EHSC Story {long}

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

EHSC stands for Eastern High Sierra Classic 30/50, aka the Bridgeport (CA) 
ride.  This is one of my favorite rides, and it's also a favorite among 
many endurance riders.  The trail is just incredible and ridecamp is also a 
favorite.  The area is also a host to many activities for crews, so many 
people really enjoy coming to this ride.  For months I had planned on doing 
this ride on Weaver and riding with Maryben Stover.  For those that don't 
know Maryben, she was injured nearly three years ago at a ride and spent 
six months in a wheelchair.  This was going to be her first 50 since then, 
and she has nearly 8000 miles but really lost her confidence after that 
last accident.  I was also a bit nervous about taking Weaver on this ride, 
it was his first ride since he'd been sick from a vaccine reaction in 
April.  He still has swelling in his sheath and jowls.  I had been riding 
him at least 4-5 times a week and over 50 miles a week for several weeks 
and he seemed to be handling the workload, though the swelling never got 
any better.  If I didn't ride him it gets worse, and even with the swelling 
down his sheath (and surrounding glands) are quite huge, which causes him 
to take short strides in the hind end until he gets good and warmed up.  So 
I planned to ride this ride with Maryben at a nice slow pace and see how he 
did.

I think I was probably more nervous about this ride, than I was the first 
time I did it.  Would my horse be able to do it without any 
problems?  Would Maryben make it?  Would I be able to go over the technical 
trail and not be terrified?  If Rocky could fall for the first time with 
almost 3000 miles, why couldn't Weav?  My stomach was in knots.

We had a 6 a.m. ride start.  I warmed Weaver up with a good walk first, 
then did some stretches.  Maryben went to get on her horse and slipped and 
fell flat on her back.  Oh great, what a way to start!  We walked the 
horses around the rigs in camp while the large field of horses started, 
then proceeded on our way at a nice walk.  Trilby was with us, and we kept 
Maryben sandwiched between us and her horse Bandit did just great.  He'd 
done the Fireworks 25 a few weeks before, but other than that hasn't had 
much experience with ride starts.  Heck, he's only been broke to ride for 
four months!!!  Trilby's horse Clay has 7000 miles, and Weaver a little 
over 3000.  Bandit behaved just as grown up as his two new buddies!!  The 
weather was perfect, blue skies.....warm but not too hot.

The first loop is 20 miles, and contains the most technical parts of the 
trail.  We do a lot of climbing up and down around Twin Lakes.  A lot of 
the trail is singletrack.  I tried to not think about Rocky falling the 
week before when we went over some of the sections that were 
similar.  Weaver cruised along, just like he always does.  He'd been over 
this trail 5 times before and knows it well.  Everytime I tried to steer 
him the wrong way, he let me know, and he was always right!!!  I decided to 
stop trying to co-pilot him and just let him go where he wanted!!  I got 
off and led on all the downhill switchbacks.  We made it into the first vet 
check which was a pulse down and trot by.  We stopped to water the horses 
and used the restroom, then were off.  We trotted everywhere we could, but 
still took 5 1/2 hours to do this 20 mile loop.  Maryben was having a hard 
time with Bandit, he wanted to go faster and faster and the hackamore just 
wasn't cutting it.  She was worried that none of us would finish, but we 
told her that we could make up the time on the 30 mile loop.  I could tell 
by the look on her face she wasn't real keen on continuing the ride, but we 
never gave her the option of not going on! {eg}

Arrived in camp and pulsed down.  The Duck was the head vet so went over to 
the trailer and waited 1/2 an hour till going to vet.  John and Libby were 
a great crew and took care of Bandit and even brought him over to my horse 
so he would eat and be happy with his new friend.  We all vetted then came 
back and the horses continued eating.  Maryben found a bridle to borrow and 
put it (with a bit) on Bandit (for the first time in his life).  Got the 
horses retacked up and ready to leave.  12:33 was our out time and we were 
off!  We had 5 hours of ride time to do the last 30 miles.  Let's see, we'd 
been averaging 3.64 mph up until then, and we'd been trotting everywhere we 
could.  Trilby and I knew the next 30 miles wasn't nearly as hard though, 
and we could make the time up. Besides, we only had to go 60% faster, 
right? :+0

