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2012 Owyhee Canyonlands
Images by Merri Melde
2012 Owyhee Canyonlands
Images by Merri Melde
2012 Owyhee Canyonlands
Images by Merri Melde
Merri Stories:
Day 1 || The Owyhee Tribe
Seaweed in the Desert - by Barbara Holmes-Balmer
Canyons, Caves and so much more - Karen Bumgarner
Owyhee Canyonlands Day 1 - by Merri Melde
Tuesday September 25 2012
The Raven and I were all set to ride Steph's horse and my pal Jose Viola in the 5-day Owyhee Canyonlands, when, right before the ride, a bad attack of allergies knocked Jose out, which sort of knocked the wind out of my sails.
I was the lethargic one, somewhat uninterested in riding (really?? me??), but thanks to our friend Judy, who offered me one of her horses, and convinced me to get in the saddle, on Day 1 I rode one of the most spectacular trails here in Owyhee that I've ever been on!
We wound right up to the mouth of Brown's Creek Canyon, rode right along the edge of the rim, and had the extra treat of stopping at the Spivey Ranch (for sale: $1.19 M, 320 acres, water rights available),
where owner Don opened his lodge and supplied cold drinks and hot dogs for everybody in the spectacular remote setting along Castle Creek. The vets and a few of the early riders caught sight of the herd of some 11 big horn sheep that live in that drainage.
It was a tough ride, crossing several of our big canyons - Brown's Creek, Castle Creek, Hart Creek, and our home Pickett Creek. A spectacular day of trails, great weather - a bit of rain the day before the ride damped down the dust and got rid of the smoke - and a good ride on a lovely horse, made for a great day 1 of the 10th anniversary of the Owyhee Canyonlands.
(Thanks Judy and Milon!)
