A Skiffin'

Saturday December 16 2017

I was getting a little antsy, seeing as we were 11 days behind the date of the start of last year's epic winter snowfall. The Owyhee mountains have actually held snow for about 2 months now (!), but down here, we'd had nuthin' until last night.

But this morning: a half inch of snow on the ground and a wind to chase away the icy fog that's been sitting on us for the last 2 weeks.

It's only a skiff, but it's the first one down here, and we'll take it!

(That's Hillbillie Willie, sporting the snow nose... why does he always look dorky?)

A. Most. Epic. Winter.

Tuesday January 10 2017

It's been EPIC so far.

Snow on the ground since December 4 - which has been thrilling enough, in these drought years.

Then a week ago Monday: an inch of snow. Monday night: 2 inches. Tuesday: 6 inches. Tuesday night and Wednesday: 8 inches. Wednesday: more snow. It's astounding. Thursday, Friday, the weekend, today, more snow that falls, gets packed down, freezes hard, layers on more, rains, snows again… I have lost count.

Unprecedented in the 10 or so years I've been here. (Wednesday set a couple of records in Boise, including a 65-year record.)

Everything is slower. You can't run around in this stuff. Hiking takes a long time when you sink to your knees (!!!) at every step. If you've got to walk to the neighbors', just expect it's going to take some time, because you'll be pulling each leg out of a deep hole every step. 

If you've got to hike/climb to the internet tower to brush the snow off the solar panels, take a backpack of gear and extra clothes, maybe some climbing ropes and crampons and an ice axe, and an extra bottom layer for when you have to bust through that hip-deep snow cornice near the top. 

But don't forget to be astounded by the views. Everything is stunningly beautiful. From the high desert landscape buried in snow, to the Owyhee mountains buried in snow, to the horses decorated with ice it is seriously a unique, extraordinary winter wonderland.

The horses are fine out there with plenty of hay to eat, and I am sure the horses prefer the winter to heat and bugs!

Dudley does, he's throwing his head up, "yes!"

Who woulda thunk I'd'a needed snowshoes this winter just for around the ranch. And winter's not over yet!

Photobombsicle

Friday January 6 2017

One of the many delights of winter is the way Mother Nature decorates the horses with snow and ice.

You already saw Manesicles, then Beardsicles.

Now here it is: the first ever Photobombsicle. Although I'm not sure who photobombed who, it's definitely Mother Nature having the biggest laugh at me and Stormy (The Most Beautiful Horse On The Planet).

Beardsicles

Sunday January 1 2017

Hoar frost is one of the biggest delights of winter. Mother Nature creates delicate icy designs with fog and cold and a slight breeze.

On this day, the hoar frost collected on Finneas' mane and under his chin for a nice beardsicle.

It also grew on legs

and tails.

Winter art!

Jose's New Play Toy

Thursday December 29 2016

Since Mac, Jose's bestest playin'est roughhousingest friend crossed the Rainbow Bridge, Jose's been short of a hard-playing pal.

The Owyhee Social Director still tries to stir the pot, running around on his own if necessary, biting his ankle, nipping and teasing with some horses, but he hasn't had much luck the last year or two.

Enter Hillbilly Willie. The Standardbred came to the Owyhee herd about a year ago, and spent most of the year very slowly melding with the herd. Owyhee Social Director Jose shunned him like the rest of the herd… but it was all part of his big hard-playing plan, you see.

Willie is possibly not the brightest bulb on the Owyhee Christmas tree, and he's not the lightest and quickest on his hooves, but Jose chose him to be his next horseplay accomplice. All it took was a good first dash of winter and a hair-raising breeze that got the entire herd a bit excited and in a rompus mood. And Jose got Willie to start playing.

It starts with an instigating bite on the ass

then a little romping.

then a little "bite my ankle" demonstration

Teaching Willie the Strike

The advanced bite and dodge move

Once Willie catches some air, Jose's got a willing new play toy!

Manesicle

December 15 2016

And here I was all worried that we wouldn't get any real winter weather (although winter doesn't technically start for another week), and we got a good 6 inches yesterday (!!!!!!!). Temperature close to freezing, and the sky dropping tiny little ice slivers, so it was a wet snow, which slowly piled up during the day.

Made for scenic icicles in horse manes. Stormy sports his with a dash of flair.

Belesemo Snow Dude

December 11 2016

It's our favorite time of the year. Cooler weather for Belesemo Dude (Dudley), and WINTER and SNOW for me, The Ice Princess.

Call me nuts, but you'll at least agree that this video is fun and the country is beautiful and the beast I'm riding is magnificently marvelous.

