blunders

“You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is to never get involved in a land war in Asia. The second is to never argue with your mother when you're supposed to slow down!” (apologies to the Princess Bride).
 
Poor Miles, that he has to put up with my ridiculousness. He just gets very silly coming home, so we circle and back and sidepass. He seems to doubt that I will actually circle him on a single-track muddy blackberry-lined trail. But I know he is very good with his feet and just needs a reminder to slow them a bit before we slip-and-slide. So we circle and he stops after a bit of disbelief and then we continue on, often with no repeat (he remembers pretty well).

low lake (not for long!)

end-of-year adventure

We had a nice ride before Christmas where he was very good for about 95%! Coming back the trail was slippery and downhill and he wanted to be home already so I made good old Rocky stop and wait while we worked it out. Then we just carry on!

high tides made for some great waves

sometimes the coast is a bit foggy!

stairs down to the beach

My Mom's super cute naughty dog, Archie!

But that was the last ride for a week! It rained (a lot!) between Christmas and New Year. I went to the coast to visit my parents, celebrate a bit, and came home to a muddy mess. New Years’ day dawned blue skies but the trails had six inches of rain in two days. No riding (bad for the trails) so it was just welcoming the new year with a good walk and treats.

still wearing a new year's eve party hat…a stick!

too muddy for riding, though some did, we turned around on this walk

I'm muddy and bored

But more storms are coming and I hoped to get a ride in before Miles goes feral. Luckily the trails drain very well, so I headed out yesterday hoping for just an easy ride. We stuck to the decomposed granite upper trails. The footing was nice enough to trot on the ridgelines to the overlook spot. From there I can still see the lower lake trail unsubmerged by the rising lake, but not for long!

the lake rose 30 feet in a week!

anticipation ears, are we going home now?

But from there all trails lead “home.” While Miles found it a bit hard to contain himself (there was some enthusiastic jigging, argh) he was very good, even marching through the center of the puddles (because I seem to have won that battle for now). We were heading back on the final single-track with too much enthusiasm and also slippery mud, so he needed to slow. He fell for the blunder of trying to argue “let me do it we’re almost home!” We stopped, backed, and turned around, retraced our steps about 30 feet and tried again. My, it IS possible to walk through here!

quietly standing in the last big puddle crossing

He can be very smart when he decides to listen. We got to the final water crossing, where I, his dreadful owner, made him stand and wait. And he was good and patient so we finished the ride nicely. Some grass snacks on the way home made it all worthwhile. Now we’re looking at an atmospheric river or pineapple express or some such storm with lots of rain coming for the next couple weeks, oh boy.

I don’t need to go up a girth size on my already porky pony, so hopefully I can get Miles out for some January adventures, and keep learning from our blunders.

 

Wesley and Jack like MY new fireside pillow (but not together!)

detour: cooler mountains

Fleeing the week of 105+ degree weather, the mountains offered little respite. But 90 degrees at 6500 feet still sounded better, and camping, swimming, kayaking and hiking sounded like a great plan.

how much can you cram in/on a Subaru? A lot.

First things first: launch the kayak for the first time this season. The rivers have been running too fast and cold for casual kayaking, but now it's just right. There is something about water and granite and blue skies (and no cell service) to make you stop worrying about all those projects you left on your desk...

just breathe

old, cut tree with logging marks

tiny tree among granite

I didn't take any photos of our lovely camping spot, next to the creek, with a short walk to the lake. But I took full advantage of putting my feet in the creek, and a comfy chair, with a 800+ page new book, (the last in one of my favorite trilogies): now that's a great weekend.

a lovely start

meadow of mule's ear, not blooming quite yet!

But I guess I should put down the book for awhile (and it was way too heavy to put in my backpack) and hit the trails. For a short hike, no monsters this weekend. Except in the lake! I had really wanted to swim after our couple-mile excursion to the lake, but it was filled with catfish, swimming along the surface, intensely interested in whatever. I don't like fish that I can see. I got my feet wet and that was all.

perfect Salmon lake

too many catfish

But we continued, there were many lakes along the trail, and eventually there was a great one to take a lunch break, read my secondary (much more lighter-weight) book, and breathe the cool air.

granite trail

Sierra phlox

The trails are mostly granite, interspersed with giant boulders to climb around and over, and this year, still snow! The lakes were all full, there were fallen trees and a lot of debris on trail, but hidden flowers were everywhere.

pretty in pink, mountain heather

removing some jammed-up debris (and singing Toad's "Dam Would Break" for awhile after this...)

Sierra fawn lily

it wasn't that hot out, but I couldn't resist laying the snow/ice.

Back in the campsite, I hefted my book, ate marshmellows and looked up at the trees. And then back at my book, because honestly, what's going to happen next?

along our camp creek

flee!

After many rides of such control, Major and I needed a break from walking, following and rock climbing.

So we fled. Into the forest. Whatever pace he wanted to choose was fine. We trotted when I thought we'd walk, cantered over almost everything else. But when I asked just to walk, he was pretty willing. I think he knew the difference between trudging along for 26 miles (like on the Tevis sweep) and carefully negotiable scary terrain (like at Loney Meadow) and playing in the forest.

At one point though he did choose a bad spot to canter, I knew we were coming up on some exposed slick rock. I actually waited to see what Major would choose to do, knowing I had time to stop if needed. We came around the corner, he saw the rocks, slowed to a walk, picked his way over them, them back to a canter! I guess all those months of making him walk those sections of trail really did pay off!

Our flight stirred up others too. A flock of turkey vultures lifted off their sunning rocks as we came to the top of Dottie's Hill.

vultures and a very low water lake

I saw the tail end of a snake disappear into some rocks. And did not stay to investigate.

Lizards are the silliest. Sometimes they skitter into the bushes, hiding from pounding hooves. Other times they run straight down the trail in a seriously dangerous version of "chicken."

I can hear them bullying the littlest one, "What, too afraid to run from the horse?! What, not fast enough? Chicken!" It must be like the running of the bulls for them.

It does seem like they always make it though! Ground squirrels also play this game. I'm always thinking "go, go, go little guy!" as they are almost trampled. What stories they must tell later, how they survived the great, brown beast with glowing orange hooves (Major wearing his boots of course!)

Today a tiny deer caught me at my own game. We were walking along on a loose rein, I was trying to figure out what was itching my side (tick phobia!) paying no attention. Major spun and planted, I somehow stayed on, and the tiny deer probably laughed at us from the side of the trail. He did just watch us walk by. Major unconcerned now that he saw what it was.

And the deer had a friend stationed a bit farther on, but we saw him first. Actually the deer looked a bit bewildered, maybe hoping we were Mom? I think this time of year the babies are weaned and finding their own way in the world. The little deer just ghosted into the shrubs, but I did see him watching as we walked by.

tiny deer pondering the great beast

It was just a quick ride, but sometimes those are best for the spirit. I love rides where I know we BOTH had a great time. I just passed the four year anniversary of buying Major. I feel lucky to have found him. I hope he feels the same. Though he would still say that more carrots are required.