Hot Pie

Thursday November 16 2017

I call Belesemo Dude lots of names*, but Hot Pie (from Game of Thrones, naturally) is my favorite go-to. You can kind of see the resemblance - both rather rotund, and both love to eat.

My 4-legged Hot Pie has been marking and unmarking a lot of trail this last month, and he's quite proud of himself when he gets back home all duded up. 

We even heard a cougar yowling on Hart crick on one of these occasions, and boy did he turn on his Orlov trot to get out of there, though no cougar in its right mind would've messed with the Dude all bedecked in ribbons. He's gotten real good at stopping at ribbons and standing very still, and, since he's pretty tall, letting me lean waaaaaaaaay over, one foot out of the stirrup and my heel digging halfway up his side to hold on, so I can reach down and grab the ribbons.

Yesterday he was looking all handsome, sashaying down the trail from his Unmarking foray, wearing 2 ribbon necklaces, wooden stakes strapped to his pack, and jugs bouncing off his saddle.

Belesemo Dude/Hot Pie is featured in this month's Postcard From Owyhee:

http://merritravels.endurance.net/2017/11/postcard-from-owyhee-winding-down.html

*Buster Brown, Busterufagus, Dude, Duder, Mighty Mouth, Chunky Monkey, Buffalo Soldier (borrowed from Connie and Finneas), Stud Muffin, DUDLEY! (when he's in trouble), Hot Pie

Owyhee Spaghetti

Monday September 17 2012

It's that time: time to try to decipher the pile of spaghetti on the trail maps - the red, orange/purple, pink, blue/purple, green, blue, yellow, and orange arrows, and the squiggly lines of roads, trails and cow paths,

and get marking trail for the Owyhee Canyonlands 5-day endurance ride, which starts in 8 days. The spaghetti will become perfectly clear, once you are riding the trails on your horse.

Stormy gets to work, earning his keep, marking a couple of miles of the trails with his friend Taxi. It's a good thing I have Stormy to keep track of the colors: blue/purple out, pink out Pickett Creek; blue/purple out Steph's Trail; orange/purple in, pink in, blue/purple in, and yellow/purple out on Linda's Trail.

Just as we arrive back at the house,

Steph is headed out on the ATV.

About 20 miles of trail marked; about 230 miles to go!

Fun video previews of some of the trails are here:

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2012OwyheeCanyonlands/

City of Rocks Trail Marking Day 2

Saturday July 7 2012

We got some stares from climbers and hikers and campers, as we rode through City of Rocks National Reserve, with our horses wearing hula necklaces

"We aren't doing this just to look cute," Connie told one gaper, "even though we are."

Today we avoided the thunderstorms while out riding - yay! 

Of course we spent the evening in the Durfee hot springs; then back at camp as the sun set, we caught a spectacular weather show: the backside of a thunderstorm, a wave of dark clouds and light clouds and golden sunlight and a bright rainbow, pushing down the storm southeastward. A swirling lightning show lit up the clouds as it got dark - far enough away that I wasn't scared!

Four more days till the ride starts!

http://www.endurance.net/international/USA/2011CityofRocks/

Mark The Trails and They Will Come

Friday July 6 2012

And we're off… starting the trail marking for the City of Rocks Pioneer Trails Endurance Ride.

I'll leave out the part about the thunderstorm (lightning tends to give me a brain freeze while I'm terrified - and the lightning stayed one valley over, but the thunder was loud enough for ME to hear), and the rain we rode through (which to me was quite pleasant!). 

And Steph timed it just right so she picked us up, in the rain, at the bottom of our trail!

More to come.

Ribbonmeister

Friday June 1 2012

Doing his part to help with the Owyhee Fandango, Stormy pulled ribbons from one of the trails after the ride.

He might not cover quite the mileage the endurance horses do, but he likes to put his two cents in, and he takes his job very seriously. (And he takes the dog for a walk at the same time.)


He may not be the easiest and most practical horse from which to pull ribbons, since he's the tallest one we have at 16.2 hands (so tall I have to climb off him to reach some of the low ribbons), but he's certainly the most beautiful ribbon puller!

