two times

Staying off of delicate trails while they dry is so hard when the sun is out and it is perfect riding weather. Luckily the roads in Auburn are great for that, though maybe not as interesting. I rode very similar trails twice, and I rode two different horses. Both of them were Miles, but first was Miles with Beau, the second one was Miles by himself. I sure like the second Miles better (we have work to do).

remembering to follow at a respectful distance

it was icy in the shade

We went out with Beau to explore how dry the trails were and how the boys would behave together. Short story: they don't very well! So we will need more practice with others (which I knew). Beau has not had enough work after pulling from Tevis last year, and is full of it. Miles just feeds off of all that. So there was walking and circling and lagging behind (on purpose), separating and dealing with it, for horse and human! Going home Miles finally settled down. It was half walking and half riding, but we have a lot to improve on.

now that we're home, can I play with Beau?

Then we headed out the next weekend by ourselves (also in a new-to-me saddle, having fitting issues). Beau was at the trailhead with another horse, and Miles didn't care at all. We left and rode our own ride, and damn, what a good boy!

obligatory weird barrels, just cool

heading down to the river

can't we just stay out here?

all the green starting to peek through

He was forward but rateable, went everywhere and at everything I pointed him at, no spooking or much silliness. Best part: he drank out of everything he saw. Random weird spring that funnels into a tiny bucket, sure! Old trough with running water, sure! Puddles? Ok!

weird spring, yummy!

roadside trough, all good!

Plus is was just gorgeous out. The river trail has really good footing, and the rest was gravel roads. We could have stayed out longer but I'm cautious of bringing him along slowly, We did 11 miles with 1300 feet of elevation gain, and he was never tired, though he was very sweaty!

dam view does not get old

going up

looking downstream

what else are we doing? We're done buddy.

I think moving forward a balance of rides with others to trainhis brain to that and rides alone will be a good compromise. The weather still looks perfect for another weekend, so off to find more trails!

drying off after eating grass snacks

mistakes were made

Started out with no one else on the trail. Beautiful blue skies, slight breeze, many miles to go. I was hoping to do a fitness-test type of ride, see where we stand about a month before our first ride of the season.

view of where one side of the Auburn dam footing would have been constructed

I headed down into the canyon. This previously nicely-wooded trail has been scalped! They are creating a huge fire break, which I understand is a great safety idea, but it sure is ugly. But it does allow for some different views.

Bridge not scary. Sign not scary. Plaque on rock: always scary.

Once down the hill we crossed the bridge and headed up the Cool side. Major just powers up this side, a nice gradual uphill, all singletrack, opening onto lovely rolling grasslands. Nice and green for another month, unless we get some more rain (please!).

lovely green hills

so many choices

busy staging area

It seems like everyone else had the same idea to ride on this beautiful day, but they were starting in Cool! The staging area was pretty full, and three trailers pulled in as I rode through. Too early for much of a break, Major was uninterested at the water trough and was more interested in watching the other horses, so we headed out.

scenes like this = why I ride

The Olmstead loop trail just goes and goes. Red dirt for miles. Surprisingly, I didn't see many other people out on this far outside trail. With no other company, Major got to hear me recite some poems as we trotted along (singing would be too painful). A woman walking a horse did bring Major into meltdown mode, till he figured out what it was.

our trail and the dam road, seemingly endless

I do think we both started to lose interest as the miles passed. I remember looking at my GPS at about 12 miles, knowing there was about 6 more miles of the similar trail, wondering if I just should have taken the cutoff I passed a little while ago. But no, we'd get through it. Major would trot along, no pulling, which was nice, but I'm sure he would have appreciated an equine friend for motivation.

Knickerbocker creek

We got to Knickerbocker creek, which was lovely and cool, and filled with salamanders swimming along! But it was just a short respite. Major still didn't want to drink, so we climbed out, his boots squelching, a bit refreshed.

blooming manzanita

suspicious stumps, blooming ceanothus

And on. More red dirt. I got off on the steeper downhills. And then came to the fateful sign. "Olmstead Loop Trail, Cool 1.7 miles. Training Hill (steep), Western States Trail 1.4." I knew heading home to the same point was actaully about 3 miles, and figured Training Hill trail cut off almost half of that, why not try it? It said steep, we've done steep, no problem.

take heed of the sign

It starts off gradually, to lull you into complacency. I was handwalking anyway, the Training Hill part is only .9 miles, no problem.

Are you sure you read this Mom? Steep? See this cairn? Dead guy underneath I bet.

gradual part, amazing view of the Sierras

And we walked down and down and down. Rocks and shrubs. The trail was quite often lined with blooming ceanothus, which has tons of little white flowers right now, smells awful and is full of bees. Down down, more rocks, Major slipped on a stretch of flat granite, my knees were hurting. Major was DONE. There are no switchbacks, just straight down the mountain.

I'm done. DONE. We can stop right here.

Poor guy, he was convinced I was dragging him to his death. If he does not like the trail, he tells me in no uncertain terms! So he kept stopping and looking at me questioningly, I kept dragging him down the hill. Down down down.

At the bottom, a nicer, less steep (!) part, looking up at a crazy runner.

That .9 miles took probably a half hour, if not more. At the bottom Major wanted to turn right, back towards Cool. I think he was completley confused as to where we were. Turning left back to Auburn he was balky for a bit until he figured out where we were.

We crossed No Hands again, and Major picked up the tempo. He didn't want to canter, didn't want to walk, just workman-like trot up the mountain for four miles. We crossed two creeks, where he didn't drink. And he had enough energy to give the stink-eye and prance past the cut logs.