Hallelujah!

or video link:

https://youtu.be/Y1fs-oYA8q4

Ode to Winter 2015

Wednesday January 23 2015

A snot-dripping, eye-watering wind hurls down from a tablecloth cloud hanging over the white Owyhee mountains. I'm leaning into the howling gale as it batters me off the ridge trail I'm hiking. The 'breeze' is 20 to 30 miles an hour, gusting to 40. Those little blasts are knocking me sideways. The wind chill is below 20*. But it's always fun braving the Owyhee winter wind on a hike (not a ride!).

The horses have been huddled behind the hay feeder all day as a windbreak, eating hay to stay warm.

I had just refused to believe the projected El Niño predictions of southwest Idaho being drier and warmer than normal. Not fair! It just had to snow and get cold this winter! And my denial has paid off: unexpectedly, the Owyhee mountains are currently at 140% of normal snowfall already. That's great news to a years-long drought that has parched the land in the summer, dried up cricks, and lowered the water table, among other less obvious things.

The latest winter storm we're in the middle of (lasting several days) dumped a load of wet stuff from the Pacific: big wet gloppy snowflakes in just-at-freezing temperatures. Much of it melted, then turned to sleet then rain which melted the snow into gloppy mud, then more wet snow. It's unlike the dry fluffy snow that comes with arctic blasts from the north that evaporates without contributing anything to the earth. This wet stuff means more groundwater soaking in. Not so great for horses standing in mud, but you take what you can get, when you can get it, in the desert.

I'll be gone down south at least a month, but I hope the cold and snow continues up here. But I also hope it saves some more cold, wet action for me for when I get back!

that's Stormy, wearing a snow blanket!

Bored This Winter? Try Ski Joring

Tuesday February 10 2015

While dogs or reindeer pulling skiers as a means of travel in Scandinavian countries has been around for hundreds of years, the sport of ski joring (the Norwegian word skikjøring means ski driving), was first a demonstration sport in the 1928 second Olympic Winter Games in Switzerland, with skiers driving a single horse from behind.

Equestrian ski joring now consists of a galloping horse (in most cases!) pulling a skier through an obstacle course by a rope attached to the saddle. Leadville, Colorado's now-famous ski joring competitions began in 1949. Equestrian ski joring events occur in 5 U.S. states, with the national championships being held in Whitefish, Montana every year since 2009.

The Wood River Extreme Ski Joring Association hosted a weekend of ski joring in Bellevue, Idaho at the Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center, where local riders and skiers teamed up for a bit of speed and excitement. This was a straight course for a couple of hundred feet, with the rider required to grab one hoop, and the skier having to negotiate two jumps, a couple of cones, and snatch 6 hoops. $5000 was up for grabs.

There almost wasn't enough snow, after it rained the night before. There were a few mud puddles by the end of the first day.

Sprinting down the lane!


This horse was excited and ran more up and down like a hobby horse than forward.


Intense concentration by this rider who just grabbed his hoop, and his horse.


This horse was really excited!


Who needs stirrups?


Catching some air


This gal catches air in the saddle!
 

This horse had a mind of his own and wasn't listening to the rider's steering. The horse thought *he* should take the jump. They didn't fall!


 



This was the junior or peewee division. More my speed!

A Delicate Trail Issue

Monday February 2 2015

Let’s be frank, and address an awkward trail riding issue.

When the weather gets cold enough to form ice in water troughs, when it’s snowing and sleeting and blowing so hard that the wind chill freezes your eyeballs as you’re on the back of a horse, *it* will happen.

Your nose is going to run.

It will form little snot droplets that will hang, then drip, or fly away in the wind, or worse, land on your clothes unless you do something about it. This is precisely the reason why you must have the right kind of winter gloves - to wipe off the snot. Come on now, admit it, you all do it.

(Perhaps other less-rugged disciplines, say proper dressage riders, carry nice hankies or tissues in their pockets, but I venture to say that most endurance riders really aren’t that concerned with conventional snot protocol, and often don't have the spare hands to find the hidden wadded up tissue in some zipped-up pocket while handling a fresh snorty horse on a cold windy day.)


I have some nice riding gloves I use when it’s cool (others might say “cold”). But they’re useless when my nose starts to run.


I have some nice warm Noble Equine gloves that I picked up on sale. I thought they’d be the perfect winter gloves. They are indeed lovely and soft, and they do keep my fingers warm, but I discovered the one thing they aren’t good for is wiping and absorbing the snot off my nose. They just smear it.


My riding partner has the perfect gloves. They are warm and the perfect softness, so they keep her fingers warm and absorb snot. By the time you alternate gloves to wipe the snot, the first glove has dried already. She got them for $1 at a discount grocery store.

Inexpensive warm, soft, absorbent gloves are a great gift for the cold-weather endurance and trail riders on your list!

Hello 2015

January 1 2015

The Owyhee view was breathtaking, the cold air breathtaking, the big handsome Dudley beast breathtaking.


Neither frost on whiskers nor frostbite on fingers, nor overnight temperature of 0* and morning temperature of 10* could keep us from a ride on New Year’s Day.