Close Encounters of the Jackass Kind

Saturday May 19 2012

I touched the horny jackass!

Remember the incidents with the Jackass last year?

He's a semi-wild brash donkey who hooked up with two wild horses out in the Brown's Creek drainage.

A few horseback riders have had unfortunate encounters with him (see the above link). The virile donkey appears to prefer geldings to mares in his amorous advances. Rushcreek Mac and John were disconcerted by him enough during our September Owyhee Canyonlands ride that they missed a turn on the trail for trying to outdistance the 4-legged Lothario.

Last year I encountered him on foot while hanging ribbons for an endurance ride, but he didn't want anything to do with me.

Today I was out on foot again, marking the trail past the rock corral in Buckaroo crick and up onto the flats, when I spied the two wild horses. 

"Hey guys!" I yelled. Their heads snapped up over the sagebrush and they stared at me. Shortly another shorter head appeared - the horny jackass. I kept talking to them, and the jackass started moving toward me, rather nonchalantly - almost friendly-like, as if he were happy to finally see a human after a long winter of 4-legged companionship.

Last year when I saw him, he gave me a wide berth in the trail; I couldn't have gotten closer than 50 yards if I'd tried. As for the mustangs, they were now 50 yards away which is closer than I've ever gotten to them, but they started - rather animatedly - following the donkey toward me. 

I kept talking to the donkey, and he kept coming closer, unafraid, and he stopped two feet away from me. 

I lifted up my hand and stuck my finger out. He stretched out his neck… further… and I touched the jackass!

He then took two steps toward me, into my space, and I suddenly remembered he is a horny jackass, towards some horses anyway, and, while he was the size of a pony, he still had 4 feet that could kick, some teeth that could bite, a big honking head he could swing like a club, and the body strength of a mule. Just in case, I swung my backpack off my shoulder onto my arm… and he took a step back. In this country I always carry a plastic garbage bag - something I can open up to flap around and make a lot of scary noise - and I put it in my hand… just in case.

The two wild horses were on high alert and were now within 30 yards of me. Fine looking pair they are.

The donkey just stood and looked at me, and I stuck out my finger again, and he sniffed it and touched it, then I stepped back, and turned and headed on my way.

They watched me, and the donkey followed a ways behind, almost as if he didn't want me to go. It must have been a boring winter out there, no other horses to harass, and no humans to listen to.

Some local cowboys have talked of going out there and catching him and those horses, but I kind of like seeing them out there. It's as if I know a special secret - a couple of special friends out in those canyons and washes.

Trailmeister

Monday September 19 2011

Officials for the upcoming 5-day Owyhee Canyonlands Pioneer September 27-October 1:

Ride manager: Steph Teeter
Day manager: Regina Rose
Veterinarians: Robert Washington and David Hayes
Trailmeister: JOSE VIOLA! (see above)

The goal is, if there is enough help during the ride so I can actually RIDE, for me to ride Jose Viola 5 days in a row! I've never done a 5-day, only 4-days! And Jose's never done 5 days in a row!

If the Raven and I ride and finish 3 days, we'll both reach 5000 miles!! (well... actually The Raven will still have 5 more miles and one more Tevis buckle than me).

One day at a time...

And then i had to go SHOPPING

Tuesday September 13 2011

When I was around 10 years old, every two weeks I had to drive with my mom on the long-a** drive into the big city and get allergy shots. If that wasn't bad enough, then I had to go shopping. It took all day.

I didn't want to go shopping. I was never in the mood for shopping. I slumped around with a sour face. I tried a sad face. I complained. I dragged behind my mother, irritating her to no end. ("Would you come on!"). I shuffled my feet in protest. At every shop she stopped at and went into, when we came out I immediately turned around to head back to the car. She pulled me around the other way and we kept shopping. She always tried to make it sound better than it was: "It's such a nice day!" "Oh, isn't this pretty!" The day always dragged out forever.

When we were finally finished shopping, and turned around to go home, the day wasn't so bad after all. My pace picked up beside my mom on the way to the car, and the drive home seemed shorter and much more fun.

