We rode up and found that many surrounding fields had been wheat which was harvested, so we were able to ride on the edge of the field for better footing. Quaker, Sue's horse was barefoot so it was easier on him than the gravel, although the gravel was not bad compared to some I've ridden on.
Once we got up a ways and could see over the valley we took some photos.
Sinwaan is already sweaty in this photo and it is only a couple miles up.There was a lot of climbing but it was more gradual that Cache Hollow, and there were more level areas as well.
This photo was probably about 4 miles up and you can see the road is harder-packed and more dirt than rock. It was great footing. The views (to the left) were spectacular. Sue pointed out other trails that she had ridden on from a neighboring ranch for the last ACTHA ride that she had helped with.
Another view of the road heading up. It was addicting, to keep going and see what was around the next bend. I felt like a kid again, exploring.A couple of times we started trotting and I sensed Quaker lagging so I asked Sue how he was doing. She thought he was feeling a little off, so we stopped to put on his boots. After that he did better, but we still turned around once her GPS said we had done a little over 5 miles.
The only drawbacks about this area that I experienced today were 1) The bees. There were a lot of them in the last mile as we gained elevation. They did not bother us but I could see a lot of them on the edge of the road and flying around.
2) The stickers. Heading back down the trail Sue had Quaker on the edge of the road in softer footing. It looked like just weed grass growing along the edges. I stopped to wait for Sue and as she walked up I looked down and saw Quaker had lots of little stickers/burrs on his boots and fetlocks. Trying to remove them by hand was tough because they would stick into your skin! It hurt, and then you couldn't get them off yourself. I dug a tool out of my saddlebag and it had a plier-type end on it that Sue was able to use to get all those darn stickers off her horse. While waiting, Sinwaan tried to eat them. All I could think about was him depositing the seeds in his paddock and having a new weed to deal with next year, NO THANK YOU. So I pulled them out of his mouth, crazy horse.
Some of the fields were seeded, and we stayed out of those, but the fields that looked barren we did ride along the edge of. We were making better time on the way back because the horses knew they were headed for the trailers, and it was downhill. We walked a lot on the way up, we did more trotting on the way down.When we were about 1 1/2 miles from the trailer we were moving out pretty good, Sinwaan was cantering but I had him fairly collected and Quaker was not far behind us at the trot. I slowed him down because I knew a culvert was coming up to our right. We passed it and Sinwaan did not seem to notice but then he started bucking! I ATT ATT growled at him and got him back under control only to hear Sue yelling also. I turned him around and saw Quaker in the midst of bucking and Sue falling to the ground. Yikes! Thankfully she landed in nice soft dirt and quickly was up on her feet but Quaker.... ah he was hightailing it OUT OF THERE. I don't think I have seen a horse run that fast, that far. He ran full throttle until he was just a speck in the distance. Of course this upset Sinwaan and he started spinning around. I heard Sue say "you better get off" and I had the same thought but was waiting until it was safe to do so. Finally he stopped for an instant and I took the opportunity for a quick dismount. Sue commented that she hoped Quaker could find the trailer!
We started walking together through the field, trying to keep an eye on Quaker. Sue said "He's found the road" and then "Oh, there's a car." (The first car we'd seen all morning). Thankfully there was no collision and the car (a pickup) kept coming up the road towards us. It pulled over when it reached us. The driver and his companion said "Did you lose a horse?" and then offered Sue a ride. She asked if I would be ok on my own. I said yes, go catch her horse! They continued on up the road until they could turn around and then came back past me. Sinwaan was being a little anxious - after all his new buddy just galloped off like his tail was on fire. We walked a short distance and I decided to get back on.
Sinwaan was controllable, and I think glad to be trotting once again. Another half-mile or so and I saw Quaker, still running, but not to the trailer, away from it, along a vineyard. Not far behind the pickup was 4x4'ing it into the field, bouncing and speeding along. Just then Lone Fir turned left and there was a steep bank in front of us. By the time I found a low spot to get into the field, I saw the truck had passed Quaker and had stopped, Sue was out walking towards him, and he had slowed to a walk himself.
Sue seemed to catch him without any trouble and led him back along the vineyard the way he had raced in. We trotted to catch up and walked along with her back to the trailer.
Sue said the people in the truck were the Nibblers and that they owned most of the land here. She had been worried about the speed he drove through the field, commenting that "there's a ditch around here somewhere, hope we don't run into it." She was glad for her helmet.
Despite the rodeo adventure at the end, I had a great ride and look forward to going out there again. I've made a discovery - I am a bit of a mileage junkie now, 10 miles didn't feel like much and I want to go back, ride farther, see what is around the next bend. I might get into riding 50s yet. First I have to be competitive at LDs, but a longer distance doesn't scare me anymore.
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