almost solstice

Almost solstice. And what have we been doing since I last updated back in (mumble, sorry) August?

how cute am I?

First the bad: everyone in my stable (that had it's issues but was pretty damn good) was given 30 days notice. No options. Now the owners had done this before, saying (fill in the blank) insurance, cost of hay, maintenance, etc. We boarders asked if we could pay more, etc. Nope, get out. Now a nice facility with turnout and direct trail access sits empty. Probably to be sold to someone who’ll turn the pastures into an ego vineyard or some such. Sigh. 

Miles waiting for me in his new pasture

hanging with new buddy Copy

I desperately called up my friend S, who lives close to the old stable, hoping to have her place be a stopgap measure. But it’s worked out! I was worried about mixing friendship and boarding, but we’re both quite reasonable people (sometimes unusual in the horse world!) and things are good. 

eating snack with new friend Guinness

Except the move really stressed Miles out. Who acted colicky one morning (except ok on gut sound and EDPP) so what was going on? Ulcers. A month of treatment made him much better (though not my pocketbook).

when your mom tries to take a nice picture…

Oh, and that saddle I got from the saddle fitter? Big fat white-mark on shoulders nope. Damn. I’m back in the Freeform for now, Miles likes it and I’m used to it now, though still keeping my options open. 

the usual no hands view

hanging with some bay boys before a ride (he's in the middle)

learning the Ikea bag is full of yummy

But the good! So we’ve been riding hither and yon. Lots of riding from the stable, short and long, to work on his anxiety and learn to deal with life! Our local Folsom Lake beach trail is gorgeous, even with the water low now, fall in the foothills means the grass has gone green, which Miles is all about!  

blue sky days at the lake

We did have a fun, short trip camping at Skillman horse camp in Nevada County. Another camping trip in Pt. Reyes (where it was fun but Miles felt crummy and we went home early, that was the ulcers showing up). Really would like to do more camping next year, already penciling in some new places to check out.

Skillman trails

Skillman camping (pens are nice!)

S and Rocky in Skillman pines

Point Reyes fog

Point Reyes Ridge trail

messy camp at Point Reyes

But on our rides Miles is being pretty damn good! We have some triggers we’re working on (horses cantering off). But we can even trot towards home on a loose rein (some days! There are others that are E ticket rides!). He is slowly getting better at the extended trot, but prefers to canter. Which I let him IF he is listening. Big IF there. Now to figure out a big walk, which he'll sometimes do, other times it's tiny mincing stupid steps until he figures we're not getting anywhere. It's a process.

Evening shade along the lake

Empire Mine in the fall

The bridges of Hidden Falls

S and Beau on No Hands with it's stupid new, huge, non-historic railings WTF?

someone lined the trail with pine cones

We do “boring” walking rides that aren’t his favorite but he can deal with his oh-so-difficult life. Sometimes we go out with barn buddy Rocky, who is unfazed by everything and such a very good boy. (Even when Miles tried to nip him in the butt which he would NEVER do at home since Rocky is in charge in the pasture). Because then we have fun faster rides alone, or sometimes with old barn buddy Beau. (A slower ride with Beau completely annoyed them both, to which we said good, deal with it!)

lake drink, good boy!

learning to tail

a cloudy walk after work

low lake and "my" balancing rock

ears say "dinner is in one hour we should go home now."

Of course I have all next week off to ride, and it’s supposed to rain all week. So much for a Solstice ride! An expected El Niño winter calls for more rain than usual…sigh. But we had a fall with no major fires in my part of Nor Cal, so I’ll take it and let the forest recover some moisture from the long drought. 

low sun and lake on my ride Wednesday

After December 21 an added minute of daylight doesn’t seem much, but every day it will add up quickly. I hope you can ride or at least enjoy the Solstice in warmth and comfort. 

Wesley says Hi

Wesley in his uniform for Halloween

trail work

The early darkness has again turned me into a weekend warrior. During the week I might squeeze in between work and dark a short forest bareback ride, but for now the weekends are the only time I have for a nice long ride.

And this weekend I took grand advantage and took Major and his favorite new non-best friend Tux to Auburn. He would not share his hay bag like with Barkley last excursion, and spent most of the tacking up time making crabby faces. Whatever. Deal with it.

We headed out down the canyon and pretty quickly came across the trail work sign. I'd read they'd been doing some, but Major needed to read it himself.

Major being cautious, just like the sign says!

Then we saw evidence of the actual work, small tractors (not so scary) and many rocks (in the wrong place Major thought). Walking down to the creek crossing is scary black plastic right next to the trail, and straw-filled wattles for diversion. Lovely. Major got through it ok, then we waited while my friend safely walked Tux through.

tractor ahead

rocks in the wrong spot

looking back at the awful trail work

Now I don't mind them fixing up trails, but this work is supposed to be for making a bridge over the crossing. Now this trail already isn't that easy coming up or down, and has always seemed just fine. But I think since the "waterfall" (really, it's never that spectacular, it's just too small even when full!) was published in a few hiking books, more people are hiking, and maybe the powers that be decided to make something easier for them. It's a hiking trail, not Disneyland. There are rocks and trees and rough stuff. OK, rant over.

