced, that is somewhat true, but an inexperienced horse can put itself and rider into dangerous situations. An inexperienced horse, when faced with a steep descent, will often get partway down, hesitate, then attempt to turn and head back up to the trail. When this happens, one must have a firm hand on the reins and may need to use a quirt or spurs, or even the loose end of the reins, to coax the horse to continue down the slope. If the horse is allowed to turn and attempt to head back upslope, it puts itself into an imbalanced position, as your weight shifts from his shoulders to his hips, and your weight could easily pull him over backwards, which could very well become a deadly situation for both horse and rider.

A similar situation can occur with an inexperienced horse trying to make a steep ascent. Horses tend to be more willing to make steep ascents, however, a horse inexperienced at carrying the weight of a rider, and up to 75 pounds of tack and gear, up a slope may very well choose a route that is too steep for the load he is carrying. If a horse should choose to abort an ascent and turn and head back down to the trail, the situation is much less dangerous than a change during a descent. A horse can easily turn and head back downhill, even with a load, without much problem. The load of a rider shifting from the hips to the shoulders is much more controllable for the horse than the reverse.

A steep descent on rocky terrain (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)
A steep descent on rocky terrain (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)

Some have said that a horse should not be allowed to turn sideways on a steep hill. In my experience, the danger comes when the horse attempts to turn in a descent and go back up the hill. I have no problem allowing a horse to turn sideways to rest or to traverse the hill for a short way to access a better descent route. The same in an ascent. The caveat here is the footing. If, as in the photos Jon showed, the footing is the “slickrock” Utah is famous for, straight up or down allows the horse the best chance of remaining balanced if he should slip. If the footing is deep soil, sand, or gravel, I still prefer a straight or slightly angled ascent or descent.

If the ascent or descent is a long one, say 100 feet or more, an angled approach may be the best way, as the horse will be exerting himself a little less, particularly in a long, steep ascent. Again, I have no problem allowing the horse to stop sideways on the hillside to rest.

Steep trail with drops and ledges (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)
Steep trail with drops and ledges (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)

Back to the topic of allowing the horse to choose the path. It is my experience that an experienced trail horse is very good at watching and placing its hooves, but not very good a picking a path. They tend to look no farther ahead than their next two or three steps..which is exactly what I want them to be doing. Therefore, in my opinion, it is the rider’s responsibility to pick out the best route and the horse’s job to safely get them both there. As a side-note, I have discovered over the years, that the horses that I have left barefoot during their training and for most of the year are better at watching their foot placement than horses that are regularly shod. However, all horses, regardless of training, shoes, or barefoot, seem to get better at watching where they walk after about the second day in the mountains. Many are, as my dad used to call me, “stumble-bums” when they first hit the trails.

Other tidbits:

I like to keep a fairly firm hand on the reins during a steep descent. It allows the horse to use the leverage of your hands on the reins to keep himself balanced and keeps the horse from getting ahead of itself and descending too fast. While this may be hard on the horse’s mouth at times, it can allow a slipping horse to pull itself back into a balanced position. The opposite is true if the horse is asked to jump up or down a drop. In this case a very loose rein should be given, to allow the horse to jump and extend his neck and head without hitting the bit.

When traversing a particularly bad spot in the trail, I will sometimes pull my feet from the stirrups, or at least from the downhill one, and prepare, in case it should be necessary to bail. I want to be able to land on the uphill side of the horse, should it slip and roll over. I have had to make a quick escape from the saddle more than once.

Dropping down into Robber's Roost, southern Utah (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)
Dropping down into Robber’s Roost, southern Utah (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)

There are times when it is the wisest course to dismount and walk, allowing the horse to make the ascent/descent without the burden of a rider. This is particularly true if the rider is inexperienced or fearful. A panicked rider can easily pull a horse off balance that would otherwise easily handle the detour. However, a person on foot should avoid getting directly downhill or uphill from the horse. If you must lead a horse through a steep descent or ascent, use a long lead rope and try to stay to the side of the horse’s path. The horse will want to follow your path, so stay well ahead of the horse, and if possible, lead the horse on a path slanting up or down the hill. This will keep you from getting directly below or above the horse on the slope. If another horse has gone down before you, simply tie up your reins to the saddle and let the horse follow the other horse down the hill. When leading a horse up an ascent, again, stay to the side of the horse’s path, or at least a good couple yards ahead. If you get directly above the horse on the slope, it may try to turn directly toward you and begin lunging uphill. A lunging horse can easily run upon you and cause you severe injury. If you are following another horse that has gone up before you, again, simply allow the horse to go ahead. He’ll be fine. If your horse has been trained to allow this, you can also hold the horse’s tail and allow him to pull you up the slope. Most horses don’t mind this, especially while they are concentrating on getting up the hill.

Coming upslope (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)
Coming upslope (Courtesy of Jon Tanner)

In summary, there are times when steep ascents and descents will be unavoidable on the trail. Normally, the best course of action is to remain mounted and let the horse do its job, however, there are times when dismounting may be the best alternative, when done safely. Training and experience are invaluable in such situations and can turn what some may perceive as an “obviously impassable” trail into an opportunity for good photos and a great post on facebook, during a memorable trail ride.

Happy Trails!

P.S.

I would love to have been able to add a bunch of great photos from my rides to go along with this post, but when one is trying to work through a difficult situation like those described, nobody is thinking about the camera! All my pictures are in beautiful spots where everything is peaceful and pretty. That’s something I’ll have to work on in the future.

Jon Tanner graciously provided several photos from his rides that worked out great for the post. Thanks much, Jon.

If you would like to see a horse and rider doing a descent even I would wince at, watch the movie “Big Jake”, starring John Wayne. There is no movie magic in that one. Just a gutsy rider on an exceptional horse.

Great Western Trail, Tack and Gear, Western Trails

Getting Ready for Winter Riding, or, How to Keep Your Tootsies Warm…

How many times have you been out riding in the winter and had your toes get so cold they hurt? Let me tell you a couple of tidbits that won’t make you feel like you’re in Hawaii, but will help you keep your “tootsies” a little warmer in the winter.

Most people simply add socks until their feet just barely fit into their favorite riding boots. While that may seem like the logical thing, in practice, it is counterproductive.

Let’s first start with the part that gets cold – your toes. Make sure your feet are dry. You might consider using foot powder around your toes before you put your socks on.

Gold Bond Foot Powder
Gold Bond Foot Powder

Believe it or not, your feet sweat, even when they are cold. Keeping them dry is key to keeping them warm.

Moving on to socks. Until a few years ago, I thought the best arrangement for the cold, was a pair of cotton athletic socks, or even two pairs, under a pair of thick wool socks. Nice, huh? Thick, comfortable. I always ran into the problem, though, like I mentioned above, of fitting into my boots. My feet were usually so cramped in my boots, that my feet likely got cold from lack of circulation!

