Last week I took one of my annual winter trips to the Saint George, Utah area for some good riding among the red rocks and cedar trees. I try to make a couple trips down south each winter, because there is often as much as 30 degrees difference in daytime temperatures between there and here at home in Salem, Utah, and normally little to no snow on the ground. However, to make it worth the 4-1/2-hour drive and the fuel expense, I normally plan to stay a couple days. I usually drive down on a Thursday morning, get in a short ride that afternoon, then plan for a long ride on Friday and another short ride on Saturday. I try to return home Saturday evening, so I can attend to my religious services and family responsibilities on Sunday.
Down at St. George, I have several friends with property and horse facilities, who offer their places for my riding buddies and me to overnight. The recently finished camper in the front compartment of my horse trailer saves on lodging and is quite comfortable and convenient for these short stays.
On this trip, my Thursday evening ride was on the Red Mountain Trail, which I have ridden a number of times. It has some of the most spectacular views of all the trails I have ridden, at the head of Snow Canyon, looking down into it.
The trailhead is located about 10 miles or so north of St George, off of Route 18. Take Skyline Drive past Diamond Valley toward Veyo. The entrance to the trailhead is easy to pass, though, so watch for the sign. The trailhead has excellent parking for half-a-dozen large rigs and a pit toilet, but no other facilities.
The trail is a loop of about 7 miles and is suitable for intermediate riders or novice riders with assistance. Most of the trail is easy, however, there are several places where a little trust in the horse and confidence in the rider are needed. There is no running water on the trail, but during the winter, there are occasionally a couple water puddles where a horse can be watered. Barefoot horses will be fine. The trail is fairly easy to follow, as it receives a lot of foot and equine traffic. At the apex of the trail at the head of Snow Canyon, there are several tie posts installed where horses can be tied. This is where we normally take a snack break and take a few minutes for some good photos of the canyon. The trail continues along the canyon rim for a good distance.
Just a note of caution, there are no developed view areas and there are no guard rails or services on this trail. While none of the trail follows the rim closely, the canyon rim may be approached at a number of places, which offer very tempting photo opportunities. I know of at least one horse that was lost over the canyon rim when it spooked, falling to its death. Luckily the rider was already on the ground when it happened. This is a very deep canyon with walls that drop vertically several hundred feet from the rim. Nobody routinely monitors the trail for safety and cell service is very limited.
I enjoyed my ride, as I always do on this trail, however on that particular day, the wind was howling at about 30 mile per hour. With the air temperature already in the teens, the wind-chill factor was likely below zero. By the time I got back to the trailer the sun was setting and I was chilled to the bone. I was very glad to get to my friend’s place and get the propane heater and a hot meal going in my camper!
The following day, Craig Sorenson (my host), Jon Tanner, Dave Barnhurst and a few others arrived and we started our riding day at the Elephant Arch trailhead in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, located just north of Washington, Utah. Take the Washington exit off of I-15 and turn north. There are actually two trailheads about a mile apart – the Grapevine Trailhead and the Elephant Arch trailhead. The linked site will show you how to get to them.
The Elephant Arch trail is a short trail ride, only a bit over an hour, but it is quite enjoyable and scenic. A section of the trail is in the bottom of a dry wash and provides riders a stretch where they can get the horses into a nice canter if they desire. There are places in the trail that are a bit steep, but overall the trail is suitable for all levels of rider. At one point in the trail, there is a short side-canyon trail that takes one through a very short slot canyon that is narrow enough that both stirrups will rub the walls for a few yards, then you turn around and head back the same way to the main trail. Elephant Arch itself is at the end of the trial (the trail is out-and-back) and it is a little hard to see if you don’t already know where it is. On this trip I didn’t get all the way up to the end of the trail, as our riding party got split up early-on and I just turned around when we met up with the group on their return from the arch (I’ve been there before, so no big deal, but I didn’t get any photos).
Normally, when I do the Elephant Arch Trail, it is tagged onto the end of a longer ride on the Grapevine and/or Dinosaur Tracks trail. This is what I recommend for first-time visitors. The longer trail takes about four to five hours and is quite spectacular. Take a lunch and water. The trail is suitable for barefoot horses. There is one long stretch up Sand Hill Trail which will require at least a couple stops to rest the horses. Having someone along who is familiar with the trail system is helpful, but as long as you stick to marked trails, you really can’t get lost. This trail system is very popular with hikers and bicyclists, as well as horse people.
On Friday afternoon, we decided to ride in the Snow Canyon State Park. There are several trails designated as equine trails, but most of the trail system is reserved for hikers and bicyclists. One should be familiar with the designations of the various trails, so as to avoid a citation. Maps are available at the trail entrance. Parking fees or a Park Entrance Fee are applicable.
While I have ridden the Red Mountain trail a number of times, this was my first ride in the canyon itself. The trail is a fairly short in-and-out of only about three to five miles (estimated). There are two branches to the canyon floor, so we rode up and back in each. The views are very nice and the trail is pleasant. Again, barefoot horses will be fine. The trail is suitable for all levels of riders, but be prepared to encounter quite a few hikers along the trail.
The parking area at the trailhead is limited for large rigs, but there is a good turnaround. When the parking area is full, getting a long rig in and out might be problematic. There is a very nice public toilet facility and, during the warmer months, running water. If the main parking area should be full, there is another good parking area (fee area) just outside the park at the lower entrance from which horses may also access the park’s trail system.
Now for the ride that excited me most: Gunlock
After Friday’s two short rides, I was looking forward to a longer ride with fewer restrictions as to the trail rules. Gunlock State Park was the answer. I had heard about Gunlock for years, but had never ridden there. On this trip to St George, Jon Tanner had coordinated with Deja Schweitzer, who is well acquainted with the area, as a trail guide for us. I’m glad we had her along.
We met Deja at a parking pullout located just south of the reservoir, on Gunlock Road. The pullout is not a fee area, but parking is limited to the side of the road.
There are no facilities. The trail crosses a stream and also approaches the reservoir, so there is plenty of water for the horses. The trail has some rocky areas, but it suitable for barefoot horses.
Deja led us on a 10-mile loop through the western side of the park, however, the park is bordered on almost all sides by BLM land, which means literally thousands of acres of land to explore with very few restrictions or limitations. It was a great place to let my colt, Trooper, run free and get some exercise as well. The area is mostly high desert, covered by sage and cedar trees, but there are also red-rock mountains, slot canyons, and, of course, Gunlock Reservoir. I used Ramblr to track our path and it is available for download here.
I really enjoyed riding this area! While most of the trail we rode follows OHV trails, there is no restriction to off-trail riding. As my horse was barefoot, I spent a lot of time riding alongside the trail, in the softer dirt, to make it easier on my horse.
I also enjoyed doing a little rock climbing, which is much safer on a barefoot horse, to expand Chief’s experience and confidence.
Toward the end of the trail, Deja led us through a fun slot canyon about a half-mile long that was the highlight of the ride.
I am very excited to have finally ridden the Gunlock area! I think I have found a new training area and playground for my horses. I expect to return there at least once each winter, during my annual pilgrimages to the Saint George, Utah area.
Many thanks to Deja for the photos she took. I rarely get many good photos of myself and my horses on my rides and this was a real treat for me.
A number of years ago I created this website for the purpose of documenting the information I was researching in preparation for a huge undertaking: a horseback trip across the western United States, from south to north – Mexico to Canada. As I asked questions on a number of forums and websites, I came to know that there was very little helpful information available and that much of what I found was unreliable. Along the way, however, several people suggested that I might start a blog, so that they might keep up with my progress, not only in the research, but with the adventure itself.
That idea appealed to me as a means of collecting and storing good information, not only for my own use, but for those who wished to follow my project. As I began to look into the prospect of starting a blog, I discovered that I would have to subscribe to one of several blog websites that would use the traffic I generated, along with thousands of other bloggers, to generate a revenue stream for the site owners through advertising. It occurred to me that I might as well purchase a domain name and make my own website and that other “horse people”, like myself might even wish to join me and create blogs for themselves under my website banner. In time, enough visiting traffic might be generated to earn the bloggers a little income from advertisers on the site. So, I bought the domain name Western Trail Rider.
I have had the website since 2011 and have authored nearly 200 posts. I was able to coax a couple of others to start blogs under the WTR banner, however, neither has kept up their blogs. It seems facebook is a lot easier when one is simply posting for personal enjoyment. The few advertisers who have contacted me wished to operate on a commission basis only, meaning that if anyone was referred to them through my website, they would pay me a small fee. The problem was that I had no means of tracking referrals or proving referrals to claim payment. It just didn’t work and I didn’t have the technical knowledge to better market myself and/or website for profit. I even paid a consultant to address some technical issues with the site and help me try to create a marketable site. My consultant was less than reliable and the effort failed. He still owes me several hundred dollars.
I have been unable to complete the Mexico-to-Canada horse pack trip, although I am still trying to make it at least to my father’s hometown, Panguitch, Utah, so my purposes for the website have evolved somewhat.
Over the past several years, the website, in connection with my Western Trail Rider facebook page, has provided a means of assisting others with the sale and purchase of horses, which brought me to create the “Horses for Sale” page in the site. However, my effort to market horses for other people began taking so much time that my own horses stood in the pasture unused. I have made the decision to reallocate my time to spend the bulk of it riding and training my own horses.
More than anything, I have used the blog as a means of documenting as a journal my rides and pack trips, as well as a place for some articles I have composed regarding horse training, product reviews, how-to-do-it, and other things I like to write about. My hope has been that my posts may be of some use or enjoyment for others as well.
So, my website has generated very little income and costs me a couple hundred bucks a year to maintain. My technical knowledge is frustratingly inadequate and I often encounter issues with the website that require hours of study and effort to remedy.
According to the statistics generated by WordPress, about 13,500 or so people have subscribed to my website, but I’m pretty sure most of them are spam subscribers, selling knock-off Ray Ban sunglasses and expensive handbags. I rarely see a comment on the site that is not a robot-generated spam comment. Lately it has not seemed worth the expense or time I spend to keep the website up.
Recently, as my renewal date came near, I thought about letting the website go. It is a hard thing to do, though, since I have put so much of myself into it. Over the past several months, I have had several conversations touching this, in which several of my subscribers told me how much they enjoyed reading my posts and hoped I would continue. This was very gratifying and led me to decide to continue. Then, very recently a very dear life-long friend, who is in poor health, told me how much he has enjoyed reading my blog posts, despite the fact that he is not a horseman, and that he hoped I would continue to publish posts about my rides and other horse-related adventures.
Well, I have paid my subscriptions and fees and the website will continue. I have made it a New Year’s Resolution to catch up on posts I have long left unfinished. I am sorry that I let things go so long.
