I was the first one to get dragged over that creek by Ron! What an
adventure the whole ride was. It was so impressive how people kept
their spirits up and just dealt with the inclement
conditions....the gal I ended up riding with had thought she wasn't going to
go....after seeing all those happy smiling faces leaving camp, she went back,
threw her saddle on and joined all us mud sloshers out there! We had a
GREAT time and were glad we persevered and went.
It dumped rain the night before, so we knew we were in for nasty conditions
right from the start. There were several Tevis bound people there who
opted not to risk their horses in the slippery mud -good decision on their part
- it was nasty.
My horse was pretty frustrated with having to walk 85% of the ride ( I did
the LD loop). My riding partner and I both agreed we didn't want to take
any chances in those conditions.
It rained lightly on the trail most of the day.
But overall, it was a fun ride, great ride management as always - I think
this may have been the 4th time I did this ride and it's usually hot and
dry! That's what the Tevis people were planning for - good hill
training and heat! Well, it wasn't that way this year - just the
opposite.
There was a great big bonfire going in the main camp for everyone to
gather 'round after the ride which was quite cozy. The rain let up for the
dinner and awards which was a good thing.
Good food too- hot chicken, salads, lots of wine (thank you Forrest
Tancer), homemade cookies and strawberries.
Ron and Ruth did a spectacular job as always, and the ranch owners who
allowed us to have our ride there went to a lot of trouble to make it nice for
us - the trails had been cleared and bulldozed where necessary to give us 50
miles of trails.
Oh, there was even an expresso bar there at 5am - such a treat for us out
there in the great outdoors! Nice classy touch!
To top off a great adventurous ride, I didn't have to be pulled out again
by Ron with his tractor! In fact, I don't think anyone did!
Hats off to all of us who rode and endured, and the great ride
management who made it happen!
Peggy Eaton and her partner in mud, Dakota
Midnight