And we did.  Trilby brought homemade chocolate chip cookies for us and 
while eating them we walked a  ways out of camp to warm the horses up 
good.   A deer crossed the trail in front of us.  I took a picture, but you 
couldn't tell what it was.  Soon, we headed uphill. We did walk where it 
was steep or rocky, but otherwise we trotted every chance we had.  I kept 
getting off on all the downhill, and to open the gates.  We finally made it 
thru the vet check for the first time (away check). The first time thru we 
just go thru it and keep going out and do a 10 mile or so loop and then 
come back for the 1/2 an hour hold vet check. Trilby kept telling us to GO 
GO GO!!  So we did, we let the horses drink in the creek and didn't stick 
around.  The next loop we trotted except when we stopped at the creeks to 
let the horses drink or if there was a rocky section.  (well okay, we did 
have to stop fairly regularly to let Weaver pee, his new nickname is Mr. 
Peebody!)  We actually caught up with a couple of riders just before the 
vet check.  I was trying to take photos, but since Maryben and I had a 
deal, I had to control myself!  I am not allowed to take any butt shots of 
her, and in return, she can't make fun of my fat horse.  Also, her and 
Trilby didn't want me stopping in front of them.  Trilby doesn't stop for 
anything, and if anybody thinks she just walks thru all of her rides -- SHE 
DOESN'T!!!!!!!  She said she's always had to trot a great deal of this ride 
to complete in time, and this year had trail added and additional hold 
times, so we had to trot even more ---yup---she even trotted downhill AND 
over rocks!!!!

Made it back into the check, got the horses vetted and then took a 
break.  The three horses were all hungry and ate really well.  We drank and 
refueled and rested. We'd gotten into the vet check fifteen minutes ahead 
of when we needed to in order to finish in time.  Now we had 1:15 to do the 
last 7 miles in.   Trilby says no problem, we can walk most of the rest of 
the way in. :^)

Haha.  She miscalculated!  We walked quite a ways and quickly figured out 
that we had just too far to go and had darn well better get a move on!   We 
had to stop and fix Bandit's bridle that had come apart.  I figured we 
could use one of the clothespins on a trail marker (not like there was 
anybody behind us, heck the drag riders had even passed us by that point!) <G>.

Got down into the cattle pastures and had to cross some more water and 
mucky irrigation spots.  Weaver stuck one foot in one and sunk really deep 
and then didn't want to cross it.  So I had to get off and lead him around 
another way. (green horse ya know)  All the while Trilby is telling us to 
keep going!  I told them to keep going, I'd catch them.  We made it thru 
that section and finally back up to the road where we had another 2-3 miles 
to go and roughly 18 minutes to do it in.  Yikes!  Luckily Trilby and I 
knew the way so we didn't get lost. She wouldn't even let us slow down to 
walk thru the creeks -- we trotted right thru all of them and kept moving 
fast the whole rest of the way in.  GO GO GO I could hear her saying behind 
me as we rounded the corner into camp, just yards from the finish line.  I 
checked my watch and we still had a couple of minutes -- officially -- 4 
minutes to spare.  I got photos of Maryben crossing in front of me, and 
Trilby (of course), last....behind me.

So we did it!  Trilby added another 50 miles on top of her 50,000+, Maryben 
did her first 50 after almost 3 years, and Weaver did this 50 for the 6th 
consecutive time!  What a great day it was :+).  One of the best rides I 
think I've ever had, glad those other two let me ride with them, it was fun!!!

THANX JACKIE!!!!!!!!  :+))))

Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV
& Dream Weaver, 3305 miles :+)
http://members.xoom.com/ridephotos/index.html