Death Valley Encounter--We did it!!!!

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

Was there anybody from ridecamp that wasn't there? I think the ridecampers
outnumbered the regular riders at this ride.  It was fun to get to see so
many familiar faces and get to meet new ones.  Just got home, rested up a
bit and thought I'd share a few details about the ride.

The ride this year was completely different than past years.  I know that
the crew people were really happy about the changes.  Don't know about the
riders tho <VBG>...actually, it was a really nice...very
challenging...endurance ride.  Everybody who completed all four days at
this ride really knows the meaning of the term 'endurance'.  Awesome
ride...Jim and Jackie, the vets, and all their help did a really great job
and made it a totally wonderful experience.  

Day 1.  Nice controlled start. (every day had a nice start)  We walked
quite a ways, probably for about 40 minutes or so inbetween doing real slow
jogging.  Finally did some trotting, but never anything really fast.  I
think that approximately 70 horses started the first day.  Rode from the
Bumgardner's place in Ridgecrest to Indian Wells...going thru Trona.
Beautiful weather.  Finished about 4:30 or 5 p.m.  (7 a.m. start)

Day 2.  Went from Valley Wells to Ballarat.  This was THE day.  If you
wanted to take a day off at this ride...this would have been the day to do
it.  Had a real nice ride, about 30 miles to the vet check.  Still looking
good.  This day the ride was sanctioned for 55 miles, though I think it was
probably closer to 60.  So planned ahead, and packed an easy boot bag
filled with just horse treats...HES pellets, carrots, apples, electrolytes,
and plenty of warm clothes for me.  Turned out to be a good thing.  The
next part was a 5000+ (Jim??) foot climb in 7 miles.  It was worth it, as
the views of Death Valley were totally awesome from the top.  We could even
see the sierra crest. (Mt. Whitney)  On the way up there were a couple of
water stops...natural springs.   Weav was so thirsty that he tried going
right over the top of a solid piece of ice and we did a little tap dance
and the splits.  Yikes!!  We kept going, got to the top and found out that
we had a long, long way to go dowhill in the ice and snow.  I was so very
grateful that we were able to make it down that part before it was totally
dark...also glad to have four easy boots on.  We slipped probably only
about 10% as much as my friends horse with metal shoes and pads on.  It was
very slippery and dangerous...any horse can slip big time going downhill
over frozen ice and ground.  We ended up walking all the rest of the way
in, and barely made it in by the 13 hour cutoff time.  Was a very long
time, but boy were we happy to make camp.  Got to take a shower too!!! :-)  

Day 3.  Ballarat to Panamint Springs Resort.  Yeah, Weav trots out sound
again, everything looks good.  Got my toes wrapped where my socks rubbed
all the skin off of the top of my toes walking so much the day before.
Apparently, from what others told me <g>, duct tape works really well for
foot blisters and more than one person told me that.  Was looking forward
to an easy day.  Haha, yeah...right. Got to the first water stop.  Guess
the horses before us were awfully thirsty, it was basically gone :(, just
sips left for our guys.  Several horses didn't get any water there.
(ah-hem...apparently some less than considerate riders used a lot of water
pouring it on their horses necks)  Spent some time there letting our guys
eat.  Had the privilege of riding with dozens of different riders and
horses during this (entire) ride...was a lot of fun and never boring.  Got
thru a 7 mile section of rocks.  Not that the rest wasn't rocky, this one
section was just rockier than others.  Another water stop, yeah...headed to
the vet check..this time the footing was really nice...sandy.  Trotted most
of the way into camp, which was dumb.  Weav was a little sore in the left
hind when we went to the vet.  So I ask Dave (hubby & crew)...would you
please massage (did I say please?) Weav's rear end while I eat?...and he
looks at me...'you've got to be kidding, right?'.  Nope, wasn't kidding.
So while he did that I scarfed down some food, reloaded the saddle packs
and worried the whole time about the horse getting worse.  Walked him
around, and guess what...went back to the vet an hour later and he was
better.  Yeah!!  Barney (vet) was great.  I think Weav was just sore from
his tap dance on the ice the night before.  I left the vet check there a
bit late and basically walked (on foot) the remaining 15 miles.  I probably
didn't need to walk that much, but I really wanted to make sure the horse
was allright.  Some nice person that I didn't even know gave me a
glow-stick, which was handy when we had to ride a few miles alongside the
highway in a 65 mph zone in the dark.  We made it in just before 7...me,
Jen, (who got to hear me whine a lot) Steph and John.  Speedy 'ol Kat
passed us up.  Sneaky drag rider, better watch her <G>.  Trotted Weav
out...Barney says "excellent"...he looks great.  One more day to go!  

Day 4.  Panamint Springs to....Panamint Springs.  This was a loop, going
thru Darwin.  The footing was the best on this day.  Weather still
gorgeous.  Every morning I expected Weaver to be stiff as a board..but he
kept surprising me and was completely sound every single morning.  I was so
happy.  He was an absolute monster this day.  I had no breaks on him at
all.  By the time I got him into the vet check, I had renamed him "SLOW
DOWN", and by the finish had added the word "DAMMIT" to his new name <g>. I
have blisters on each hand...sigh.  I got off a good mile or two before the
vet check and walked him in.  Or rather, he walked me in.  Was really
pleased when he vetted out without any signs of soreness from the day
before.  Was nice to have the vet tell you that you really know how to take
care of your horse :-)  Guess walking him five hours helped? ;-0  Had a
real enjoyable ride back to camp, making it in by 5.  Finished the fourth
day, horse looked and felt great.  Oh yeah, had to ride in a pair of size
larger than normal shoes this day.  

They had awards later, and a great band and New Year's party.  We were
evicted from our table before the awards by the caterers.  Apparently the
band needed a place to sit, so we were told that we absolutely could not
stay there.  It was okay, I wanted to go take care of the Weaver and crawl
into bed.  So I don't know any ride result info.  I think about 20 horses
completed all four days.  

All in all, it was a really terrific ride.  Never once got lost.  Though I
did forget what day it was more than once.  Seemed to appear intoxicated at
time to various people, in spite of having had no alcohol ;^).  Never got
really cold.  A little sunburned.  

I carbo-loaded on this ride.  Stuff worked great, will definitely continue
to use it.  Very noticeable results.  Anybody know where I can get a
super-sized syringe?  I have to give two syringes every time...one for
electrolytes and one for the carbo stuff.  Would be so much easier to have
one giant syringe.   

Happy New Year everyone!!!!  I'm going to catch up on some zzzzzz's....

Karen
in Gardnerville
& Dream Weaver...1230 miles
& Rocky...hauled around all week and never ridden :-)