So, here’s to you, Dan, John, Miranda, Dad and Mom, and all those I don’t even know, who have taken some enjoyment from my writings, musings, and adventures. And thanks for the encouragement.
I have been working on repairing an antique youth saddle for a young man to whom I am providing some horsemanship training. Last week, as I was trying to adjust the stirrups to fit his little brother, one of the stirrup straps broke.
I told his father that this old saddle is pretty worn out, but has good “bones” under the leather. The stirrup straps had been repaired and “cut and pasted” so many times that there wasn’t enough good leather left for any more repairs. I suggested that I could repair it to serviceable status by replacing the stirrup straps, but that the tooling was no longer available, so the repairs would be pretty obvious. He asked me to go ahead and see what I could do.
Well, I like my repairs to old saddles to approximate, as closely as possible, the original parts, so I started taking a good look at the stirrup leather tooling. After studying the stampings a little, I decided I might be able to make the two stamps I needed, one of which, as I said, is not available from any source. After tinkering a little with some steel rods I had in my shop and a couple files, I came up with a couple of homemade stamps that very closely approximate the original tooling on the saddle. In fact, you have to look very closely to tell the difference.
On Monday I cut new stirrup straps and yesterday I completed the stamping patterns, using the best piece of the original stirrup strap as a guide. I’m quite pleased with the result.
This evening I completed the stirrup straps, riveted everything together, installed the new buckles, and cut all the adjustment holes. Then I oiled the new leather well and applied Fiebings Pro Stain, in Dark Brown. I also oiled and cleaned the original sweat leathers and attached them to the new stirrup straps. The resulting repairs will be stronger and more durable than the originals.
Then I used a soapy water solution to clean the rest of the saddle leather. I got the leather sufficiently wet to allow it to dry on my saddle stand and reform the skirts and jockeys, which had dried and curled. I bound the saddle to the stand with belts and bungies and allowed it to dry. After it was dried and its new form set, I oiled it well and applied stain to make it match the new leather more closely, while not losing the patina of the original leather.
On a more valuable saddle, I would have completely disassembled the saddle and cleaned and reformed each piece individually, but for this saddle, that would be more work than it might be worth on its best day, and what I have done will extend the life of this old saddle for another 20 years or so.
As I began to reassemble the saddle, I found I had to replace one saddle string and that the cantle had broken loose from the bars. A previous repair had been made, in which the saddler made a metal piece, which he turned into a decorative piece, and attached it with screws to the bars and the back of the cantle.
It reinforces the connection between the cantle and bars, but I decided to go a little further and make a little stronger repair. I pulled the skirts away from the tree bars and pre-drilled and installed four 2″ #14 wood screws through the bars and up into the cantle. It’s solid now and the decorative metal reinforcement is just that – reinforcement, not the primary holding force for the cantle-bars connection.
The objective of this repair was not to bring this saddle back to “restored” condition, but to make it serviceable again for the purpose of teaching a couple of young boys to ride. I think I was more than successful in that regard and the saddle is now in better condition than it has been for many years past.
This saddle should be good for another 20 years or so. Might even make it to another generation of youngsters learning to ride!
I’m pleased with my work and I enjoyed it immensely.
A couple weeks ago I realized I was again going to have to postpone the next leg of my Mexico-to-Canada horse pack trip, which was planned for this month (May 2021). As it turned out, two issues arose: First, my recon of the area revealed that the drought had pretty much dried up the water sources along the route between the North Rim and the UT/AZ border, which is the driest part of the Arizona Trail even in the best years. Secondly, my riding partners for the trip had some major events occur in their lives that made it pretty much impossible for them to make the trip. Without the logistical support their involvement brought, I couldn’t see any way to continue. So it seemed my Mexico-to Canada horse pack trip would remain stuck at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for at least several more months. That got me a bit down in the mouth.
As I considered whether I might be able to at least cross the Grand Canyon by myself, I began to realize that my hopes of eventually continuing my horse pack trip all the way to the Canadian Border are pretty much gone. I thought that if I could at least get across the Grand Canyon, I would have fulfilled one of my last remaining lifetime “bucket list” dreams and, though things looked bleak, if I were to be able to continue the big pack trip, my logistical issues for the future would be greatly simplified.
My goal now is to make it from the US/Mexico Border to Panguitch, Utah, which is the destination I originally dreamed of in my youth. That’s the trip Dad and I used to talk about when I was in high school – Tucson, AZ to Panguitch, UT. My dad was born and raised in Panguitch; that’s where my pioneer forefathers settled and my greatest desire for the trip was to re-connect, so to speak, with them, so Panguitch was our original destination. So that’s what I have dreamed about for most of my life – a horse pack trip from Tucson to Panguitch with my dad.
During about 2010, a conversation with an old friend, Dale Maples, got me started considering a cross-country trip starting at the US/Mexico Border and ending at the US/Canada Border. Neither of us had any idea what that entailed and we figured we could make it in a couple months. After starting my research, I realized this would be much more of a major undertaking than either of us had imagined. Eventually, Dale decided he could not make the trip and my dad and I began to make plans. Very early, we realized we just would not have the financial or logistical support we would need to make the trip in one shot (besides the fact that I was in my mid-50s and Dad in his 80s), so I started planning to divide the mileage into a number of legs, ranging from about 200 to 1,000 miles each.
The first leg of the trip would be a “shakeout” leg, in which we would get a better idea of the mileage-per-day we could plan on, how our horses and gear would fare, and gain useful experience to help us plan for the rest of the trip. This leg would be from the US/Mexico Border, about 19 miles east of Douglas, Arizona, to Eagar, Arizona. At Eagar, which is where my parents live, we would evaluate ourselves, our horses, and gear, and decide whether we could continue on and make the second leg of the trip at that time, which would end at Panguitch, Utah around late-July.
We completed the first leg in April 2015, making 355 miles from the US/Mexico border – actually tied up to the border fence – to Eagar, which is where my folks live. This leg took Dad and me 28 days on the trail. It was a wonderful father-and-son experience (you can read my blog posts about it on this site) and an exceptional learning experience.
Our original plan was to make it to Eagar, and if all was well, to continue on to Panguitch, all in one trip. The plan was to arrive in Panguitch, Utah about July 22, just in time to take our place in the Garfield County Pioneer Day Parade on July 24. However, we were not many days on the trail when we realized that making the entire trip, over 900 miles, in one shot was not going to be possible for us. We decided to stop for the year at Eagar and continue on the second leg the following year, planning for much shorter legs in the future.
We continued the trip in 2016, making our way from Eagar, AZ, joining the Arizona Trail above Payson, AZ, and following it to Flagstaff. Again, our plan was to make it to Panguitch this time, but after reaching Flagstaff, we found it impossible to continue. The drought in 2016 was so severe in northern Arizona that wildfires were raging all through the region and we had already found ourselves threatened at one point and diverted by firefighters in another place. Additionally, consultation with the local US Forest Service made it clear that finding water for ourselves and our horses would be a critical issue. We wisely decided to stop there at Flagstaff for the year. In the end, we made 200 miles in two weeks.
The following year, my father, in his 83rd year, got bucked off his usually trustworthy gelding while out on a ride and got pretty beat up. It took him quite a while to recover from a lacerated spleen and other less severe injuries. That year my mare was pregnant, as well, so we delayed the next leg for another year. It was during that layover that Dad finally decided it was time to hang up his spurs. So, with a heavy heart I began to plan for the rest of the adventure without my best riding partner.
During 2018, a good friend, Jeff Palmer, mentioned he would like to make some of the horse pack trip with me. During the spring of 2019, he and I made our way from Flagstaff, AZ to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We made a total of 92 miles in 5 days, ending a couple miles east of Tusayan, Arizona, which is only about 7 miles from the south gate of Grand Canyon National Park.
And there I have been stuck since that time.
Making it across “The Big Ditch” has been a major logistical problem. The Arizona Trail crosses the Grand Canyon via the South Kaibab Trail from the South Rim, continuing from the bottom to the North Rim via the North Kaibab Trail, a total of 22 miles. The drive for the truck/trailers from the South Rim around to the North Rim, however, is nearly 6 hours, making it necessary to stage vehicles at both the North and South Rims, have places to keep horses with water and feed at both ends, and camp permits for at least three days within the park boundaries. Due to necessary coordination with the mule train outfitters operating on those two trails, crossing from the south to the north presents difficult schedule issues that make it nearly impossible to cross the canyon in one day, not to mention the fact that the park extends another 30 miles or so beyond the trailhead at the North Rim. Therefore spending a night in the canyon was in the plan, along with another night in the park at the North Rim, before heading out to continue to the UT/AZ border.
However, securing a Back Country Camp Permit for two nights in the Grand Canyon National Park is a difficult thing. Applications for these, to have any chance at all at getting one, must be submitted four months before the desired date. Recently the GCNP started allowing submissions 10 days in advance of that 120-day span, but does not actually process them until the opening day of the application time-frame. Of course, I struck out and was unable to secure a permit. The park rangers, however, were very helpful and encouraging. They give some priority to travelers going through the canyon over those just making out-and-back trips, in an effort to assist those making cross-country trips on the Arizona Trail. I fit into that category and they assured me that if I could come to the park and wait a few days, they would be able to secure a camp permit for me and get me and my horse through and on my way.
Then came the news that my riding companions were not going to be able to make the trip. So, as mentioned above. It looked like I was going to have to wait again. I began to have doubts about the whole trip, as age is starting to catch up with me and I have been feeling the miles lately. I began to think I might have to just call everything off and just be happy with what I have accomplished so far…which is nothing to sneeze at! I mean who gets to make a horse pack trip of 555 miles with their dad? Still I felt a sense of loss at the thought of giving up on yet another lifetime dream. At my age, you begin to realize that most of those dreams just aren’t going to happen and I don’t have too many of them left.
Then, last week, someone made a comment on a post on my Western Trail Rider facebook page, to the effect that she and her husband were traveling around southern Utah with their mules, riding at various sites. She mentioned that her husband has always wanted to ride through the Grand Canyon and wondered if it might be possible for him to tag along with us as we crossed. I told her sadly that it looked like my trip was going to be cancelled after all.
Then, a few nights ago, I found I could not sleep for thinking about having to cancel my crossing of the Grand Canyon and the prospect that my opportunities for doing so were quickly waning. I began to wonder whether my new friends, Ron and Janet Erickson, and I might be able to work out something together. The long and short is that after a few communications back and forth, we have struck a plan! I decided that the direction in which I crossed the Grand Canyon was less important than the fact that I did, in fact, cross that marvelous natural wonder on my own horses! Besides, riding from north to south makes coordinating with the outfitters easier. So, if all works according to plan, Ron and I will be dropped off by Janet, with our equines (Ron rides a mule) on Thursday morning at the North Kaibab Trailhead at the North Rim. While Ron and I make our adventure real, she will drive a rig around to the South Rim, where she will pick us up when we emerge from the canyon in the afternoon at the South Kaibab Trailhead. Looks like this is finally going to happen!