****************************



And then I had to go FLAG THE TRAIL (by Finneas)

I'm 13, too old and pretty for this stuff, but every couple of months, I have to carry M on the long-a** ride across the big Owyhee desert. If that weren't bad enough, then I have to flag the trail for the upcoming Owyhee Canyonlands endurance ride. It takes all day.


Today I didn't want to go flag trail. I was not in the mood for flagging trail. I slumped around with a sour face. I tried a sad face. I planted my feet in the dirt and complained. I dragged behind M, irritating her to no end. ("Would you come on!"). I shuffled my feet and tripped over rocks in protest as she rode. At every sagebrush she stopped at to hang a ribbon on, when she climbed back in the saddle, I immediately turned around to head back home. She pulled me around the other way and we kept flagging. She always tried to make it sound better than it was: "It's such a nice day!" "Oh, isn't this pretty!" The day dragged out forever.

When we were finally finished flagging trail and turned around to go home, the day wasn't so bad after all. My pace picked up for M on the way home, and the trail home seemed shorter and much more fun.


**********************
(P.S. by Merri)
It always comes back to bite you in the butt, one way or another!

Ribbon Boys

Thursday June 23 2011

It's not all just schooling together, eating and hanging together, and romping together; the two BFFs, Stormy and Tex, sometimes work together, too.

Today their assignment was to mark the last bit of trail (as in, a whole 3/4 mile of trail) for the 2-day Owyhee Cheap Thrills No Frills endurance ride this weekend.

Since the convoluted in and out trails from base camp required a bit more concentration, I made the ribbon Hula Skirts (in honor of our friend Dudley) the night before. Tex would mark the Out trail with his 3 colors, and Stormy would mark the In trail with his four colors.

Tex had never worn a Hula Skirt before. It didn't faze him in the least.

Besides, his Bud Stormy was wearing one and it didn't bother him at all.


The boys did the hard work - standing still - while Linda and I untangled and picked out the right ribbons to pin onto the bushes in the correct directions.


Having completed their assignment, the boys surveyed a job well done. They'll sleep well tonight, knowing riders won't get lost for their hard work (on 3/4 of a mile of trail!).

Trail Colors OMG

Wednesday June 22 2011

Not to scare you or anything, but this is just two days of Owyhee Cheap Thrills No Frills endurance rides. Steph emailed me this map (with "trail colors omg" as the subject line) so we can hang the right color ribbons going in and out of basecamp.

Confusing? Only if you're trying to hang all the ribbons, in and out directions, at the same time. Shouldn't be confusing if you're riding, as the ribbons will be pretty clear, and there are pie plates galore directing you where to go, for reassurance. Some even tell you what to watch out for, like deep sand and gopher holes.


I have this mishmash to hang out (Stormy will do his share tomorrow!); Connie and Judy have one trail to check; and Steph will re-ride one more trail to check up on it - and then we are set.

It's demoralizingly hot today, in the 90's - Owyhee seems to be lying lethargically, waiting for a thunderstorm to happen or something - but Saturday and Sunday will be in the mid to high 70's, with no thunderstorms predicted. Couldn't be more perfect for some cheap thrills on another Owyhee endurance ride!


One more word about the ride: pay attention to the name: Cheap Thrills, No Frills. Two days of fun trails (especially the "Booby Rock" loop), good scenery, and potluck dinners. The hot showers probably will work, and if not, there are plenty of garden hoses around. If you're coming expecting to win a 4x4 Toyota Pickup when you cross the finish line as the winner each day, and to win saddles for your Top Ten finish awards, lower your expectations a bit. The ride awards will give you a cheap thrill, though they will be memorable.

Bring your fun bones!

The Things We Do For Love

Saturday June 18 2011

With the 2-day Owyhee Cheap Thrills endurance ride coming up next weekend, people have been asking about the trails. "Will there be new trails? I don't like to ride the same trails every time." "Will the trails be the same? My horse likes trails he's familiar with." "Will it be rocky?" (Hello, this is southern Idaho with mountains and beautiful rock canyons!) "Will there be a lot of sand?" "Will it be flat?"

