Tevis sweep 2018 - by Irish Horse

Trails-and-trials-with-major Blog - Full Story

wednesday, august 1, 2018

It was cave-dark. A few glow sticks showed the way, but didn’t provide any light. That famous Tevis full moon didn’t penetrate through the trees. I couldn’t see my hand in front of me, so I just gave Major his head, and said get us through this. Water splashed, rocks tumbled underfoot, and he crossed the creek and up the opposite bank.

Later, on a more exposed hillside, the moonlight glowed, showing pine tree silhouettes and reflecting off the smoke in the canyon, the trail showed up clearly ahead. But only a bit of this and the trail was swallowed by trees again, Major never questioning why it was 1:00am, why we were following those people but staying back, walking over rocks, slick granite and along drop-offs, never hesitating. Trust.

My sweep section started at Foresthill, which is the one-hour vet hold 68 miles into the ride. The competitors have done the hardest canyons, but there is still plenty of climbing and descending to do to get to Auburn. Many people leave in daylight, and the front-runners left Foresthill at 5:10pm, but the last of the 87 people left at 9:50pm, with my sweep team behind them...

Read more here:
http://trails-and-trials-with-major.blogspot.com/2018/08/tevis-sweep-2018.html

Chief Joe - Tolo Lake part 1 - Karen Bumgarner

KarensHorseTales Blog - Full Story

SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2018
by Karen Bumgerner

After some very last minute changes, plan C or D was scrapped, and Peanut and I set out for the 54th Annual Chief Joseph Trail Ride on Sunday July 22. Peanut, aka HH Storm Runner, is 6 now but this whole CJ experience would be very new to him. The "new" plan, since Lynn Welborn's horse had gotten injured on the 21st, was bring Peanut, and she could ride him a couple days and I could drive etc.

This years trail would be the only loop where assembly and destination camps are the same, as that is what the Nez Perce did during their flight from Gen. Howard in 1877. Tolo was an encampment often used by the Nez Perce in the 1800's, and they would race their horses on the prairies and hunt. Our route would take us down into Hells Canyon and back up again twice during the loop.

I rode day one as we left Tolo Lake and headed out around wheat fields that were once Camas prairies, and down ravines into the timber. We were treated to a big herd of elk right after Chip's wife said, "this looks like a great place for elk!" Boom there they were, haha!...

Read more here:
https://karenshorsetales.blogspot.com/2018/07/chief-joe-tolo-lake-part-1.html