Tevis 1999- The All Alone Ride (part 2)

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Nick Warhol nick@moai.com

continued...

Warpaint drank a lot of water at the mid mountain lodge and did his
walk-around-the-rider thing while I tried to give him electrolytes.  Dumb
horse.  It takes two people to do this.  I realized how many times in the
past I thought Judy shouldn't't let him do this.  Yeah, right.  He almost
walked through the water trough, another one of his specialties.  Once up on
his back we headed up the rest of the mountain and climbed over the top of
the world at the monument.   Stay around, look at the view?  Forget it- it
was freezing up here.  Thank goodness I kept my jacket on.  We hustled down
the back of the Ski Mountain into the depths of the toughest part of the
ride.  Okay, horse, this is it.  Let's just get through this.   We went in,
following a big mule, and kept our distance.  What worries?  He did
absolutely great.  As long as he could see those horses in front, and I kept
him slow, he went through there without a single worry.  In fact, he did one
thing so neat I actually laughed.  There is one short step up about two and
a half or three feet high, straight up a sheer rock.  I watched three horses
in front of me scramble up it, slip, and one even slipped down for a moment.
Warpaint got to it and just jumped up it- he never even touched the rock!
Man, for a video tape of that!  The wilderness was a non-event for me again
this year, knock on wood.  We zipped through it and hit the rocky and very
dusty roads that lead down to Lyon ridge and a trot by.  We passed about 30
or so horses in that 3 or 4 miles.  We stopped for another huge drink and a
bathroom stop for me, another shot of salts for him, and off we went with no
wasted time.   The single-track trail from Lyon to cougar rock and beyond
was so dusty I started getting irritated, sort of like I was irritated at
those tree branches at the Gold Country ride.  No matter what you do you
just can't get away from it, and it's no fun to breathe it.   We went around
Cougar Rock again this year, mostly because I wasn't about to stand in that
line to go over.  I ran into Karen Chaton just past Cougar Rock- she and I
rode together last year from Foresthill to the finish.  We rode into Red
star ridge together and had a nice water break.  We rode along together for
a little while after that but she left me- Rocky was trotting faster than I
wanted to go.   I then realized that I had been riding by myself all day so
far.  Warpaint was still pulling and jigging as we walked down into Robinson
Flat into the beehive of activity.  Our good friend Jean Schreiber was there
once again for us, setting up a perfect crew spot in the trees the day
before the ride.  Marilyn Russell was also there, helping Carolyn Schultz on
her second attempt at Tevis.  Poor Carolyn made it to Francisco's last year
and got pulled.  She wanted another shot at that elusive buckle.  Her big
horse Echo looked great so far.

It took Warpaint his normal 10 minutes to recover to 60 here, which he did
without trouble.  He went right through the vets (much to the relief of
Judy) and began his eating binge.  This horse does it right- he eats and
drinks everything in site.  I got treated to some superb service including
the magic Tevis Egg salad sandwich that I credit for my success here, as
well as my shoulder massage.  What a life!   After a nice break we got him
ready and headed out right on time.  Carolyn had left about 15 minutes
before me.  Warpaint jigged out of camp- no shortage of energy here.  We
left by ourselves and headed down the rocky Cavanaugh Ridge trails, again,
totally alone.  I found myself talking to the horse and singing old songs
out loud.  That's a habit I picked up while racing motorcycles in the
desert.  The thing about dirt bikes is that no one can hear you sing!  I
have to watch that on horseback.  We passed a few horses but just kept
trotting on down the trails to the big, flat, gravel dirt road called the
freeway.  Warpaint hit the road and just took off.   No horses anywhere in
sight and he's just trotting as strong as at the start, but now he's totally
relaxed.   Once again I realize how much I like a horse that doesn't't spook
at all.  Never.  Nada. Nothing.  Just as solid as a car.  I began to realize
again just how amazing this horse is.   He is just sailing along down this
road, passing horses with ease, going like this because he likes it.   Most
people who I pass say "Hey, it's the appy!"  It's easy to spot this one,
especially as he goes by.   I passed Carolyn somewhere on that road and
didn't't even recognize her.  We got to the Dusty Corners trot by check and
went right on through after a short break for water and some food.   We rode
out alone again, and turned down onto the neat single-track trail that was
new last year.  Except this year it was much more rocky and chewed up,
especially at the beginning.  It was a pain for the first mile or so but
then got better.  Last year I rode through here with Sam Bartee- it was
dusty from the other horses.  I never even saw a horse the entire length of
the trail.  No dust, just Warpaint jamming down the trail.  He does not need
another horse to be with him, or chase him, or be in front.  He just goes,
all by himself.   We started down the steep trail into the first canyon- I
led him down the entire way.  Ride Director Larry said the trail was chewed
up.  It was miserable.   Rocky, chewed up, dusty, yuck.  We went into the
river at the bottom and cooled down a while, crossed the swinging bridge,
then headed up the first big climb into Devil's Thumb.

