Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

We exited off of I-10 onto Hwy 441 in Lake City and traveled several more miles to Osceola Nat?l Forest. The primitive campground we would be staying at didn?t have water, but a much smaller campground about a ½ mile away had water. We filled up our 55 gallon water container and drove to the ride camp. I found a spot close to the vet-in and was contemplating exactly how I wanted to park the truck and trailer, when I saw my ride buddy Mary Anne Maynard. Then I saw Chris Jones and Alice Harris, who are in the same horse club as I. They were all parked right next to me! We chatted for a minute or two about the tire fiasco, and then I backed the trailer up into our chosen spot. I unloaded Ice but didn?t know what to do first! It was 5 pm and getting dark, and I still had to check my self in and vet Ice in by 6 pm. Mary Anne came to the rescue and groomed Ice while I checked-in. At check-in they gave me a map, information form, ride card, and other goodies, most of which I decided I would look at later. When I got back to the trailer I started filling out the rider card, which of course I screwed up by putting my name in the ?ride name? spot. I grabbed the freshly groomed Ice and took him back to the check-in where they had the wax markers. A volunteer wrote a big ?5?, our ride number, on both sides of Ice?s hindquarters. I presented Ice to the judge where they took his pulse and various parameters, such as skin tenting, capillary refill, back tenderness, gut sounds, etc. He got all A?s and trotted out just fine. The vet-in was quick and painless. As I was leaving the vet-in to go the short distance to my trailer, a woman named Merris said she overheard me telling registration that it was my first ride. She pointed to her trailer and said that if I had any questions, to please ask her. Wow, so nice! I took Ice back to the trailer and hooked him up to the picket line I had set up and fixed him a large dinner, which he eagerly gulped down. Dan had done a good job on setting up camp and pulling out the awning. He started on dinner, which was marinated chicken breast on the grill. After dinner, we sat around talking to Chris and Alice until the rider meeting started at 7 pm. Kelly-Jo Mullen, the ride manager, introduced the head vet, Michael Porter, and he talked about the pulse criteria (64) and the hold time (40 minutes for 25-milers), among other things. Kelly-Jo and her assistant talked about the map and the trail. They said that this would be the last Osceola ride unless someone else decided to manage it, as they were burnt out. A couple of the fifty-milers gripped about having to start a 6 am, but all in all, the meeting was quick and painless. Someone mentioned that there would be a ?first time riders? meeting, so I stuck around, but I seemed to be the only one except for a woman name Catherine Whiteacre and her 10 year-old grandson. Kelly-Jo was busy answering some riders? questions, so Catherine decided that she would do the new-riders meeting. It was her grandson?s first ride, but she had some 2000 completion miles, so I figured she was qualified to tell me what was going on. I told her I was confused as to the proper sequence and time frame for coming into camp, pulsing in, vetting-in, and going out. We talked for about ½ hour and she was extremely helpful. I went back to camp and finished packing my saddle bags and prepared Ice?s breakfast. While we had no electricity, Dan brought our inverter, so we watched the movie ?Top Gun? on the 13? TV/VCR that Dan received from his job as a 5 year anniversary gift. In the middle of the movie, I made Dan go out and check the picket line knot around the tree, because I was worried I didn?t tie it properly. I knew if Dan didn?t check it I would be laying awake all night that Ice would get loose or wrap his leg around the lax line.