Becky and the gang.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2002 9:21
AM
Subject: RC: Re: FW: Re: Death Valley
Rant
Day 2, from Rabbit Hole Springs to
Gerlach. The "trail" is on road the whole way and is pretty much flat,
with only slight variations. Day 3, from Gerlach to Mud Meadows is also
fairly flat, but with luck we have been able to allow 7 miles on the Black
Rock Desert itself, which is an amazing experience. It is dead flat, the
bottom of an ancient sea; cracked mud and not a bush to be seen. Yet,
the rider can see the mountains, the playa with its brush, the Black Rock
itself, some 25 miles across the desert to the east. Days 1, 4, & 5
offer elevations changes, challenges, and great beauty, as well as
history. And then there are the hot springs at Trego, the vet check site
for Day 2. We go hot-tubbing during the vet check!
Barbara McCrary
Ride manager, Swanton
Pacific 75/100
(and sometimes
Applegate-Lassen, located in the NW corner of Nevada)
We used to attend this ride regularly when
Lavone Booth managed it. She stopped doing it after 8
years, and we asked her permission to re-instate it. We did it
for 3 years. The 4th year we cancelled because it drew only 5
entries. When there is commitment to this ride, we will do it again, as
we love this part of the country. But riders need
crews/drivers; we cannot provide them, and there has to be a level
of commitment from the riders, as there was on the 2001 XP. We can't
manage it this year, as we're taking a study-tour to Ireland and the Isle of
Man, but maybe 2003? Show us your interest and commitment and we'll put
on the ride. I know this is backwards, but we have no other
choice. It is an 8-hour drive from our home to the ride start and it
takes us 4 days to drive there, flag the trail, and drive home. Add this
to all the other details, such as BLM permit, gasoline, arrangements
for the awards dinner, and the awards themselves and it does add up to be a
rather large effort and expense for just 5 riders. For a minimum of 10,
we would do it; 25 would be wonderful.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2002 9:40
AM
Subject: RC: FW: Re: Death Valley
Rant
I'm into flat rides and live in N. Calif. Could you
pinpoint that flat section of the Applegate-Lassen ride a little more
closely?
Regards,
Michael Sherrell
Grizzly Analytical
(USA)
www.grizzlyanalytical.com
707
887 2919/fax 707 887 9834
The issue of David's LD ride being
entirely flat across the desert reminds me of a day on Applegate-Lassen
ride when a rider came into the vet check halfway through and said,
"BORRRING!" Yes, the day's trail (actually a road) was flat all
the way, but I believe boring is in the mind. I've ridden that
stretch of trail (road) about 10 times and I've never found it
boring. How can anything be boring with all that scenery
around? I just put my horse on auto-pilot and trot along looking at
mountains, gulches, vegetation, looking for animals, thinking about the
pioneers who endured such terrible hardships on that trail. Never
boring! And the area around Ballarat on DVE is highly variable, even
on the flat stretches. It's all in a person's perspective, isn't
it?
Barbara
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002
10:59 PM
Subject: RC: Death Valley
Rant
<<Nick, knock off fluffing our pillows and yank your
head out of the sand.
You can save the chocolate kisses for
somebody else. #1, impeccable
weather? how about cold and overcast
the entire time we were there, didn't
miss my sunblock at
all.
#2, and most importantly: my 25 on the second day was pretty
much what I'd
call an airport ride circumnavigating a dried up
piece of lake bed, pretty
much a yawner no matter what the
weather.>>
This seems a little bit uncalled
for. Even if your rant about people cutting trail and missing vet
checks IS true, why does Nick have to pull his head out of a pillow and
quit eating chocolate kisses (or whatever)? He had a great ride on a
great horse! If you have a problem with the ride, file a formal
protest. Basically put up or shut up!
Also, if you want scenery,
ride the
50.
Sylvia