What I didn’t know then, was that cotton socks, while comfortable, absorb and hold moisture next to your feet, right where you don’t want it. A few years ago, I invited my wife to go with me on a deer hunt. We were going to horse pack into the Blue Wilderness Area in eastern Arizona, set up a base camp, and stay several days. I wanted to make everything just right for her, so that in the future, I might get her out to do it again. Linda gets cold feet. So, I did some research on how to keep your feet warm. What I found out surprised me.

L-R Wool Boot Socks, Poly Liner Socks, Cotton Athletic Socks
L-R Wool Boot Socks, Poly Liner Socks, Cotton Athletic Socks

The recommendation was, and I have found it to be true, to wear a thin pair of polypropylene socks next to your skin. The poly socks provide little warmth, but neither do they absorb moisture. They actually act as a moisture barrier of sorts. Moisture from your feet passes through the poly material and gets trapped in the outer layer of sock. In recent years I have found it hard to find polypropylene socks. You have to get them at a specialty shop. Often even well-stocked outdoor sports stores don’t have them. As an alternative, I have found that mens’ nylon dress socks do almost as well. You can still find them in the “old mens’” section at clothing stores.

The next layer of your sock combination depends a little on your shoes or boots and the weather. If the weather is such that you are going to wear your regular riding boots or shoes, then a thick pair of wool socks might not fit. In that case, you can go with your cotton athletic socks. In extreme cold, however, cotton socks always come off second-best to wool. A good, thick pair of wool, or wool-blend socks over your thin poly socks will hold warmth around your feet, while wicking away moisture, from your feet, as it passes through the poly socks. It works much the same way as plastic diapers do on a baby. Wool has special properties, as well, that allow it to stay bulky and full, and therefore hold warmth, even when damp or wet. While other materials, such as synthetics, or cottons, may feel soft and comfortable, neither has both the ability to absorb moisture and stay bulky as well as wool products. Cotton absorbs water and compacts, synthetics remain bulky, but do not absorb moisture well.

Which leads us to our next topic: Insulation. One of the problems with wearing a bunch of bulky socks, is that when you stuff your feet into your boots, all that bulkiness gets compacted, losing most of its insulation value. Wearing a thin pair of “liner” socks, such as the poly socks described above, under your bulky wool socks, helps with this, as opposed to wearing two pairs of bulky socks. Buy a pair of riding boots for winter wear that are at least a half-size larger than what you normally wear, so you can wear a pair of bulky woolen socks without making the boot fit tight. You might consider buying boots with an insulating liner in them, such as “Thinsulate” which is one brand name of footwear insulation used by Cabelas.

L-R My Packer Boots, My Tony Llama riding boots
L-R My Packer Boots, My Tony Llama riding boots

Personally, I prefer boots with no insulation. I recently bought a pair of Hathorne Explorer packer boots, in preparation for my Great Western Trail trip (I figured I had better buy them early and have them well-broken in before the trip). These boots are made of very heavy leather (they are made by White, which is well-known for making high quality Logger and Fire-fighter boots), but they are not insulated. This allows me to decide how warm my feet need to be and to choose my sock combination accordingly.

Additionally, I purposely bought boots that were a half-size too large for me. At the same time, I bought a pair of high-quality insoles for them. The insoles make it so I can wear the boots all year round. I wear them with a pair of regular boot socks in warm weather, with the insoles in place, and I remove the insoles to wear them with my cold-weather combination of socks in the winter. The extra room, without the insole, makes it so my socks do not get compacted, while still allowing my boots to fit comfortably snug. The main point with boot fit for cold weather is this: Leave room for your “dogies to breathe!” If your feet are tight in your boots, they will be as cold as if you wore regular warm weather socks.

A little about moisture control. We’ve discussed moisture from inside the boot…from your foot. The rest of  the moisture comes from outside the boot. There are a lot of theories about waterproofing footwear, and the best I have found is called “Gore-tex.” Of course that is a brand name and there are other names for very similar materials, but I like Gore-tex. Gore-tex is a revolutionary synthetic material that is breathable, yet waterproof. Almost as good as wool! You can now buy everything from footwear to hats that are lined or made of Gore-tex. It is good stuff. However, if you are like me, and your champagne taste is tempered by a root-beer budget, Leather is the way to go for most situations.  Leather boots cannot be made absolutely waterproof without a Gore-tex lining. But, you can make them very water-resistant.

L-R Kiwi Shoe Grease, Kiwi Mink Oil, Kiw Wet-Pruf Wax Treatment
L-R Kiwi Shoe Grease, Kiwi Mink Oil, Kiw Wet-Pruf Wax Treatment

For those who want water-resistance and to keep their leather in top condition, there are oils, such as mink oil, manufactured under various brands, as well as other kinds of “shoe grease” that will soak into the leather and make it very near impervious to water. However, these types of leather treatments are essentially liquids themselves, and tend to get cold in cold weather. They are not the best choice for damp winter weather, in my opinion.

I recommend a good quality boot or shoe waterproofing wax treatment. I have used a waterproofing wax made by Kiwi with satisfactory results. I have found that the wax application must be repeated several times each winter, as the wax does not soak into the leather like the oils do, but rather fills the pores of the leather on the surface, and therefore gets scraped off with wear. As it is not a liquid itself, and therefore is not wet to begin with, it does not seem to get cold like the oils do, and my feet stay dry and warmer.

For winter riding in which one is expected to encounter extreme wet conditions for an extended period, I recommend boots with a rubber foot, such as the ones in the picture, from the Cabela’s catalog.

Waterproof boots from Cabelas, with Thinsulate
Waterproof boots from Cabelas, with Thinsulate

 

No leather boot will stay dry for an extended period in wet conditions, unless it is lined with Gore-tex, in my experience. I find leather boots to be more comfortable than rubber-footed boots, so I will elect to go with leather in most circumstances.

One last tidbit has to do with boot soles. I always prefer to ride with smooth, leather-soled western riding boots. Not only do they make me feel and look like John Wayne (as long as you’re looking at my feet only), but they are actually safer to ride in than rubber-soled boots or riding shoes. They easily slip into and out of the stirrup, which greatly eases getting on…and unloading in a hurry, when necessary. Leather soles, however, get wet and slick when used on wet surfaces. The moisture will eventually get through to your socks and your feet. Rubber soles are completely waterproof, so I recommend them for winter riding. Rubber-soled riding boots tend to grab the leather tread most stirrups are made with, and keep the boot from slipping in or out. A rubber lugged sole, such as you see on some western-style boots, can actually be unsafe for riding. The lugged sole can become locked in place in the stirrup if the foot is placed at any angle other than normal.  When deciding on a winter riding boot, consider the type and size of your stirrups. Your riding boot should slip easily into and out of the stirrup. You may find you need to invest in a pair of winter riding stirrups, for comfort and safety, along with your winter riding boots.