I expect that a number of people who have not put on an endurance ride are unaware of the time, thoughts, ATVing, riding, hiking, marking, unmarking, re-marking, re-thinking, agonizing, and more, that go into putting on a 2-day 12, 25, and 50-mile trail and endurance ride. Do you go for easy trails? Beautiful trails? Challenging trails? Stay up near the mountains where it will be cooler and we don't have to haul water? How many loops, how many miles, and where are the vet checks and where is the best place and timing for the veterinarians?

Steph could make it easy on herself and just mark the usual near and pretty trails with all the vet checks in camp, but she is always driven to find new trails and show off more of the spectacular Owyhee country, so she's spent the last 2 weeks scouting new and less-used trail. The prettiest one that we couldn't use in May because of high water in Alder Creek, we can't use now because the cows are late moving up into the mountains and the owner doesn't want us riding through all the cows (with a potential of left-open gates). A shame because the fields of purple and white lupine are lush and stunning right now. Beautiful Sinker Canyon was another possibility, but the water in the creek is too high. Who would have thunk it - too much water in the desert!


Today we bushwhacked up the little-used Pickett Creek trail, to find a route to connect up with the trail that comes home from Booby Rock (yes, it looks like a Booby). We weren't the only ones laboring with love to come up with new trail: Rhett and Mac were the intrepid, brave beasts who carried us up through Pickett Canyon: splashing through raging rapids, ducking under low branches, diving through tree- and vine-covered dark tunnels, bulling through brush that possibly contained Horse Eating Monsters.

Moving up the creek, we came to one spot where a submerged Forked Tree Branch Monster grabbed at the horses' feet; Rhett was nervous scrambling through it, and uncharacteristically, Mac became a little unnerved because he couldn't find a decent foothold while his feet were being grabbed. He thought about where he was going to place his feet, hesitated, thought about turning back; but upon urging forward, he thought about it again, carefully placed his feet, and splash-scrambled through it. He had a big snort afterwards, shaking off the tension. (On the way back, we removed this Underwater Monster.)

At another spot in the creek there was a downed tree, with a trunk the size of my thigh, blocking our progress. I dismounted and held Mac and Rhett down-stream on a small sand bar while Steph plunged into the chilly, knee-high water and, with the little saw she'd brought along, sawed it into pieces.

The horses couldn't quite see her, and they warily eyed the sounds of cracking branches around the bend in the creek. "Big floater, coming down!" Steph yelled. "Uh, you might want to hang onto the horses!"

Rhett saw it first, a big - Loch Ness Creek Monster bobbing along the creek on the water's surface, approaching us. He snorted and scared Mac, and got ready to jump if it was necessary. I kept talking in a normal voice, and the log passed without incident. No problem, until, "Here comes another one!"

Rhett snorted again at the next Loch Ness Creek Monster floating down at us, and all was well... until... one of the branches from the log grabbed his leg as it floated by. Rhett ripped a loud snort and leaped straight up in the air; Mac couldn't see what Rhett was snorting at but he was sure it was some kind of Water Death; he crouched down like a cat; I tripped over a rock and fell over backwards on my butt. Luckily the horses didn't jump forward and I didn't turn them loose.

Steph waded back past us to saw loose this log and branches (sawing by feel, under the water), which had now become hung up on a curve in the creek; and after pussy-footing around and trying not to get my feet wet (I hate wet feet!), I gave up and walked into the creek too, and helped pull the logs out for easy passage.

We slopped back up onto our horses, and worked our way up the creek, climbing out when another big downed tree blocked us (too big to saw). Steph sawed through the branches to make a path above the creek. Mac couldn't see her - only saw the tree moving and making funny noises - and he worried about a Tree Monster that might jump out and attack.


After some more bushwhacking, we reached the beginning of the Booby Rock trail, and we turned around and test-rode the trail back (in the direction the ride will be going).

We'd done it - found and marked the final few miles of loop 3 of Day 2, and and Rhett and Mac had been on a great adventure.

It was deemed a success, and the horses proclaimed very Lionhearted Souls for their brave bushwhacking.

But, after much thinking, all the riding, sawing, clearing, bushwhacking, marking trail, re-thinking, and agonizing, Steph decided to not use that trail because of some technical sections and all the water coming down the creek.

But that was okay, because the riding and exploring adventures are all for the love of endurance riding.