So, I will be heading south on Tuesday to meet Ron and Janet, who are currently staying at Paria River Ranch, to complete our plans and maybe take a ride with them on Wednesday. Ron and I will cross the Grand Canyon, me with Chief and Missy, him with his mule, from north to south, on Thursday, May 20, 2021.
Yes, today I feel very blessed and grateful. Thanks to the generosity and willingness of the Ericksons and Ron’s dream, like my own, to cross the Grand Canyon on our own worthy steeds.
I finally got to do one of my “bucket list” rides! I have been wanting to ride Buckskin Gulch for several years now, ever since I first saw a few photos of the spectacular slot canyon and learned it was accessible by horses!
Last week, my good friend Jeff Palmer and I made the drive to southern Utah, loaded with our horses, to make the ride. The Buckskin Gulch official trailhead is located about 4.5 south of US89, off of House Rock Valley Road. The intersection of US89 and House Rock Valley Road is about halfway between Kanab, UT and Page, AZ, where the highway takes a large turn through a red rock ridge.
The trailhead has a large parking area, sufficient for even large truck/trailer rigs, and a pit restroom. There is no water and no other services at the trailhead. Visitors are requested to register and there is a permit fee of $5 per person, which can be paid either online or at the trailhead.
While the canyon is approximately 13 miles long (from what I have read), from the House Rock Valley trailhead, one can only go in about 9 miles, before reaching a place where horses cannot pass, due to a huge rock pile. Hikers are able to climb over and around the boulders, but it’s a no-go for horses. Our ride in-and-out, according to the Ramblr app on my iphone, was 18.2 miles and took us almost 5 hours. Horses should be shod, as much of the canyon floor is filled with natural river rock and is pretty tough on the horses’ hooves.
The canyon has two other entry points, one a few miles farther south on House Rock Valley Road, called Wire Pass, which is impassable for equines, and one from the eastern end of the canyon, which has its trailhead at White House. I have yet to try this one.
From the official Buckskin Gulch trailhead, we rode a couple miles through a dry wash, lined by picturesque red rock hills and sage brush, before actually entering the slot canyon, As you start into the canyon, you first get a primer of things to come as you pass through a couple of narrow passages with red cliff walls, but nothing like the canyon itself!
Once you actually get inside the canyon, the walls climb high and the floor gets narrow. The air cools down and it gets a little spooky, as you begin to realize that there is no way out, but the way you came in!From that point, it was absolutely fascinating to observe the various shades of color in the canyon walls and the way the light plays off of the turns and edges of stone.
I had brought along a spare horse, since I was working on legging-up my two horses for a pack trip next month. I let Chief wander free. He is a very calm and friendly horse and no danger to the other visitors in the canyon. It was actually nice to have him along, as he provided a means of showing the impressive scale of the canyon walls in some of the photos, since photos rarely provide the true impact of seeing these things in person.
The ride reached the mid-point after a little over two hours, at about the nine-mile mark, when we reached a blockage in the canyon that we could not pass. At this point I switched my saddle to Chief and rode him out the way we came and let Missy go free.
During the ride we passed a number of hikers along the way, most of whom entered the canyon through Wire Pass, which, as I said, is impassable for horses. We actually entered into the passage leading to Wire Pass and followed it as far as we could, which was only about 100 feet or so, then turned around and came out.
At this junction in the canyon, there is a rather spacious bottom. Along one side of the canyon wall there is a large flat wall on which can be found a number of ancient petroglyphs. Also found there are various examples of vandalism of these ancient drawings and a bit of modern graffiti. It also appears that it may be somewhat traditional, when there is moisture in the canyon, to place one’s hand in the mud and plaster a hand print on the wall, as we saw numerous examples of this as well.
Our ride out took a little less time than our ride in, as the horses sensed we were headed back toward the trailhead. However, the views on the return trip were just as fascinating and awe-inspiring as on the ride in. Seeing everything from the opposite direction was like seeing it for the first time.
Here is a video of the ride from my YouTube channel at Western Trail Rider.
Below is a gallery of photos we got during the ride. Click on the photo to see it in larger scale.
Yep! It was quite a ride! I think I may make that an annual type of thing for myself!
Several years back, my dad and I were out on a two-week horse pack trip in central Arizona, up on the Mogollon Rim. At night, we would allow some of our five-horse string to graze, while the others were tied. While none of our horses ever left us, they often moved around quite a bit while grazing. It didn’t take too many nights for rub sores to start developing on their pasterns from the 1-1/4″ nylon flat-braid hobbles. Those hobbles were well-used and soft, but still left marks on the horses. We tried fastening the hobbles tighter and putting them up on their cannon bones, but no matter what we tried, they always ended up down on their pasterns making sores.
One afternoon, as we were moving along the Arizona Trail, somewhere between Flagstaff and the Rim Road above Payson, Dad stopped and picked up a piece of soft braided nylon rope he found alongside the trail. That evening in camp, Dad took a few minutes and tied that piece of rope into a couple pairs of hobbles. He tied them so they would hang loose around the coronet area, low on the horses’ pasterns, but wouldn’t come off the hoof. He also tied them a little long, giving the horses a little more room to take steps. We found that leaving a little extra room for movement, discouraged the horses from learning to gallop with the hobbles on. They can still do it, but generally, they seem to prefer to take small steps rather than gallop. Best of all, no more chafe sores on their pasterns.
We quickly discovered these hobbles were the best we had ever used and I’ve been using them ever since.
Chief and Copper sporting my homemade hobbles on a pack trip
These homemade hobbles are easy to make. Just take two lengths of soft rope, I prefer about 3/8″ diameter nylon braided rope, 48″ long and tie them together with a few simple over-hand knots. Nothing to it!
Here’s a short instructional video I made, showing you how. It will take you all of 10 minutes…and that’s if you’re slow!
After making that video, a subscriber told me a better way to make these hobbles. Rather than starting at the ends and tying the inner knots last, he started with the inner knots first, setting the desired distance between the horse’s feet. He then moved to each end, tying those knots as desired, making the hobbles loose enough to fit loosely around the horse’s pastern, but tight enough not to be able to slip off the hoof. Also, the diameter of the rope (I suggest 3/8″ diameter soft nylon or braided utility rope) and the type of rope greatly affects the length required. Starting with two lengths, say, in the 60″ range, and starting with the inner knots first, one can tie the outer knots and then cut the ropes to the proper length.
I was just looking through old posts on my blog and discovered this post I composed nearly 5 years ago that inadvertently never got published. So I’ll just make a few additional comments and get it out there anyway.
The post was originally composed in about April of 2015. Since then I have absolutely no complaints about my saddlebags, after probably 2,000 trail and pack trip miles. Sadly, it appears these saddlebags, sadly, are no longer offered on the Outfitter’s Supply website. They now show an upgraded version, however, that have leather covers and straps, with brass buckles. The price is nearly $100 more than the ones I bought in 2015, at $149.95 (currently on sale, though), but they look like good, tough saddlebags.
ORIGINAL POST:
One of the indispensable pieces of gear for any trail ride or pack trip is a good pair of saddle bags. Over the years I have used a number of saddle bags of various sizes and materials, but the ones I keep coming back to are canvas saddle bags in the size range of 12″ X 11″ X 4″, or thereabouts. As I was preparing for the upcoming pack trip, I shopped around for a pair of saddle bags, as my old ones are just plain worn out.
Some of the things I look for in a canvas saddle bag or reinforced seams, leather straps, and steel buckles. Up until recently, all of the offerings I have looked at and seen in online stores are made of thin canvas and have nylon straps and plastic buckles. While these saddle fittings might be perfectly satisfactory for the casual trail rider, they simply don’t hold up to what I put them through. While leather saddle bags are pretty and nice, when I compare prices with the canvas bags and consider what I put them through on my pack trips, I have preferred canvas over leather. Well made canvas bags are durable and I don’t cringe every time they get jabbed by branches or scraped on rocks while on the trail.
I recently purchased a pair of bags from Outfitter’s Supply. I had spotted them unexpectedly in their online store and had to try them out.
When I received them, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality workmanship. They, of course, bear the Outfitter’s Supply Trail Max brand. The canvas is quite heavy, probably in the 15 ounce range, and all the seams are reinforced with nylon webbing. Straps of nylon webbing reinforce the canvas connecting the two bags and heavy-duty grommets reinforce the saddle string holes. The holes are well-placed for attaching the bags to the saddle with the saddle strings for both my saddles. They also have a D-ring attached to the forward side of both bags, for additional attachment points for saddle strings or clips at the sides of the saddle below the cantle. The bags have two closure straps, made of good quality latigo leather that run completely around the opening side of the bags bags and are well-stitched in place at the top and bottom. They have chromed steel buckles, which completes the heavy duty nature of these saddle bags.The bags are large and roomy, measuring 12″ X 11″ X 4″. They can hold a lot of gear without being overly bulky.
Outfitter’s Supply canvas saddle bags on Lizzy
At $54.95, these bags are quite a bit more expensive than other canvas bags offered by other vendors, however, these are very well made and have all the heavy-duty features I have been looking for. I am very pleased with these saddle bags and expect they will be the last saddle bags I ever need to buy for my packing needs…that is unless I need a second pair. That, for me is worth paying the higher price. You only have to pay it once.
I’ve had my share of lesser canvas saddle bags. I am happy with these.
END OF ORIGINAL POST
After 5 years of hard use, my Outfitter’s Supply Trail Max canvas saddlebags are still going strong. As I said before, I have absolutely no complaints. The buckles and straps are still in good shape, the canvas is wearing well. The seams are holding, with no fraying, and they are easy to clean. I expect I’ll be putting these through many, many more trail miles ahead.
I recently read a post on a facebook group page I frequent, in which a member asked for advice on buying a “good” trail saddle in the “under $1,000” price range. Reading many of the responses was almost physically painful to me! It was painfully obvious to me that there are many, many people out there who have absolutely no idea what a good trail saddle is. It was also quite obvious that many responders have a very narrow perspective from which they judge what a good saddle is, but promote or defend their view almost with religious zeal!
I read recommendations ranging from people who apparently consider a half-hour ride around the neighborhood to be a trail ride, to those who consider 50-mile endurance rides as trail rides! Most riders fall somewhere in between these extremes, and therefore, the saddles they should consider also fall somewhere in between the recommendations of these two extremes. A fairly large “grain of salt” is in order here.
