EHSC 30/50 (aka Bridgeport - story)

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

This past Saturday was the Eastern High Sierra Classic 30/50 in Bridgeport, 
California.

The weather turned out to be absolutely perfect. (80's and sunny) Since my 
horse Rocky was up for Jackie's Horse Excellence award, I was sorta stuck 
riding him (not that riding him is such a bad thing), so I asked around for 
any brave volunteers who would ride Weaver for me and came up with one such 
soul in the name of Jan Freed who was going to be going on a camping trip 
anyway so this worked out very well.  This was the 5th year in a row that 
Weaver has done this ride--it was our first 50 together and has become one 
of our favorite rides.

I had been a little apprehensive about taking Rocky on such a difficult 
ride only three weeks after doing Tevis, but you know us crazy endurance 
riders -- what we won't do for a blanket <bg>.  I wasn't alone though, also 
going for the award was the Mitchell family - Jim, Alicia and Jaime (dad 
and 2 juniors).  The four of us had all done the Death Valley multiday in 
December and the 20 Mule Team 100, and now we were going to doing one 
little itty bitty 50 miler.  ;^)

I arrived early on Friday so that Jan would get a chance to meet Weaver and 
make sure everybody got along.  Upon arriving, I found Jan and Dave (her 
husband) right away and discovered that Jan had sprained her ankle and it 
was swollen up quite badly.  She thought she'd still be able to ride 
though.  We compared injuries and I judged her worthy to ride my horse 
<bg>. We went for a nice pre-ride, crossed a couple of creeks and made sure 
everything was adjusted just right and we practiced going thru the 
knee-knocker gate. (and as it turned out, Jan with her limp and Weaver with 
his paddling both earned comments from Charlie the vet).  Karen Nelson's 
horse put her leg (was it a mare Karen?) thru her corral panels (we heard 
the horse screaming at the ride meeting), and so she worked the ride and 
did P&R's instead.

Ride start for the 50's was at 6 a.m.  We warmed the horses up in camp, let 
them roam around grazing then waited to leave after the big group had gone 
out.  We had planned on taking most of the day so didn't want to get caught 
up in any mad rush.  Jan was doing a good job with Weaver, once he got his 
point across to her exactly just how loose he wanted his reins on his neck 
<g> (temperamental sort, he can be).  The first loop is 20 miles and this 
year we got to do the original trail. We had one good climb, then it 
levelled off for awhile then we went down a series of switchbacks that were 
quite narrow and rocky and down to a vet check.  P&R and trot thru.  We 
went right thru, then continued down the trail to the next loop.  We were 
riding right next to the Twin Lakes, and it was absolutely gorgeous.  We 
headed back up again, quite a good long pull and more technical trail, more 
creek crossings (Jackie did say if you didn't have a horse that crossed 
water you wouldn't get far!)  We hit the trail of rocks section and went 
thru that without any trouble.  It was nice to see that Jan wasn't 
terrified on some of this narrow twisty trail being on an unfamiliar 
horse.  Weaver did do one stumble when he was eating and not paying 
attention.  She quickly pulled him up and they continued without any 
further mishaps.  We rode down more switchbacks, past roaring cascading 
waterfalls, and back onto a dirt road again alongside the lake. Back past 
the photographer.  Poor Jim Clanin has been trying for years to get a good 
picture of Rocky -- everytime we go by him it seems that Rocky turns and 
looks at just that moment.  He looks like a wild hare caught in a cars 
headlights.  <sigh>  The Sierras in the background with snow on the peaks 
surrounding the lakes sure made for gorgeous views.