Move the giant rock already! Roll it down the hill!

Final view of the river

Back at the Auburn staging area he dove into the trough, and drank his fill. And then dragged me over to the grass, and munched while he was untacked, boots removed, and hosed off (well, there was dancing around for the hosing).

Overall for behavior, he gets an A. I wasn't thrilled with his balkiness coming down the nasty hill, but when the worst your horse does on a 22 mile ride is stop on the trail till you urge him along, he still gets an A.

We covered 22 miles in 4:02 moving time, with about 30 minutes of rest in the middle. That includes 3,542 of elevation gain/loss. Just bit over 5 mph. I do think our speed/attitude (of us both!) would improve if we had a friend along. Major recovered great, looked perfect the next day, and was completely full of it two days later when I (attempted) to take him on a bareback forest ride (let's just say I was not completely recovered!).

We need to do more hills, maybe practice the shorter Auburn-Cool trail, at better speed. I know at home I can get the speedier workouts, and now I can fit in evening rides, which will help. We should be ready for our first ride at the end of April, but I'm a little worried, since it's the tough AR 50. But it's our home turf. We can do this.

to auburn

We were up for an adventure on Saturday. I had to talk my friend into it. "How far is it?" she questioned. I'd estimated about 12 miles, not farther than we usually do on an out-and-back trip. But this would be one way: we were going to have a trailer waiting for us at the Auburn staging area. This is the same trip we tried to do back in the spring.

This time there was no rain or threatening clouds, just clear skies and a cooler day. The first six miles of the trip are well-traveled and known paths, and Major happily trotted and cantered along. We took a break for the horses to drink from the lake, and continued. There was a really nice breeze off the lake and not too many obnoxious boaters. Major did his usual tap-dance as we crossed the Mormon Ravine bridge, and now we were in unexplored territory, we'd only done about a mile past that point. My friend C and her horse Friday had ridden the trail before, but it had been years and she'd gotten lost, not a good sign!

But I know these trails pretty well. I had hiked the top portion, so it was just the middle area I was unfamiliar with. The trail seemed nice and open, so we began with some trotting, until coming across the nasty star thistle. I had wondered why as I was leaving the stable the neighbors has asked where I was heading. When I said Auburn they said "Good luck with the start thistle!" I didn't think it could be that bad. It was that bad.

star-thistle field

the trail ahead

So we walked though fields of thorns, no way were the horses impaling themselves at a trot through that stuff! But we were able to trot in the areas where the fields gave way to oak and pine trees, in shaded valleys with fig and blackberry bushes and still some running water. The trail very gradually climbed until we were more than 60 feet above the river. In some areas it was a smooth grassy slope down, in others just rocks. Major didn't seem to care, and I kind-of like glancing down into the water. I don't look for long, eyes on the trail! My friend doesn't like it as much, but just kep ther eyes on Major and the trail, and all was well.

view down to the river

The trail got easier as the river widened and the shallow rapids began. But this area I'd hiked, and I knew it was all a ruse. Because coming up was Cardiac Hill. Aptly named, we could have gone that way, but took the slightly easier Cardiac Bypass instead (someone has a great sense of humor). The trail still climbs and climbs, more than 1000 feet in about 1.5 miles, pretty slow hard going for the horses. As the trail levels out, the ends seems like it should be in sight, but there is still at least a mile to go.

before the big climb, the river is wider.

There are two trail options. You can follow the abandoned road, but it is hot, walking on concrete, no fun. We're on a trail ride, so took the trail. Most riders seemed to have taken the road, because the trail was horribly overgrown! Pushing through branches, being attacked by blackberry canes, rampant bush/tree/plant growth: at this point we were tired, horses were tired, we were done! But not home yet, so we slogged on. We went through some water and up a bank, where Major stepped out of his boot. I jumped off, strapped it back on, and continued. I think he stepped on himself coming up the bank, he was tired too. A tiny bit further on, the same boot popped off. Damn! (haha, OK, I'm a nerd but that is funny, we were at the dam site!) I was too tired to readjust it, so just put it back on. Less than 500 feet from the staging area, the other boot came off. DONE! I was done. Both boots got strapped to the saddle and we finished barefoot.

Auburn canyon: dam site scar on the right, river in the middle.

We did manage a final tiny canter up the hill to the staging area water trough. Both horses got a good drink of water, and my SO was waiting with the trailer and cool drinks.  A very welcome sight! After untacking the horses there are hoses provided to wash them off. Major didn't appreciate it, and danced around like an idiot. At home he is fine, this water/hose/place combination is just different. Tied to the trailer Major was figity, though Friday was behaving himself. I was just tired, and not beyond bribery, so the horses got a grass-hay pellet mash and we stood in the shade, cold drinks in hand.

Major needed some convincing loading, not much, but something I'll review. It was great to get back to the stable, unload Major and put him away. He looked none the worse for wear, while I on the other hand/hoof have a big scratch on my arm from trees and some blackberry thorns embedded in my shirt. I think the trail would be better done in early spring (like we planned the first time) to miss the star thistle, blackberry and heat by the end of the ride. It was still a fun adventure: I tend to think all rides where I stay on top and no one is hurt (much) are good rides!

The boot losses at the end were annoying, but I know it is my error. I had loosened them a few weeks ago when he was due for a trim. Now that he is trimmed, they held on for most of the terrain, but once wet were just too loose. I haven't quite got them dialed-in perfectly yet, but still like his bright orange boots.