So there you have it, the gospel according to Tony, for keeping your tootsies warm during winter riding.

 

Great Western Trail, Tack and Gear

A short plug for Easycare.com and Easyboots

While I was struggling with trying to get Penny over Laminitis over the past several weeks, I ordered a set of Easyboot originals from easycareinc.com for Penny’s front hooves, based on the recommendations of Pete Ramey on his website, hoofrehab.com, with regard to treatment for Laminitic horses. I also bought a set of medium density pad inserts to give her a little extra padding.

Easyboots and medium density pad inserts
Easyboots and medium density pad inserts

Last week, when Penny unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, I ordered a second set of boots and pads for her rear hooves. However, as things turned out, Penny had to be put down before the second set of boots arrived.

The second pair arrived yesterday. I called easycareinc.com to ask for an authorization to return the second pair of boots and pads, unopened and unused. When the customer service representative asked the reason for the return, I told her I had to put the horse down before the boots arrived. She was very kind and expressed her condolences.

Easyboot originals and medium density pad inserts
Easyboot originals and medium density pad inserts

Then she did an unexpected thing. She looked up the sale of the boots and noticed the previous order, from three weeks ago. She asked whether I was returning both sets or just the second set. I told her I had been using the first set for Penny’s front hooves since I received them and was quite happy with them. She then told me they were still within the 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee period, and that if I didn’t need them I was welcome to return them. How refreshing that was in this day and age when customer service has nearly died and the almighty dollar is the highest aspiration of all.

I plan to return both sets of boots, since Penny has passed on and I currently have no other horses, however, that one act by that customer service representative, at a time when any kindness softened a troubled time for me, has won a loyal customer.

I will continue outfitting for my Mexico to Canada  trip for 2015. You can bet Easyboot originals will be on the required equipment list for all of us.

easycareinc.com
easycareinc.com

Thanks again, EasyCare, Inc.

Great Western Trail, Horse Health

It’s raining today…

It’s raining today, which is appropriate.

Last night I made the decision to euthanize Penny, who has been my faithful friend for the past three years. Tomorrow I will make all the arrangements.

This will probably be a surprise to those of you who have been following my entries on Penny’s Laminitis. Her prospects, initially, for recovery were very good. The vet, after taking X-rays three weeks ago, indicated that with proper care and hoof trimming she should be back to normal within six months. That same night, Penny escaped her stall and spent an unknown amount of time grazing in the lush, green pastures of the small farm where she is kept. By the following morning, when I found her in the pasture, the damage was done. She relapsed almost immediately.

Once she began recovering well from that relapse, I tried to slowly transition her back to pasture, believing that it might be possible, since the initial trigger for her Laminitis was not the grass, but an overload of sweet feed. Not to be. After two efforts at transitioning her to the pasture, I found that any quantity of grass in her diet immediately brought back the symptoms of Laminitis. I resigned myself to keeping her in a stall and hand-feeding her until she was well enough to begin to ride again, at which time I would find her a new home.

This past week I was encouraged at her progress. Although she was still tender, she was able to walk with me around the pasture, and would do so willingly. I had noticed she was dropping weight rather quickly, so I did some research to find a supplemental feed that might be tolerable for her in her current state. I came upon Timothy hay pellets, which, according to my reading, as well as the labels on the bag, contains no more than 8% sugars, which is well below other kinds of feed. As I have been mixing Penny’s Bute dosages with about 1 pound of alfalfa pellets, I thought it would be safe to replace the alfalfa pellets with the Timothy pellets, further reducing her sugars intake.

I started with one pound of Timothy pellets, moistened, and mixed with the Bute, morning and evening. After two days she seemed to be ok, although I noticed that she may have been slightly more sore on her rear hooves the second night. On the third night I increased the Timothy pellets to two pounds. That was last Thursday evening. On Friday morning her her rear fetlocks were very swollen and she was obviously hurting. By Friday evening, once again, she was in full-blown Laminitis and her fetlocks were swollen tight as balloons. I soaked her rear hooves in cool water to try to ease the swelling and the pain.

I immediately discontinued the Timothy pellets and tried to administer Penny’s Bute dosage orally. She was in such pain that I suppose it really didn’t matter much to her any more, and she took the Bute orally without resistance. I thought I would let her go until Monday and decide then whether to call the vet again, for an evaluation and to decide then whether to start treatments again or look at “other alternatives”.

Yesterday morning, I found that Penny’s swelling had reduced substantially. I saw that she had lain down during the night, which must have helped. I was greatly encouraged, until I saw that she had not finished her hay from the night before, had not drunk any water during the night, and was having a difficult time standing. I went back out to check her at noon and found her down in her stall.

I called the vet.

The vet arrived about 5:30 pm or so. After examining Penny, the vet spoke with me and very carefully gave me her prognosis: Penny has very little chance of ever recovering to the point of leading a pain-free and productive life. There is the slight chance of recovery to the point of soundness…as in, “it has happened before”…but it would take at least a full year of very strict and very expensive veterinary and farrier care, all based on the slight hope of more than a partial recovery.

Penny and I have lost the battle against Laminitis.

With her prognosis now being very poor, with little chance she could ever recover to the point of being sound, euthanasia is my only choice. Within nine months I will be moving two thousand miles across the country. She could never stand the trip. Not being sound, I would never be able to find a home for her. Her sensitivity to pasture grass is such that she could not even become a “pasture buddy” for another horse. Even if I got her to the point that she was comfortable, and were able to find new owners who were willing to take her on, the care required to keep her so would be a heavy work and financial burden, and it would only be a matter of time before her end would be the same: more pain, more suffering, and euthanasia…or a slaughter house. The only humane decision I can make is to put her down. I can do her this one last kindness.

As a young boy, I remember once becoming disoriented and lost while riding my horse on remote trails near the stables where we kept our horses. After trying to find my way for a while and getting nowhere that I recognized, I remembered what my father had taught me, that if I would “give the horse her head,” she would lead me home.

Tomorrow I will give Penny her head.

Great Western Trail, Tack and Gear

Giving some new equipment a test drive…er…ride…

The rain let up this morning, and it was nice and cool here in Virginia, so I took the opportunity to go for a short trail ride around home and take along my new big Smith and Edwards saddle bags for a test drive…er ride.

My extra large Smith and Edwards saddle bags
My extra large Smith and Edwards saddle bags

As I wrote in a previous post, the bags are made of woven nylon, a material sometimes known as “Iron Cloth”. This stuff has a reputation for being as close to indestructible as you can get. I have friends who have pack paniers made of this stuff. They tell me a horse can’t hurt it, you can’t stain it, and you can wash anything that gets on it away with plain old water, including blood. I have always been partial to canvas and leather, but I have to admit, this stuff is tougher, lasts longer, and stays cleaner. The only drawback I can find, is that it looks sort of “space-age” sitting there behind my saddle. Then again, I’ll bet any old cowboy back in the day would give his eyeteeth for a set of paniers made of this stuff.

