The weather was picture perfect for our camp out - trail ride this long weekend. Warm during the day, cool evenings with a beautiful full moon. Amy, Alison and I left Friday afternoon. Lots and lots of traffic. The place we stayed at, has changed alot in the 15 or so years since I was there last. Nice picket lines, wash rack, pavilion, playground and free!
Ben and the boys came down on Saturday morning, then a few other friends came. They had 5 4-wheelers among them. The track for riding was just one road over, so that made it very nice. You could hear the dirt bikes and ATV's from where we camped.
We were close to the KOA campground and they had programs all weekend. We all went to an "all you can eat" pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. Good thing we had a big breakfast, as we got lost riding. We rode on Saturday for a few hours and on Sunday and wanted to take another trail on Sunday. We were out for 8 hours! It was just awful. All the riding is done on private property. You have to go along the road at some points and the horses were spooking at the cars. We lost the trail markers at some point and ended up riding along the road for a long time. Finally, there were some people saddling up at their home and we stopped. They offered to take us back to camp. That was another hour away. I was so sore and we were all so tired. Poor Tubby is very sore. Alison was so great through this all. I was the one complaining. That is way to long for me to ride.
Those horses were exposed to so many new things. Dirt bikes, cars, ATV's, deer, motorcycles and at one point, we had to ride right past a whole kennel of yippy little dogs. Looked like a puppy mill to me. We even rode through this little town. Biscuit spooked so bad at a car, that she tripped herself and fell in someone's front yard. We had a map, but I guess a lot of people get lost on that trail. Markers being torn down and property owners blocking the trail from ATV's, didn't help. At least the dirt bike and ATV riders shut down, when we came across them.
A few pictures. Alison is holding "CC" (camping kitty) which made its home with us all weekend. I hated to leave her, but there are people who have permanent sites there, so I figured she would not starve.
The pavilion and playground. Behind that is the permanent camp spots. You have to get on a waiting list for those.
Our camp site. Our friends brought tents to sleep in. The nights went down to the 50's, but everyone was warm enough.
This was a little tight, but a very pretty part of the trail.
We were on the "Blue trail" as you can see by the marker on the left. The problem was losing those makers, when you came to a road or open area.
We stopped here on top of a hill to rest a bit. That is when 5 dirt bikes came. They shut down, but I think the horses spooked more at the way they were dressed, then the bikes. They pushed them past us. They were older people and even one lady.