Well, after the close call with the rattler, we decided to head north this week. We went towards Pine, Az, which is about 2 hours north of here. I had scoped out by car several trailheads up in that area a year or so ago, and decided I wanted to try this one. Vickie is always game for anything. She is the best riding buddy ever. She has helped me so much with Santana and myself, I am so lucky and blessed to have found her.
Vickie has a sister here, Kathy, who rides, and who has a great, 30 year old paint Harley. Well, once Kathy found out our plans to go to Pine on Monday, she took a personal day from work to come along for the adventure as well!
Kathy and Harley were already at Vickie's house at 8am when I swung by to pick them up. We loaded the trailer with everything we needed for the day, and headed up. After about two hours we got to the trailhead. Tall pines everywhere. This was a new environment for Santana. While he did live in a similar town, all of his under saddle work has beed in the desert. I wasn't sure what he would think of the canopy, and big trees down everywhere ,and logs and stumps and all. It would be another "FIrst" for him.
I had gotten some trail maps together before we left home. After consulting my buddies, we decided out adventure for the day would take us to "Dripping Springs." We saddled up and off we went. This ride was completely in Tonto National Forest. There were some trail markers, but early on we weren't sure if we were on the right trail to the springs. After a while we found a sign that confirmed were were correct. These were HARD trails, very hilly, lots of rock. Santana was a little full of go at first, but as soon as we hit the rocks, he slowed way down, concentrating on his footing. In some places, if he didn't get the correct foot in the correct place, he would be screwed. He really managed VERY well at all of that, thinking, and figuring out what he had to do. I try to just stay out of his way in these spots, and let him work. I think he has learned through our adventures together this year, that I will help him if he needs it, but that I TRUST him to be able to get us through less-than-desireable footing situations, allowing him to own the task at hand, and to do what he needs to do to get us through it safely. I think that this is the beginning to that great relationship that we are developing. There was also a lot of blow down blocking the trail which made maneuvering a littler trickier. There had been a fire here as well, so lots of ash, and you just don't know what the footing is under that ash...
Eagle Eye Vickie saw a red fox off the trail. (I never saw it. She sees everything!) The trail came to a very long and steep ascent. About half way up, Harley stops as he needs a breather. He is 30, and has earned the right to do just that. What a good horse he is. You would really never know he is 30. He acts about 15 most of the time, and loves to go. Good trail etiquette dictates that Vickie and I stop our mounts as well. Santana could have made it up without stopping, but it was far more important to keep everyone together and the horses all happy. Upon reaching the top, we were now on an old access road, way on the top of the mountain. The views were spectacular. We were at about 6500 feet, according to my GPS. Snow was still abundant on the mountain tops across from us. So cool! (hey, when you will in the desert, seeing snow from a distance is cool. I grew up in the snow bely, and have no desire to actually live in the stuff) After a short time, we reached Dripping Springs. This was just that (see photo) a small spring with water dripping from the rocks above. It was obvious that this was a VERY popular watering spot for the elk, as there were elk hoof prints everywhere around that hole. We decide to have lunch there, and we did. The trail continued on, but there was a lot of blow-down, making it impassable. And, it really was time to head back anyway.
All the tricky thing we had to do going up the mountain, we now had to do going down, which, is harder. Again,so long as Santana has to watch where he was putting his feet, he was slow and steady. But as soon as we reached any sections of trail that were "smooth" (no rocks) and sort of flat, he wanted to GO! He will make a great endurance horse! He has the brain of one already. That is the equation he needs to have. "We can make up time here mom, lets go!!!" He is such a good boy, and a cool horse.
On our way down, in one of the canopied areas, Vickie, who is in front of me, yells " Horny Toad, Horny Toad" as I look, I see her flying off her horse (on purpose) and proceeds to DIVE after the toad, which she catches. How she saw that thing, I am telling you. She has AMAZING critter eyes. Proudly she displays her catch, we get some pictures, and she carefully releases him in the same spot she caught him. I won't tell you how old Vickie is, but she has grown children, And the dive she made after that toad would make most 15 year old boys envious.
I was surprised we didn't see any elk, as there were fresh dropping everywhere. And, as was our goal, we saw no snakes as it was too cold for them there yet. Yippee!!!!
We made it back to the trailer, loaded up and came home. It was great fun. Although, I could have done without the snake reports in the SanTans of snakes slithering out from under horse trailers in the parking lot, and snakes in the trails.
Yep, we are headed north again next week.
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