The fact that a saddle is comfortable on a half-hour ride can’t be extrapolated to the conclusion that the same saddle will be comfortable for the horse and rider after 8 hours in the saddle. Nor can the fact that an endurance saddle didn’t sore the rider or horse after five hours and fifty miles on an endurance ride be conclusive evidence that this same saddle will work well for a horse that is in less-than top condition and a rider who might be a bit overweight on a 20-mile ride over 8 hours or 100 miles over 5 days.
I decided to add my two-cent’s worth to the fray. After posting it, I realized that I, too, have a fairly narrow perspective from which I judge what a good trail saddle is. Still, maybe some of my readers will find it of value.
Disclaimer: This is not a discussion about saddle fit. That is an entirely different religious and political argument!
So, here goes.
To start off, let me just take a few lines to make sure the reader understands the perspective from which I judge a good trail saddle. I ride long, hard miles, through some very difficult country. A trail ride less than half-a-day in duration is not common for me, other than the occasional short group ride or training rides. I have, on occasion, ridden 40 miles in a day with no trail, through difficult country (measured by GPS) with horses loaded with game meat and personal gear. I often carry up to 30 pounds of gear hanging from my saddle.
My saddles must have multiple attachment points for gear, such as saddle bags, pommel bags, breast collar, crupper, canteen, bedroll, coat, slicker, rifle scabbard, limb saw, axe, and more. My saddles must be heavy-duty and have a strong saddle tree with no flex to cause pressure points on my horses’ backs.
My limb saw
The covering material must be strong, durable, resistant to foul weather, and comfortable to both myself and the horse. For my needs, lightweight saddles made for endurance, or inexpensive saddles with plastic trees and fabric covers, or flexible trees, are simply ruled out. That doesn’t mean my saddle must be heavy, just that it must be heavy-duty.
Having these parameters in mind, there are some things that must be considered when I select a saddle to fit my requirements. While price is a limiting factor for me, it can certainly be an indicator of quality. However, I consider price to be a consequence of quality craftsmanship, rather than a determinant of it. Time can temper price, often making used saddles the best option if price is a limiting factor, as it is for me. One can easily find quality used saddles, in need of a little care, that far outstrip the quality and durability of a similarly priced new saddle.
We have all heard and read the many recommendations extolling the merits of saddles with flexible trees or even without trees. The party line (it’s very much like a political argument) is that the saddle tree (or lack thereof) allows the saddle to flex to conform to the shape of the horse’s back, making it comfortable to the horse. Anyone must admit that this sounds like a good and reasonable assumption, and it is clearly used to market such saddles, but if you really analyze it logically, this idea fails.
Stop and consider what happens when a flexible piece of wood, such as a popsicle stick, is held by the ends and a weight is placed in the middle. It flexes down in the middle. Right in the middle. Where the weight is. This is exactly what happens with a flexible saddle tree. It flexes down into the horse’s back exactly where the weight on top of it is! Now, this may not be a problem for a horse that is ridden for two or three hours at a time, as the flexible tree will, in fact, spread the rider’s weight and it may actually be comfortable for the horse. But, for a horse that is on the trail for 20 miles, climbing and descending, with a rider that weighs 180 pounds, like me, and with another 20 pounds of gear hanging on it, it is easy to see that a saddle tree that flexes will flex the most where the most weight is placed on it and will impart pressure points into the horse’s back. It is simple physics.
The worst saddle sore I ever saw on a horse was from a heavy rider on a saddle “made for gaited horses” with short skirts and a flexible tree (he was riding a large Tennessee Walker), for which he paid in excess of $1,500. During a long difficult ride, the saddle tree flexed, spreading the bars apart, allowing the cantle to essentially sit on the horse’s spine. Despite the heavy wool-felt saddle pad, by the time we stepped down from our saddles at the end of the day, the sore was ugly and raw. The following year, the same horse on the same ride with the same rider and similar gear, now sporting a well-made saddle with a rawhide-covered wood tree, not only showed less fatigue, but no sores or tenderness at all.
Again, for my requirements, a flexible tree or treeless saddle is not even in the running. If you are a heavy rider or if you make long rides through difficult terrain, this is something you should consider.
I prefer saddles with rawhide covered wood trees. Despite the sales pitches to the contrary, these are the trees the best custom saddle makers still use. A wood tree allows a very small amount of flexion, just enough to keep the saddle tree from being brittle, and a well done rawhide covering is one of the toughest materials known to man.
Rawhide covered trees have been around for over 200 years and there are saddles still in use with these trees that are over 150 years old. I am not afraid of new technology nor am I saying newer manufacturing techniques may not be equally tough or better. I am only saying that a well made rawhide-covered saddle tree is a proven commodity, and, according to the best saddle makers, still the king.
There are good quality saddles that use trees that used to be called “ralide” trees. These trees are plastic or fiberglass. Some brands that have used these trees are Simco, Bona Allen (sold by Sears and Montgomery Ward), Colorado Saddlery, among others. These trees are a big step down from the rawhide-covered wood tree, but they can still be the basis for a good trail saddle. These “plastic” trees are far better than a wood tree without the rawhide covering, like some older production-line saddles had.
Tree partially covered in rawhide – poor quality
I wouldn’t recommend them for the kind of riding I sometimes do, but for what most people call a “trail ride” they are perfectly sufficient and are essentially the same kind of tree that many medium-quality, moderately priced ($700-1,500) saddles are built on.
The problem with these plastic trees is that they tend to flex more than a wood tree and they generally have less surface area in the bars. In other words, the tree bars, which spread the weight on the horse’s back, tend to be about 2″ shorter and 1/2″-1″ narrower than rawhide/wood saddle tree bars on saddles of similar seat length and size. This means there is less surface area to spread the weight over a larger area of the horse’s back. A good, heavy leather in the skirts can mitigate this somewhat, although most saddles made with plastic trees are also made with lighter, lower quality leather than saddles with rawhide-covered wood trees. They are, however pretty tough and often carry a manufacturer’s warranty that far exceeds that of a rawhide/wood tree.
In recent years, certain tree manufacturers are making fiberglass-covered wood trees. I have read some good things about these trees, but they are still not as popular among the best saddlers as the rawhide-covered wood trees. Could just be tradition, though. My experience is limited here.
“Vintage” Simco saddles (photos from Pinterest)
Years ago, my father purchased a half-dozen or so Simco saddles for a riding school our family had. These all had Ralide trees. Many years later, we still had a couple of those saddles. The tree on one saddle failed and my father called Simco to see whether we could get a new tree for the saddle. The company told us to send the saddle to them and they would take care of it. Dad shipped the saddle off and several weeks later received a completely refurbished saddle from them at no cost to us! Simco is no longer in business (although their brand name is still used), but the older Simco saddles, made in the 60s and 70s, are still sought after as a good quality used saddle. They are easy to find in the $350 to $500 price range and are worthy trail saddles if the leather is in decent condition.
Endurance saddles are made for a specific purpose: To ride far and fast in a very short time. They are built on very small, lightweight trees, not intended to carry heavy gear and not intended to carry a heavy rider. A good endurance saddle, such as the Tucker pictured below, is a well-made saddle. However, it would not be suitable for a horse pack trip. Nor would it be suitable for a heavy rider for a long ride. There just isn’t enough surface area under the saddle to adequately spread the weight of a heavy rider with gear over a long ride on a horse that isn’t in top condition. I consider “Aussie” saddles to be in this same category, although there is a very wide range of build quality in these as well.
Fabric-covered saddles are, by definition, “cheap” saddles. They may be comfortable to ride for those on a tight budget, but they are not durable. These are not saddles that will ever be handed down as family heirlooms. Nor should they be considered for those riders who are heavy or who intend to put a lot of miles in the saddle on horses they care for. Saddles made with fabric coverings are very lightweight saddles. They are comfortable to ride and much easier to lift onto and off of the back of a horse for a person with physical limitations, than my 40 pound saddle. However, they should not be considered in the same vein as lightweight endurance saddles. In my mind, these fabric-covered lightweight saddles are analogous to wearing flip-flops on a five-mile hike; comfortable at first, but less so as the miles pile up. These saddles use lightweight trees, as well as fabric sweat flaps for the stirrups. This material tends to wear on riding clothing and eventually wears out itself. A much better option would be to look for a good used leather saddle in the same price range.
Several years ago, in preparation for a month-long horse pack trip, I was searching for a good trail saddle. I found what I was looking for in the local classified ads. I was able to purchase an excellent saddle made by the Utahn Saddle company of Vernal, Utah (long out of business) that was probably made in the 1960s. I paid $380 for this saddle, a rifle scabbard, a couple good saddle pads, a bridle, and a second saddle that was in dire need of repair. You can read about that score here. I have since put a couple thousand miles on that saddle.
My Utahn Saddle, fully loaded for a trip
The other saddle, that was essentially a freeby in that deal, I refurbished into an excellent trail saddle that became a gift to my niece. It required a lot of work, but I was able to do it myself at very little expense and I learned a lot in the doing of it. You can read about that experience here.
Refurbished used saddle
I will acknowledge here that as I age, lifting my 40-pound ranch saddle onto and off of my 15-2HH horse is starting to feel like hard work. I intend to make a lightweight, yet heavy-duty, saddle for myself. I have already purchased the tree, from Timberline Saddle Trees, Vernal, Utah, which is their Timberline Wade tree. I intend to cover it with high-quality leather, but minimizing the amount of decorative leather and keeping things in the 25-30 pound range. I have researched some designs and I wrote up some of my musings here.
Saddle by Out West Saddlery, Pagosa Springs, CO
So, what do I look for when I buy a used saddle (other than size and design)? I look first at the tree. I lift the skirts to make sure it is a rawhide-covered wood tree and that the rawhide is in good condition. I don’t mind if a stitch or two of the rawhide lacing has broken, as long as the rawhide itself is in good shape. I make sure the horn and cantle are tight and there is no movement that might indicate a broken or cracked tree or cantle. Next I look at the condition of the leather from an overall perspective. Leather that is dried and curled or scratched can be revitalized with careful cleaning and oiling with saddle soap and PURE Neatsfoot oil. However, leather that is cracked and checked may not be so easy to revitalize.
Sun damage
That is sun damage and it cannot be undone. Sometimes it is so bad that I feel the saddle is not worth attempting to revive. Other times, I can live with it and it can be somewhat mitigated and it’s life extended with cleaning and oil.
Leather that is torn or cut may be repairable inexpensively at a saddle shop or you may be capable of repairing it yourself, as I do.
Next I look at the fleece. Is it in good condition? Is it original or has it been replaced? If it was replaced, was it done well? Is it actually real fleece? Some cheap saddles have fake fleece that is not durable. Stay away from these. That fake fleece is indicative of the overall quality of the leather and tree. See this post.
