Grizzly mountain 2008 

We left Grants Pass around 8 in the morning on fri Adam and I driving our "new" truck and Teri Joe and Taylor driving their Blazer. Adam was not surprised I found a way to fill up not only the trailer, the bed of our truck but the whole crew cab as well, Leaving the dog's once again crammed in the front seat with us and no were for the tool box but under my feet. The trip up to terrabon Takes 4 1/2- 5 hours by car It took us 6 including a stop to stretch ours and the horses legs so not bad.

We got to ride camp around 2. camp is a large fenced in field with no real tree's but a great view around you. after unloading the horses we set up camp. I forgot what fun it is to put up big tent's in strong wind we ended up anchoring the tents to the blazor. On a positive note it was not very cold when the wind was not blowing. I even sold a few spirit beads. After going to get our vet card's and giving the RM the prizes we donated, we took Lexie Jasper and Twilight for a small ride While Teri lunged Jet. The horses all Vet in with A' s I didn't end up needing the release from Jasper's vet but I am still glad I got one just in case. One of the vet's really like Twilight and comment on how nice he is (little does he know lol) With vetting in out of the way we finish setting up camp and Go "shopping" Healthy as a horse was their and we all got one of those neck ditty's so now I know longer have to keep my vet card in my bra so I don't loose/forget it. The temperature dropped with the sun. It was no time at all before we were all freezing our butt's off We bundled up the horses and then ourselves . Ride meeting was at 7:30 We all crammed in one of those canopy/tent's let's just say you got to get real cozy with your neighbor. The ride meeting was short they just went over holds and the vet talked very briefly. Teri ,Taylor and Adam stayed for the new rider's meeting while Joe and I headed back to warm up dinner. We headed to bed at 9, boy was it COLD I layed in bed for an hour under 5 comforters and 3 sleeping bag's before I was warm enough to sleep.

 5 am I wake up fifteen min before the alarm and lay their dreading getting out from under the covers's. I Finally make myself get up when I hear Teri up and around. I sleep in my ride clothes so I only had to shiver on my outer layer's. I found my heated insoles and threw those in my shoes they worked GREAT! Teri went to make coffee but the left over ground's and coffee were frozen in the coffee pot, Things were not looking up for the two coffee addicts. With much pounding and some water Teri finally got the whole thing cleaned out enough to make coffee. For breakfast Teri had pre made biscuits and gravy they were awesome but I could only eat a few bites I always get too nervous to eat much ride morning .After I pack every one's saddle and vet bag's, Next time I will definitely do all this the day before like I usually do, having all that to do made me feel rushed the whole morning.

Teri and I see Adam and Taylor off as they start out on their first 50 , then it is our turn I decide to give Jasper a drink before mounting and did one of the dumbest things ever I use my foot to break the ice in the big troth luckily I pulled my foot out before it got very wet . Teri was laughing at me so hard she couldn't get on her horse, all I can say is it was not one of my smarter moments! the start was thankfully uneventful and the miles flew by! Before we knew it We were back at camp for our vet check. Jet pulsed right in and Jasper would of but he was to upset over his new best friend being far away from him and was calling for him and dancing all over the place . Adam and Taylor came in for their first vet check a few min after us so far they were at 22 mile. Lexie however was pulled for a lameness in spite of the slow pace they had kept. Taylor was very relieved when she found a sponsor so she was able to continue. We also picked up a Junior before we left for our final loop . We continued to make good time and the final 10 miles flew by when we came into the finish it was "snowing" little styrofoam type snow and we started freezing as soon as we slowed down. Jet and Jasper both pulse right down this time (I made sure we were close to jet) and Teri was elated to finish her first LD ride. After taking care of the horses we made a sandwich for tay and waited for her to come in from her 18 mile loop. She though she was done when she came in, you should of seen her face when she found out she had 10 more mile's in the freezing cold. She quickly cheered up once she had a hot drink and some food and left out for her final loop smiling. Teri and I used this time to make a quik trip in to town for a "beer run " and returned just in time for the finish.

  Pictures

1) jasper and Jet before vet in.

2)tay and missy ready for bed

3) Terri shareing her power aid at vet check

4) jet drinking

5 )Gary at the finish he was Taylors sponsore

6)The moment Tay found out she had ten more miles

7)All smiles after compleating their first 50

8) Showing for BC

* the hot hand's sole warmers worked great , my feet were the only thing that never went numb the whole weekend :-)

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I was not in the greatest of mood's when this was wrote, since i lost my sense of humor please use your's If you find i complaned overly much!

I was up bright and early Friday morning which for me means 5:00 am I jumped out of bed only to step on all 3 of our dogs on the way to the light well, at least I didn't step on any kids this time. I stumbled into the kitchen and their was a take out box with biscuits and gravy waiting for me :) yay (Adam works nights and gets home 4:00-4:30 ) the trailer was packed so all I had to do was pack coolers and wake the kids. 6:30 and I'm out the door with the kids taking them to their grandmas 20 min away 7:30 am I am still sitting at my ex mother in laws house trying to coax my 5 yr old son out of the car, guess I scared him a little too much with my talk about stranger's and not wandering away from his aunt and uncle while in Portland OR that weekend. . I almost forget to pick up Breana who is coming to volunteer another ride.

