Yesterday I rode a section of trail that passes by
an iris pond, in full bloom, one of the most spectacular sights I've seen in a
long time. Riders of the American River ride will have a treat this year when
they pass Avery's Pond. If you live in the area, are not doing the ride, and
haven't yet seen Avery's Pond in full bloom, go ride the trail
soon.
We get to see miles & miles of beautiful
scenery, mountains, deserts, lakes, ponds, mountain meadows, waterfalls that
appear out of nowhere, wild rivers carrying tons of debris & topsoil,
changing colors and mixing with cleaner waters of a joining branch, boulders
that look like giant faces carved into the mountainsides....all from the backs
of our horses. You couldn't hike enough in your lifetime to see what we can see,
and you're too low on a bike. We get to see bears, bobcats, mt. lions, wild
turkeys, coyotes, bison, elk, hawks trying to take flight with the next meal in
their talons, trails hanging with blooming red buds, shimmery poison oak leaves
breaking into bloom (it really is pretty, although I wouldn't miss it if it
suddenly dropped off the face of the earth!), fairy lanterns, wally baskets,
lupines all in beautiful bloom. We get to watch the changing seasons in the
forests and deserts, mountains & meadows.
And we get to ride with our friends, family, even
competitors (for those who are actually competing) without any animosity as long
as they take care of their horse, right?
What does your neighbor do with their horse?
Kathy
Grass Valley, CA
Joe/Sabrina
<hilander623@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: I
had a non endurance rider horse person neighbor of mine ask me why I went
through all the trouble of training, collecting gear, spending money, travelling
kaboodles of miles, going out of state, and camping with my horse, if there is
no money "pot" to win at the end of a ride. She knows that my girlfriend and I
ride to ride, not win. She wants to know the point of the whole thing. I told
her because it is a FREAKING blast! What do you guys think. I would really like
to tell her like it is! Sabrina