Some old saddles had felt instead of fleece on the skirts. That isn’t a problem. Fleece on a saddle is not actually intended as padding. It is there to keep the saddle from sliding around and keep the saddle pad under it. I don’t worry too much if the fleece is in poor condition, because I can replace it without too much effort for about $100. You can have a saddle shop do it for around $350. It makes a good bargaining point, though.
Is a good cinch included? Are the stirrup leathers, stirrups, and buckles in good condition? These things can be replaced, but, again, make good bargaining points.
Worn out Hamley saddle
Repairs to the Hamley saddle
The above saddle is a Hamley, nearly 75 years old, still a sought-after saddle. It was handed down to me from my wife’s family. I refurbished the saddle and it is very comfortable and strong. It fits my narrow-built horses well. Hamley, Pendleton, Oregon, is one of the oldest surviving saddleries in the country and their saddles are very hard to come by…at any price.
In summary, the time factor brings excellent, well-made saddles, maybe in need of a little refurbishment and care, into the realm of possibilities for those, like myself, who may be restricted by price limitations. It is not difficult for one to find in the local classified ads, a saddle that was once a high-priced, sought after saddle, priced lower in the current market than the cheapest new saddle, made in India or China (read very low quality), that you can find on eBay. Very often, the quality and durability of those older saddles is still there. It may be hard to see sometimes, and may require a little elbow grease and maybe some repair work at a local saddle shop, to bring it out, but, dollar-for-dollar, they far outstrip the quality and durability one will get out of any sub $1,000 new saddle you will find marketed under any brand. All it requires is a little patience, a little searching, a little care, and only a little cash.
Just my opinion, based on my knowledge and experience. Your mileage may vary.
I’m finally getting around to writing up my solo horse pack trip from October, 2020, down around the southwest end of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in central Utah. It’s been awhile, but I always keep a hand-written journal, so I will refer to it to refresh my memory. I’m sorry to say, however, that since it was a solo pack trip, there aren’t as many photos as I would have liked and none of myself. Still, it was a refreshing and enjoyable trip, which was the whole purpose of the thing in the first place.
I had high ambitions for this trip, at least in the planning. My intention was to drive down to the Losee Canyon Trailhead, near Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah on Monday, October 19, set up a camp, and ride the Thunder Mountain Trail that afternoon. That trail is a fairly short out-and-back, so I would return to camp that evening. The following day, I would pack up the horses and head out for a 2-day pack trip, starting on the Grandview Trail #66, southward to Badger Canyon, then eastward up to Tropic Reservoir, returning northward across the top of Paunsaugunt Plateau to the top of Casto Canyon, thence descending Casto Canyon and returning to my point of beginning on Wednesday evening. I calculated it would make about a 50-mile trip. Then, on Thursday, I was to drive across the plateau to Canonville, where I would stop and ride Willis Creek, before heading on down to set up a camp near the trailhead for Buckskin Gulch, just south of US89, between Page, AZ and Kanab, UT. I would ride the Gulch, about a 20-mile ride, on Friday. Then, on Saturday, I would spend a little time doing some scouting between the Gulch and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon along the Arizona Trail, in preparation for my crossing of the Big Ditch next spring. I was seriously looking forward to this trip!
Things started to unravel several weeks before the trip even took place, when my 2005 Dodge 3500, sporting over 350,000 miles, began to have problems. I had taken a weekend trail ride trip with Jon Tanner and friends up to Red Castle in northeastern Utah a few weekends before. The last several miles before reaching our camp area was on a very rough washboard dirt road that nearly rattled my pickup apart! After that, several things failed. The “Check Engine” light came on, my air conditioner stopped working, and my alternator became intermittent. Then, the weekend before this pack trip, coming home from a ride out in Skull Valley, Utah, a fitting on a power steering line came loose and leaked out all my power steering fluid. With some help from a good Samaritan in Eureka, Utah, (where there is no auto parts store and no cell signal at all) I was able to repair it well enough to limp on home. Once I repaired the power steering system, there was obviously an electrical problem somewhere in the system still to deal with. I connected my code reader to the OBDII port on the pickup and was surprised to find it would not connect.
I replaced the alternator and just disregarded the A/C, since winter was coming on anyway, and thought I had fixed things. I headed over to the Dodge dealership to see if they might be able to re-program the pickup and solve the “Check Engine” issues. Their advice was, that since it was running, not to attempt to re-program it, because, in order to do so they would have to “wipe” the truck computer, then re-install the programming. My year of truck was known to have a glitch in which it sometimes would not accept the re-programming, which would necessitate the purchase of a new computer…which are in short supply and very expensive. I decided to just let it go.
So, I went home and started tracing out my electrical harness and trying to locate anything that might be an electrical short. I located a pair of shredded wires that connected to the A/C compressor. Eureka! I thought. I repaired the two wires, hoping that would solve all my troubles. It did not. Still, the pickup was running well, just a little under-powered. So I decided to continue with my plans.
On Monday morning, October 19, I went to the car wash and used the engine de-greaser to clean off as much of the power steering fluid as possible, from under the engine compartment of the truck, so I could make sure the power steering leak issue was fixed. It seemed to be ok. However, I then discovered that one of the duals on the rear of the truck had picked up a drywall screw and had a slow leak. So, I spent the rest of the morning at Big-O tires in Spanish Fork, getting that repaired.
Finally, about 3:30 in the afternoon, I was packed up and headed south. By the time I was halfway to Panguitch, Utah, I knew something was still very wrong. On some of the uphill pulls my truck just felt weak and I was having 18-wheelers passing me! My fuel mileage was also way down. Not only that, but during the drive I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to grab my riding boots and toss them into the trailer! And here I was with only my low-top tennis shoes! Could anything else go wrong? I finally made it to my selected camp area, near the Losee Canyon Trailhead, just in time to set up camp before dark.
I determined that I would go to Panguitch the next morning and see if I could buy a pair of boots and look for a particular sensor for the pickup that seemed to be at the root of the engine problems.
Due to the delays and other issues, it was pretty clear I was going to have to make adjustments to my plans for the trip. I had conversed briefly about things with Jon Tanner, who I think knows every trail in Utah, about my trip. He suggested that my 50-mile pack trip might take longer than the two days I had planned and that I might consider alternate routes or adding a day to it. He also mentioned that the Grandview #66 trail was the same trail that started the Thunder Mountain Trail, so I decided that I would just take the Thunder Mountain trail, which is an out-and-back that takes off from the GV#66, as I started out on my pack trip. That would save a day. I also decided to allow a third day for the pack trip, which would mean I would have to eliminate the scouting trip on the Arizona Trail.
So, with all that settled in my mind, I went to bed.
Tuesday morning, I arose, made myself a nice breakfast, then headed in to Panguitch. I have fond childhood memories of Panguitch, since it is a prominent part of my heritage. Panguitch was settled in the late 1800s and my ancestors were among the first to settle there. In fact, the first large home built outside the old fort, according to family history, was built by Samuel Henrie for his large family. That home still stands…although there is disagreement as to which home it really was. My father was born and raised in Panguitch and my family often visited there on vacations when I was young. I have very fond memories of my grandmother, Nina Hatch, and great-grandmother, Mary Houston, who were permanent fixtures and part of the history of Panguitch. I have cousins who still live in Panguitch.
Anyway, back to the point at hand – I went directly to the local western clothing store to buy boots…only to discover they do not sell boots! They advised me to check the local Ace Hardware. I was very happy to find the Ace Hardware, being the only store in town that sells boots, had a pair of Georgia Boot Wellingtons in my size! Not what I was hoping for, but would do the trick, so, out the door I went with them. I then headed for the local NAPA Auto Parts store. They did not have the part I needed in stock, but could have it the following day. Instead, I bought a can of brake cleaner and decided just to try to clean the sensor and see if that would fix it.
So, armed with new boots and a can of brake cleaner, I headed back to camp. After cleaning the sensor and re-installing it, and starting the truck just to make sure, I was satisfied that at least things were no worse. So, I decided to continue with my trip.
I got all packed up and on the trail by about 1:30pm. On this first day, I decided to ride Copper and pack Chief. I had Chief loaded with light packs, being probably 150 pounds total. I don’t need much when I pack solo. I decided to use the soft panniers on this trip, since I wasn’t taking enough gear to fill my hard panniers. Copper, on the other hand, had quite a load: Me, my 40-pound saddle, saddle bags, pommel bags, canteen, etc., totaling probably 270 pounds or more. I would be switching off between the two horses, so I wasn’t too worried about overloading either one.
We had about a two-mile ride back to State Route 12, crossed it, and made our way to the trailhead. Now, outside the park boundaries is BLM land, so dispersed primitive camping is allowed pretty much anywhere outside of the highway easements. The Grandview/Thunder Mountain trailhead has a very nice paved parking area that can accommodate several horse trailer rigs, but there is no overnight camping there. It is located on Route 12, about two miles east of US89, just as the road starts up into the canyon.
We passed through the parking area, stopped to take a look at the signs and information board, then headed out. Just a note about the trail sign: The Thunder Mountain Trail # .098, is a trailhead for pedestrian and bicycles. I don’t believe equines are allowed on that trail. Most of the hikers and bikers seem to start on that trailhead and either do and out-and-back or complete the loop, returning by way of the Grand View #66, because that route is generally a downhill trail. That trailhead is located a little ways farther up the road. For equestrians, taking the Grand View Trail #66 will get you to the Thunder Mountain trail within a mile or so, where you turn off and do an out-and-back.
We encountered several small groups of bikers on the trail, which is something to keep in mind, as some bikers have absolutely no understanding of what to do with a horse encounter and many of them come literally blasting down the trails on their nearly silent bicycles! Thankfully, the several bikers we encountered were very courteous and careful and my horses are very accustomed to foot and bicycle traffic and we had no problems. We also encountered several hikers and backpackers. This was Copper’s first time to encounter a backpacker with a large pack and he stepped very lightly around the first one. After that all was well.
The landscape and topography was stunning in those first few miles – red cliffs and green cedars/junipers. It got even better as we climbed and the views became longer. Both horses were excited to be on the trail and moved out at a good pace.
I decided to forego the Thunder Mountain Trail and just continued on the GV#66, due to our late start. I’m glad I made that choice, because things worked out pretty tight, time-wise.
After several miles, both horses started slowing down a little and settling into a solid walk. I had to stop a couple times to re-settle my top pack, which had my sleeping bag and some clothing items in it. It kept sliding off to one side, even though I had everything cinched down under a diamond hitch, so I had to do a better job of securing it.