We headed down and over to Cool. I have enough pictures of this that I've grown complacent and forget to take out the camera, no matter how lovely the view. Plus we were cantering across the bridge. But my friend had a GoPro, the video is pretty short but entertaining. (linked in picture caption).

watch the video here

Up to Cool but a different way for me: Pig Farm trail. Very steep and slippery, we made it up, only to discover it comes out on the dreaded Training Hill! Luckily almost at the top, where we waited. Major thought I'd drag him down it, but we turned to head for the troughs.

blurry Pig Farm trail, luckily no real pigs in sight

Training Hill: longest .9 miles ever

waiting "patiently" for Tux (love those crabby "why are we waiting" ears)

Major did some epic snorkeling, but little drinking, and the Olmstead Loop troughs. He was more than happy to head home, back across the bridge and up to Auburn.

snorkeling and making a watery mess

heading back on dry trails, but green is appearing!

Major was not as happy going through the construction on the way back. There were about eight people and kids sitting on the lower rocks, black plastic, straw wattles, muddy water: he thought we should just skip it and proceeded to back himself about 10 feet, and into Tux! (that embarrassing moment also captured on video, linked in picture caption below). With enough encouragement we walked suspiciously through. It'll be interesting to see what the trail ends up looking like, with a bridge, supposedly still creek access, signage, and whatever else they do.

watch the creek crossing video here

Luckily the rest was uneventful, except for losing a boot. While I'm glad he just keeps going and his feet aren't sore, I really didn't want to buy a new boot! Damn. I'm hoping to hike the trail this weekend and look for it.

Back at the trailer the sun came out even more, and Major found a great dirt spot to roll in before getting back in the trailer. It'll be another weekend till we can get out again, and I want the rain but maybe it can just rain on weekdays? These weekend rides help keep the darkness at bay, getting out in the sunlight. I know there will be enough days when there is no sun, and no ride, and it is too wet and cold, but for now I am enjoying the time we have to play.

the end

another cool adventure

Under impossibly blue skies on a glorious three-day weekend, we took a January trip to Auburn for a fun ride to Cool. It should be cold and damp, with average temperatures of 55. Instead it is dry as a bone and 70 degrees. Officially in a drought with no end in sight, we desperately need rain. But might as well make lemonade out of the lemon weather and ride while we can!

Major hopped right in the trailer, and not just because his hay bag had a flake of crack alfalfa hay. In Auburn he surveyed the scene and then found his hay net to be the most interesting. I love a horse that is happy to eat wherever I tie him! When his buddy Friday arrived a few minutes later, Major nickered to his long lost love, momentarily distracted, but dove right back into the net.

one last bite of the good ground stuff (even if the reins are falling on my head)

The boys (and us girls too!) we happy to hit the trail. And we headed out, encountering very few riders, but quite a few runners in the morning. Major behaved impeccably, just having a good time and we were so happy going along I didn't even stop for many photos (you've seen it all before: the view, river, trail, etc.).

obligatory view, a hiker took our photo coming across, we're famous!

the shortcut trail, by the trail sign actually .2 longer than the standard trail (?)

The way down to the river takes a bit of time, we walk down the steep parts, trot the flats, then down again. The Cool side is different, one long gradual uphill, Major loves it. We can trot almost the whole thing. At the top we considered just stopping and turning around, but the horses were sweaty. We rode to the staging area, thinking maybe they'd like a drink from the nice trough.

Of course not. Major enjoyed a snorkeling adventure, and Friday took one gratuitous sip. Horses. We humans did take a break for peanut butter sandwiches at the convenient picnic table. Remember the tales of Egyptians keeping their prized horses in their tents? Do you know how annoying that would be? Both horses tried to prove it to us, and of course their annoying antics were rewarded with bites of sandwich. Bad owners.

hidden on the right, C is valiantly defending her sandwich from the sweaty horde

Heading back the horses kicked it up a gear, but not once did I have to pull or fight Major, (only at home and endurance rides do I seem to need to do that, arghh.) We also worked on being a horse ambassador. We walked by children with shining eyes, seeing the pretty horses, and Major is so good at stopping and being pet. I was that kid, I would have been overjoyed if someone had let me pet their horse. We even stopped for a photo with a birthday girl. I know all that takes time, but really, why not? As C noted, better to bring happiness to someone rather than them cursing the poop we leave behind!

river and bridge from above

We cantered the final stretch to the staging area, where after 16 miles the finicky horses finally drank from the trough. Major was more interested in eating the little bit of grass, but did manage to find a nice spot to roll after he was all nice and clean.

now all is right with the world: coated in dirt

Clean then dirty horses, happy and dirty people, a picture with a horse making some little girl happy: now that's a cool ride.

under the bridge

Some of the ubiquitous photos of my horse's ears and No Hands Bridge. I've taken this picture so many times.

But I'd never been UNDER the bridge. On a rare overcast days few weeks ago, I needed a little adventure, and took a quick trip down the road to the American River Confluence. For a different view.

downstream, the bridge stands since 1912

stills standing on old supports, which have been reinforced

remnants of other bridges, constructions

queen anne's lace seems too delicate for here

serpentine rock and failed bridge concrete abutment

among rocks the purple glows

lavender flowers in the shadow of the bridge

gracefully arching over the river

a happy bee finds a bedraggled flower

black swallowtail

bore hole tests rocks strength

the remnants of the 1948 bridge from the flood of 1964

fuzzy plant, I'll call her Audrey

the bridge with all that history...the rock holds more

I don't think this newer bridge will ever have the appeal

still waters run deep? Not here, cold and fast, deceptively so

There is a reason this bridge has stood through time. Built to last, next weekend it will see the Tevis riders cross in the dark one more time. Another chapter in history. More stories to tell.