2013-05-24 12.03.00I was a little concerned about the size, which is 12 X 12 X 6″. They are shown as “Extra Large” on the tag. The largest canvas saddle bags I have seen offered were 12 X 14 X 4, but I didn’t care for the nylon straps and plastic buckles they had.  I find the flat-braid nylon straps some other saddle bags have are too limp and hard to work with from the saddle or with gloved hands. As for plastic buckles, I simply don’t like them. I’ve had some break on other kinds of camping gear (and they normally can’t be replaced) and I also find them difficult to handle with gloved hands. These Smith and Edwards bags have heavy bridle leather straps and steel buckles, which I prefer.

From the rear
From the rear

As you can see from the pictures, These saddle bags hang well from the saddle. They have heavy grommets for saddle strings to pass through and tie behind the cantle. You have the choice of a D-ring or a grommet lower down, where the cantle meets the seat jockey. Once these saddle bags are tied in place, they will stay. You won’t have a problem with them sagging off to one side, although, if they aren’t balanced, they could pull your saddle off to the side.

Some folks prefer the nylon or cordura saddle bag outfits that have everything compartmented in zippered pockets and bags. My personal preference is simple, old fashioned, saddle bags. I find that with the zippered pockets, I tend to stuff too much stuff in them. Then when I need something, like, say, a jacket or a slicker, I have to unzip then rummage and pull, until I end up pulling a bunch of other stuff out with the jacket and it ends up on the ground. With regular saddle bags, I fill my bags with things like first-aid kits, lunch, snacks, hoof boots, binoculars, cameras, and light stuff I might need to have to hand while riding. I always tie my slicker and jacket on behind the cantle, easy to reach in time of need by simply pulling the bow on my saddle strings.

I have, on one occasion, tied my bedroll on behind my cantle. I don’t like to do that, but on a simple overnighter without a pack horse, it can be done. I would recommend a light summer sleeping bag for that, though, due to size. I can see where one of the cordura zippered compartment outfits might be nice in that case, where you could stuff the sleeping bag into the cantle bag portion. My preference, however, is to put the bedroll on a pack animal, even for short two-three day trips.

All-in-all I think these Smith and Edwards saddle bags I bought are going to do the trick just right for our Mexico-to-Canada trip, and many other pack trips.

I have always used round canteens, but I'm going to try a mil surplus collapsible (right)
I have always used round canteens, but I’m going to try a mil surplus collapsible (right)

I was able to test out another piece of new gear I bought while I was in Arizona. I bought a military surplus two-quart water bladder. These new-style military canteens looked like they might do well hanging on the side of a saddle for a pack trip or just for a day ride. I have used, as a matter of preference and availability (that’s what I had at hand), the old style round canteens with the indian blanket sides and metal band around them to protect the plastic canteen. I have had a number of them crushed and broken by horses rubbing them against trees. I have learned never to leave my canteen hanging on the saddle while the horse is standing tied. The last one I had, I removed the steel band and the indian blanket and wrapped it in rawhide. It lasted for many years, but recently sprung a leak. So, I decided I’d try something new.

MIlitary surplus canteen on saddle
MIlitary surplus canteen on saddle

As you can see, the military surplus canteen hangs well on the side of my saddle. Dad and I have found that a canteen hangs best by hooking the strap around the cantle, such that one sits on the strap, as you see in the photo. This places the canteen behind the leg and out of the way. It rides well on the horse and doesn’t get in the way up front or bang on your knee while trotting or climbing ascents. This canteen has a thin, but strong nylon webbing strap that cannot be felt while seated on it. The strap is adjustable and can be fit to hang the canteen exactly where you want it. I found I liked to hang it with the mouth pointing back. When I had it pointing forward I occasionally felt it contact the back of my thigh.

The one surprise I got with this canteen, which shouldn’t have been a surprise at all, was when I took my first drink. This is a soft canteen, a plastic bladder, and you can’t hold it like a regular canteen while removing the top. It will simply spill water all over you. You have to sit it on your hand, supporting it from the bottom, while opening it and drinking from it, like you would a water bag. As you use water, the bag becomes thinner. When empty it can be stuffed in a saddle bag, out of the way. Pretty handy.

One other little handy option these canteens offer, is that some have a fitting for a water tube, like a cammelback, in the lid. If you would like to buy or order one of these, decide first whether a water tube is an option you want, then make sure the one you get has a lid with the fitting. I don’t intend to use a water tube, but the fitting doesn’t get in the way at all and has its own tab to keep it covered.

 

The carry bag is made of nylon, like most modern military surplus bags of any kind. Tough, light, handy. The bag has a small pocket with a velcro closure for purification tablets, which I though was a handy thing. I normally have to dig through my saddle bag to find my small bottle of tablets. The strap, as I mentioned, is nylon webbing. It is adjustable and has a snap on one end. On the back of the bag are the military-style belt hooks, for hanging the canteen on a military-style belt. These hooks work equally well for hanging the canteen on any type of belt or strap, provided it isn’t too thick. You can get the bags and straps in tan, olive drab, or either color of camouflage, to suit your taste.

I found the military surplus canteen, at $15.00, including the carry bag and strap, to be a good value. The one shown on the saddle was bought from a military surplus store in Pinetop, Arizona. I ordered the green one from an on-line store on ebay and paid $7.99, but with shipping came out only little less than the store-bought one.

So, two more pieces of gear added to my outfit.

I just received a set of “Modified Arches” for my first effort at building a Decker-style pack saddle from Mr. Bork at Bork Saddlery Hardware, along with several antique saddle horns he threw in. Stay tuned for more on them.

Great Western Trail, Western Trails

Raspberry Creek Trail, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Arizona

I visited Utah and New Mexico last month for college graduations of two of my kids. I also spent some time in Arizona with my parents. While I was in Arizona, Dad and I took a ride part-way down Raspberry Creek Trail. I have selected this trail as part of our Great Western Trail ride, planned for 2015. I had heard the trail was burned-out and eroded so badly that it was impassable. I wanted to see how bad it was. I have attached several photos of the ride in this post, but you can see the full album in the WTR Gallery.

Turns out the trail, at least the upper part of it, has been maintained by a rancher who has a range lease in the area. The trail was in great shape. The Wallow Fire, that burned through the area three years ago, didn’t do as much damage as I had been lead to believe on this trail.

There were several places that were obviously affected, but it looked like spot-fire burns and most places were simply thinned-out by the fire, rather than scalped. There were areas visible from the trail that received much worse damage than the trail itself received.