I found there is water sufficient for the horses at various places. The first water we encountered, however, was in a creek about 7 miles in. There is a nearby ranch there as well, and a ranch road that heads westward to US89. After that, we came upon water about every two miles or so, in creek beds and water troughs. Grass is sparse, however and not sufficient for grazing until we got up near Tropic Reservoir.
At about the 8-mile mark, we came into a valley that had a marshy bottom. By this time, Copper was accustomed to following a trail, so I let him walk and spent a lot of time looking around at the beautiful country and dreaming my dreams. Suddenly I realized we weren’t on the designated trail! This area gets little foot traffic, since most hikers, bikers, and equestrians turn off onto the Thunder Mountain Trail, which we had passed several miles back. This bottom was criss-crossed with cow and game trails that evidenced more traffic than the designated trail!
Still unsure, we continued on, hoping to come upon some marker that would indicate were were back on the real trail, but things quickly became difficult. The growth became thicker, blowdowns were becoming a problem, and we were wandering around just trying to make our way through the valley, hoping to find the trail on the hillside on the opposite side.
As we made our way through the thicket, I turned Copper toward an open area that appeared to have a little stream of water passing through it. I figured it would be a good chance to give the horses a drink, since water is quite sparse on this trail. I stepped Copper over a fallen log and into the open area. As he stepped over the log, he immediately sunk nearly up to his belly! It was a bog! I let go of Chief’s lead, hoping he would stop and not enter the mud, while Copper struggled to get to solid ground. It was useless. Copper sunk up to his belly and quickly became mired. While he rested in the mud, I dismounted and began removing my gear. Solid ground was only about 10 feet away, so I carried all the gear there and dropped it, returning to Copper to remove the saddle. By this time, both Copper and I were pretty well covered in mud. I was beginning to appreciate the new boots I had bought, finding that they were waterproof, so at least my socks were still dry.
After getting Copper unsaddled and letting him rest a few minutes, I was able to help him get unstuck and he struggled to the solid ground. In the meantime, I had brought Chief around the bog and tied him, where he waited patiently. I wiped off as much mud as I could from Copper and re-saddled him and loaded my gear up. I decided that I would tie both horses and scout around on foot, to see if I could re-locate the designated trail, before mounting up again.
I led both horses into an area that was a little clearer, out of the thicket, and tied both to perfectly good aspen saplings with a little grass around them, then I headed off into the woods with my handheld GPS to find the trail. I hadn’t gone more than about 100 feet, when Chief started acting up. I watched him begin to circle around the tree, then stamp his feet, then he started kicking and jumping around. Since that is not like Chief, who is as calm as a summer evening, a thought quickly flashed into my mind: Wasps!
I ran to Chief and quickly pulled loose the safety knot to release him. He continued to pound around me, trying desperately to escape the stinging yellow-jackets while not trampling me! I headed off through the trees, leading him as quickly as I could, until I thought we were far enough away. I tied him to a tree and returned to get Copper, just as the yellow-jackets began their attack on him. I pulled his knot loose and quickly led him to where Chief was waiting. The yellow-jackets followed us!
I then grabbed both lead ropes and ran through the trees, with both horses following closely. We went nearly 50 yards before I was sure the wasps had stopped following. I then stopped and began swatting several wasps that were still hanging on and stinging the horses, until I got them all and the horses began to calm down. In the process, I was stung several times as well. Once we were all getting our wits back about us, I mounted and headed back along the trail that got us into the mess. I was quite proud that my horses handled the wasp attack as well as they did. It could have been a lot worse!
It wasn’t long before we came upon the designated trail, as confirmed by my GPS unit, and discovered that the designated trail had taken a turn, while a cattle trail had continued straight on into the valley, which is why Copper had missed the turn. Once back on the trail, I soon found a marker that confirmed we were, indeed, on the right trail.
The above setback, delayed us more than a half-hour, so I was beginning to be concerned that we wouldn’t make our planned camp area before dark. The area we were crossing had few areas that would make decent camps with horses, there being no water or grass and few level areas.
After a climb of another mile or so, we came upon a Forest Service “guzzler” that had water in it. We could have stopped at this place for the night, but we still had a bit of daylight left and I wanted to make it to Proctor Canyon, which was about another mile. I decided to keep going.
Past this point, the trail became pretty steep and quite sketchy in a couple areas. Nothing that was a problem for my horses, but for a horse not accustomed to rough mountain trails or for a rider not accustomed to riding on such trails, some of these passages would be quite intimidating, as we descended into some pretty steep canyon trails.
We finally descended into Proctor Canyon just as darkness settled upon us. I found a level area in a sage flat in the bottom of the canyon, near where an ATV trail crossed the GV#66. We made a dry camp there. There is a creek in the very bottom of the canyon, but it was in the bottom of a steep gulley about 30 feet deep and only about twice that wide. We camped above the creek on the flat. We had made 12.8 miles that afternoon.
I settled both horses, letting Copper graze on the sparse grass, while I unpacked Chief, then vice-versa, while I unpacked Copper. I tied Copper and left Chief grazing for awhile, before I tied them both and fed them from a sack of alfalfa pellets I had brought along for that purpose. Turned out Chief didn’t like the pelletized feed, so I put his hobbles on and let him loose for the night, while keeping Copper tied.
After laying out my sleeping bag, I prepared a quick dinner from a pre-packaged dehydrated meal, caught up my journal for the day, and went to bed. One thought I had, before I laid down my head: Why in the world did I decide to bring the soft panniers instead of the hard panniers! It would have been nice to have something to sit on at camp, while I took off and put on my boots! Also, hanging the hard panniers on the pack saddle and strapping it into place is so much easier than tying up a diamond hitch! Still, I have always been a traditionalist and love the old ways of doing things.
The following day, Wednesday, I arose to a very cold morning. I hadn’t slept very well. I had made the mistake of tying Copper too close to my bed site and he made a lot of noise all night long, because Chief was loose and he was not. I eventually got up and tied Chief as well, hoping Copper would settle down. I felt pretty good, though, so I must have slept more than I thought.
I made myself a breakfast of instant oatmeal and half a bagel, noting that while the water in my canteens did not freeze, the water in the bottom of my cup did! So, the temperature must have been hovering right around freezing. After the horses fed awhile, I loaded them up and we got started. I suppose it was around 9:00am when we headed out.
I had decided to try to get some video footage with my GoPro Silver camera, so I mounted it on the chest mount harness and donned my coat over it. In the process, I had removed the sheepskin vest I was wearing, so as to wear it over the harness. Somehow, I had laid the vest aside and forgot all about it and left it there at the camp. The worst of it was that all my video footage came out very poorly. Between the motion of my body and the motion of the horse, one could almost get motion sickness watching it. I plan to try to save some of it with software stabilization, but I’m not very hopeful.
Anyway, off we went, having to cross that deep gulley in the bottom of Proctor Canyon right off. I was riding Chief this morning, and he was feeling reluctant and a bit ornery, as youngsters sometimes do. I rode him around a little, leading Copper, to get Chief settled a little bit before starting down that steep and difficult descent into the gulley. After a few minutes I felt I could trust him and we descended the trail.
At the bottom of the gulley, I let both horses drink in the creek. While doing so, Chief acted up a little and I lost Copper’s lead rope. While I got Chief under control, Copper decided to head for home! My salvation was that he headed downstream in the bottom of the gulley, rather than back up the trail. I dismounted and tied Chief and headed after Copper on foot, since I knew that if I followed him on Chief, he would see that Chief was following and would not stop. As it was, I followed Copper about 100 yards, before he stopped at a particularly narrow place in the bottom and I was able to catch him.
With that little reminder about Copper, I should have been a little more careful with him, but, as you will see, my complacence came back to bite me later on.
The trail up out of Proctor Canyon follows a steep sidehill, but is a pretty decent trail, mostly used by cattle, ranchers, and hunters, and a few hikers. We made good time heading up the trail. The canyon forks and the GV#66 follows up the southern branch, while the ATV trail goes up the main canyon. We continued on the GV. At the top of the canyon there is a nice flat open area with a small pond and water tank.
The horses were not thirsty, so after a short breather, we continued on, departing GV#66 and heading eastward toward Badger Canyon on ATV trails. After a pretty tough climb, we joined the designated ATV trail (FRV233) and continued on, following Skunk Creek down toward the East Fork of the Sevier River.
About 12:30pm, we stopped in a nice open meadow and took a lunch break. I unloaded both horses put on their hobbles and let them graze. After the climb out of Proctor Canyon, they needed the rest. They stayed close by and exhibited no tendency to wander. They didn’t seem to like the grass too much, but they nibbled at it while I ate my lunch. A couple ATV’s passed on the road, but that was all the traffic we saw. We were pleasantly alone.
After about an hour, I loaded the horses back up and we continued on toward Tropic Reservoir. It was a nice, pleasant ride, among pine trees, aspen, and rolling hills. We arrived at the East Fork of the Sevier River around 2:30pm and followed it northward toward the reservoir. Just within sight of the reservoir, I decided to stop at a place where the banks of the Sevier River were low, to let the horses drink.
As we approached the river, all seemed well, but I soon discovered I had made a big mistake! As Chief stepped into the water, he sunk to his knees in mud. He simply relaxed and continued to drink, so I stayed aboard. Copper, on the other hand, continued into the water and was soon up to his belly in the mud and my panniers were in the water. He also continued to drink his fill. After satisfying himself, Copper began to lunge and buck his way through the mud and back out on to the bank. I tried to back Chief out of the mud, as his hindquarters were still on firm ground, however, he instinctively lunged forward and immediately sunk all four limbs deep into the mud. By this time I was trying to get off on the dry side, but my right foot went in up to my knee, filling my boot with water. I was able to get off and immediately began unloading gear from Chief. This time I got my pommel bags off and removed his bridle, but left the saddle in place, since much of it was under water. By this timeChief had gotten himself turned so that he was facing the bank. I was going to pull to help him, but when I saw his front right leg sink straight into the mud all the way up to his shoulder, I decided that in order to minimize the chance of him injuring himself, I should let him work his way out of it; a horse can easily break a leg in mud like that, especially if pulled off-balance.
After letting Chief rest a few minutes, I went to him and gave him a little encouragement to get him to start trying again. With quite an effort, he was able to struggle free and get back on solid ground. I wiped off as much mud as I could and checked him all over. He seemed ok, so I loaded back up and on we went. He walked with a slight limp for a few hundred yards, but was better after that. I assume he had a slight sprain in his knee or pastern on that front right, but I never saw any swelling and it caused him no further problem.
