My Rocky Mountain Ride (long)

[Lynne Himmelreich <lynne-himmelreich@uiowa.edu>]

>>>                                                     
We got there on Saturday, after a 2 day trip from Iowa, and settled in.
Then we rode a short distance.  The boys were very hot to trot.  That
mountain air is heady.  Magic, my brother's horse, was sure that he was not
in Iowa any more.  Sunday we lounged around, visited and got ready.  

Monday at 0600 we were off.  Crockett's horse put on a bucking exihibition
at the start and Rocky thought he might want to imitate it much to my
terror, but we got him started at the end of the pack and stayed back as we
just wanted to finish and not make time.  We were about 10 miles down the
trail when after a rest break, Magic was lame on the right front again.
Albert told me to go ahead and he would walk him in to the trot by.  (It
turns out that the bruise on that heel bulb was just not healed well enough
to manage a rock)  So I went on ahead to catch up with the midwest
contingent.  Unfortunately there were about 10 horses in this group.  I did
not want to ride alone for fear of being lost by myself out in no where
land, but riding in that big a group over rocks and hills was not good,
especially as Rocky was more than a handfull.  You can't believe the places
that he cantered and trotted to keep up, and the marks that I was putting
on his face trying to get him to listen to me.  
Meanwhile, Albert had gotten to the trot by and they put his horse in the
trailer of the forest ranger.  Unfortunately this was the ranger that knows
nothing about horses, as the other ranger was out riding with us.  He flew
down the mountain with poor Magic in the trailer.  Albert was trying to get
him to slow down, but to no avail.  He said that at one point he could see
the trailer on 2 wheels.  They took Magic to the vet check where he was so
shell shocked that he just unloaded.  Luckily, there were no major cuts or
bruises, just a fair amount of green paint on the poor horse.
Unfortunately, he absolutely refused to get back into any trailer.  Several
people rearrainged their big stock trailers to try to get him in, but no
dice.  Albert ended up walking him over 10 miles back to the base camp in
Centenial.  Believe me when I say that he was not a happy camper!!!  I was
at the vet check in the rain trying to hold on to Rocky who wanted to go
with his buddy.  Howard (my husband and our crew) was trying to help
Albert, so I had no help and Rocky can be very bull headed at times.  I was
exhausted from just trying to hold on to him and get him to eat some grass.
 I went out for the last loop with the same group and the same problems.
Finally Herb and Barb from Montanna caught up with us and at a nice spot
where we could canter up a road for a while.  That was MUCH better and
Rocky started to calm down some and actually listen.  He is not used to
rides where he can't canter and I think he needed to stretch his legs.  The
3 of us continued to Centenial and Rocky was much better in smaller
company.  He even started to listen some.  He was in great shape with
plenty of energy at the trot out.  
>>
>>The next morning Albert and Howard loaded Magic into the trailer before
it was light.  He hollared and bounced quite a bit until after Rocky left,
but he was in.  Albert drove the trailer, and Howard took the Jeep to crew
for me and several others.  I again started at the back of the pack with
Marylou (who I have ridden with a lot this year) and her friend Dorothy.
Our horses got along well and paced well together.  This was supposed to be
the easy day with not too many climbs.  It showered on us periodically and
the sun was out some.  Easy or no, it was still a long day, as we finally
made it to camp in Wycolo by 6:30 PM.  Again Rocky had plenty of energy and
trotted out better than usual at home.  
>>
>>Wednesday I again rode with Marylou and Dorothy.  Since I had ridden this
day last year, I knew what we were in for.  Our first vet check was at the
Blandon ranch which is a 15000 acre cattle ranch.  The scenery was
beautiful on the way and the day was sunny.  As we dropped down the
mountain through single track  crossing the creek many times, I remembered
why this was some of my favorite trail.  At the vet check a herd of 200
angus were sharing the sage brush field with us.  They could smell the
grain and hay etc. and were coming closer and closer.  As the lady next to
me started to freak, I figured it was time to get Ruby (our Australian
shepard) to move them back.  She herded them back 200 feet with no trouble.
 Don Blanford (the ranch owner) offered Howard $1000 for her he was so
impressed.  After the vet check, we climbed over the top of the next
mountain ridge.  This was where it had sleeted on us last year.  But, this
year it was sunny and the views were incredible!!  I pushed the girls to
make time where we could, remembering running in last year to get there in
time.  Then we went down sheeps trail to the trot by.  This is the trail
that drops 1500 feet in 2 miles.  I got off Rocky for most of it, but by
the bottom my legs were shakey, and I got back on for the switch backs.
(Probably a bad move).  Still trotting out sound, we left for the final
loop, which I knew was long.  This was the day that Dorothy kept reading
the map and telling us that we only had 5 miles to go.  I kept laughing.
Well, we kept our sense of humor and managed to get to camp by 6:30.  The
camp was beautiful in the state forest under some lodgepole pine.  Once
again Rocky had plenty of energy at the trot out.  I was very  proud that
he was doing so well after such a hard 3 days.  Many horses were getting
pulled for sore backs.  Rocky's back was great, but there was a small rub
on his withers.  I should of gotten off more on the down hills as I did not
have a crouper to keep the saddle from moving.
>>
>>Thursday, I plastered his withers with vaseline and his girth area which
was getting a little scurfy.  We had our highest climb over Montgomary pass
