Headwaters of the Rouge Ride(long)

[SDT <sharon@dolantruax.gardnerville.nv.us>]

Just got back a few hours ago.  You know, every once in a while an event
happens that feeds the soul, lifts the spirts, makes you thankful for your
horse, your health etc. so you can do this great sport.  This ride was our
Soul Ride!!  It was great!  The people were so very nice, the ride camp was
outstanding, the trail was beyond discription!!  The horses loved it as
much as we did.  (We being my spouse & I)  We planned to take it easy as we
had a long haul over and another to return but for the first time ever, we
got concerned about time.  Why???  Because we kept saying to each other,
"Did you see that?  Isn't that wonderful? (A deer, a waterfall, the view of
the river, all the cute wooden bridges crossing streams or bogs that we
rode across, the huge old growth trees.)  Or we kept saying "Let's stop in
this meadow and let the horses have some green grass...after all it's
sagebrush at home!!  There was water EVERYWHERE and if nature didn't
provide it, ride management did.  Finally when we had only 8 miles to go,
we decided to'd better boogie a little.  Most of that 8 miles was on a
wonderful trail and the horses flat flew...they loved it.  The footing on
the whole ride was great.  Can you guess we loved this ride and it was
worth every one of the 430 miles we traveled to get there!  The weather
couldn't have been better....cool in the am, warming up as the day went
along.  To top it off, nature provided us with a thunder and lighting show
that evening just about bed time.  We went to bed to the sound of light
rain that lasted just long enough without turning camp into a mess.

Ride management did an excellent job.  Not an easy task keeping those
trails clear and in such great condition.  Thank you Tom and Jackie Jones
and all the workers from the Rouge River Riders (hope I have that name
right)  My spouse maintains this was the best managed ride he's attended.

Our horses took the haul fine.  Went over in one day, letting horses out
once but stopping often to water etc.  Did the return in 2 camping along a
stream somewhere between Shasta and Lassen. 



 
Sharon
West Region