[Slide show here]

Batten Down the Hatches

Wednesday May 25 2011

Hurry Finneas, we gotta get going early to get 10 miles of trail flagged before the gusty winds and rain and storm front and possible thunderstorms get here!


My job is to mark the trail with ribbons, while Finneas' job is to sample the lush grass along the way. The grass is so thick in places that I can't find the trail we ride regularly. We have to do a lot of backtracking to either move ribbons or just pick a way through all the grass. Finneas doesn't mind because it means more sampling for him.


The wind is starting to blow stiffly as we top the sharp ridge above Hart Creek; and as we drop into our home canyon the wind is stronger. We get home just as the dust, then the rain starts to obliterate the Owyhee mountains.

The wind is gusting now, tending more towards gales. The horses have their butts to the wind and spitting rain, tails tucked under their butts, heads to the ground, hunkering down. Steph finally makes it back from marking trail on the ATV, exhausted from the wind, and frustrated once again by more trail sabotage.

By evening, gales are ripping across and through the two canyons - sure glad we are not riding up on the flats right now. The confused storm clouds spit rain. The wind swirls from the north and the clouds shove their way into the wind.


Then the wind stops. I step outside and see some rather unnerving-looking clouds, like nothing I've ever seen in southern Idaho before. Either I've been watching too many news videos of the awful tornadoes and devastation in the Mid-West and South, or these clouds really do look like they could harbor more than a thunderstorm. Streaks go one way, waves and bubbles move the other. I watch them a while, mesmerized and a bit nervous.

With the ride starting on Friday, over a dozen people have arrived already, running ahead of the storm. Hopefully the horses and trailers won't blow away, and hopefully I tied all those trail ribbons on the bushes tightly enough!

[Slide show here]

All That Work

Saturday May 21 2011

Carol and I went out to flag 6-8 miles of trail down to the Snake River for next Sunday's Owyhee Fandango 80 and 100 milers.

It should only take a couple of hours, right?


Well, it would have if it also hadn't taken us a couple of hours to: shuttle one truck to one spot up on the rim, and our bodies to another spot; if a red bull of a farmer hadn't stopped us for trespassing (we were just cutting through one small part of his property on a dirt road, to avoid going miles out of the way, and I tend to read No Trespassing signs around here as saying "No Trespassing except for Me and My Owyhee Friends"); if we hadn't stopped for a yummy Murphy Burger for energy since we were right by there and it was already lunch time; and if we hadn't lost the trail many times in the oceans of thigh-high cheat grass that had taken over the prairie, trails and all, in the 3 weeks since we'd been there. Plus we had to of course spend some time enjoying the great weather and gawking at the wildflowers and scenery and birds along the route.

We got 'er done though, and just in time to avoid the sky-swallowing rainstorm (thunderstorm??) that got to us right when we arrived at our waiting truck.


We got back home and Steph was depressed. She'd been out marking more trail, and discovered a couple of miles of trail that she'd marked the night before was vandalized (ribbons and clothespins stolen) by someone I'll call Mr Grumpy.

We're not sure if Mr Grumpy hates horses only, also hates ATV/motorcycles, or just hates people in general. The ride is not on his land and not on his road, but when we have a vet check out in his general area (nowhere near sight or sound of his property), he and another family member start up their trucks and drive out of their way to tear up and down the dirt road, trying to scare (hurt?) horses (and people? I often wondered how he'd feel if, say, his wife or daughter were riding horses and someone did this to them, or how he'd feel if someone did get hurt). He's called the sheriff on us - for no reason, since we aren't on his property or road and we have permission to be there.


On top of that, it's one week till the ride, and Steph has considered uttering the "C" word ("Cancel") because of the EHV-1 viral outbreak that is making people skittish about coming. I am crushed that some good friends had to cancel, though I completely understand why they are not.

There are about 40 pre-entries, and there have been a few cancellations, though ironically the EHV-1 outbreak seems to be well contained. It would be a terrible shame to not have the ride because the trails are gorgeous now, with an extraordinary amount of grass, and wildflowers coming up, and copious amounts of water in the creeks.


Has all the work so far been for nought?

[Slide show here:]