Posted 2010-07-29 2:05 PM (#122961) Subject: Just for Marla, second try
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 376 Location: Missouri
Hopefully, this one works:
We just got back from 3 weeks in NE Utah. Met up with Jon(Painted Horse) and his friend Dave. Jon was a very gracious host. Brought the boys hay and a great big smile. He did a great job of preparing a map of the area and was able to ride with us on the weekends. Got in 16 rides of 15 to 20 miles per ride in some great trail riding mountains. We camped at 8200 ft(great temps). Normal lows were in the up 30's with normal highs in the 70's(except on top when it was cool, cool, cold.) We camped at Mills B, which is right next to the Strawberry river. More flowers than you can imagine. Only one small black bear, lots of deer, a few moose, and lot of elk sightings. Trails went all 4 directions from camp. And within an hour's ride of camp you can be up on top and ride for weeks on the trails up there.
Little surprised I caught a smile, she was more than just a bit scared a moment before. We were not walking for our health.
The top of this peak is 10,700 ft and that ridge you see just to the left of the snow and trees is the trail up. A lot steeper than it looks. Coming down from the peak. The building on top is the old radio tower building. It's abandoned with a lot of little holes in it. Yes, we were up there.
Jon, to the left, Sharon to the right and Strawberry lake in the background.
Below is the sheep herder's quarters. His horse frequently visited ours. His were hobbled, but loose, and kind of liked reaching thru the corral to get some feed. When I get to Sharon's camera, she has pictures of the cattle and sheep being processed thru the corrals. Had a strange odor in the air for a while after the sheep left. Below is the Strawberry river just behind our corrals. You'd think it was going to rain. It did rain a few times, but never enough to be a problem. little range is known as the "race track"
Below, Quakies, quakies and still more quakies. Below, a few miles south of us there's a campground. Momma and baby. Lone moose. And another lone Moose
This tree is on the trail going out to the west and just above camp. Huge tree.
This is Hoop Lake, we camped there for a few days. The lake is in our front yard.
On top at Hoop Lake. It was raining, sleeting and snowing up there, and there were threats of a thunder storm. We exited to avoid the lightning. Would liked to have spend some more time investigating the area. Elk on top at Hoop Lake
Back at Strawberry, and up on top again.
More elk.
When we took these pictures we were on a ledge well above the elk and the wind was in our face. They did not know we were there for quite a while.
Our evening visitor. We had 3 or 4 deer visit us just about every evening. Nice pose. Jon, and Dave at lunch.
Not sure just where this was, but nice picture.
Our cattle drive.. Found these rascals on the trail (4 or 5 miles) from camp. They belonged down in the valley, so cattle drive we tried. Ever try to drive a Momma cow that knows where she is, and you don't have a clue. We kept her and group headed down, but not the down we wanted. She took us on an adventure in the next valley over, where there were no trails, just cow paddies to follow. I'd never make a drover, they walk slower than a QH. Eventually, we got them down and in the corral. The cattle handler loaded them up and took them down with the others. I can not imagine following a whole herd of these rascals all of the way cross country. I'd have made a poor cowboy. Mills B camp from the mountain behind camp. Beaver pond Hey Mom, there's something up there.
One our way to the "race track"
Bush wackers can have a hay day in these mountains. The terrain is such that you can just take off cross country if the mood strikes ya. We wondered up on top of several of the peaks without any trails. But, if you like the trails, they are plentiful. Very easy to keep track of where you are. Just keep track of which valley your in. All of the valleys in this area end up on the road into camp. And there are a multitude of trails crossing from valley to valley. The 3, 50 mile loops that are there for the endurance rides in early June are well worn and easy to follow. We were surprised to learn the loops weren't actually 50 miles, but rather closer to 40 miles.
Posted 2010-07-31 4:51 PM (#123046 - in reply to #122961) Subject: RE: Just for Marla, second try
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1069 Location: MI.
Wow! Thank you for sharing.....How did your horses fair with the altitude and terrain? I live in MI. and I could get mine in condition but not to the level of that type of riding. They would definately come back "tight." Beautiful country....Glad you had the chance to experience it with your horses.
Posted 2010-08-01 6:29 AM (#123063 - in reply to #122961) Subject: RE: Just for Marla, second try
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
Bob's horses did very well with the altitude and terrain. Most of the riding is between 8,200 and 10,000 so you are not in the thinner air of 12,000 - 13,000 foot elevation that you find on some mountains. There is lots of water and grass on the mountain, So if you give your horses a chance to drink and grab a mouthfull of grass, They do just fine.
