FW: Death Valley 1999

["Steph Teeter" <steph@endurance.net>]

Here is Nick's Death Valley Encounter story:

-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Warhol [mailto:nick@moai.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 6:06 PM
Subject: Death Valley 1999


Death Valley 1999

I really needed this ride.  Other than riding Warpaint in two fifties, and
on Tevis, I have not done a single ride on Shatta since his injury almost a
year ago.   He recovered just fine from his suspensory injury, but as luck
would have it, advanced arthritis moved in and attacked his left front
fetlock.   It is so bad he has lost about half the range of motion in the
joint.  We have a series of 6 month x-rays that show serious degeneration.
He is very lame at any kind of a trot and has not improved at all.  I don't
know what I did to deserve this kind of luck, but it looks like his days of
endurance are done, just when he was hitting his prime.  The best I can do
is go on.

So off we go, back down to the Death Valley Encounter between Christmas and
New Year's, for the fifth or sixth time.   Since I am once again horseless
(I have three now- one old, one young, and one broken), I called up my
Ridgecrest buddy  (and ride manager) Jackie Bumgardner and asked if she had
a horse I could ride.  Two years ago I rode three days on one of her horses
named Charlie and had a great time.  In the three times I have attempted
this ride I have never finished all four days.  (I watch Judy finish all
over the place- Warpaint has 800 DVE miles now)  I spoke to Jackie- it turns
out she did have a horse for me.  Some 20 year old grey horse she has down
there, by the name of Zayante.   Zayante?  The Zayante?  How many could
there be?  This is the horse that was owned by Julie and Bob Suhr for a few
years and a few thousand miles.  He's got a neat record, in that he finished
his first 100 rides without being pulled.  Read that again- not 100 miles,
100 rides without a pull.  He has about 9000 career miles, and will be one
of the handful of horses that reach 10,000.  Yeah, okay Jackie, I guess
he'll do.

We tossed the big Appy into the trailer and headed on down to the desert,
about an 8 hour drive from the Bay Area.  We spent the first night at
Jackie's and met my horse.   I looked at his legs- they felt better than
Shatta's.  He seems like a nice guy, and is supposed to be very spooky, but
I won't ride him until the next day out at the start.  We headed out to
beautiful Valley Wells, right next to the glitter-gulch town of Trona.  Its
not a bad little town, if you don't mind the sulfur smell from the pile of
chemical plants allover the place.  It really stinks.  We were really
saddened to hear of the disaster that happened early that morning to two of
our friends- Judy Reenes and Dennis Tracy.   Both of their horses got loose
early in the morning and ran the 6 or so miles towards Trona.  Dennis's
horse was hit by a car on the highway and killed instantly.  Judy's horse
Benji was found a while later safe and sound.  Fortunately the driver of the
car was not injured, but his car was a total loss.  Our hearts go out to
Judy and Dennis, who after suffering the ultimate disaster,  were able to
remain collected and actually helped everyone else cope with the tragedy.

