Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Judy said:

> > I really feel bad for all the new riders these days. The sense of
adventure is almost gone. I guess that,s human nature. Everybody just wants
more comfort. Perfect horses, showers, a vet check at your trailer door
every 10 miles. 

Tell you what - I'll take my adventure on the trail, thanks. I get plenty of
it here in the NW. I've gotten nearly no sleep, gone out and done 75 miles
in the rain, riding 4 hours in pitch black dark, no moon, no stars. I've
been snowed on, sleeted on, hailed on and rained on all in the same day
after ditching my jacket because I was too warm. I've managed a 2-day 100 in
100 degree heat, gotten heat stroke at a different ride, nearly passed out,
and finished another 15 miles to complete with 10 minutes to spare. I've
ridden up on bears, seen wolf prints on the trail, seen sunrise from the top
of a mountain (best time off trail ever). I've started a ride on _ice_ and
snow on a road (but aren't we supposed to TROT at the start? No, no, no...),
and last year we had people riding in 50 mph winds with blowing hard rain,
then a couple weeks later starting a ride in 5 degree weather. I've had
well-meaning RM's put out highway flares at the _start_ so we could see,
causing my horse to nearly end up in someone's tent (not an adventure we'd
have liked to have had). I've even experienced entirely new kinds of snow
(graupel - like frozen Styrofoam - weird stuff - blows in your ears, rattles
around like a pebble, then melts).

I've woken up to icicles _in_ the tent. That LQ wasn't just given to me, I
worked hard for it, and after riding for 14 hours in 40 degree rain, I don't
think it's too much to ask that I'd want to sleep in a dry, warm bed,
especially since I worked pretty hard to pay for that bed.

Most of the time, we've got pretty good weather, but we do have adventures.
However, I'd much rather have my adventures on the trail, as opposed to in
the camp.

I also don't think one needs to suffer in camp to have a good time. There
isn't much cushier than one of John and Steph's rides - great, perfectly
marked trail, dinner every night, showers, water in camp, Internet, fun
folks to talk to, great vets. Heck - they even fed hot dogs to riders at vet
checks! Even though I only rode one day, best time I've had in a long time.
To paraphrase a funny blues song I heard once, you might have to suffer to
sing the blues, but you don't have to suffer to have fun and adventures at a
ride!


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