Than back thru where the vet check was.  We were told to be careful because 
of the helicopter.  Huh, helicopter?  Uh oh......turns out that a rider was 
bucked off on top of the mountain, on one of the most inaccessible spots 
possible.  Jackie said at the awards that Rosalee had broken her hip.  When 
we made it back into camp off of that loop, her horse was tied to my 
trailer and all her tack next to it.  I guess other riders tailed the 
medics up and down so they could get to her and get her out of there.  We 
heard that she had to share a helicopter with a 2 month old dead corpse 
that they had just found in the back country (probably an endurance rider 
who fell off because they didn't have on a breastcollar) <bg>

Back to basecamp.  The horses vetted right thru.  The garbage gut horse 
(who hadn't stopped eating) got a B- on guts (normal for him) and Rocky who 
hadn't been eating scored an A.  (again, typical)  We had our hour 
hold.  We had managed to squeak out a lightening fast 5 mph average speed 
on this loop :-).  Our hour went by really fast because we spent so much 
time in the vet line.  I wolfed down half a tuna sandwich (so what if it 
was 10:30 a.m.), made sure the horses were inhaling their food and threw 
the stuff I wanted into Dave's Jeep to take to the last vet check, and 
before you knew it - time to tack up and we were off again.  Jan was still 
hanging in there with her ankle.

The next 30 mile loop is a good one.  It goes up into the pine forest and 
the back country - it's just beautiful.  It's a pretty good climb going 
up.  Jan was worried about Weaver being tired. (nope, he's just lazy, 
honest), and worried about him pooping so much (anything that eats that 
much must also poop).  I figured he was just trying to see how much he 
could get away with. At least when he wants to mess with somebody he does 
it by being lazy rather than trying to run off or do something 
dangerous.  I did try and point out all the faults both of my horses have, 
but we only had 10 hours, so I didn't quite get everything covered 
<bg>  (but at least she knows there is no such thing as a perfect endurance 
horse --- or is there?)  She was impressed at how Weaver could maintain a 
mouthful of grass while traveling at a trot, without breaking stride to 
keep his mouth stuffed (or without stumbling).

Jan was learning all sorts of new things--how to electrolyte a horse from 
its back (she did a wonderful job too), and how to sponge (Angie would be 
proud) from a creek.  We made it up to the last vet check, which was just a 
crossover point on where the loops intersected.  We stopped long enough to 
let the horses drink and sponge in the creek, then continued on.  We 
continued on up thru the meadows and all the herds of cattle.  Both horses 
were having a field day eating grass and drinking from all the creek and 
water crossings.  Where the loop turned around and crossed the river we 
sponged again. Then picked the trail back up thru the trees.   Slightly 
technical trail, with ups and downs and turns and rocks and branches and 
knee knocker trees and the like.  Denise rode with us on a horse that was 
doing it's first 50 and he really looked good.  A nice man had caught up 
with us earlier and was soooo nice to open almost all of the gates for us 
:).  On this part of the loop, his horse kept getting close (like in my 
back pocket close) to Rocky's butt.  Rocky was giving dirty looks, and once 
or twice when he was actually bumped he curled up his body and let out a 
hrummmppphhhh.  I switched places with Jan and Weaver for awhile, and 
Weaver put up with it for so long until Jan decided that it might be better 
to put him in the front again too.  Rocky seemed to tolerate it well as 
long as I just kept talking to him and telling him that it was okay. (well, 
it wasn't really okay but us two lamed up females thought it was worth it 
to have a gait-opener!)

Made it into the last vet check.  It is about 7 miles or so from 
camp.  Dave had hay for us, but the horses only wanted the green grass.  We 
had a 15 minute hold here, then were on our way to the finish.  The trail 
was a little different on this section, and uh....well.....we got a bit 
directionally challenged. (Jan says we just wanted to see some other trail, 
sort of as a bonus)  Not very far though, and we finally found our way and 
made it back into the finish at about 4 p.m.

They served us BBQ for dinner, and then had the awards.  The four of us in 
the running all got our Horse Excellence awards :).  Weaver completed this 
ride for the 5th time, and Rocky's shoes stayed on! (same ones he wore at 
Tevis - they're getting mighty thin!).  Marci Cunningham completed on her 
horse Moonshine, quite an accomplishment since the horse had previously had 
an injury which severed both front tendons.  :)

I don't know who was first, but know that Trilby was last.  :-)  I think 
there were about 87 horses in the 50 and 30 horses in the 30.  Awards were 
nice big cups, or laundry bags.  Thanks to Jackie and all the wonderful 
ride volunteers for again putting on a first class ride!

Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV
& Rocky, 1,745 miles & 99 Fire Mt. Horse Excellence Award recipient
& Weaver, 98 recipient  :-)


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