Strayhorse Camp parking area
Strayhorse Camp parking area

The trailhead is about 62 miles south of Eagar/Springerville, AZ and about 35 miles north of Morenci, on highway 191. Highway 191, in that area is closed during the winter, but opens as soon as the snow begins to recede. The elevation passes the 9,000 ft. mark around the Hannagan Meadow Lodge area up on top. Several great trails that lead down into the Blue Wilderness Area head there at Hannagan (Steeple Creek, Grant Creek, Foote Creek). A note of warning about Highway 191, is that it used to be designated Highway 666. The name was changed because folks felt 666 was inappropriate for a highway designation. If you think “Highway 666” is an inappropriate name for a highway, you haven’t driven this one. Rigs over 40′ are highly discouraged.

Looking out over southeastern AZ from US 191
Looking out over southeastern AZ from US 191

It is a two-lane highway that winds its way down the Mogollon Rim and drops several thousand feet in a matter of a few miles. Check your brakes before you leave Hannagan if you are coming from the top.

Back to the trail. The trailhead is at a designated camp area called “Strayhorse”. It is about 2.5 miles below the “Blue Lookout” scenic vista point, and about one mile below the famous “Arrow Tree”.

The famous "Arrow Tree" on US 191
The famous “Arrow Tree” on US 191

The trailhead has camping areas (although camping is unregulated in this area), enough parking area for several stock trailers (remember, trailers longer than 40′ are highly discouraged), toilet facilities, and a small corral. No water service. On the west side of the highway you will find the trailhead for Strayhorse Trail, which leads to other trails, such as Eagle Creek (up which our GWT ride will come), Salt House Creek, Chitty Canyon, Rim Trail, and several others.  One can ride trails from Strayhorse all the way to Morenci, or on up to Alpine, and further. On the east side of the highway, is the Raspberry Creek Trailhead, which drops 9.5 miles to the Blue River, just south of the Blue Wilderness Area. I “guesstimate” the elevation at the trailhead to be around 8,000ft. By the time you reach the Blue River you will be at around 4,000ft. I haven’t checked those figures by map or GPS, but they are in the ballpark.

Pipe corrals (no water) at Strayhorse Camp parking area
Pipe corrals (no water) at Strayhorse Camp parking area

From the Corral you head toward the restrooms and continue past them, and you’ll find the trail. At that point it looks like a two-track road, which it is.

Raspberry Creek Trailhead
Raspberry Creek Trailhead

Follow that for about a quarter mile, and you’ll come to the USFS sign for the trailhead. Just past that, you’ll see a small cabin and corrals with some livestock. That is the rancher’s headquarters for his range lease. If you see him, you might thank him for maintaining the trail. He has a bathtub water trough near the cabin, fed by a capped spring. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind folks watering there, but be courteous and conscientious of his ranch and livestock. There are some natural springs where you can also water your horses on the trail.

The young jack that fell in love with Honey the mule
The young jack that fell in love with Honey the mule

As we passed the cabin, we noticed several horses, a mule, and a donkey hanging around the place. The donkey, a young jack, decided he was in love with Honey the mule, ridden by Dad, and fell in with us for the entire ride.

The trail was in excellent shape, with rocks placed to control runoff and erosion. The trail was well-planned and laid-out. As I mentioned, it drops close to 4,000ft in under 10 miles. There are switchbacks where needed and the the descents and climbs are reasonable. We crossed a number of runoff streams, that likely go dry most of the year, and passed several small springs along the trail. Not much grass to be had, but there is a little in certain areas you will pass. Not enough for daily feed for horses, so we plan to carry feed for our GWT trip as we pass through this area.

The trial is quite rocky. Shoes or boots recommended
The trial is quite rocky. Shoes or boots recommended

The trail is quite rocky, so unless your horses are kept on similar ground and their hooves are toughened up, shoes, or at least boots, are recommended. Barefoot horses will be tender by the time they reach the bottom.

For this ride, our purpose was only to check out the upper part of the trail, which I had been told was damaged by the recent fires. We rode about three miles down the trail, then back to the trailhead. Even that was a nice ride. Our mounts were tired by the time we finished the climb out.

On our ride back to the trailhead, we encountered a pretty good-sized Timber Rattler. He was about four feet long and every bit of three inches in diameter. He was sunning himself on the trail. I heard the warning rattle and felt my horse tense up, so once I located the snake, I got off and lifted him off the trail with a good, long, stick. Rattlers aren’t all that aggressive, and normally only strike when they are severely bothered. I consider them to be quite considerate critters. At least they give a warning and let you know where they are, and give you a chance to avoid trouble.

A fairly large Timber Rattler on Raspberry Creek Trail
A fairly large Timber Rattler on Raspberry Creek Trail

As for wildlife, you stand a good chance to see elk, mule deer, bear, desert bighorn sheep, mountain lions, coyotes, smaller varmints, and even Mexican Gray Wolves. We always carry a firearm when we ride the area, as much for protection from the lions and tigers…er wolves…and bears (oh my!), as for use in case a horse should go down. Our preference, not necessary. On a day ride, you’re not likely to have any problems, but if you decide to make it an over-nighter…well, you decide for yourself.

Weather was severe clear, as is common in Arizona. Protection from the sun is essential at this elevation. A wide-brim hat and neck scarf, and chapstick are recommended, as well as long-sleeved shirts. Carry at least a two-quart canteen. Always carry a jacket, even in the summer. If you should end up afoot overnight, you’ll be glad you have it. You’ll also need sun protection for your horses, if you have any with pink skin on their noses, ears, and eyes. Otherwise, they’ll definitely sunburn.

About as remote as you can get
About as remote as you can get

This part of Arizona is extremely remote. You are not likely to meet anyone on the trail, on foot or mounted. There is no store or fuel facility for over 30 miles from the trailhead. The closest hospital is in Morenci, about 35 miles or so south of the trailhead on Hwy 191. Cell coverage is spotty, but isn’t reliable until you get back up on top, near Alpine, or farther down near Morenci. Dad got a text message while we were at the trailhead, though.  Just sayin’.  Keep these things in mind while planning your trip.

Going from the top down to the Blue, you will find it a relaxing and enjoyable ride. The descents aren’t particularly difficult ones, and, like I said before, the trail is well designed. The switchbacks are well laid out. The portion of the trail we rode was well maintained and in excellent shape. This  trail would be appropriate for riders and horses with some experience on the trail, but we encountered nothing that we considered particularly challenging. That is not to say that farther down the trail, there might not be some obstacle. Our purpose for the ride was to check out the upper portion of the trail, which I had been led to believe was burned out and eroded to the point of being impassable.  We were surely pleased with what we found.

I have never ridden Raspberry Creek Trail top to bottom, so I can’t say what might be found further down than we rode. My experience on other trails in the area, most of which are no longer maintained by the USFS, is that they are often blocked by fallen trees. Most of the time one can cross over or maneuver past them. Once one gets to lower elevations, the pines thin out and give way to Juniper and Pinon. From that point the trails are normally in pretty good shape. I felt like our ride got us down below that point and that the trail on down to the bottom would likely be in good, or at least passable, condition.  

