Flora summed it up & I second
that! The perfect mix of technical challlenge & easy moving
trail. Loved every minute. Skip & Barb didn't miss a single
detail
Wendy
Mancini
Flora Hillman wrote:
WOW! No, make that a double WOW!! What a *fabulous*
ride!! Kudos to ride managers Skip and Barb Kemerer for putting on what
has all the potential to become one of the top 25/50 mile rides on the east
coast.
Skip's dream for the last 6 years was to have an
endurance ride in the Michaux State Forest of Mont Alto, PA so other
riders could enjoy the beauty of the area. Skip chose the name
Michaux Madness *Extreme* Endurance - and it was! This was one VERY tough,
technical ride -- like a cross between Biltmore and the OD -- a
great test for the horse and rider. While billed as a prep for the OD, in
many ways I think it was more difficult and far more technical than the OD's
50. There were no "giveaways" on any of the two 25 mile or three 50 mile
loops -- all had several mountain climbs, steep rocky trails, gorgeous
flat woodland trails, looooong ascents and descents on wide gravel roads
(with virtually no cars or bears, but lots of deer and grouse), natural
creeks, streams and ground spring water everywhere, more rocky trails,
high meadow clearings, a sandy mountain ridge, climbs and even more
climbs -- all extremely well marked and ribboned. The trails offered plenty
of chances to get off your horse and tail up the steep slopes and run down on
foot leading.
The ride management had planned for the
typical late May 80+ degree heat and suffocating humidity, so virtually all
of the ride was under the deep trees in the cool Michaux State forests.
But someone must have been praying extra special hard to Ma Nature because
she blessed us with breathtaking weather in the low 70's, crystal clear with
no humidity, and faultless skies. All which made the absolutely
incredible views from the mountain tops just stunning to behold.
Awesome!!
Staff was fabulous and very abundant, ready to
help with any and everything. The ride camp, set right at the border of the
state forest, was in a huge, lush clover/grass field that had "horse
smorgasbord" written all over it. Awards were terrific and the dinner
afterward the ride was not to be missed -- especially the dessert table
hosted by the local ride club which had a rule that anyone that "came off"
their horse during one of the club's regular rides had to bring a dessert to
the next meeting. Knowing the endurance ride was coming up, the club
decided to "pay up" the desserts owed at the ride dinner. It was too funny to
see each dessert arriving festooned with decorations depicting how that
particular rider had "parted company" with their horse!
Here's
hoping Skip and Barb make this endurance ride an annual event -- it is
definitely one that should NOT be missed!
