Wyoming

Monday June 8 2009

I've seen a lot of beautiful places, but that drive from the Big Horn Mountains in northeast Wyoming, going west, down into the Big Horn Canyon/valley, to Cody, along the North Fork of the Shoshone River which borders the Absaroka and Bearthtooth Wildernesses to the north, and on into the southeast entrance of Yellowstone, is fantastic. Keep on going down through Grand Teton National Park, and you'll see some of the most amazing and most varied terrain and landscape and geologic features, some of the most gorgeous places anywhere on the planet. I'll put that area up against anything I've seen.

The Grand Tetons emerging from snow and storm clouds just before the sun sinks behind them, with Colter Bay spread out in front of them is nothing short of stunning, no matter how many times you see it. The view punches you in the gut, sucks your breath away.

The sharp smell of the fir and pine forest after a wet snowfall, the pungent odor of the sulphur hot springs in Yellowstone, the iciness of a frozen lake, a crashing river in a deep canyon, the lovely spiraling call of the Swainson's thrush in the twilight, a howling pack of coyotes at nightfall - treasures and mysteries begging to be noticed and explored.

The Raven enjoyed the excursion too, though he was somewhat offended by the "Don't feed the wildlife signs" with his picture on it. Ravens have to eat too!

I saw one tourist in Grand Teton walking around with a mask over his mouth and nose. I wanted to run up and rip it off him and yell, "Breathe this in! The purest cleanest healthiest air you'll ever get a chance to breathe! The crisp cold mountain and forest air will cure your ailment!" But I didn't.

After camping in the rain in Grand Teton, I got up early, made a cup of Starbucks over my camp stove, then took a 2-mile hiking trail along the lake. Two miles of solitary bliss: hugging trees, touching the frigid lake, inhaling the intoxicating smell of the wet forest, wincing at the beauty. Sometimes you couldn't tell where the peaks ended and the storm clouds began.

Nothing but me (and the Raven) and a bald eagle in a tree on the lakeshore looking down at me (don't forget to look up, to see what's looking down at you). He was probably drying off, probably thinking about going fishing, but surely he had to be enjoying the scenery too. I'm pretty sure this encounter was also arranged just for me, since I was the only one around to see him.

Then it was time to rush off again - places to go, appointments to keep - but I got a brief glimpse of paradise again.


A bit more of Wyoming gallery

Fort Howes Day 2: It's All Mental

Sunday June 7 2009

This time, it rained all night, and turned to a dozen forms of precipitation, all of them involving some form of ice, till late afternoon. It turned the trails into a mire of treacherous footing. "A mental ride," a couple of riders said.

Despite the conditions, there were still lots of smiles from riders and crews, if not in happiness then from a sense of humor. People love this ride, and the Stevens who put it on, and they keep coming back to do it again.

For the full ride story, see the Fort Howes page on endurance.net.

Here are some photos to give you the flavor of the day!

Julie Jackson-Biegert and Nitro, winner of the 100.




Oops! A slip on the slick ground.


Horse coming in to camp in the snow




Flurries in camp.


Heading back out into the snow!


Blankets off for trot outs.


Blankets back on immediately after - several blankets.


The snow turns back to sleet.


This rider was doing her and her horse's first 50. "I'm a wimp and I'm surprised I'm still going!" She was tickled with how much mud was all over her stirrups and legs. She finished the ride. Think of how enjoyable and easy all the rest of her endurance rides will be when she has good weather and terrain!


Still beautiful, despite the weather.


Horses bowed their heads moving into the blowing snow and rain.


Suzy Hayes and Tezero's Gold.




Trotting out for the vet.




This fellow came all the way from Texas but got kicked on the trailer, so he didn't get to ride. OBVIOUSLY he was bored. He kept pestering his pen-mates, trying to get someone to play with him.

2009 Fort Howes Endurance Ride - Day 1

Saturday June 6 2009

Mud, Anyone?

It rained all night, and just stopped for the start of the 75 mile ride at 6:30 AM. The skies stayed gray and threatening all day, though we lucked out and didn't get any rain. It was cool all day, and the temperature dropped to the low 40's (or less) by evening. Those who were clever enough to bring winter clothes stayed somewhat warm (lucky me!) and those who didn't think to bring muck boots got their riding shoes a bit muddy (unlucky me!).

If you want the full ride story, go to the Fort Howes page on endurance.net.

Here are a few photos from the gray - but quite pleasant and fun, and always beautiful - day.

10-year-old Granger Eichhorn riding his first 50 on his cute pony, with his dad, and trotting out at a vet check.




Two ladies on the 35.


No matter which way you pointed your lens, it was beautiful - even this little swamp!


Three gals having fun on the 75. Young Rider Kirsten Kimbler on the right finished 3rd.


A young rider at the vet check.


10-year-old Coletan MacLeod with his horse Zorro's SeaBiscuit, doing their first 50.




When you come to Montana, bring yer slickers! These 35-milers are prepared for the rain! (Which miraculously didn't come today.)


