We camped at a rodeo grounds that night
with pens available. I was glad to put Mo in a solid pipe pen knowing
I would sleep better than if she were tied. Dinner was provided to riders
and crew and a guitar playing singer serenaded us while we ate. I felt a
little bad for him as his audience dwindled--we were tired and needed to tend to
horses--it was not a reflection of his talent!! Throughout the ride there
was entertainment provided, but again, we were usually too tired or busy
to enjoy it up close.
In the first few days we camped at fairgrounds or
rodeo arenas that had pens or stalls available, though not mandatory.
We did have to pay a couple times, but no more than $10 or 15 --well worth the
price to not have to pull out and put away my pen, or tie my mare. We
took full advantage of the enclosures and slept better for them. All the
camps were in safe, large areas with water and grass.
The smaller towns we passed through, Springer,
Clayton, Lyons, Council Grove--there were others--were the friendliest, most
accommodating places I have ever been. Locals came out the talk to us in
the evenings and see us off in the morning, they cooked dinners for
us, sharing their history and civic pride. We had homemade cookies
and families at the end of driveways handing out water. It was
heartwarming. One town held a street dance and showed the movie "Bite the
Bullet" at their theater. Mark and I were the only endurance people there,
and he had to hold me down to keep me from telling the rest of the audience that
was not how we rode! I am certain not too many riders went to their dance,
but the townspeople had a good time!
The morning we left Dodge City there were
spectators lining bridges and roadways watching us go by. Later in the
ride, in very rural areas locals would come out and sit in chairs or their
cars to watch us go by. They always asked where we were from, and
then told us that their families owned land on the trail, or came across the
trail. We posed for pictures, and at one point, when a few of us were
hurrying in to make the time cut off, had to encourage Jim Hole not to stop and
talk so long. His reply "but they came out here to see us, we have to talk
to them." That's how it was.
