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This was emailed to us from Lynda Fenneman, a 50 miler.  I have forwarded it
to RC with Lynda's permission.  It is quite long so it is in 4 parts.  Great
Story.  Enjoy!
Richard

MARIPOSA RIDE PART 1

I drove 7 hours up over the Grapevine , and on up to Fresno,  turning right
toward Yosemite, up and down steep winding 2-lane black top roads, with the
horse trailer in tow...on Thurs... to camp out and do a 50 mile Endurance
Ride on Sat. I just got home last evening from the" Mariposa Run for the
Gold." Endurance Ride, on the Western side of the Sierras...in gold country,
in the foot hills, above the rolling, oak studded hills and up in the pine
forest...dense, and lush with under brush, big tall juniper trees (green
mossy stumps of tremendous girthed old growth trees) beautiful, delicate dog
woods, some kind of very tall spindly Oak (Black or water?), wild berry
brambles...and we saw a bear! I got so excited and yelling...I scared it
away. I was trying desperately to get a better look...and it took off. Good
thing. Funny how Fear was not a factor ...my immediate response was to get a
better look, to somehow share in its being here, in nature, free and doing
its natural thing. People I told afterwards got all wigged out and were
"concerned." Only then did I remember the danger aspect of bears. I'm more
apprehensive about thuggey looking characters in gas stations than I am
bears and mountain lions. (When I got home I found out that a mountain lion
had mauled a woman hiker in the Sequoias..., which is not very far from
where we were.) I reasoned: I'm safe... I'm riding a mule...?

We had a terrific ride, started out last (32nd), waiting until all the
"racing-types were well out in front. We trotted down pine needle covered
old logging roads, with the forest canopy high above, the sun darted thru in
long raking flashes out of the dark shadows like waves of a magic wand.
Chelse drove and I lookey-looed. We were going pretty fast. She was "hot to
trot" Jacqy was worried we were going too fast (earlier, I had said we were
going to "take it easy", but Chelse wanted to go...so we did. We passed many
riders, the arabs had a hard time keeping up with her charging up hill and
zooming down hills. She has  a competitive spirit and knows the game.
Sometimes she cares passionately...sometimes only about what she wants and
is neither shy nor subtle.

She bonded" to Penny and liked having her right behind her for moral
support. We got to the first Vet Check, 15 miles out, averaging over 9 mph,
up and over hill and dale. Penny got "pulled" for lameness and we had to
continue on alone. This is a problem. Chelse is very loyal to her friends
and reluctant to leave. I found another rider who came in with us and  was
willing to help me get her back on the trail. A pleasant young woman from
Palmdale (Alexa) riding her mothers nice gray gelding just off the race
track.

Chelse vetted thru just fine, as she didn't know Penny wasn't going on with
her yet. She ate and drank. A helpful volunteer refilled my water bottle. We
rested our allotted 15 minutes and took off. Poor Chelse was so distressed
when she discovered Penny was staying behind. She called mournfully and
didn't want to go. I had the new mechanical hackamore on her and didn't know
how well I would be able to handle her in dire circumstances, but she went,
calling, but she went with her new friend and me. Soon she forgot and we
trotted off thru the piney woods again, up and up and up. Saw all kinds of
trees and flowers that I didn't recognize. Charming little brooks with
hatches of millions of lady bugs., twisting single track trails thru the
bushes and low hanging branches, with trees so tall and dense you couldn't
tell where you were...until you popped out on top a ridge and looked out
across the tops of the sierras...and so quiet! Nothing but bug and bird
sounds, many of which I didn't recognize, but I did see a glorious Western
Tananger...he looked over dressed for the forest...too flashy.
We had to stop on a steep single track trail for a Western Diamond Backed
Rattler to slither into a hole...and as we passed by his tail was still on
the trail and his "business end" was disappearing into the hole. He only
shook his tail once and took off.

Alexa and I took turns leading. Chelse did the downhills faster. Tthe gray
horse did the flats fast like a race horse should. We worked like a team.
Chelse was able to drink (with her new hackamore on) from the streams and
watering tanks ride management provided along the trail at various points.
We were still averaging about 9 mph until we got to the steep uphill grades
and we walked most of those, but at a pretty good pace.

The lunch stop was back at base camp. Penny was back in her stall and I
wondered about how to get Chelse back out on the trail again. We would have
to trick her somehow. I pondered how to do this while I ate dusty food,
drank too much cold cranberry juice and did our vet business with the saddle
off. After re-saddling and re-organizing and ready to go...Jacqy led Penny
off thru the crowd of horses and trailers...out of sight. When I was sure
the coast was clear...we took off. It worked. We hooked up with Alexa and
the gray horse again. Chelse thought Penny must be out there ahead of her
somewhere.

We go out past the pond and up the other direction into the mountains to see
what we could see and maybe find Penny. I get stomach cramps.

We arrived at another vet check high up in the forest somewhere, did our
trotting thing, got hay and water, I got to go to the "bathroom" behind the
big pine tree, and we set off again. We had figured that we were about last,
but it was determined that we were in the middle somewhere.


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