Here are the results I received from rides I am considering doing.
Several people asked me to give them the results.
Quicksilver, San Jose, Oct 12
* Moderate difficulty, nice wide fireroads, lots of access, good
footing.
* Good finishing prizes.
* Good ride management.
* Base camp in one spot, no moving.
* No streams but watering troughs in 4 locations.
* Large staging area with plenty of room to turn around in.
Lake Sonoma, Near Geyserville Oct 26th
* Single track trail, difficult to pass.
* 100 to 200 foot drops into the lake.
* Trail twists and turns, up and down, difficult to keep a steady pace
at any gait.
* Staging is on a very hard flat parking area, not a lot of room.
* Fantastic scenery
* Lots of ticks.
* Moderate in difficulty.
* Have to trailer horse back to camp from finish line.
* Good ride management
* Some people ride in Halloween costumes.
* Campground has good facility but you're parked in a graveled parking
lot.
Gold Country, Georgetown, CA Sept 28th
* Weather conditions can turn ugly.
* Campground... beautiful with lots of shade. Can fill up fast.
* Tough ride, lots of steep climbing.
* Some of the same trails shared with off road motorcycles.
* Vetting was slow in 93', improved in 94'
* Ride management gets your lunch to the stop and provides hay, water
and bran mashes for your horse.
That is all I received. It is interesting how different people's
experiences and perceptions are of the same ride! I guess your luck
can go either way and this helps give an overall impression of the
ride.
Thanks for all the input. Happy riding.
Kimberly (&Mystery the Morab)
Petaluma, CA