Tropic Reservoir
We stopped at a more solid place on the shores of Tropic Reservoir, where I let them drink again. I tried to wash as much mud as possible off myself and off my gear, and off Chief. From Tropic Reservoir, we followed the Fremont ATV Trail (FR091) northward on the west side of the valley. A couple miles past the reservoir, we came upon a small stream with grass along the banks, so I gave them another break. I didn’t unload them this time, just let them rest and graze.
By this time, Chief was getting pretty tired and slowing way down. He’s still a youngster, at 3 years old, and hasn’t quite come into his own yet. About another three miles along we decided to make camp out in a large plain in Paunsaugunt Plateau, with a beautiful view northward of Mount Dutton, which my great grandmother used to call “Moody Mountain.” She said it looked different every time one looked at it. This camp was within sight of Route 12, which crosses the plateau, between US89 and Bryce Canyon National park.
There was a slight breeze blowing, so I found a nice spot on the lee side of a small knoll, under some cedars. It was a nice spot and comfortable.
Since there wasn’t much grass out on that sage flat, I again fed the horses pelletized alfalfa. This time Chief decided he liked it just fine. Both horses received a good helping, as they had both expended a lot of energy in getting us where we were. We had made 16 miles that day and most of it was uphill.
I remembered the lesson of the night before, so I tied both horses on a high line 20 or so yards from my bed. I prepared my meager dinner, read a little and caught up my journal. Surprisingly, there was cellular signal, so I took the opportunity to call my wife and let her know I was safe and enjoying my ride. Then I hit the hay. I slept much better.
The following day, Thursday, I arose feeling a bit refreshed after the adventures of the previous two days. After another instant oatmeal and bagel breakfast, I packed up my gear and started loading the horses. Today was Copper’s day under saddle, so I saddled him first, then started packing up Chief. While I packed Chief, I let Copper loose to graze on what grass he could find among the sage. I was confident he would not leave us, while I was working with Chief.
I had just finished loading the panniers and had strapped down the top pack and was about to cover the pack with my canvas tarp, before securing the whole shebang with a diamond hitch, when Chief realized he could not see Copper anymore and became a bit agitated. I didn’t have him tied, as Chief is usually so calm there is no need to have him tied all the time, but this time he decided he needed to go find Copper, who had wandered a few yards away and was hidden behind a large cedar tree. I made a desperate grab at Chief’s lead rope, but missed and off he went. He sped up at every step and was soon rambling through the sage at a gallop. He approached Copper, who saw him running and he instinctively joined in the fun. So, there I stood, flat-footed, while I watched both of my horses and all my gear galloping off down the trail we had come up the day before. Copper always knows the way home!
How many times do I have to learn that lesson! ALWAYS KEEP AT LEAST ONE HORSE TIED!!!!
I hadn’t yet bridled Copper, so I grabbed his bridle and headed after them at a brisk walk. I thought I might have an advantage, once we reached the Fremont ATV Trail, because I knew the horses would follow the road, while I could cut through the hills and shorten my path.
It was a good thought.
After nearly three miles, I caught up to the horses. I was able to pass them by staying off the road in the forest and finally got ahead of them. I waited in the road for them to come to me. When they saw me they came right to me, as if to say, “Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you!” I had no problem catching them up. I bridled Copper and mounted, only then noticing that my pommel bags, containing my trail food, water, and my .38 revolver, was missing. I was afraid I had missed it by cutting through the woods and hoped I would find it on our way back toward last night’s camp and that it hadn’t been found by anyone else. Luckily, I found it on the road not a hundred yards from where I found the horses. So, nothing lost but time and energy, but I was now about two hours behind and had some concerns about being able to finish the pack trip that day. To my calculations, we had over 20 miles remaining from the camp and had now added nearly six miles to the day!
We made our way back to the campsite, where I picked up my coat , slicker, and a few other belongings I had left in my haste. I tied Copper firmly to a tree while I finished covering Chief’s packs and tying the diamond hitch. We finally got underway on what I hoped was the last leg of our trip at just past 11:00am.
We headed northward, toward Route 12, by way of a couple ranch roads, then crossed a large flat. We were happy to find a cattle water tank out in that flat, where the horses watered. We then crossed to a trailhead on Route 12 where the FR113 crosses and becomes FR117. We passed to the north side of the highway there and continued on FR117 for about half a mile more, where we made our way cross-country from there to Corral Hollow Road (FR121).
That little crossing was an enjoyable traverse. Leaving the road, we headed down a steep canyon and across a sage flat that whetted my appetite for bushwhacking. We followed Corral Hollow Road several miles northward, to an area known as Horse Bench. According to my map, I could see that the Losee Canyon Trail was less than a mile west of us, but there was no trail from where we were to that trail. Our planned route would have taken us another 10 or so miles northward, to Tent Hollow, then descending Casto Canyon to Casto Canyon Road, leaving another two miles on the road to reach camp.
Looking at my topo map, it appeared I might be able to make my way westward, cross-country to the Butch Cassidy Trail, which would join Losee Canyon Trail just another mile northward. Descending Losee Canyon Trail would shorten our day by at least five miles. Now, if you have ever looked over the country between Corral Hollow Road and Casto Canyon Road, just north of State Route 12, you might think I was crazy. But, I know my horses and decided to give it a try.
Before committing us to this cross-country route, I rode over to the edge of the canyon and looked it over. It appeared that if I could find a way down off the caprock I would be able to make it across to the Butch Cassidy Trail. We rode a little southward until I found a very steep descent off the caprock where there were no cliffs. I could descent that to a ridge that I could follow to less hostile ground. We made our way down the hillside very carefully, switching back and forth until we arrived at a more forgiving grade. It was a descent I will not soon forget. Credit to my exceptional trail horses.
Once off the ridge, we scared up several mule deer, who departed in the direction we wanted to go, so we followed their route, finding it the best way to pass through several ridges and canyons. After crossing some pretty treacherous country, descending steadily, we finally came to a dry creek bed that showed some foot traffic in the bottom of a canyon. Using my GPS as a guide, along with the topo maps on my iphone and with reference to my paper map, we chose our route with care, as we made our way up and down, around and over, until we came upon the Butch Cassidy Trail. My video camera battery died about ten yards from the trail.
That cross-country excursion is not one I would recommend for the faint-hearted or the uninitiated. I know my horses and their capabilities. I was proud of their performance. They followed my lead and brought us across some very difficult terrain without a single misstep. I took video footage of most of it, but, as I said before, it came out pretty poorly and I’m not sure I can make any of it reasonably presentable. If I am able to salvage any of the video footage, you’ll find it on my YouTube Channel at Western Trail Rider.
Once on the trail, it was just a matter of following it northward to the junction with the Losee Canyon Trail, then descending westward to the trailhead and on to our camp.
I had ridden those trails once before, but had forgotten how spectacular the scenery was! Riding down Losee Canyon is nearly as spectacular as riding Bryce Canyon. I encountered no one on the trail and had it all to myself…just me and my two trail partners. What an enjoyable ride it was.
By the time we were in the bottoms, toward the mouth of the canyon, Copper realized we were nearing our home camp and began stepping up his pace. Chief was a little tired, sometimes lagging a little, but came along willingly.
We arrived at camp about 3:30pm, after a long and eventful 3-day horse pack trip. The last half-mile to camp, I let Copper have his head, just to see if he could find his way back to camp, even coming from a different direction, which he had never before traveled. He, indeed, got us to within 100 yards of the camp, before I took the reins and directed him that last little bit. I was quite impressed.
I was pretty done-in, as they say, by the time we reached camp. The muscles in my back had started to cramp, the last couple miles. I unloaded the horses, brushed and fed them a good load of hay, put my gear away, and just sat down. My evening meal was another dehydrated pre-packaged meal and a hot drink.
At the end of the day, my GPS indicated 12 miles, however, I know that is not correct. The GPS signal was quite poor and unreliable down in the canyons, once we left Corral Hollow Road and it was evident that the tracking was not accurate. Nor did it include the 6 or so miles we traveled during our little excursion that morning. I figure we traveled close to 20 miles in all that last day.
The GPS indicated 40.5 miles for the trip, but, again, that did not include the 6 miles when I had to chase the horses, and did not account for the poor signal in the canyons. I am confident our total mileage was about 45 miles, with the shortcut we took on the last day. It was a satisfying trip. I think I’d like to try to complete the rest of the Grandview trail next year (the entire trail is 78 miles around the southern end of Paunsaugunt Plateau, from Red Canyon to near Canonville).
That evening, I decided that, in view of the fact that I was tired, my horses were tired, and my truck wasn’t running well, I would postpone my trip to Buckskin Gulch to another time. I decided that the following morning I would load up and drive over to the Willis Creek Trail and ride it (it’s only about a two-hour ride), then head home.
The following morning, Friday, I arose feeling pretty good. I had slept well and was looking forward to loading up and heading over to Willis Creek. That is a ride I’ve wanted to make for several years. It was again a very cold morning and I discovered ice in the top of my water tank.
I fed the horses, then prepared myself an excellent breakfast of fried bacon (a lot of it!), eggs, grits, toast with butter and jam, a fried trout, and some hot Tang. It was wonderful! A breakfast fit for a king!
Then came the disappointment. I packed everything up and got ready to load up the horses. I went to the pickup to start it and get it warming up, but found the batteries completely drained. Not even a spark!
Luckily, I had heard some vehicles on the road near the trailhead, which was only a couple hundred yards away from my camp, so I hiked over there and discovered the outfitter who has the Losee Canyon horse trail riding concession had arrived and was preparing to take a group on a trail ride up the canyon. They were gracious enough to send a man over to give me a jump start.
With my truck running, I was wise enough not to push things further. The last thing I needed was to get stuck in a back country camp with a dead battery and two horses to care for. I loaded up and headed home.
So, while I was unable to complete the trip I planned, I had a wonderful adventure with two of my best buddies, Chief and Copper. It was worth all the trouble I went through to make it happen.
P.S.
A good friend of mine, David Barnhurst, who lives in Hatch, UT, headed up to Proctor Canyon a few days after my trip and was able to retrieve my lost wool vest. That made me very happy as that was a gift from my father. Thanks David!
P.S.S.
If I am lucky enough to be able to salvage any of the video footage from this trip, you will find it on my YouTube Channel, Western Trail Rider. Please “like” and subscribe!
Also, I have created a new Twitter account, Western Trail Rider (@WesternTrail), to compliment my Western Trail Rider facebook page, where I post all my blog posts.
I have been looking up at Loafer Mountain for the past five years, wanting to ride up there and do some exploring!
Loafer Mountain, stands 10,687 feet, located just east of Salem, Utah. There are a number of known trails cross-crossing Loafer Mountain, but only a few of them see much use. One such trail is actually a service trail that runs from Salem, Utah, up a canyon, the name of which I do not know, eventually arriving at a cellular tower station on a hilltop at 9,000 feet elevation. This route begins at a Salem City’s water tank at the mouth of a canyon and climbs rapidly for the first mile, to a satellite installation. From there the road ascends more gradually to the Cellular tower, which stands on a mountain top, just north of Santaquin Peak and west of Loafer Ridge.