The road from Alpine, AZ to Blue, down in the bottom of the Blue River drainage, is almost always in good condition, although only a narrow gravel road, it is sufficient for a pickup and a stock trailer up to about 35 feet. From Alpine to the Raspberry Creek Trailhead at the bottom, would be about 30 miles or so. There is another road to the bottom called Red Hills Trail, that intersects Highway 191 at Beaverhead, however I would not take that road with more than a 4-horse trailer and very good brakes. If arrangements could be made to have someone with a trailer meet you at the bottom of Raspberry Creek Trail, it would make an excellent day ride. Otherwise you will be riding about 9.5 miles to the Blue River, then about that back out by another trail, such as Steeple Mesa, K-P Mesa, or Grant Creek Trail. That would make an excellent two or three-day pack trip that would bring you out on top at Hannagan Meadow.

Most of the trails in and around The Blue Wilderness Area, as well as the nearby Gila Wilderness Area, are old ones, many having been around for more than 150 years. Most are still marked by blazes on the trees every 100 feet or so, which have survived the years remarkably well. For many years the trails were used and maintained by ranchers to move cattle through their range leases. Over the past 30 years or so, however, the USFS and BLM have placed such severe restrictions on the ranchers, that there is insufficient traffic on the trails to maintain them, and the USFS and BLM have neither the budgets nor inclination to do so. Even though there is little foot or livestock travel on the trails nowadays, most of them are still well marked, except in areas where fires have burned out the marked trees. However, if these trails are not used and maintained by people like ourselves, they will eventually disappear altogether.

If you would like to give Raspberry Creek Trail, or any of the trails in the White Mountains or Blue Wilderness Area a try, hit me with an email and I’ll get you in contact with people in the area who would be more than happy to provide you with current information on trail conditions, places to stay, temporary corrals, feed suppliers, etc.

Plan a ride to the Raspberry Creek Trail. It’s the Arizona wilderness at its best.

Looking west toward the Blue River from Raspberry Creek Trail
Looking west toward the Blue River from Raspberry Creek Trail
Great Western Trail, Tack and Gear

Took a trip up to Utah. Got some more stuff…

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I was in Utah last week, for the graduation of my daughter from Brigham Young University. It was a nice visit. Had a nice time with a lot of family. While I was up there, I decided to find a good boot shop, since my old Tony Llamas are pretty well worn out. Ended up at Ream’s Boots and Jeans, in Lehi, Utah. I couldn’t find a website for them, so no link. Sorry.  Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised at their selection of boots and the prices. I picked up a pair of Tony Llama bullhide boots for $150.

The sales rep told me that about 10 years or so ago, Tony Llama was bought out by Justin Boots, along with several other brand names. In an effort to keep up with Ariat’s low prices on boots made overseas, Tony Llama also outsourced boots to China. They come with lower pricing, due to lower labor costs. Tony Llama retained their production in El Paso, Texas as well, though, so you can still buy U.S made boots, although at a slightly higher price for comparable boots. Everybody seems to have gone with throw-away boots, now, though. They come with rubber soles and sell them as “slip-resistant” on wet or oily surfaces. Problem is re-soling a rubber sole. On many, particularly the ones from China, you can’t replace the sole once it has worn out, making the boot a throw-away. Personally, my boots usually last through three half-soles and heels before the tops begin to wear out…then they become work boots.  I like leather soles.

Tony Llama boots
Tony Llama boots

However, since I currently live in Virginia, and wet conditions are common, I put aside my aversion to rubber soles on cowboy boots and bought a pair of El Paso-made Tony Llamas with rubber soles and leather heels. The rep said these boots CAN be resoled and heeled. I like them. They are very comfortable. I have narrow feet, so I normally go straight to the Tony Llama rack when shopping for boots, as Tony Llamas tend to be narrower in a D width than other makers.

As I was ready to check out, I noticed something I just could not resist. They had the largest set of saddle bags I have ever seen. They measure approximately 12″ X 12″ X 6″ and are made of a woven nylon product sometimes known as “Iron Cloth”.

I’ve been told you simply cannot wear out, or even damage, this material. I’ve been keeping my eye out for a set of such saddle bags. They were marked $74, but were marked down to $51.99. That’s the lowest price I have seen, even on the Internet, and no shipping charge. They are made by Smith & Edwards, measure 12″ X 12″ X 6″, and are labeled as model 19229W, Nylon Saddle Bag X-Large. I am looking forward to giving them a test-drive.

My new grazing bit with copper curb
My new grazing bit with copper curb

I also picked up a curb bit for my mare. I am getting ready to transition her from the bosal to the bit. It is a simple grazing bit with a copper curb and stainless steel shanks. It is made by Metalab. It has a medium port, and 6″ cheeks, and a 5″ mouth, which is pretty common for the average horse. It ran $26.99. I elected to go with a copper bar, as I have been told helps keep a horse’s mouth moist and lubricated while riding. I suppose it somehow causes their salivary glands to activate a little. I like the look of the bit and I look forward to seeing how my horse likes it.

On the way back to my folk’s place in Eagar, AZ, we stopped by Loa, UT and met West and Kami Taylor, of Extreme Outlaw Rides | Wild West Mustang Ranch, Fremont, UT. West is a member of our WTR forum. West and Kami are currently involved in creating a TV pilot for a new cable network series about outlaw stories of the old west. The have a funding drive on Kickstarter, which you can find here. West is also a certified bronc stomper for the BLM, to help them in their efforts to get mustangs in captivity adopted. West breaks and trains them, after which the mustangs go for public adoption.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Country Cafe, which is the only eating place in Loa. Food was great, as was the conversation. Stupid me, forgot to get a picture to post. Oh well, go check out their facebook page and their Kickstarter project. It’s a worthwhile project, well worth funding. I think I’m going to be seeing more of the Taylors. Once I get relocated to Utah next year, I plan to get in some good trail riding time with them.

On the trip home, Dad and I decided that at some point we are going to have to do some horseback exploring of the area between Blanding and Hite, UT. Absolutely amazing country, full of indian ruins, deep canyons, and awesome views. Overall, a very productive and enjoyable trip. 

Great Western Trail, Tack and Gear

Sorry, it’s been awhile…

It’s been a little while since my last post. Thought I’d explain, so my readers don’t lose hope.

I finished the bathroom project several weeks ago. It turned out very well. I’m happy with it, if I say so myself. You can see it at the link below.

Bathroom remodel

So, I was thinking I would have some spare time to do some work on my gear, make my chaps, work on my saddles…nope. Turns out the Good Lord had other plans.

