Monday, April 12, 2010

Into the Hills


Starting off with Prayers for safety ....along with Praises in advance~

Then, off down the dead end road to the trail head we went~
Yee ha...nice weather for my day off! Off to the Hills and in search for the Looping trails and roads around Stony Mountain. We have only ridden up and back, starting from the two different directions, to try to link the two.
 We went further and further but...no luck finding the loop last year.

 I actually did find a loop trail, but the "Mule people" made it and yea...mules are almost the only animal, aside from deer, that are able to travel it! I was on Danny Boy and he was good enough to try it for me...
 Can't say I will ever take my claustrophobic and cliff challenged mare on it!!!

We have another friend coming along for the journey this time! ROXY dog!
This is only her second hike with horses and she has learned a thing or two from the first time!

Roxy got stepped on last time, with out permanent injury, and now she remains out of the way and vigilant. Good Trail dog Rox!

Going up now and into the forest, we begin our trek~


My mare has been in high heat for over 2 weeks ...we've had on and off nice warm weather to snow..on and off and on and off! Okay Mother Nature...make up your mind already!

All that to say, I have only ridden her once in a week, and I have had so much stress in me..I needed a ride that was not as stressful as my week!
And to be fair to my mare...I left her home..she dislikes the mountains and slick...I will wait to take her till it drys out. Though, she has been extra sweet..by coming to the gate...what... I don't have to take your cold shoulder? So I did feel guilty, for leaving her this time, but I turned her out in the large field, that is perfectly grassed up. The PBO's Morgans can't go there now...too grassy and with the cold to warm snaps..it does a big Fructan change in the grasses... dangerous for laminitis for them.

Today, Faithful and True Danny Boy was my mount~ I decided to try him bit less...and he really loved it!
What a good boy.


I love this area for riding..there is always a quick running creek to allow the horses to drink from~


On past the Neat Cliff wall, and up and up we went! 1,100 feet to ?
We shall see soon enough.


We came out of the creek and up several service roads with neat-o views...I love taking my PBO out..she rides with others on shorter rides and I tend to solo ride more. 
 I discover new locations and then share them with her, like this!

She has only seen this area of the new clear cut from Stony mountain- and below near her home.  




We rode up THE LONG HILL I had ridden to earlier in the winter while the machines were still there harvesting the timber...it was so long..my mare decided she was done...so I turned around.
Now we rode on...into NEW TERRITORIES...and we found....yup....


We had ridden to this location last year...from the other side of the mountain.
 Kinda cool, we were pleased to have made the LOOP Connection this day!

As we traveled up...we noticed....

SNOW!
Now were riding toward the snow line,  some 2,000 feet up the mountain!
Making our riding distance 900 feet up in only 7 miles...those are hills !
Turn left for home, the marker I left  said~



The decent starts...with a little -fresh chill- of snow~


Sweet Danny boy~


Romeo and Roxy dog~



We made the Stony Mountain view point and took a breather....over there, is where we were, some 174 feet in difference.

The nice thing about this loop...it goes in between service roads- and wonderfully wooded trails~ My markers, still showing us the way ~


Home in sight...I gave Danny the relief from hills, as I do with my mare..and that's the thanks I get..oh, you're just tired boy!


My Washashe mare greeted us from her pasture~


The ending of another great ride of discovery ( Can't wait to take you JULES!)
Following our shadow rider home again~


22 comments:

  1. Great ride and pictures. That's pretty high up, I'm glad Danny was such a good boy for you. Have a great week.

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  2. That looks so fun! Your Danny Boy is super super cute :)

    Where were you anyway?

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  3. Sounds like a most excellent ride! About how long total does it take to ride that?

    ~Jeni

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  4. Nice pictures and a nice ride!! Wish I had someone to ride with. Gilly and I rode today, first in the round pen, trotting, half halts. We opened and closed the round pen gate, he did really well! Then down the road, across a creek, up the road then home. Just me, Gilly, Gonzo and Lucy.
    Great pictures!!!
    hugs...
    Jane and the Big Bay Boy

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  5. Fabulous trail ride! I love the green ferns already growing in the forest.

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  6. Oh, to be where you are!!! Lovely, lovely ride. Danny is a sweet boy and Wa mare looking for your return was adorable. What gorgeous views and trees and horses and dog! Sigh! So glad you gobbled up the sunshine and enjoyed your day! Thanks for sharing - you make each post feel like we are all right along with you!

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  7. And you know I can't wait to go! What a great ride...love the pic of you in the snow...looks so crisp and beautiful up there.

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  8. Beautiful ride, and beautiful pictures (as always) :-)

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  9. I always feel like I was right alongside you on the trail. Fantastic shots as always, and a perfect shadow shot to end it.

