For the sake of this post, I will use the term "lost" - however, since I
was *NEVER* off marked trail, *I* don't consider myself as being
technically lost...:->
Before I get going good, I am warning you now this is *long* - delete now
if you want. You will also notice that flowery descriptions of the rock and
severity of the trail are absent - I decided that there was no way anyone
can understand what it's *really* like till they are up there...no amount
of adjectives could get across what Sherman's Gap is like. Let me just
suffice it to say it was a tough trail :->
Also, I am not writing this to whine about the trail or suggest that it
should be made easier - all I want is a trail I don't have to hunt for....
=====================
After arriving Thursday and being awake for 36 hours, no much happened that
day. Friday - pre-rode some trail with a couple of other folks, noticed
that trial markings were skimpy and received some smiles from the other
riders (both experienced OD'ers) when I asked why that first section of
trail was so poorly marked and was the rest of the trail like that...(that
should have been a warning to me...).
Vet-in went fine. Very, very thorought vetting - many horses had to trot
out for all four vets and several horses were pulled. I began to think that
just making it to the start of the OD was a big accomplishment. Rider's
packets very well organized with lots of pertinent info.
Rider's meeting - organized and lots of good info. Trail master is Matthew
Mackay-Smith and I was *not* impressed with his attitude towards 50 milers.
There were *over 90* 50 milers and 20-something 100's and he has the NERVE
to say that he hopes the 50 milers come out to the finish line and give the
100's the support they deserve **since we only ride half a ride** (at that
point the whole crowd erupted, of course ).He followed that with a "gotcha"
- however, I will *never* believe that he was just joking. It was painfully
obvious to me that he feels those riding 50's are inferior to 100's. Now,
let's see - is that a smart thing to say at a rider's meeting where there
are 90-something 50-milers and 20-something 100-milers? You do the math and
tell me who is paying for/supporting this ride....Loss of respect doesn't
even begin to describe what I felt for him after that meeting.
First section went fine - rocky, horses all wanting to run, same ole, same
ole. I have a few minor equipment problems and have to get off and re-tie
or re-do some things. The courtesy of the riders is incredible - several
people offered to stop with me and/or hold Embers (who was doing his 50 in
circles around me while I tried to fix things). Something *odd* did happen
on this loop that should have indicated to me that trail markings were
going to be a problem. We came thru a small community (I was riding with
about 4 other people) and come to an intersection. Were there any markings
to let us know to make a right turn?? *NOOOO*** How did we know to turn,
you ask??? Because there were 2 little kids (about 5 years old) standing on
the corner that wanted to pet our horses and they happened to say - all the
other horses went that way...It was at that point that I (and those riding
with me) *really* began to worry about the trail markings.
First check - muddy, soupy, kind of disorganized but all is well. I don't
think a rider should have to look for an in-timer or a PR person but that
was the case as at both of the checks I made it to. Vets were very nice all
thru the ride tho. Embers drops like a rock as is his style, we go thru
with A's and one B-. Map disentigrates in an unfortunate accident with
some water.
Go out on second section, all is well, trot, walk, clink, clink, climb,
climb, walk, swat bugs (I will take the heat down here anyday, you guys in
VA can keep those black gnats :->), etc....views are beyond breathtaking.
Here again I began to worry about trail markings - on more than one
occasion we had to stop at an intersection and look at each other and say,
well, which way do you think we should go since there were no markings and
foot prints all over?
Here again a poorly marked trail strikes again. There is a very obvious
entrance to the pasture where the check is - no markings to say riders
should enter down the road - not here, or don't enter here, noone standing
there to tell you that you needed to enter farther down the tree line, no
markings either way. So I enter and come to find out I should have gone up
the road a little farther and entered at the end of the field. No one says
a word or comes to misdirect me and the other rider I was with as we go
across the field. Have to find the in-timer and then have to find a PR
person and shake the vet card in front of them to go thru. Again, no
problems, very nice vet staff. Get thru even better than first check -
*all* A's this time!
This is the halfway point so the hold is 35 min, make some minor equipment
adjustments, drop the camelbak (boy would I *regret* that later) due to it
rubbing for some unknown reason (I have used it several times).