Here is Sharon and Bob riding what I call the Knee Knocker trail. It follows the old abandon canal. The canal used to move water from Current Creek over to Strawberry, But in the early 70's they bored a tunnel through the mountain and push the water through it. The old canal follows the contour lines around the mountain. It has an old cross buck fence along the bank of the canal to contain the cattle on grazing permits. There is just enough bank left for a trail along the fence, But my knee seems to barely clear all the fence post as I ride it.
The Strawberry area is the largest Qaukie forest in North America. The filtered light through the quakie leaves allows lots of wild flowers. The area is covered in Bluebells. with lots of Columbine, lupine, mums, wild roses etc. The profusion of wild flowers begins right as the snow melts with the Glacier lillies popping up ( looks like a small yellow tulip) As the ground dries out and the summer heat arrives, other varieties like Red Indian Paintbrush become the dominate flower.
There are 5 ranchers who have grazing permits on this area. The cattle are not too bad staying more in the grassier meadows and open areas. But the sheep graze through the trees and consume all the flowers. It's a much pretty area in June and July than it is after the sheep graze in Aug.
The endurnace race is usually scheduled the 3rd weekend of June. They usually have around 100 horse show up. And they do three 50 mile races. So you can imagine they leave a pretty good trail that a competant trail rider can follow. There are almost no trail markers in the area. The forest service doesn't maintain any trails in the area. So a rider needs to be able to read a trail map and keep his bearings. It's not an easy area to get lost in. All water flows downhill and if you go downhill you will cross a road. It's just if you want a 15 mile trail ride by riding directly to camp and a 25 mile ride because you got disoriented and had to find a road to follow back to camp.
There are some areas of Elgin Spruce and Lodgepole Pine in addition to Quakies. And the pine beatles are killing lots of those trees just like they are doing all over the west.
The ranchers stand a 5 strand barb wire fence as they move the cattle into a grazing permit. They drop the fence flat on the ground the rest of the year. So the deer and elk can migrate around and snowmobilers don't hit the wire while sleding in the winter months Occassionally you have to find the gate through a standing fence or carefully cross your horses over wire on the ground. The deadman and corner post stay up year round.
Posted 2010-08-01 10:41 AM (#123066 - in reply to #122961) Subject: RE: Just for Marla, second try
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 522 Location: Tucumcari NM
My brother in Alaska tells me that moose meat is wonderful, but the animal itself is an odd looking creature. Rates right up there wirh wart hogs, don't you think?
Posted 2010-08-01 11:43 AM (#123068 - in reply to #123046) Subject: RE: Just for Marla, second try
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 376 Location: Missouri
Quote"How did your horses fair with the altitude and terrain? I live in MI. and I could get mine in condition but not to the level of that type of riding. They would definately come back "tight." "
end quote
Common sense is the key to how your horse's adapt, ie, no water within 15 minutes of standing still for extended periods, frequent breathers when they need it, let them graze on grass occasionally, low protein feed, plenty of free choice water at night, and most important, don't let the horses get over weight.
The chestnut horse you see the wife riding sustained a bad rope burn and mild abcess 7 weeks before the trip. He was questionable right up until the day we left, and had not been ridden for 7 weeks. We used the common sense and didn't ride him hard for the first 3 or 4 days. By the end of the first week he was almost his normal self. By the middle of the second week he was tough and ready to ride. We also have spare horses, and don't ride the same horse many days in a row.
Many folks just plain have their horses too fat. When you do they have all kinds of difficulties. If your horse is in shape, and you can not see his ribs, he is too fat.
And all of our horses are riding horses. They have been ridden at least weekly all most all of the time. They are not pasture ornaments.
If your horse is not over weight and you ride them some before the trip almost any horse will do just fine, so long as you use some common sense. A well conditioned horse, is of course, a much better selection, but your not always able to get that done.
Posted 2010-08-04 4:35 PM (#123191 - in reply to #123174) Subject: RE: Just for Marla, second try
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 376 Location: Missouri
Our rain coats are from Muddy Creek. Best rain coats we ever had. Not heavy like an oilskin, and do a much better job of keeping both you and your saddle dry.
Just for Marla, second try