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  10. Your horses must totally adore you! Did you know you give me my horse 'fix' that I haven't had in ages? :)

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  11. What a beautiful ride! Thanks for sharing it! Is Danny Boy your horse, too?

    I love having my dog with me. He can only go when I ride the roads at home though. He gets so excited when I saddle up because he knows..... he gets to go, too!

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  12. I'm always so glad to "join" you on your rides...one day I'll really get too! One day...

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  13. How awesome to be out and about with a good friend riding the hills. The trail looks amazing.How long did you end up riding for?...it looks to be a good ride!. Loved all the photos!!

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  14. Wow, thank you for the ride..that was fun!

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  15. Looks like a great time! Hope you're doing well! :)

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  16. oh how i envy you....i would love to be able to spend a day this way.

    love the photo of the horses drinking together.

    beautiful

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  17. gives new meaning to "coming along for the ride".. Yup... i say pre-ride prayers (especially on gazi o feisty arabian)... during and of course after...

    great scenery... snow's part of the landscape here and can be seen in the mountains oh til about mid-august...
    happy trails my friend
    gp

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  18. Grey Horse M~Thanks!

    Jocelyn~Danny Boy is cute and sooo super sweet...he was Rescued, and I think he knows it!
    We were up above where I board in Colton on managed forest lands

    JeniQ~ Usually... just a ride like that in shape humans and horses would take 3 hours...this time it took 4 hours...lots of resting and marking of the trails, along with snapshot moments!

    Jane~ I am so glad you too are getting to ride your Big Bay Boy... just love that name! Yea...I love my solo rides...but it is nice sometimes to have the sweet friendship of a riding partner too.

    Barb...yea..ferns and a tons of shamrocks!Lush, heaven like it is!

    Juliette~ Likewise..love to ride with you...even when you have no photo's- your descriptive beauty with words= is the same as any one of my pics!

    Jules~ It was very fresh up there...I do love the wooded mountains for riding!

    Horse of course~ Thanks

    fredamans~ Yea.. glad you came along too!Yea...the BEST rides are those that we take along our "Shadow rider"!

    Lucy~ I am very pleased to share the "horse fix" here!
    I also love sharing in person..my PBO and I love to help others learn about horses and also-rekindle passions with them.
    This weekend I start with a gal I have known for 21 years...she rode as a girl, like me. We have dates to groom and hand graze and ground work for a couple weeks, till she feels confident to mount up and have a lesson!

    Tammy~
    Hay! Danny Boy is a Foundered rescued Morgan.My PBO was alerted to his need and took him on.
    He almost had a broken neck and coffin bones were so rotated...but he made it! He seems to enjoy giving of himself and living...like he knows it is a second chance..he is a lover!She lets me ride any of her 3 horses, anytime.

    Rae! Yes we shall ride together...a good goal to have!

    Sally~ Since we stopped frequently to mark our route,rest and to pee and also- take photo's! It took 4 hours round trip..it was quite an elevation hike.

    carol~ Hi to you..thanks for stoppin' in!!Come along anytime!

    jrosey~ It really was a good time...but we did have an incident...found the next day and now, we are addressing.
    Danny hit his splint bone sometime...probably going down some slippery trail, and so, is now paddock bound and has cold hose treatments for a time and standing wraps. I always have to learn the lessons the hard way-though my PBO never blames me, as she never wraps her horses legs...but I do..and I did not wrap his with brushing boots. I will never ride another horse, without them again!

    chasity~ Hello! Thanks...it is always a special blessing to spend a day in God's glorious wooded world...


    GP ~ Pre Trail ride prayers...and sometimes mid trail ride ones are always a necessity!
    I bet the snow is so lovely in all your back grounds...that really made me chuckle...till mid August you can see it..then it begins again-RIGHT!

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  19. I have something for you in my blog ;) I'm so sorry to hear about your cat :(

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  20. Maiji S...HI there! I am unable to get to your blog...for some reason...Humph! Please try me agian...or enable access to yours!
    + Thanks for the thoughts ~

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  21. Woweee! The trails are so gorgeous! How wonderful that you share such beauty with your friends on horseback, too. It's so cute that Wa greets you when you return. So much nicer than when a horse ignores you when you show up again. lol!
    I had to giggle with the photos showing you and your PBO stnading on the little patch of snow because right now, here it is snowing...yes...and it's almost May! bah!
    But we are above 7,000 ft in elevation, so that is typical.

    Oh how I wish we could ride together one day!

    ~Lisa

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  22. Meee too Liss, that would be the BEST- riding together...maybe it can be someday...A wish a dream a plan...with intent, it can be!

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