When Pete & Judie heard there was gonna be a ride; in the hills we always
train in and live right beside it got real excitin thinkin that there`d be
no long drive; no budgeting for gasoline; no extra sacks of Omolene. We
could ride just across the river and in 10 minutes we`d be there; It was
lookin so easy to us we figured we should ....Volunteer...
As the ride got closer, the thermometer rose, triple digits has more
meaning than a cat with extra toes!
When Pete and I volunteered we didn`t realize, that we`d be marking trails
in the Blistering heat, cookin up our hides. It was 115! degrees, that sun
boiled the water in our canteens, and sweated 50 pounds out of our ponies
hides, no lies.
Norco Riverdance Ride...Land where the volunteers fried
We put out the ribbons and with three to mark the turns, went down some
hills so steep the horses hocks got burned, we drank water hot enough to
come from a coffee pot, and ate hot peanut butter sandwiches, and like it
or not we would mark this damn trail every single spot.
Norco Riverdance Ride...Land where the volunteers fried
Well we pushed our way through head high mustard and sticker bushes too,
got stuck and scratched and then on top of that, we got rocks in our shoes
. hlazed new trails where the rattlers shock their tails, but they were
much to hot to give striking us a thought
Norco Riverdance Ride...Land where the volunteers fried
Our ride pants were ripped and our ribbons had run out, we were sunhurned,
& thirsty -dehydrated no doubt. It was 6 hours later with 10 more miles (
of the first 25 ) to mark out, the trail was still uncertain, so without a
doubt these volunteers would be back cause they couldn`t let Lynne down,
She`d gotten so many entries from out of town we had to find a finish to
the trail, little did we know when we hooked up for day 2 we`d be markin in
the lightening storm from hell. As I rode up to the top of the steepest
hill my horse lookin like a pink ribbon frill, the thunder rolled, the
Iightning glowed and I figured I`d be killed. Poor Pete would only find
body fused, red hair, pink ribbons, bay horse, and horse shoes, "Get me off
this high tower mountain Lord" I prayed as I attached pink ribbons to
windblown sage lightening cracked all around, electric blues, pinks and
great, the thunder rolled, it rained and in the distance I saw brown haze.
Willie and I hurried, he navigated well, how I leaned at a canter to put
ribbons down the hill only he could tell, I finally got past the golf
course and up to the top, with lightening all around finally we stopped. I
looked across the mountains and saw a fire burning, the wind was gale force
and it set my stomach churning, on we went my noble horse and I, when
finally a whinny pierced the evening sky, I looked down across the ribbon
marked hillside and gave out a cry it`s Pete and Secret-My Guy. We waited,
with our backs to the battering wind on the exposed side of the hill, while
Pete caught up with us, oh what a thrill, I was thinking how bizarre the
weather was from yesterday to today, then Pete rode up to me and yelled "
you went the wrong way"
And the thunder rolled...
Now to continue this tale of the Norco River Trail, We rode again another
day to find a way to mark the trail to Pumpkin rock and back to camp. No
thunder or lightening nothing more frightening, than a hundred and six
degree day
Norco Riverdance Ride...Land where the volunteers fried
Now Pete was on a mission, a mission for Lynne & Pat, and all of the
endurance riders coming to ride in packs. You see there was no end to this
Hilly first 25 mile loop. So up and down hills, through bush and coyote
poop, Pete did ride till finally he cried " It`s here" go up to Cross hill,
over Single tree and down Suicide hill to the nursery, whoopee! The ride
was saved. We can`t forget Pat and ranger John who had marked the river
trails day after day, dusk till dawn. Now we`ll have a most excellent "e`
ticket ride, and Lynne can smile with pride when the riders say they drove
all this way this way and, used up all their gas, to get to the Norco River
Ride that kicked their ASS!
There`s a lot of hills out there, but be aware, the river trails are cool
and the best you`ll ever see, don`t dally in the water cause you see Pete
and I we also Volunteered to drag the Fifty!!!
Norco Riverdance Ride...Land where the volunteers survived.
No comments:
Post a Comment