Ridecamp: [RC] Nick Warhol- Eastern High Sierra Classic 50 part 2 of 2

nick warhol nickw@xxxxxxxxx
We continued climbing the mountain, and got to enjoy (?) a short stretch of trail that was composed of rocks all in a pile, it was like walking on a million tennis balls, ball bearings, and potatoes made of rock.   Most wobbly, but interesting to walk over.  There were a couple of horseshoes in there, though.  The trail took us almost to the base of these peaks that look like the Swiss Alps, including snow.  Absolutely spectacular.  It would have been neat to keep climbing, (we would have eventually needed ropes and pitons) but we started down again on more nice trails towards the sounds of rushing water.   Must be a river?  Yes, and a waterfall!  I forget the name, but it was a genuine waterfall, a couple of hundred feet high at least.  It was really neat, since we went right down to the base before turning down the mountain.   The views from up here are like being in an airplane- you look at the lakes way, way, down there and think to yourself- ?we are going all the way back down there??  Yep- all on more single-track trails that were half trot-able and half walk-able due to rocky sections.  It took a while to work our way down the mountain on the switchback trails, we ended up at the far end of the high lake, right near the big resort.  There were lots of tourists out watching, cheering us on.   ?Are you leading the race??   ?Uh, yeah, sure!?  How would they know?   I figured once we were off the mountain we would be out of the rocks, but not quite.  We had to clamber through mega-rocks on another trail that wound its way around the edge of the lake.  Shoot- I?m up here tip-toeing through these boulders, while 30 feet away there is a nice, flat beach.  It would have been cool to ride on the shore of the lake, but I realized in a while we would need to do a lot of swimming.  Warpaint would be up for it.  There were several sections on this trail that were actually a little hard to navigate- you had to step through a stream, stop, turn, leap up a bank, stop, turn hard left, then continue through the trees.  The name ?knee knocker trail? was very appropriate.  Zayante was in one of his ?let?s hurry up now? moods and was on the gas through that section.   We made it back to the nice roads that led us through the homes and cabins along the shore.  A quick stop for water at the trough, then a very enjoyable couple of miles on a soft, rolling dirt road that was perfect for cantering.  Before I knew it we were back at base camp for our hour lunch. Judy was crewing for a group of six horses- she was pretty busy since we were all in there at the same time.  Lunch was the usual egg salad sandwich and Dr. Pepper.  Zayante was being his ornery self- he was tied to the trailer right next to the vets, so every time a horse was trotted by he?d talk to them between mouthfuls of hay.  He just has to speak to every horse.  I wonder what he?s saying?  After a splendid hour of R&R, we headed back out and promptly missed the first turn.  We continued on through the green pasture for a bit and took a couple of horses with us.  Oops- back to the gate and turn across the river.  Back on trail, we rode along for a while with Dave Rabe until we got to the climb after a water stop.   Phathom walks up hills faster than Warpaint, if that?s possible.  He would just leave Zayante at a walk, who would trot along slowly to keep up.  I?d say it was because Sally weighs 95 pounds, but the horse did it with me on his back as well.  The ride up the mountain was long and steady, but not really steep.  We walked and trotted all the way up, then down the other side, into the forests of Aspen trees.  It?s very pretty up there.  More creek crossings led us to a long, rocky downhill road that we had to walk on.  Once off that, we trotted on nice roads to where the buckeye vet check is, but no stop for us until we went through and did the loop through the meadow first.   Picture a green valley, about a half-mile across, lined by Yosemite-quality mountains, that twisted and turned for miles.  It was a splendid trot for the next 45 minutes or so, stopping only for creeks, ditches, and renegade cattle.   The trail was marked across the pastures with cute little signs, since there was nothing to tie a ribbon to.  At the end of the valley we came to the picnic spot- a beautiful winding stream crossing with lush green grass banks.  The horses just wanted to stay and eat, we obliged them for a while, but needed to go on.  Apparently Rebecca had a bit of a problem here with Rowdy and a sponge, but came out unscathed.

The ride back to the check started out with more rocky trails in the forest, but then we were treated to a few miles of nice roads.  We even saw people fishing; even if there were no fish in there, it was a nice enough place to spend time in, that you would not care.  The vet check went quickly, Sally was bubbling when the vet told her she had a lot of horse left.  He really looked un-ridden, very nice.  The check workers were all very helpful, especially the one who was saying ?candy, candy!?   Oh boy!  I was hungry.  Visions of Nestles crunch bars and red licorice filled my head.  Note to ride managers- avoid tootsie rolls that are left in the sun.  Goo city.   Fifteen minutes flew by, we headed out for our last 7 miles to the finish.  It was an easy ride down the valley, where we got dumped into a neat little twisty canyon that gave us even more single track.  Once in the main valley it was an easy romp to the finish, where we finished at about 3:15 or so.   Dinner wasn?t until 6, so after stowing the beasts I took a nice, hot, shower and sat in a chair, in the shade, with 2 cold beers, in the green meadow, with the nice, cool air blowing down the valley.  It doesn?t get much better that that.   Dinner was very good, except for the cardboard they called cake.  I think the air molecules mixed with the flour and frosting atoms, creating some kind of brick-like-structure, that with a little mortar could have been used to build a wall.  But the ribs, oh boy, they were good.  And I?m not much of a meat eater.   I swiped some of Judy?s broccoli salad while she wasn?t looking.  We got nice laundry bags as completion awards.  I think only 6 got pulled in the fifty, all the LD riders made it.

This is a great ride if you are comfortable with the mountains.  The LD was nice, since it did the second, non-mountainous loop.  I would call the 50 a moderate ride, maybe even a little difficult, but like the Quicksilver 50 I did in Henry Coe Park last year, if you have the horse for it, don?t miss this ride.

Nick Warhol
Hayward, Ca

Zayante- 10,400 miles and climbing.


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