getting out

I love the rain. We need the rain. (my current mantra, repeat as needed)

But I needed to get out! And so did Major! The rain had stopped for a couple days. The sandy trails should be drained. But I'm also tired of the close trails, as that is all I've been riding. I thought a ride up to Auburn would be a fun diversion, in nice weather, with good footing and be more scenic.

I was wrong on all counts except the scenic portion.

The day was sunny when I left home, but gray skies hung over the stables. SO took my trailer up to Auburn to await our arrival. It took us a bit longer than usual to get ready (to clean off most of the mud), but we were heading out at 9:30am. C and Friday were joining us, the horses were happy to be out. The trails were mostly drained, a few mud puddles here and there, but nice.

nicely drained portion of the trails

the water is rising, yeah!

The water was pouring from the power station, and the Bridge of Death (Mormon Ravine) was as always, scary when halfway across. So Major did his tap dancing act, and all was well. Then the trails got slippier and worse. Red mud was bad, but the wet leaves on trail were worse. That's ok, we can walk. Then a big tree branch, That's ok, we can go UP the steep, soft hillside (good trail horses). And other branch down. That's ok, we can go around this one.

rushing creek

Mormon Ravine (Bridge of Death thinks Major)

Until we got to the tree that blocked the trail. In a steep-sided ravine. Next to the river cliffs. Even if I had remembered my branch saw (note, keep in saddlebag during winter) this was too big of an oak to tackle. And though I diligently looked, there was no way around (I didn't take photos, I was too annoyed, and holding my dancing, pulling horse). It was only three or four miles to Auburn. But eight miles back home. Damn.

old portion of the canal, getting green

some very early naturalized daffodils

Fine, now we'll turn for home. Already pent-up ponies turned it up to full-blown naughty. Trying to walk nicely on slippery trails turned into an argument. Slow trotting on straight, dry places escalated into trying to bolt for home. All the way back. For eight miles.

Plus, I really wanted my sandwich (that was in the trailer. In Auburn.)! By now I was hungry and ready to be done. Got a hold of SO and asked if he could bring the trailer back (he did, and washed it at the car wash, how awesome is that! Not an entirely wasted trip!)

Rattlesnake Bar heading home: now the sun comes out

very fun playing puddle

The horses did stop pulling long enough to play in a puddle at the Rattlesnake Bar staging area. Which was fun until it became a water/mud-splashing contest, so we headed for home again. The horses were not tired in the least, and the trail was a little better in this section, but since horse behavior had not improved, it was still pretty slow going.

happy ferns and moss

determined Major heading home

Back home in one piece I was more tired from 16 miles of walking (farther than I'd planned, we're not training right now!) than a 20 mile trotting ride. But I had my sandwich! Best PB&J ever. And a happy horse, clean and turned back out into the pasture, who promptly dropped for a muddy roll.

I reported the downed tree (though it's far from an easy access, and few foresters are allowed to trim in the state park). I think I'll be staying on my very local but well-drained trails for now. Except it is raining again. I love the rain. We need the rain…

cardiac hill

I've hiked Cardiac Hill many times, but I've never ridden it. And B and Ziggy had never done it. And it is part if the American River ride, so we figured it would be good to practice.

boarder's visiting granddaughter painted up Major, I think it's awesome!

good thing he's pretty, because he couldn't figure out how to get the carrot out (lift your head!)

I didn't want a really fast ride, as we were adding miles, and I like to do one or the other (add distance or speed, not both). So we headed out down the road, and trotted along. Met quite a few hikers and runners, and were soon indebted to them.

We got to Mormon Ravine, and it was rushing. Major already thinks it is the bridge of death, and the torrent below wasn't helping. The electric company uses this output to generate power, and the water always fluctuates. They must be pumping water from upriver and funneling it through this power station. Major wasn't going across. And Ziggy got partway and then backed up once he hit the middle and looked down. And we tried again. They were truly scared. And I wasn't getting off, last time I tried that Major forgot I was there and almost ran me over!

Right then a runner came along. Major likes to follow my SO, so the runner was partway across and I used that momentum and both Major and Ziggy were across the bridge! We would have gotten there eventually, but it was nice to use the runner as a training tool!

drop off to the river

sandbar not usually seen except this dry year

After that is was just trot trot trot to Auburn. The river is really low still, sandbars and cliffs. Then you get to Cardiac Hill. The sign says "steep." Hah! At first it isn't bad, but I told B just wait. And soon it is switchbacks and rocks. One close tree caught my knee, ouch! And I got off and walked, Major puffing behind me. It is about 1100 feet of elevation change, we walked it in 20 minutes. Tough, but both horses were fine, used to tough rocky trails.

the ears are questioning my trail choice at the bottom of Cardiac Hill

At the top of the hill, 1100 feet down is the river

At the top, but still a couple miles to the Auburn staging area. We went through a very muddy area, and after that I lost a boot. Damn. Close enough to the staging area I just took them both off. At the staging area both horses drank from the stone trough, though Major was more interested in the grass. I was interested in my sandwich, and we all relaxed a bit.

grass near my helmet is the most delcious

But shortly it was time to head back. Put the boots back on, and we took the Cardiac Bypass trail back down, and stayed on the abandoned road for part too. A long walk down, but easier than Cardiac Hill!

going home, halfway down the bypass an awesome view

The horses sure knew we were going home. Once on the better footing of the main trail, we trotted along. We did have a tangle when four other horses came along the singletrack. Cliff on one side, drop off the other, no where to go. We turned and found a gully I backed Major into. Somehow we all squeezed by.

Moving right along, then Ziggy's boot broke. We both have different kinds of boots, but obviously no boot is perfect! It wasn't fixable, but B had to get off and on a couple times, never fun on a cliff!

bridge of death just ahead

But the horses were so happy to be going home, we didn't worry about crossing Mormon Ravine bridge. Till we got there. Both horses took one look and said no way! Even though home was on the other side! Again, we thought we'd work them through it. And again before we could worry much about it came a group of hikers! Conveniently we followed them across, Major a little too close, but everyone was safe on the other side, and we continued on.

Major was pulling and pulling for home, and I would have loved to do more miles for that behavior, but I was done. So both horses pranced up the road, looking none the worse for wear, while the riders probably looked dirty and tired!

The weather had been iffy all day, and it was too cold to hose him off, so Major just got the worst of the sweat sponged off, and some good mash. And took another great big drink. 25 miles, tough trail, horse still chipper: he may actually be an endurance horse. Me? I went home and fell asleep on the sofa watching TV!