In a message dated 11/24/2003 9:34:43 AM Pacific Standard Time, bgloverhrsewmn@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
I was sorry to hear that at least one ride, the NATRC Descanso ride, will not be held next year due to trail damage. I sure hope that they are able to get their trails back in the coming year.
I think this is the biggest wound..the loss of Cuyamaca. Terry Woolly has a ride there in June, but I doubt it will be happening this year. It ias hard to imagine just how much of San Diego County was burned unless you drive it. I can drive from my house and see burned landscape for 40 miles, including 2 freeways.
The trails are covered in soot and now make riding on them like riding on marshmallows. Little puffs of ash come up with each stride. It hurts the lungs, and makes the throat sore so I can imagine it is not good for the horses to ride in this crap.
On the bright side I am cutting new trails where the old ones were so rutty they were getting pretty unsafe. Now the thing to watch for is barbed wire, which is everywhere since a lot of this county used to have cattle ranches long since forgotten.
One of the more amazing things I've seen is a rusty old hot water heater. It had been hidden by brush for years. How in the heck did it get out there? Who went through all that trouble to cart a hot water heater several miles in and dump it? Tess is afraid of it...she knows it doesn't belong there! LOL
