I’m not sure I can even count back and figure out where the spring went.. We had some gorgeous weather in March and early April, and then it seemed the wind never stopped blowing. So the garden and ranch/yard work was spotty - I got behind on a lot of stuff there. It’s really hard to get out when it’s cold and windy…

I did a few rides with Smokey (I love this mare!) - our 50 mile Tough Sucker ride here at the ranch on April 9. We bailed at the Eagle ride April 23 - rain all night, cold and raining and windy in the morning and we found a million excuses not to saddle up and ride. So we played cards in the camper while the hearty ones rode in the weather.

We did a 55 mile ride at Owyhee River Challenge - lots of fun. Then geared up to host our epic City of Rocks ride at City of Rocks National Reserve - 200 miles west of here near the historic town of Almo. It’s a gorgeous place - stunning scenery. We do 3 days of 25 and 50 mile trails. It’s as much a big party as anything. All the friends pitch in, we work really really hard, but make sure we reward ourselves with pizza at Rock City, the local pizza/beer/sundries shop, and daily and/or nightly trips to Durfee Hot Springs - clean pools of water for every preference (I like the hot one the best).

It’s a crazy intense fun exhausting time - we got there on Saturday to set up and mark trail, the actual ride was Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and we made it home on Monday. We had 40 riders the first two days, and 60 on the last - and all the crew, family, friends, staff, Wynne's gang cooking meals for everybody. So many people, camping and riding over the same ground that the pioneers rode (or walked, or drove) in the 1840's. Historians state that during the peak of the gold rush and emigration west over 10,000 pioneers traveled through the City of Rocks.

We had 150 miles of trail to mark and unmark, tents to raise and bring back down, everybody’s stuff to sort and unsort, fencing and water for all the horses we bring so we can ride and have fun too … it’s like building a little city. We’re still unpacking stuff a week later… Why do we do this? Hard to say, but so far we’re still gung ho. I rode Smokey for two days - fun sorta-fast rides, she’s a really good horse for this sport, and it is such beautiful riding - this is my reward I guess!
(photo by Steve Bradley)

Now I’m home, getting caught up on yard, ranch, garden work. The weather has been pleasant, though we did have another big wind yesterday afternoon. Today is warm and sunny and calm. I’ll ride this morning, then some yard/garden work, play music (I’m playing fiddle again after 35 years! It’s fun). Time to relax and enjoy summer for a while.

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