While Pat Gay's husband Otis was out playing golf on the Trona course, (all
desert with a few blobs of sort-of-grass for greens) Judy and I went out for
a warm up ride.  Zayante is a goer, but seemed nice, and no spooks at all.
Heck- if I can stay on Shatta's back I should be able to ride anything.
Shatta's spook's result in a change in the time zone.   Warpaint looked
great- he was jamming and wanted to run.   We woke up to a nice cold
morning, but nothing as cold as it has been in the past at this ride.   I
started out in the middle of the pack trotting along nicely.  Zayante has
one habit I found amusing- he calls to other horses, all the time.  He's
very competitive, but NOTHING like Warpaint's gotta-run antics.  We settled
into a nice pace as we rode towards town, then up into a long, uphill
sandwash.  I was amazed at how many horses were all bunched together.  It
looked like a 40 horse rental string, all trotting.  It was dusty for a
while.  We headed out across the absolutely beautiful desert, up to a neat
little canyon that Jackie added  this year.  One thing I noticed right away
was that the trail was marked very well, although Gary would probably have
gotten lost.  Serves him right.   I rode along with different people, many
that complimented me on my horse and how good he looked.  They would just
shake their heads when I told them he was 20 and had that many miles.   We
were going a good pace and trotted quickly up the valley and then all the
way back down to lunch.   Z-man blew through the P&R and looked great for
the vet, much to the delight of Jackie.   We had lunch and were leaving
right as Judy and Warpaint came in.  It seems they were doing a lot of slow
jigging.  I hooked up with Dom Freeman, Pat Gay, and Doctor Ruth on her big
mustang, Hawk.  We cruised up the long climb to the top of the valley, and
then the really nice decent down into the Paniment Valley.  What a view!
You can see the finish line, about 20 miles away.   A decent road down the
long hill leads to a not-so-decent road of rocks that we all walked down to
the smooth valley floor.  We turned left and started the long, 15 mile or so
trot towards the finish.  I was bopping along on this great horse and
suddenly realized:  I was not sick!  It was right here last year that I was
in the worst shape I have ever been in, on a horse or not.   Last year, for
the first time in my riding career, I was so sick I had to stop and could
not continue the next day.  Here I was a year later, feeling great, trotting
along in the sunshine!  Perfect.  How can it get better?  It could.

We missed Sparrow, a DVE icon, out at the wonderful water stop.  Apparently
he is sick and could not make it out.   We zoomed along to the finish at
Balarat, getting in about 2:00 or so for 20th place.  The horse looked
unridden.   I felt great!  But- no truck.  The drivers had not arrived yet,
so here I was, at the finish, with nowhere to go, no one to turn to.  For
about a minute.  Otis Gay took us in and treated Zayante and me like we were
his own.   Food, water, and a wonderful energy drink that tasted really
good.   I realized how perfect the weather was as I waited for my truck and
Judy.  They both appeared at the same time, Warpaint jigging.   As always.
A shower felt nice (I love my camper), a nice dinner and a beer had me ready
for bed. We walked the horses a few times, got our finisher cups, and headed
off to sleep.

It was cool the next morning, but again, nothing like in the past where the
water buckets would freeze at night.   We started out on day two, the big
climb.  I started out on Zman with Ruth, but Zayante was telling me why he
is the horse he is- he wanted to go with those other horses.   We tried
walking for a while up this really weird road- it has water running down it.
In the desert?  Go figure.  No water for a hundred miles and here we are
climbing a river.  I kept marveling at this crazy road, realizing that it
was this I came down on Charlie, 2 years ago, in the dark, while finishing
the toughest day ever held at Death valley, or maybe in the state for that
matter.   The ride today starts on the valley floor and climbs up to 7000
feet or so, to the top of the world.  Zayante and I left Ruth and jogged up
that road until we met up with Pat and Lady Hawk.  Oh, yeah, that's
Zayante's other thing- what a grump!  He would pin his ears and really grump
at poor Lady, every time he would come up next to her.  Pat and I decided we
could interpret the horse language- I won't go into that, but it was very
funny.  We climbed all the way up that amazing canyon, past many old mines.
A geologist would have a great time up here.  We got to the summit and
looked out over Death Valley- you may as well have been in an airplane.  It
was perfectly clear.  I was disappointed to find the pinion pine trees only
had a couple of pinecones with nuts.  Pat and I shared a few, but they were
not nearly as good as two years ago, when I was so hungry.  But that's
another story.  We headed down the mountain to the incredible mile-across
high meadow that you have to see to believe.  It was nice to trot on level
ground for the first time today.  A short, steep, climb led us to a really
nasty, rocky, yucky, mercifully short downhill we had to lead down.  We
hooked back up with the road we came up and headed all the way back down the
mountain.   After the water stop half way down I got off of the Zhorse to
run with him.  I think we ran 5 miles down that road; I was the one with
stone bruises when we got to the bottom.  Judy caught up to me a mile or so
before lunch on a very amped Warpaint.  Lunch tasted good, Zayante looked
great, Jackie was happy.   Off for the flat 7 mile trot to Indian Ranch for
water, then back the same 7 miles.  Zayante would have run the whole thing
if I had let him.  He just goes, and goes.  I love that in a horse.  We
finished up around 3 or so: two down and he looked great.  Another ride
meeting, and two more Death Valley cups.  We have so many of those things in
the camper we can't get anything else in the dishes cupboard.