This horse goes uphill like a ski lift!  I rode a few turns than hopped off
and had him tail me up.  We kept passing horses, even at a walk.  People
can't believe it when he goes walking past them up this climb.  I was
getting pooped by the top and was happy to see the water and lemonade.  The
horse drank a lot of water as did I.  Off to Deadwood and our friends Karen
Schwartz and Roberta Dunn who were working as in timers.  They asked where
Carolyn was.  I didn't't know- uh, oh.   Warpaint recovered in about 7
minutes which really pleased me- he ate for a while, then we left with a
flake of hay under my arm as we walked out down the trail.  He ate the
entire thing before we started down the long canyon.  I rode him for a
while, then got off and ran down to the bottom.  We were all alone again
after passing a couple of horses.   This second canyon trail goes down
forever, but we finally got to the bottom and started the long climb up to
Michigan Bluff.   I was again off him the whole way up, but didn't't need to
be.  Up, Up, Up.  We got to the top and went to the water tanks.   A group
of wonderful volunteers basically told me to go away and eat something and
they would take care of him.   They soaked him down with water like pros,
and after only 5 minutes or so he was down.  Wow- he's recovering better as
the day goes on!   I was thankful the weather was so nice- of my three Tevis
rides this was by far the best weather.  We got a little nervous at the trot
out when the vet asked us to trot again.  They noticed a little wave on his
right front but after a faster trot it seemed okay.  My good buddy vet Jamie
Kerr was there and suggested I make sure to trot him a little faster.  It
worked- he looked fine.   I let him eat for an extra 15 minutes or so before
leaving.   I saw Carolyn come in just as I was leaving- great!  She's still
in it.  I jigged out of town (!) to the applause of a bunch of spectators.
Neat!  The out timer told me I was in 50th place.    (long pause for
dramatic effect)

I almost fell out of the saddle!  I looked at my watch- it was just about
5pm!  I was in shock as we trotted away, once again all alone, now with the
horse in his relaxed mode.   Here's where he begins to become magic.   Once
that crazy stuff in his brain is gone it gets replaced with this business
like attitude of just going forward.  No reins needed- just go forward.   He
trotted up the hills out of Michigan and down we went into the third little
canyon.  I hopped off and jogged all the way down to the bottom, except this
trail was beat to death as well.   What happens to these trails?  I think a
rock monster has it's offspring on Sierra single track trails.   Across the
creek at the bottom for another big drink and up the short climb into
Foresthill.   What a neat welcome- a couple of hundred people cheering and
clapping for the Appy.  Everyone is so excited to see him.  He's still
jigging as we head into the last big check.  Yeah, it feels nice to have so
many people interested in him.  Judy and Sally meet me as we walk into the
sea of people.  Warpaint is quite the center of attention.  There is a ring
of people around him watching as the crew gets his tack stripped and him
cooled down.  Sooo many people ask me if he's an Arab or thoroughbred cross.
I just say he's as appy as an appy is- no crosses in his background.  He
recovers again very quickly and passes through the vet with no problem.   I
like this vet- a tall guy with a beard and baseball cap.  He looks at the
card that says "watch the right front".  He replies: "Yeah, he's got one,
all right."  Warpaint eats like the proverbial horse while I get my dose of
hamburger from my great crew.   Bad news for Carolyn- Echo is off at the
trot and is done.  She is having much more than her share of the 40% of bad
luck.  Sixty minutes goes fast here.  I saddle up and head out of the check
all by myself, again.  There's a lot of daylight left as I jig through the
town to the cheering of more people.  I continue to realize that it's fun to
be on such a noticeable horse.   We hit the California loop and pass two
horses as we head down the first few turns.




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