Take off down the trail to check 3. Really starting to feel good - it's
looking pretty darn good for a completion. Trying to make time while I can
cause I knew the best was yet to come in terms of rocks and climbs so am
cantering at a good clip, Embers feels great, I pass about 7 riders before
I get to the point where I have to start walking. Little did I know that
those would be the last people I would see for about 5 hours.
Following the sparse ribbons I start going up rocks that would would scare
mountain goats off. Tail for almost an hour up and up and up. Keeping an
eye out for ribbons which I am finding - they were white and that's that we
were following so everything was A-okay. Get caught in a slight rainstorm
on top of the timberline, cools us off, get back on, more ribbons, look at
watch - must be getting clost to check 3 soon. I then looked to my right
into the valley and my heart *sank* - there was the same farm I had seen a
few hours before!!! That meant that I had gone about 3/4 of the way *back*
to vet check 2! Dissapointment is an understatement for what I felt.
I began to evaluate the situation while trying to remain calm (what I
really wanted to do was scream *I QUIT* and kick and cry and cuss and blame
someone and cry some more but then I figured what good would that do? And
who would hear me?). My completion was now shot, check two was long since
closed and check three was due to close in 45 minutes and I was waaayyy the
heck away from it. No, I didn't have my map but I don't think it would have
mattered - since I never lost ribbons I never would have brought it out
anyway. I had half a water bottle, no food, a tired but okay horse (by now
we had been out for almost 3 hours), the weather was good, there was plenty
of daylight left.
At this point, the OD became nothing more than a *very* expensive training
ride to me and I wanted to just get us back safely.
Okay, I think, all things considered, we're not in too bad a shape. So, I
make the decision to backtrack over the same horrendous timberline we had
just spent 2 hours picking our way over and find out where I had missed the
correct trail. (What did *not* occur to me at the time was to go on down
into the valley and get to a house to get a call back to base camp -
hindsight.....). What was going thru my mind was how to get back to where
everyone thought I should be so my chances of being found would be as great
as possible. As it turns out no one found me, I found them :-> Poor Embers
thought I had lost my marbles when I turned him around and pointed him back
up...
Back up and over, begin thinking horrible thoughts about missing the turn I
had missed and being caught in a "do-loop" out there all night, one or both
of us getting injured, or Embers having metabolic problems, or me getting
loopy from dehydration.
So the short story is <vbg> we go back, find the turn, follow the trail
(not all of it was well marked either) I should have been on 3 hours ago.
Go over Sherman's Gap (that is one of the few times I have been *that*
scared on a horse) and make it into check three 3 hours late (so I left
check 2 at 11:35 and arrived at check 3 at 6 p.m.). Believe me, I was as
glad to see them as they were to see me! They supplied Embers with hay (he
was ravenous), me with water and food and then a cold beer and a trailer
back to camp. Mgmt. had to call off the troops as they were mobilizing the
local ATV club as well as some drag riders to begin a real search. Embers
came thru fine, was 100% sound at the end of the ordeal - a little stiff
Sunday but, hey, so was I and so were most of the horses that trotted out
for B.C. on the 100.
So, there is is folks - that is how I came to be "the girl that was lost".
Overall, I am still very pleased with the weekend. We got to start the OD.
Embers did fantastic, metabolically and on the rocks. I can't think of
another horse I would have wanted to be on when I went over Sherman's Gap
and found myself on the "the ledge". Nothing beats the goosebumps and lump
in your throat you get watching the winning 100 milers coming across the
line at night knowing what they have just gone thru. Mike Flemmer (Linda's
husband) is an angel and one heckuva crew! He and the rest of their crew
took me in as one of the 4 riders they crewed for and taught my crew-to-be
Lyn the ropes- experienced crew on this trail makes a big difference.
I could go on with lessons learned but this post is long enough I think :->
Thanks to those of you that heard thru the grapevine and have already
emailed me to see concerned about our well-being. Yes I will go back next
year!
Tina and Embers (who, according to management *did* do 50 miles or more
Saturday) - glad to be home in AL.....
hickst@nichols.com
P.S. - Any comments or questions about any of my personal comments should
probably be directed to me instead of the list at large:->