I have spent almost all my time over the past several weeks helping a couple of senior ladies move their lives from one home to another. It has been an enjoyable experience for me, and a lot of work as well. This has left precious little time and energy to get back to my play-time stuff and keep up on my blog. It is amazing how much stuff we can amass in a lifetime, and how attached we become to it. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. I think we become attached to the memories connected to the stuff, not necessarily the stuff itself. While I have enjoyed the service, I have felt deeply the sorrow and heart-wrenching emotions these fine sisters have gone through watching me haul their lives away to Goodwill and the dump, as they have divested themselves of all but their essential belongings. It has been a humbling experience.

Howsoever, I have not been totally useless…er…I mean, idle, with regard to my GWT trip.

Last month I bought a book on horse and mule packing, entitled The Packer’s Manual by Bob Hoverson, through Trailhead Supply.

Bob Hoverson's The Packer's Manual
Bob Hoverson’s The Packer’s Manual

I found it to be a good resource for anyone, experienced or just beginning, who is involved with packing. Hoverson is a confirmed Decker-style packer, and the book is specifically geared toward Decker-style pack saddles and all things related thereto. He spends a chapter on horses and mules, but for the most part the book details all the how-tos and wherefores of Decker-style packing. I recommend it.

Since I have decided I will use Decker-style pack saddles on my Great Western Trail trip, I decided I should start putting my gear together and get some practice in.

First off, I ordered two 150′ hanks of rope, one 3/8″ and the other 1/2″, in accordance with the recommendations Hoverson makes in the book. He likes a synthetic three-strand rope made by New England, called Multi-Line II. After handling the rope, I have to agree with him. I like the rope. It has enough body to hold knots and hitches well, yet is not so hard that it is tough on the hands and gear. According to Hoverson, it wears well and is resistant to sun degradation.

Hoverson recommends the following ropes for each pack saddle:

2 – Sling Ropes, 1/2″ diameter, 24-28′ in length
2 – Cargo Ropes, 3/8″ diameter, 35′ in length
1 – Lead Rope, 1/2″, 12′ long
1 – Pigtail, 3/8″, 7′ long
1 – Breakaway, 1’4 or 3/8″ manila rope, about 3′ long

Each rope gets backbraided with an eye on one end and a simple backbraid on the other. Hoverson refers to these as backsplices (technically, a splice is joining two pieces of rope).

Eye backbraid
Eye backbraid

 

End backbraid
End backbraid

 

I came just a few feet short of being able to make all the necessary ropes for two pack outfits from the two hanks of rope I bought. I made my ropes to the longest recommendations of Hoverson. Had I made my sling ropes 24′, rather than 28′, I would have been able to get all the necessary ropes from those two hanks. As it is, I have about 19′ of 1/2″ left over for an additional lead. I’ll have to order about 7′ of 3/8″ for another Pigtail and 28′ of 1/2″ for another Sling rope. You can get the stuff by the foot or bulk from Outfitter Supply, but I found the prices to be better from Rigging Warehouse.

I followed  Hoverson’s instructions for doing the backbraids and eyes and was able to recover a skill I had as a much younger man, but had forgotten long since. I enjoyed an evening braiding the ends of my ropes and getting all my ropes finished. I will eventually get around to making an instructional video on cutting, backbraiding, and finishing this synthetic rope.

Almost all my packing ropes in one box
Almost all my packing ropes in one box

Additionally, I have bought several other items of equipment. I bought a pair of Estwing axes from Home Depot that appear to me to be perfect for packing.

My 16" and 26" Estwing pack axes.
My 16″ and 26″ Estwing pack axes.

I bought a 16″ one, that will probably go with me on my GWT ride, and a 26″ one that will go with me on my shorter pack trips where I think there may be trail maintenance involved.

I found a decent little 30″ tree saw on Craigslist for $20, and bought it. It will need a new wood handle and to be sharpened and polished, but it will be very handy on any trail.

My new old 30" tree saw alongside my one-hand log saw
My new old 30″ tree saw alongside my one-hand log saw

I will make a leather holster for it and simply hang it from any convenient place on either a pack saddle or my riding saddle. You see it here along side my one-hand log saw that is also in need of polishing and sharpening.

I replaced my old trusty rawhide covered 1-gallon canteen, which seems to have sprung a leak recently. I bought a round 1-gallon and a round 2-quart canteen, as well as a military surplus collapsible 2-quart canteen. I decided to give the MS canteen a try on the trail. It looks like it will hang quite well from a saddle and will likely stand up better to being banged around on the trail than my round canteens, despite it’s definitely “un-cowboy” appearance.

I have always used round canteens, but I'm going to try a mil surplus collapsible (right)
I have always used round canteens, but I’m going to try a mil surplus collapsible (right)

I have used the round canteens on the trail for many years and prefer them, but they are susceptible to being broken by being mashed against trees. The one I wrapped in rawhide many years ago lasted well, though.

I also repaired the water heater in my horse trailer/camper. The previous owners forgot to winterize, apparently, and the 6-gallon tank split. I ordered a replacement on ebay and installed it two weeks ago.

This is what happens when you forget to winterize!
This is what happens when you forget to winterize!

The next project on the trailer is the spring-over conversion for the axles, to raise the back of the trailer up to level it when towed behind my 2005 Dodge 3500 dually. I’m just hoping the horses will still load and unload once the trailer is raised. We’ll see what happens.

So, you see, while I haven’t made a post in a while, I haven’t been totally disengaged.

It may be a while before my next post as well. This weekend I head west to attend the college graduations of two of my kids. My #2 daughter graduates from Brigham Young University at the end of this month, and my oldest son graduates from the University of New Mexico Medical School the second week in May. I’ll also get to spend some time with my parents in Arizona between the two dates and will hopefully get in a nice little pack trip while I’m there.

Stay tuned!

Great Western Trail, Western Trails

Roughed out my route through the bottom third of the state of Utah…

1 Comment

After much consideration, and with advice from friends who have been there and done that, I have roughed out what I think will be my route through southern Utah up to Panguitch. It will go something like this:

After coming up out of the Grand Canyon, we’ll follow the Arizona Trail up to the AZ/UT border, with one small deviation. I think we’ll probably stop at Jacob’s Lake for a hot meal and whatever else we can get there. It looks like we’ll have plenty of water and grass for the stock, but a soda pop might sound pretty good about then.

A few miles north, the trail turns northeasterly and eventually intersects House Rock Valley Road at the AZ/UT border, or thereabouts. We’ll follow that road north to US 89, cross under the highway at the culvert, then continue north about another 8-10 miles, until we pick up Paria River. We’ll follow Paria River northwest to Sheep Creek, and follow that until it intersects with Willis Creek.

Pictures Jon Tanner has posted of Willis Creek, indicate that we’ll likely have to remove the packs from the pack horses to get them through a couple narrow passages in the canyon, but it’s just too intriguing to pass up.