Day three- across the desert, point to point, heading for Panament Springs.
This is supposed to be the easy day.   It was sort of the same- some easy,
some beautiful, and the worst rock wash I have ever been down.   We headed
out with a lot less starters today.  I was a little concerned from some old
armpit galls Zayante had irritated, but good old desitin solved that.   I
rode along for a while with Remington Steele, the famous white stallion.
He's a cool horse!   I went on ahead since Zayante felt so strong.  I rode
by myself for a couple of hours.  I really like that sometimes- just me and
the horse.   We boogied up the canyon and came to an unusual thing- a little
river coming out of the mountains in a big wash.  Okay, Okay.  Remember- I
grew up in Nevada, where moist ground counts as a creek, standing water is a
stream , and if you can drink from it, it's a river.  The horses sure liked
it- Zhorse drank about 15 scoops.  I caught up to Pat here and rode on down
the valley with her and Lady, Zayante grumping all the way.   We got to the
water stop, headed across the valley, and turned down the rocky road.  This
is the 5-mile road where you really have to walk your horse if you want to
be safe.  Except that the course turned off the road and went into a wash.
This wash was bad- it was hard enough to even walk down parts of it.  Pat
and I led the two horses all the way down that thing.  It took a couple of
hours to get to the highway and the needed water.  Smiling Alex was there,
handing out red licorice to the riders.   I grabbed a few peanut M&Ms and
two minutes later wished I grabbed more.  Becky Hackworth joined up with Pat
and I as we headed up the valley, towards the long, sandy wash that leads
around a small mountain to the vet check at 35 miles.  We walked most of it
and arrived at the check as hungry as the horses.  Judy was there, getting
ready to leave as we pulled in.  Jackie was there, and was once again very
happy that Zayante was looking so well.  Our goal was to finish before dark,
so we headed out right on time.  Down a nice trotting wash, across some nice
desert, across the highway to a water tank, then we turn left and begin the
longest, flattest, smoothest section of the ride.   This road is sort of
like the old day three- you get on a road, and no matter how much you trot,
you don't seem to go anywhere.  Those darn mountains just don't get any
closer.   I didn't care- I was having a great time.  Zayante and I could
have trotted all the way back to Ridgecrest.   We looked up ahead- there was
Warpaint.  He was dogging it a bit, but when he heard us coming he took off
like one of those F-18 jets out here and left us in the dust.  We watched
his dust get smaller, smaller, smaller as he went out of site.  You can see
a LONG way out here.  After an hour of trotting (don't you just LOVE that?)
we finally came to the highway.  Camp looks so close, but it is still 5
miles away or so.  We trotted along the side of the highway, dodging
Winnebagos that were full of bleary-eyed tourists, who looked at us like we
were nuts, as they lumbered up the road, making time, for no other reason
than they are supposed to.  Sorry, guys.  You're the ones who are nuts.
Becky and I walked the last couple of miles as the sun started sinking over
the mountains.  We got in about 4:45 or so in great shape.  Another vet
check, another ride card for tomorrow, 2 more cups.  Now when you open the
dishes cupboard the cups are falling out in our faces.   Three days down,
one to go.  The horse looked superb and was eating me out of house and home.
This character knows his job, that's for sure.  We joined Ruth, Steve Chang
and a couple of their friends for dinner at the restaurant.  I had a fish
dinner of Orange Roughy, I think, that was amazingly good.  I bet they
caught it out in that river, up there in the mountains.

