Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

While we're telling war stories about strange things on the trail, I'll
share a bit as well.

We used to live across the street from Smith Rock State Park, which is a
real center for rock climbers as well as bikers and hikers.  So we had
ample opportunity to see backpackers, climbers draped with clanking gear
of all sorts, etc.  But what really was challenging was when we had film
crews down there (at least two different movies during our tenure there,
as well as part of the "McKenna" series)--it is utterly amazing just how
much weird "stuff" a movie crew can drag along with them to clutter up the
trails!

But the strangest one was a little old man in a red poncho who apparently
got tired of climbing a rock slide--he came bumping down this rock slide
on his BOTTOM, just as my husband was trying to negotiate a VERY narrow
and hazardous section of trail.  His horse utterly freaked, tried to turn
and flee, had the bank give way on the "down" side, whereupon hubby bailed
and slid down the shale slide on his back.  His "safety stirrups" came off
in the process, and horse departed homeward down the trail.  Fortunately
some hikers caught his horse before he forded the river to come home, and
hubby met them leading him back up the trail--whereupon he rode home sans
stirrups, took care of horse, and then hiked all the way back on foot to
find his stirrups and leathers.  I met him on foot just crossing the road
across from our driveway, at dusk, carrying his stirrups and leathers--I
sure didn't know WHAT to make of it!  <g>  (Wasn't funny doctoring the
cuts and scrapes on his back, though!)

Heidi  (who now only has to contend with elk, deer, moose, bears, grouse,
pheasants, geese, great blue herons, cows, rattlesnakes, and the
occasional horse-eating rock...)


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The only thing worse than crewing for a female Endurance rider is crewing
for a wet, tired female Endurance Rider! A good crew person has patience, a
sense of humor, and knows that sometimes it's best to say nothing at all!
~  Jim Holland

ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/

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