Day 23, 2001 XP

[imgoneriding@worldnet.att.net]

Have I mentioned anything about the wind yet?  Well......oh boy is it 
windy!  If it isn't battened down by now, no point in worrying about it 
anymore!  It's blowing pretty hard, most of the horses are chasing their 
hay bags around, and the humans are chasing everything else!  Looks like 
some thundershowers are heading our way, we've had a few sprinkles already.

Today was a really great day, I rode Rocky again and he finished his 11th 
day or 550 miles of the Pony Express trail.  The weather was gorgeous 
today, it felt cooler probably only in the 80's and we had a breeze (which 
is currently a wind!).  The trail is a lot of fun. There are historical 
markers marking the entire way showing where the Pony Express, Oregon, 
California and Mormon trails went.  In spots you can see wagon ruts.

Still starting at 5 a.m.  It's dark right up until we start, and still then 
not much light.  So we get to see beautiful sunrises every morning, and 
since we're headed west we don't have the sun in our eyes.

Bob and Pat Verhuel both rode today.  They had some truck problems and I 
guess some other people in camp helped get everything fixed, so Pat had her 
rig back in time for supper.  She's riding tomorrow she says.  I'll have to 
ask her if she misses the corn yet (just kidding).  :+D

Steve Shaw is fixing another flat tire on his trailer.  Their 3rd one. 
Barney and Linda have had two flats and are getting them fixed now.  It 
seems like everywhere we go, somebody has a rig jacked up fixing a tire.

Louise took the day off but is riding tomorrow, and Steve Shaw is riding 
one of her horses.  They had to put the top down on their camper since it's 
so windy.  A little breeze is nice while we are riding, but tonight it's 
shaking our trailers.

We're camped up on this nice bluff overlooking this beautiful little valley 
below that is lush green with trees and an old wooden barn.  Last night we 
had a lot of mosquitos eating the horses.  Doesn't look like we'll have 
that problem tonight.  ha

We see a lot of antelope and birds.  Keeping an eye out for snakes.  Lots 
of cows..........still in cattle country.  There is some grass for the 
horses to graze but it's getting drier.  Hey guess what, Rocky I think has 
finally realized what is going on <G>, and has been eating even better than 
before...he never stopped while I tacked him up this morning, and he wants 
to eat constantly going down the trail too.  Weaver is well......Weaver.

We stopped at the Sweetwater to sponge the horses off, and after a few 
dips, up came my string sans sponge!  So Jim Mitchell gallantly rode to the 
sponges rescue downstream where it was deeper and retrieved it for me.

I sponsored Kayla again today, and also rode a little with Robbi, Dorothy 
Sue, and Jim and Jamie Mitchell.  We all pretty much finished 
together.  The kids went first, tied for 8th place then the rest of us.  I 
told Robbi I'd give her a GPS lesson later <bg>, I think she needs it! 
(don't tell her I said that)

Happy XP Trails,

Karen
near South Pass, Wyoming
23 days down, 17 left!