Yesterday, May 30, 2020, I decided was the day to attempt a ride up this service trail, pass over to Loafer Ridge, and return down Maple Canyon (sometimes called Water Canyon, due to the Woodland Hills water tank at its mouth). I had been told there were trails connecting the two canyons, but the condition of the trails was unknown, nor did I come across anyone who had actually hiked those trails…at least not recently.
I saddled up Copper around 7:30am, equipping myself with the essentials: lunch, a 2 qt military canteen, pommel and saddle bags with my emergency gear in them, my slicker and a light jacket, just in case, and a bottle of roll-on bug repellant for Copper, against the possibility of horse flies. We were on the trail by about 8am.
Within about a half-hour we were starting our ascent on the service trail to the lower satellite installation, where the service trail joins the old mining road from the Dream Mine. I’ve written about this trail before, here. The ascent that first mile is very steep and a horse that is not in very good condition will be exhausted by the time it reaches the satellite installation there. After that, the ascent is much more gradual, though still quite a climb.
I will also comment here that the trail is extremely rocky and though I try to leave my horses barefoot as much as possible, this trail should not be attempted with a barefoot horse. He won’t make it.
On the way up this service trail, there are some pretty nice views back toward town and looking on up the canyon. At one point, you pass an old mine opening that has been closed for safety reasons. Kinda cool, though.
Looking back toward Spanish Fork and Utah Lake
Looking back at Salem
Closed mine shaft
The service trail
The 9,000′ peak with the cellular tower
Looking back toward Salem
The cellular tower peak
We followed this service trail up to a saddle about a half-mile or so short of the cellular tower, where there is an unnamed trailhead. There is also some pretty nice grass, so I had lunch there and allowed Copper to graze for nearly an hour. I figured he was going to need the strength. There are some pretty spectacular views from there.
By this point we were at about 8,500 ‘ elevation, having ascended about 4,000′ in a matter of about 7 miles. Like I said, it’s a grueling climb for a horse. If you go on up to the cellular tower, you will be at 9,000’.
The trail up to Loafer Ridge, from this point, is closed to all but foot and horse traffic. However, the USFS has not left any way to get a horse to the trailhead, having closed it off with cables to preclude any vehicular traffic. We had to go around to the north side and climb a very steep, rocky bank, to get to the trail.
Once on the trail, it was easy to follow, having been blazed by use of ATVs, but it climbed too steeply in places for a horse. I detoured a couple of times to make switchbacks to make it easier on Copper. About 3/4 of a mile along this trail, I turned off and did some bushwhacking to avoid a hilltop and make our way over to a saddle below Loafer Ridge, where we needed to go. This was a very steep hillside, as are they all at this elevation on Loafer, but Copper handled it well.
At the saddle, we found a USFS guzzler with clean water. However, as the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Copper wouldn’t touch it. He’ll learn. My trail horses know that when there’s water, you drink! This guzzler will likely be dry during the late summer/fall time of year.
You can’t see them, but on the hillside behind the guzzler, there are three elk. They were heading for the saddle and turned away when they spotted us. In the photo below, you may be able to pick them out.
After the guzzler, there is no more trail, other than a number of game trails heading in various directions. We chose a game trail that headed off in a southerly direction, climbing Loafer Ridge at a fairly reasonable rate for a horse. It eventually crossed an old service trail that comes up the eastern side of Loafer, probably from the small community of Birdseye, Utah, or near there, on US 89. It climbs another couple hundred feet or so onto Loafer Ridge, then descends slightly to a pair of large cellular repeater reflectors stationed on the ridge.
At this point I was very near the highest elevation of my ride, at 9663 feet. I bypassed a hilltop as I went around it to descend the other side into a saddle on Loafer Ridge. Apparently at some point I went up another foot, to my highest elevation of 9664 feet. The views from Loafer Ridge were spectacular!
Looking toward Diamond Fork
Looking toward Birdseye
Looking toward Soldier Summit
Looking at Loafer Peak
Loafer Peak “through the ears”
Looking toward Spanish Fork and Utah Lake
After descending into the saddle, I joined an old trail that descends into the bowl below Loafer Peak on the northwest side. This is the top of what I believe is known as Maple Canyon, sometimes also called Water Canyon, due to the spring and water tank located at its mouth that supplies water to the municipality of Woodland Hills.
This trail is an old one, probably cut by a dozer. It does two switchbacks before disappearing altogether about 2/3 of the way down the hillside. By the time we reached the end of the trail, we were deep in a thicket of stunted aspen and thick undergrowth. I had been told there was a trail in the valley that joined the ATV trail further down Maple Canyon, so I decided to continue. I won’t call that a mistake, but don’t let anybody convince you that there is a trail down in there somewhere!
Getting down the rest of that hillside was a “butt-clincher” even for me! Copper really impressed me with his cool, collected temperament on that descent. It was truly some “Man From Snowy River” stuff. When I first turned him downhill, to get through a thick area to a less dense one, the ground gave way and we slid all of twenty or so feet before Copper could get us stopped. We then traversed the hillside, going from open area to open area, slowly heading toward the higher end of the valley, to make our descent trail shorter. Copper had to move with his hind quarters lower than his fore quarters, as he moved sideways along the hillside, to keep from sliding farther downhill in the loose soil. In the photo below, we started our trail-less descent about where the center of the photo is and made our way switchbacking some places and descending straight down in others. I was glad to hit more level ground in the bottom. I can tell you this photo does not do that hillside justice!
Once in the bottom, I let Copper rest a little and get his breath. Meanwhile, I took a few more photos.
From that point, I started looking for that “trail” I was told about. If there was a trail, it was indistinguishable from the hundreds of elk and deer trails in the area. I tried following several of them, but they all seemed to either ascend or stay pretty level, while the valley fell away steeply. Knowing that eventually, I would have to descend anyway, Copper and I made our way down into the dry creek bed in the bottom of the canyon. This descent was pretty tricky as well, as we were back in the Spruce and Fir trees, with their attendant deadfalls blocking the way at every turn. Copper was pretty impressive in getting over and around and through some of those tangles, some of which were on steep hillsides.
Traveling in the creek bottom was actually a lot easier than I expected. I was pleased to find it was narrow, but pretty soft in the bottom, with no steep drops or cliffs. We ran into the occasional tangle of debris, but in those cases the deer and elk left us pretty decent trails to get up and around them. That isn’t to say it was easy going, but it was easier and safer than traversing the steep sidehills.
We followed that for maybe two miles, before we came to our first and only deadfall that we could not get around. When we initially came upon it, I decided to try to go up the bank and around it on the right side. It looked like we could make it if we were very careful.
However, as Copper started up the bank, the loose soil began sliding and he began losing footing. I was concerned that Copper might get tangled in the three downed tree tops while losing his footing, so I unloaded on the uphill side.
As I did so, my downhill (left) boot didn’t come out of the stirrup. As Copper turned to get himself oriented to go back down the bank, I was still attached to the saddle! My left leg was stretched out with the stirrup pulled up over the top of the saddle, with my body on the ground trying to crawl uphill, not fully aware my left foot was still in the stirrup! As Copper turned, his right rear hoof came down on my right calf. At the same time, Copper paused, which let my left foot come out of the stirrup. Copper then got himself to the bottom of the bank and walked off a few steps, then stopped to wait for me. Lucky for me, the ground was very soft, which occasioned the whole debacle, and all I suffered was a bruised calf. Copper came through uninjured.
At this point, I realized going around this deadfall was not an option. I went to my saddle bags and pulled out my trusty rope-saw from among my emergency gear, which is actually a chainsaw chain with nylon loops for handles at each end. I have carried this thing in my saddle bags for years and this is the first time I have ever needed it. I’m pretty glad I had it.
I first tried to cut the large aspen log, with a diameter somewhat over 12 inches, but soon realized that was going to take a very long time, as the saw blade would stick as soon as it got over an inch deep. So, I reassessed and realized that if I removed the lower tree, a Spruce about 6″ in diameter at the point I needed to cut, Copper might fit under the large Aspen.
After about another half hour of work, I got the sapling cut and moved and other branches and debris cleared away. It was going to be close! By eyeball measurements I realized that the saddle horn would contact the tree, so I removed the saddle and hauled it a few yards down the trail. The photo below is deceiving and makes it look like Copper would have plenty of clearance. He was actually standing at least ten feet behind the log when the photo was taken.
Now, it was just a matter of convincing Copper that it was safe to pass under that big old Aspen log!
Well, that sounds easy, but it wasn’t . After about an hour of coaxing and sweet-talking, I finally got Copper to put his head under the log, but he wouldn’t go any farther. About that time a thunderstorm passed over, but luckily we got only a light sprinkle. Still, Copper wouldn’t move any farther. Eventually, he began to be bothered by bees and horse flies, causing him to have to move his feet. This seemed to make it easier for me to convince him to move his feet closer to the deadfall each time. Finally, I got his head and neck under the tree, nearly to his withers and could see he was going to clear with a couple inches to spare. I had to go slow, because I knew that if he pulled back and raised his head and bumped that log, I would never get him to pass under it.
By coaxing him on, inch by inch, I finally got him all the way under and past the tree. He still wasn’t sure, though, so I had to get him a couple feet past it, before he would chance walking forward.
With that out of the way, I re-saddled Copper and headed out again. The rest we had while I coaxed him under the deadfall served both of us well and Copper moved off at a good, strong walk. About another 200 yards or so along the creek bottom, we came upon the ATV trail at the point where I had ridden up and turned around a couple weeks before. Copper began to recognize where he was and moved right along, sometimes even getting into his running-walk.
We followed the trail to the water tank, mentioned above, and then followed the road into Woodland Hills. From there it was about two miles to home.
We arrived back at the stable at about 5:45pm, after a long and very difficult ride. Both myself and Copper were absolutely worn out.
After a good brushing, I checked Copper’s back for soreness and found none. I was very pleased with that. He has various bumps and scrapes on his lower legs, but nothing serious or that required any treatment. After a tough ride, Copper looked good, though tired.
I, on the other hand, was limping around with a bruised calf, which I well-deserved!
During the ride, we made an ascent of 4730 feet, making it 9,460 feet in elevation change in all. We traveled about 16 miles, although my tracker software, Ramblr, shows 15.3 miles. I paused the app twice for rest stops and forgot to turn it back on until I had gone quite a ways. You will see those gaps in the track. Our highest elevation was 9664, which is waaay up there! Here’s the link:
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