and I knew by now that what goes up must come down.  I needed to get off
and walk the downs.  Again we had a beautiful sunny day.  We started out by
riding around a reservoir.  Unfortunately, the local campers had taken down
many of the ribbons.  Luckily, I had written the verbal directions down at
the ride meeting, and we made it through with little trouble compared to
others.  After the vet check we climbed to Montgomery pass.  There is a big
cross at the top and the view cannot be described.  We were again above the
snow pack.  I walked the downs as much as possible, and truth to tell
getting off the horse at this point actually felt good.  About 5 miles from
camp I think the wheels started to fall off.  I knew that we should go into
camp on a 2 track.  Unfortunately I did not realize that there were many
twists and turns on the trail.  It was not marked terribly, but I think
that on the 4th day that late, we just wished for the end and didn't see
many of the markers.  Many people were some upset by the time we figured it
out and got to camp.  I think it could have been marked a little better
with exhaustion of riders kept in mind, but this is only the 2nd year.
Anyway we made it with time to spare, and at that point I had to consider
it part of the challenge.  Rocky was starting to get tired, although he
trotted out sound, and his legs were tight.  I got the tail ender award and
quickly chose the Howlin Coyote Inn teashirt.  Crockett Dumas really wanted
it, but I knew that Albert would like it.  It is black and has the Howlin
Coyote Inn Gould Colorado on the front.  On the back is 2 coyotes doing it
and it says How far to the Howlin Coyote Inn?  Crockett offered Albert
several Outlaw Trail teeshirts in trade, but he wouldn't part with it.  
>>
>>You should have seen the look on poor Rocky's face when I went out to
give him his breakfast and electrolytes Friday morning.  I promised him
that today was his last day.  I had also ridden this day last year and knew
it to be long.  We tried to pace ourselves, and I got off and walked Rocky
downhill whereever possible.  At this point he wouldn't hardly trot at all
and wanted to just canter on the right lead.  I was concerned, but when I
could get him to trot he felt sound.  Every time he saw a down hill, he
started moaning (he tends to be expressive that way).  His right hind shoe
broke in half, and Dorothy helped me get it off and the easy boot on.  We
made it to the vet check.  I voiced my concerns to the vet, but he trotted
sound.  She said to unsaddle him and get his feet fixed, and Barney would
check his back and trot him again.  The blacksmith replaced the shoe, and
then put the easyboots on both hind feet.  She also reclinched the front
shoes.  Barney checked him out and said he was fine, so on we went.  A
little over 5 miles or so out, the metal string thing on the easy boot on
his right hind broke and so we took it off.  The left hind was twisting, so
we slowed down and I made sure that he did not canter.  Actually, he
started to trot a little better as long as we were going slowly.  We got to
the trot by and Howard noticed that he was missing his left front shoe.  On
went another easy boot.  Boy am I glad that I bought enough of the right
sizes and carried them in my saddle pack.  We carefully walked and trotted
in.  I was sure I would be leading him in the last 5-7 miles, but his feet
managed to stay intact such as they were.  Albert came out and did the last
3 gates for us on the ride in.  God bless him, I did not want to get on and
off that many more times.  Rocky was pretty tired on completion, but
trotted out sound and had a sound back, and no further marks on his
withers.  I was so very Proud.  
>>
>>Rocky was stalked up some the next day, and he did have some scratches,
despite my faithful use of the snake grease.  We trucked home over the next
2 days, and he did great.  After the first night in the pasture, there was
no swelling at all.  His legs are nice and tight and he is out chasing the
other horses around.  The scratches are almost all healed.  Not too bad for
a flatlander horse, no pads, and a weenie rider!!  He gets 4-6 weeks off
now.  I am a little concerned about how fast he is going to want to go on
the next flat ride, but I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it.  
>
>By the way, Albert got the dented hubcap award for being run off the road
by a bunch of French tourists in a Honda.  The back 2 wheels of the trailer
were off the road.  Magic did manage to get out of the trailer door which
would only open a little over 2 feet.  It cost $85 to get the rig winched
back onto the road with the tow truck.  Much cheaper than last year when he
was run off the road by a construction water truck, and it was $1500 to
replace the generator which had landed under the trailer, the waste tanks
on the trailer, and redo the welds under the trailer.  Albert swears that
next year he will not drive on Thursday.>>

I would like to thank Brad and his staff for working so hard all week, and
they all kept smiling no matter how cranky and whiney we riders got.
The food was great and the vets were wonderful at working with you to get
your horse safely through.  A very special thanks to Dorothy.  I don't
think we would have made it without her, and I learned so much from riding
with her over the week.  My husband who brought his Jeep to crew for us and
ended up crewing for many people, had a good time and said he would be
happy to go back again.  

In summary, I think the Rocky Mountain ride is an adventure, and I
thoroughly enjoyed my adventure this year.  If you go next year, and I
think it is worth the trip, be prepared for long days in the saddle, steep
uphills that seem to go on forever, even longer (how is that possible?)
steep downhills, plenty of rocks, a few bogs, lots of water on the trail,
and incredible scenery.  Go to have fun and bring your sense of humor.  I
hope I have the chance to go again.

Lynne the weenie rider with Rocky the flatlander horse who now thinks he is
really a big brave endurance horse.>>
>>