We’ll follow Willis Creek up until it meets The Grandview Trail (GVT) near the eastern border of Bryce Canyon National Park. BCNP doesn’t allow horse packing or camping with horses in the park, and they have very tight restrictions on dogs, so we’ll be staying outside the park boundaries. The GVT will take us through country similar to Bryce and we’ll be able to see much of Bryce Canyon from not too much of a distance, so we won’t completely miss out on it.

The GVT follows the Paunsaugunt Plateau’s edge from BCNP, around the southern point, then back up northerly to Red Canyon, through which Route 12 passes coming down off the plateau. We’ll follow Rt 12 west to Casto Road and follow that on north to Panguitch.

Panguitch will be one of the major rest and resupply stops for us. My dad was born and raised in Panguitch. He and I talked for many years about making a horse trip from Tucson, AZ, then later from Eagar, AZ to Panguitch, but we were never able to put it together. Now that I have the opportunity, I couldn’t miss the chance to incorporate that segment into my Mexico to Canada ride. I am hoping that Dad can make the ride with me from Eagar, through the Grand Canyon, and up to Panguitch. He’ll be turning 81 shortly after our arrival there.

I’m deep into planning the next segment of the trip, from Panguitch to Strawberry Reservoir. I have a few details to figure out, but I should be able to post a rough draft of that segment within a few days.

One thing I have learned as I have planned my routes, is that looking at topographical maps on a computer is a frustrating and uncertain thing. Looks like I’ll be spending a fortune on maps before I make the trip. Not only that, but there are so many trails and optional routes in Utah, that I would not want to travel through it without actual paper maps with me. Besides, I have no doubt we will alter our routes here and there, as we go.

You see, I have this terrible illness. It’s called “What’s over there-itis.” Sometimes I just have to see “what’s over there”!

Roughed-out route in blue, route under consideration in orange
Roughed-out route in blue, route under consideration in orange

Click on the map to get a larger image.

🙂

Great Western Trail, Saddlery, Tack and Gear

Bork Saddlery Hardware

This morning I had one of the most pleasant conversations I’ve had in a long time.

I called Bork Saddlery Hardware to get some specific information before I order some saddle horns and a pair of Decker pack saddle arches. I needed to talk to Mr. Bork, so he would know exactly what I needed in saddle horns for the saddle trees I’m working on.

Mr. Bork casts his own hardware. I was especially taken with the bronze cast pack saddle arches, which he offers in both a “modified” version, which will accept both Decker and crossbuck style paniers, as well as original-style Decker arches. Very pretty. Rod Nikkel, of Nikkel Saddle Trees, uses these on his Decker pack saddle  trees.

Bork Saddlery Hardware
Bork Saddlery Hardware
NikkelDecker_pack_tree_2
Decker pack saddle tree by Rod Nikkel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I expected to be a short conversation turned into a chat that lasted most of 45 minutes, I guess. We talked about saddle horns, of course, then we talked about saddles for a while. Turns out Mr. Bork used to build saddles himself. He said one of his saddles recently turned up in South Carolina. The owners saw the maker’s mark and called him to get information about it. Mr. Bork said the saddle was still in excellent condition after more than 50 years. He was obviously proud of his saddles, but he hasn’t made saddles in quite a while.

We talked about old-time saddles and how they were made to fit slimmer and less muscular horses than we normally see nowadays. We talked about restoring and rebuilding old saddles. He was a wealth of information about restoring life to old leather. In his younger days he would often take in old saddles as partial payment for other services, or as trade-ins on a new saddle. Then he would take the old saddles and rebuild them for resale. He once took in a whole load of old saddles from a ranch in British Columbia, Canada, rebuilt them and sent them back to the ranch for $25 apiece.

Here’s what he would do. Normally the stirrup leathers were shot, so in the trash they went. He would then cut new stirrup leathers from strips of leather from industrial machinery power belts he would purchase at a great price from a mining company in Alaska. They were made of very heavy leather, about 18 inches wide, and made excellent stirrup leathers, once he was able to get them straightened out!

He would also remove the skirts, which were normally in pretty poor shape, remove the fleece, and clean them up. He would put them in a bathtub with warm water and a bit of laundry detergent, and apply elbow grease with a stiff brush. By the time he was done, the water normally looked like chocolate milk. After cleaning, while the skirts were still wet, he would press them between heavy wood planks and set a heavy electric motor on the stack. He would take them out every day and pour sperm oil (it was cheaper than neatsfoot oil) over them. He said the secret, though, was that mold would form on the leather. He would clean off the mold every day and apply more oil. In his opinion, the reason the leather was so stiff and dry was that “it was dead”. The living mold infused the leather with life. As the leather dried, it would become as soft and pliable as new leather. I may have to give that a try.

Sometimes he would encounter a saddle with a broken horn. He would cut off the broken horn, make a new one, then cover it with rawhide and a latigo wrap. For a worn out cantle binding, he would remove the stitching and the old binding, then trim the old leather down a bit, making a regular cantle out of a Cheyenne Roll, and replace the binding with rawhide. He said it would reduce the cantle height by about a half-inch, but worked fine. Because he was selling these saddles to people who were looking for “economical” saddles, he would replace the fleece with thick felt. A lot of work for $25, seems to me.

Then the conversation turned to horses and pack horses, and pack trips. I told him about my plan to ride from Mexico to Canada, and my desire to make my own equipment. I told him about my efforts to plan a route and the hundreds of trails to choose from. He seemed genuinely excited about the trip. He encouraged me to document the trip as well as I can, so others coming behind may be able to follow the same trail. I told him I was doing my best and intend to use GPS and other means to document the trail as I go. We mused at what might have been, had Lewis and Clark had a GPS.

Somehow the conversation got around to how horses are healthy for people and that some people are now using horses for therapy for emotionally and physically handicapped people. We talked about that for a while. We decided that horses and dogs are probably more qualified as therapists than some of the people that claim that profession. I was captivated as he told me about his dog and how she waits for him every morning and is always excited to go with him. Seems we both share a love of horses and dogs.

We got back to saddles and saddle horns then. He asked whether I would consider a horn off an antique saddle, since I was rebuilding and duplicating one. He said he still has quite a few from old saddles he has taken apart over the years. I told him that as long as it was similar in shape and size, I would be happy with that. After all our conversation, I told him to take a look at the pictures of the broken saddle horn that I had previously emailed to him and to make his best judgment as to what I needed. I told him I’m sure I would be happy with that.

He’ll call me back once he has checked his stock of antique saddle horns. I’ll place an order for two pony saddle horns and a horn for the old Visalia saddle tree I’m duplicating. I’ll also order a pair of Decker pack saddle arches. I’m sure I’ll be happy with all of them. I certainly was happy with the conversation.

That was the best experience I’ve ever had with Internet shopping!