ups and downs

(Photo spam post. So much for "I'm going to update more." I say it's because I've been riding and it's too damn hot to work in my office on the computer, but…)

a favorite view

Yeah, I'd say summer is here!

In the last month we've ridden 70 miles with 7,300 feet of elevation gain, but our ups and down aren't just elevation. Miles had too much fun camping and after we came back needed a refresher on not being barn sour on rides from home. I had a couple epically annoying, jiggy rides. Dragged along poor S and Rocky for a couple of them. Thank goodness for good friends with solid horses!

pony does not give  *uck about my opinion

One morning we headed out early to Granite Bay. The lake is so high some of the trail looks very different (water below instead of rocks). This is the highest the lake has been in many years, which is good, though the lake trail being underwater is disappointing. On this ride we switched off and on who was in front, with Miles losing his privilege when he got too stupid. I take him out enough alone that I think using the other horse to remind Miles we're not doing what he wants (as well as my instruction from the saddle) is ok, though I may be wrong about that!

one of the lake drop-off trails

Beals Point overlook

I tried a longer ride to see if that would help, or just enforce, not rushing home. I also stopped for pictures, to just make him deal with his life, and to drink some water, keeping it chill. I don't think the 11 mile out-and-back to Avery Pond tired him out, but he did have 5.5 miles of coming home to be reminded not to make poor choices. And he did ok! 

new fashion, looking out through the ear holes?

trail covered in cottonwood "snow"

star thistle pokey trail

Avery trough, so nice but no drinking today

 

river so high it is the lake here now!

I get bored doing the same rides over and over. So we wandered about in the forest one day, then went to Auburn the next time. I hadn't ridden to Cool since last fall I think. I rode with S and C down to No Hands Bridge, then split up. I wondered how that would go…but Miles didn't look back. See ya guys! We went up to Cool and relaxed a bit at the staging area.

rerouted trail doesn't parallel the highway any more!

gotta snack for the long ride ahead

Foresthill bridge (but traffic is SO loud!)

The trail has gotten especially rocky after the last wet year. On our way back I hand-walked most of the way down the Cool side of the river, taking it easy and giving him a break. I'm having a hard time figuring out Miles' fitness. Since coming back from Cool includes about a 1000 foot climb at the end, I didn't want him to over-do it, so I tried to keep him to walk and easy trot. He did chose to canter up Robie Point (and was behaving himself), then I got off and walked down (and found a toy, he was not impressed). We came back with plenty of energy, I'd rather be cautious than burn him out!

terrible No Hands railings now

found an alligator!

almost back to the Auburn staging area trough (Tevis finish line)

playing in the big boys pasture

The next time out in the forest I decided to do some bushwhacking. I love this one trail that only I use, so it's pretty overgrown! I spent some time trimming some bushes and trees, then out to the oak knoll overlook here, one of my favorites. Then randomly decided to go see what the lake was like. The access I use had a small footpath alongside, completely overgrown and squishy, so it is now just a slab of rock. I think Miles is part goat! He needed to be reminded not to rush but did fine. There was no lake trail, and no getting to the water with the shrubbery and washed-up debris piles, so time to head home. So I tried letting him trot a bit home…a few big reminders where I just turn him around and we go back, past where he was naughty (breaking gait, not listening) then we start again like nothing happened. He is making better choices more often! 

oaks don't mind the heat

down one of my favorite trails

it has a newly installed trail sign (by bike riders I think). Hmmm?

three oak knoll

climbing over granite

no getting to the lake here!

Until the night ride. S wanted to try going out at night as she is sweep riding a night section of Tevis in a few weeks. Maybe Miles was mad he didn't get to finish dinner, maybe it was being out at night. But the jigging home on a three mile ride was arghh! (And I didn't get to do as much correction as I'd like, it being dark and being with S).

night ride sunset

camera still sucks at night photos!

So I set off early this morning with the intention of recreating that ride (but during daylight). We left breakfast at home (he had a small snack only) and he was super good, we trotted home on a loose rein. Seriously? I'll take it, but double arghh for inconsistency!

morning field of flowers

Miles does not think we should stop for photos

So the ups and downs continue. The temperature is pretty limiting right now, but we have another camping trip planned, and a lot of summer riding left to go. I'm not feeling the need for a goal, but sure do like thinking of some long rides I can take!

Also, I got another new pony, what do you think1? I had one just like it as a kid. I need a name, he joins another one (all white) in my yard. I guess I've got a thing for bays…

another bay pony for me!

I think my cat has melted. How Wesley?

weather, enough

 

grass snacks are never boring

found this friend on my patio!

Atmospheric rivers. Snow. Flooding. Damaging wind storms. I'm supposed to write about riding but that hasn't been happening! What have we been doing?

I dig ditches to try and redirect torrents of water, in the pouring rain, while Miles watches from under his shelter. I try to scrape up some of the mud, between rainstorms, while I put Miles into the empty paddock to eat some grass. I take Miles for a walk to eat some more grass in (what seems like) the five minutes between storms, then we get caught in hail. It's been fun. 

I might be late for dinner

In the last month I got in one short forest ride that was terrible. He was so stupid about wanting to turn home, so we did! Back and forth, out and back, into the arena, back on the trail, repeat. If I could get any consistency I'm sure we'll improve. But not right now.

stu's trail

this, more please

I did do one more ride, and it turned out to be a good one! I sneaked out of work on a randomly gorgeous day during the week. No one else was about, the gravel roads were clear, and we had an enjoyable 10 miles along the river. After the ride I wanted to see if Miles would eat from the bucket on the trailer. He certainly will, and make a huge mess! Back to a mash pan on the floor!

hopefully we'll try the trails on the other side when it dries up

this was the only thing that spooked him all day, writing on the road

seriously?

There have been a couple of nice days with blue skies, where I'm trapped at work and only get out in the afternoon to take him for a walk. But I'm glad for those days (and being light later, yeah!) and I think Miles likes to get out as well. He always whinnies back at my whistle when I arrive at the stable.

a few minutes of gorgeous

so much shedding, I take a brush on every walk

just a flesh wound…

Oh, and to top it off Miles did manage to scrape his leg up against the wood floor frame of his shelter. It is not deep, but he won't keep a wrap on. Luckily it is still healing fine. This weekend was more moving sandbags and yesterday, during the wind storm, while I was checking on Miles, coming upon the gorgeous, huge oak at the ranch fallen over, crushing fences and cross-ties (luckily no horses or humans hurt).

not enjoying the rain, the oak tree that fell pictured behind

one last treat before you leave?

I am making no short-terms plans. I'll read some more books, wander some thrift stores, and plan for summer. But I'm hopeful that spring will surely arrive sometimes soon…after the next series of cold, wet storms coming next week…. Are we done yet?

thrift finds (that I did not buy): interesting clock, paint-by-number (I have a half-finished one at home already), pegasus fantasy book, huge play horse trailer!

Wesley, gone to the dark side (helping me make the bed)

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!)