Nick Warhol's DVE Story - part 2

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Nick Warhol nwarhol@attbi.com
        Judy wasn't riding day two, so while she slept in, I got up and
going on the big
climb.   This ride just goes up and down a single hill, then some
trotting.  The single hill
is 8,000 some odd feet in elevation, however.   You just go straight up
the mountain, to
the top of the world.   Along the way you have to go through the rushing
water on the
rocky road.  Where does this water come from?  Where does it go? Who
knows?  Along
the climb we passed many old mines and abandoned mine camps.  Not really
ghost
towns, but still neat, nonetheless.  It's a long, long, very rocky climb
up this hill, mostly
at a walk.  Once you get almost to the top, there is a mile or so of
really nice trotting
through the pinon pines. We kept telling Rebecca about the view from the
top, and about
the super neat mountain meadow, but there would be no views today.   We
hit the clouds
with a mile or so to go from the top.  Zero visibility, no view, and of
course the
mandatory rain started falling.  That wasn't so bad, until we got to the
top, where the
wind started.  Okay, now it is cold.  We got off and led the horses up the
last half-mile or
so, not only to help the horses over the rocks, but to help keep warm.
Normally we
would spend a while at the tippy-top where Sparrow has the water, (you
have to see it to
believe it that he gets his truck up there), but this time it was a quick
chance for the horse
to drink, then it was down, down and right now.  Poor Sparrow was in his
cab, with the
engine running and heater going.  That looked pretty tempting.   We were
able to see the
meadow a little bit through the mist and rain, but it is much more of an
incredible sight in
the sunshine.  No dawdling up here- we blasted across the freezing meadow
and started
back down the mountain.  It's fun trotting slowly down from the summit for
a while, but
not when you hit the rocks.  I just get off and walk.   I led Zayante
about seven miles
down that mountain on foot, from just below the bathtub/water stop, all
the way to lunch.
It was sort of spitting rain in the valley- I have been to Death Valley a
bunch of times,
and have never seen any rain down here.  A quick lunch, a change into dry
shoes, and
after drinking many cokes, it's off on the last loop- a sixteen mile round
trip to the Indian
Ranch for water.  Nice, easy trotting on a road the whole way.   We got
into the finish as
the sun was getting low in the sky, and were treated to an unbelievable
sunset.   There
were layers of sun and colors on the mountain range across the valley.
Purples, reds and
oranges, even some blue.  It was all you could do to not just stop and
stare at the beauty.
Except I had to EAT!   I was really hungry, and as I walked past the
timers, the smell of
the tamale pie /casserole stuff that was being server for dinner sent me
into a feeding
frenzy.  Once officially stuffed, I felt much better.  Another 50 miles,
another ride award
bowl, and now Zay has 9, 755 miles.