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Re: RC: RC: Grand Canyon



Everybody should do it just once...it was the thrill of a lifetime.

The Canyonlands is VERY big.  We chose to ride the "needles district".  You
have to apply for a permit months in advance...they only allow 6-7 horses
per day (but hardly get that many).  It only costs $5.00.  The gate to that
district is locked and the permit gives you the combination for that day.
We rode a jeep trail for 15 miles to see angel arch...really neat, and saw
many beautiful rock formations along the way.  We ran into but one ranger
on foot who told us of some of the history of the old one man gold mines
(that produced nothing) and of the spring and summer floods...hard to
imagine in a September dry heat.

We also ran into (not literally) a big tour jeep with people who had paid
to be escorted to this remote wilderness. City slickers with their picnic
lunches.  They started back before we did and when we headed out, we found
their jeep stuck in the sand.... But they had enough help and got
unstuck...we scampered on out the 15 mile trail back.

We had camped on BLM land the night before as the National Park has no
camping facility that allows horses.  It was beautiful...spectacular
painted skies at sunset, incredible rick formations silhouetted against it.

We also drove up to Moab, Utah after that and camped alongside the Colorado
river where we met some German students on vacation who had hired with a
raft company for the trip down the Colorado.  They were thrilled to see
horses and we let them ride them bareback into the river.  What a blast!!!!

Wisely, we left the horses at camp and DROVE the old road from the Colorado
to the "Islands in the Sky" district of Canyonlands Park.  Talk about
scary!!! I'd have rather been on a horse, but our guys were bit bit
footsore (sorry, even OD rocks don't make my horses this footsore), so we
were glad as the trip would have been an easy additional 30 miles after the
previous days journey into the Needles District.

There were rappellers (sp?) and Mountain bikers galore.  All attempting in
their own way to get to the top.  The road was rocky and rutted, mostly one
lane.  I blessed myself for having a 4WD (before I got my Freightliner).

From there we joined the Outlaw trail ride....we sat around and helped,
drove rigs and just enjoyed...both of the horses we brought we there to do
their FIRST 50, we waited until the last day which was the easiest.  The
last day takes you through Cottonwood Canyon which starts out very narrow
and widens in the next 20 or 30 miles.  You cross the same stream bed
seemingly hundreds of times while the canyon walls get further apart and
lower.  It was beautiful.

The vet check was at the old movie set at Paria...really neat, you felt
like you were riding back in the 1800's.

Since our horses' feet were a bit sore and Easyboot people were there, we
opted to learn about using easyboots and easyfoam over the front shoes of
both horses.  We loved it and the horses did great.  They trotted and
cantered through the hundreds of stream crossings...all very rocky with
never a bad step. I have been sold on the concept ever since.

Someday maybe I will have the time to put all the wonderful photos we took
on my website....they are all in photo albums, awaiting the day when I can
only talk about the many wonderful places and things I have seen and done.

Teddy

Janice Taylor wrote:

> >Would I do it again? NO!!!!, But I am sure glad it did it once...
>
> >From there we rode Canyonlands Park and then the Outlaw Trail ride...a
> summer I will
> never forget.<
>
> Teddy
>
> Great story!  Now I'm sure I won't be doing it.<g>
> Would love to hear about the Canyonlands and Outlaw ride as well.
> Jan in KY
>
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp

--
Teddy Lancaster
American Endurance Ride Conference # 139422
- Member since 1974
6000+ career miles

================================================
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;
Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

-- Winston Churchill
================================================

Running Bear Farm, Inc.
Your Trail Riding Equipment Headquarters - Celebrating our 20th
Anniversary!!!!
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1348 Township Road 256
Kitts Hill, Ohio, 45645 USA  -  http://runningbear.com/
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