Day four- I was really jazzed.  Zayante and I got elected to lead the
controlled start, up along the highway for a mile or so to the road to
Darwin.   Here we were, flying down the road, leading the ride, wind in our
hair....   Oh well, we did get to lead everyone for a bit.  Zayante was a
little bummed as I held him back when everyone took off.  I was looking for
Becky- we were going a great pace and shared the same goal- finish before
dark!   She caught up in a bit, so off we went up the long, incredible
canyon towards Darwin.  It is a nice climb up, a nice decent, and into the
biggest, flattest sand wash you ever saw for a couple of miles.    It ended
too quickly.  Up along a paved road for a while, climb up a little canyon,
and you enter into Darwin.  An interesting town, to say the least.  I did
actually see people this time, but the for-sale on one of the homes didn't
really get me calling the agent.  I think I'll stick to the Bay Area.  Both
Zayante and Becky's horse Mark were looking great as we headed out of town,
up into the high desert pass.  This is absolutely my favorite part of the
ride.  It is so pretty up here.  Perfect footing, gorgeous scenery, Joshua
trees, forests of cholla cactus, (as much as I hate those things) and once
again, perfect weather.  And me on this horse who feels the same as he did
170 miles ago.   This is the place I remember so fondly from 3 or 4 years
ago, when Judith Ogus and I were riding this section in the deep snow.   On
down to lunch and the last vet check on the trail.  Zayante trotted right
out, no problem.  I think I just might make it!  Judy was in and gone, so I
was on my own until Hugh Vanderford saw me.  He came over, helping me do
anything, getting me stuff, making sure I'd let him clean up my little camp.
He pulled his horse at lunch on the third day, but was still out here,
helping everyone, with his same cheerful, helpful attitude.  I later told
Becky that when I grow up I want to be Hugh.

And who should be in the vet check, but Charlie Horse!  The very same guy I
rode here two years ago.  It seems he ended up being bought by Darolyn
Butler's gang and is being used to lead trail rides in Texas.   It was fun
to see him.

We left lunch, heading for home.  25 miles to go!  We trotted along, back
the way we came.  When we got to the top of the beautiful valley I had one
of my moments.  We were just trotting along a nice, slight downhill grade,
in the incredible desert, my horse still strong and happy, with the ground
so soft you can't hear the horse's hoofs.   The weather was perfect, I'm
happy.   It doesn't get much better than this.   We rounded the corner and
saw Darwin, about 2 miles away.  A quick shot down the valley, water, then
back down the road towards that wash.  10 miles to go!   We were trotting
down the wash when Becky's horse starts to canter.  Zayante jumps right in.
What a rush!  They are still so strong.  We really zoomed down that wash.
We walked up the backside of the last grade, knowing we are close.  Off the
horses down the other side for a couple of miles, then it's the road.
Trot, trot, now it is level.  I see the highway, then the turn, then the
camp.  We walk into camp, right to the vets.  I trot the Zhorse for Barney,
he looks great.  Becky's horse passes.  A big high five, and its over!


Heck, Zayante could have kept on going.   Julie told me before the ride that
I would be riding one of the best horses there ever was.  She was right.   I
feel honored to be among those who have been able to put miles on this guy.
Let's see, the 20 mule team is coming up.......


The annual awards party was great, as usual, especially when the tent lost
all power.  The lights went off, the music stopped, everyone was silent for
a moment.  Suddenly someone shouted "Y2K! Y2K!  Boy, that was funny.  It was
only 10:15, but that was the extent of the year 2000 problems for us.

I can't imagine a better way to spend New Years Eve, although to be honest I
was asleep at midnight.  What a perfect week, except that now we can't even
get into the camper for all those cups.  But that's a good thing.   I'll be
back on my new horse Wabi, but probably not until 2001.  Which means I'll
need another horse for next year.   Jackie????????

Nick Warhol

Hayward, ca.