Jan Worthington (69 years old) and Leon coming in off their 3rd loop. Look how good Leon looks!


Three riders in the 50 sprint for the finish line.


Jan and Leon win the 75! Happy campers. Leon got Best Condition also.

2009 Fort Howes Endurance Ride - Friday

Friday June 5 2009

Here's a short list of essential items to bring along if you are planning to go to the Fort Howes endurance ride on the Circle Bar Ranch in southeastern Montana in June.

Shorts and tank tops.
Long underwear, winter fleece and wool layers, hat, gloves.
Very good rain gear.
Muck boots.
A sense of humor.
At least 3 changes of everything.

If you have all that, you'll stay comfortable and have a great time no matter what the conditions.

The first thing you might notice when you get to this ranch 20 miles south of Ashland is the simple beauty of the setting in the rolling hills of the Custer National Forest, at about 3000'. Bill Stevens' great great grandfather homesteaded here in 1883 - he was a former sea Captain from Massachusetts - and Bill and Jan's girls are the 6th generation on this ranch. You could say ranching is in their blood.


You could say endurance is too - this is the 13th year the Stevens have put on the Fort Howes Endurance rides. And there really is an old Fort - it had been put up in the late 1800's, "just in case," though it was never needed for protection. The outer walls are still there, and occasionally a roof is, also. A big thunderstorm blew the last one off, and Bill just hasn't gotten around to replacing it yet.

This year was again a 2-day ride: Saturday was a 35, 50, and 75; Sunday was a 55 and 100, all but the limited distances being offered as FEI rides also. And Saturday's 50 was also the Region 6 AHA Championship.


It was warm enough for shorts when I arrived - and it got hot and muggy too, but I'd heard it had been raining the last two days, and more was forecast. Jan and Martin Marsh had come here to Forth Howes from our Owyhee rides two weeks ago - Jan had both her horses entered here, but was sitting on the fence. "We'll see what the weather does. No sense in risking anything if it rains like it did the last 2 days straight."

There were some big rigs that brought 3, 4, 5 horses. Darolyn Butler from Texas brought 2 rigs and 12 horses! Many people drove 2 or 3 days to get here. A lot of riders would be riding the 50, or 75, on Saturday, and the 100 on Sunday. You might say they were a bit deranged, or you might surmise that most FEI riders are either trying to qualify themselves or their horses under the most recent FEI qualification system, for the World Endurance Championship in Kentucky in 2010.


Jan Worthington and Grace Ramsey brought 4 horses from Illinois, a thousand-mile drive. Jan was one who'd be riding the 75 then 100. She'd be on Leon - Golden Lightning - on the 75. Leon and Jan were in the World Championships in Malaysia last year, finished the ride and were pulled at the finish - this after about knocked down by a lightning bolt and getting thrown to the ground. They then finished the President's Cup in February in the UAE, followed by some time off for Leon. He'd just finished 3rd in a 50 last month, so he was ready for a 75. And although Jan probably gets tired of hearing it, it's worth noting that Jan is 69 years old, and is stronger and fitter than most of us.

A couple of Utah-ans had shown up - Sue and Tony Hedgecock, and their almost-neighbor, Jeff Stewart. Jeff brought his horse for Sue to ride in the 50 on Saturday, and Sue brought her own horse to ride in the 100 on Sunday. I sort of cozied up to this group when Sue offered the use of her trailer, for coffee, warmth, "whatever you need." What I needed was a Starbucks coffee right off the bat, so I provided the coffee, and Sue provided the expresso maker.

Sue and Tony had gone out for a warm-up ride; their neighbor Jennifer Poling from West Virginia had joined them. They'd gone out a ways, when Sue and Tony were ready to turn back. Jennifer kept going, and going... and got lost out there. She was gone for hours, and eventually Bill took his airplane up to look for her. He did find her, but then I think her crew got lost and they then had to be found!


Vetting in for tomorrow's rides took place in the afternoon, and as evening approached, the Big barbecue grill was fired up. As the now-chilly wind whipped around the big tent, (I now had fleece layers on, not shorts), riders and crews gathered inside for the ride meeting and the best ranch-cooked steak and potatoes meal you'll find anywhere. Jan gave everyone a dismal weather forecast: 80% chance of thunderstorms tonight, 20-40% chance of rain tomorrow. She did remind everybody of the saying, "If you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes, and it will change".

I'd pitched my tent the night before, heeding the warnings of two people: "Make sure you're on high ground! My tent about washed away one year." It was up on higher ground and I figured I'd be fine.


But Jan Stevens said, "There's a comfortable couch in the house up there, you'd better grab it, it's going to get wet out here." "Aw heck, I've got a good tent, I'll be fine." "You'd better take the couch..."

I decided to listen to the locals who know what they're talking about, so I took down my tent, and moved to the house for the night.

Smartest thing I did all weekend. It started raining around midnight, and didn't stop till the start of the 75-mile ride at 6:30 AM.