Finally I get back to the house Wake up DH after 4 hrs sleep and send him to my moms with our 3 yr old Ysabel. Emily, Breana and I take the truck and head over to the horses. We get them washed in record time, they were ready to load by the time Adam showed up. we finally leave around 9:56 am not bad for me since I was shooting for 9 am. A stop for gas and forgotten items and we were on our way. The ride up was mostly uneventful (truck had some sputtering issues up the hills guess its time to finally rebuild the carburetor) it didn't seam all that long considering we had crammed 4 people and a puppy in a 3 person cab. We talked allot and Breana decided to name our truck since it didn't have one so our old Chevy is now skip.

We arrive at camp and decide we should go for shade even if that meant walking a little ways to the water and toilet. upon unloading the horses we find Taurus has a cut above his tail somehow. received it from the trailer? Its nothing big though. I take Breana and the certificates for rump warmers to be given as prizes and we find Kelly the ride manager to give them to her and have Breana check in. We tack up and take the horses for a quick ride. Emily had no problems with Twilight (our 7 yr old 12'2 hand Hackney pony) he could care less we were some where new with a bunch of new horses and he didn't ever care about the free range horse eating cows wandering threw camp.

I was very excited, Adam had rode this ride last year but I was unable to and just the small amount of trails we tried were gorgeous!!!The horses vet in all A's twilight was great for the vet he really has came a long way's in the last 4 months we have had him. He was abused when we got him and hated more then one person around him and hated his face being touched now, he loves attention.We told Breana that she could have 1/2 the money from any of the sponges/bags, rump warmer's, kicking beads ect that she sell's to go towered's her horse fund. that girl is a natural salesmen!! She picked up the table with the stuff on it and put it near the dirt road she wouldn't let anyone by with out looking. She sold quit a bit the whole weekend she ended up making a  lot                                                              sale's towered's her fund and had $15.00 in donations towers her "cause"

we were told dark thirty was the ride meeting so we wandered down their. It was very simple we follow pink ribbons 14 miles to vet check 11 miles back to camp and the finish. 7:30 am start time for the 25's we go back check on the horses give them more hay and beet pulp mixture, pack a vet bag. I sew d-rings to Emily's bare back pad she will be using so she can have saddle bags to carry her water and emergency supply's etc and go to bed

5 :00 we jump up(we only hit snooz two times insted of five) and Adam run's the bag down to the truck taking stuff to the vet check before the 5:30 deadline. We eat our "healthy" breakfast of bagle's and a soda. Then we start getting the horses ready for the day. We walk the horses to the water tanks where they take a long drink. For some reason they always like the "communal" water better then the stuff we lug over to them in their buckets. 6:30 we start tacking up and help Emily with last min stuff. It's so great having Breana come to help she's always right their ready to get whatever you need or hold something and all the time with a I'm so happy to be here smile. I cant wait till she's riding these with us! We watch the demented people start AKA ride and tie (I have lots of respect for you!! I don't know if I will EVER try it )Before we head over to warm up we  take them to the water tank where they once again drink (did I mention their full buckets) we (by we I mean Adam and the girls>G<) had just refilled and lugged 5 miles back to the trailer that the horses were to good for ? ,Then we put some E-lytes under their lips ( I heard about it from a vet on ridecamp) While in a way it seamed rather crule to make them go till they found water with cotton mouth I decided in the end it was for the greater good.

We spend ten min warming up then 7:30 and we were off. We put our self's near the end not knowing how twilight will react to all the commotion we really didn't need to worry he was acting like a old pro at it the only problem he had was wanting to go off the dirt road and onto the trail's the cows use. Jasper was soo good this time! His last ride i had fought him and made him walk at the start and did not allow him to move out until He remimbered I was in charge. Well it only took once of doing that i guess rode him with a loose rein at a trot NO pulling YAY! We rode about 1/2 a mile then over a bridge and up a small hill then a right turn and you are on a wide ATV trail. Adam em and I ride a way's together but we have to stop so Em can readjust the bare back pad. It has stirrups and she was putting to much weight on the right one. We ride on a bit more passing some of the people who passed us during our stop,we get a ways away and Adam need's to stop! he didn't tie on his rump warmer well enough and it was sliding off. Em take's this opportunity to fix her "saddle "again. We ride a ways more and Have to stop once again for Emily. We ride a few more min and stop again this is annoying! Adam has to fix the other side of his rump warmer this time and Emily needs to readjust again. Adam decide's he will not remount until Taurus will stand still like he know's he should and tell's us to go on with out him he'd catch us in a min. I am very impressed by Jasper during all this. He stood calmly every time we stopped and looked longingly down the trail (well except the time people came flying past and even then he just started to follow them)

We continue down the trail a way's We pass a couple who had stopped and were fixing something we ask if they need any help they say no just a saddle problem so we continue on our way. Then it come's to a highway crossing We see some lady's on the other side so at least we are not so far in the back now. It' not a busy road at all so crossing is easy. The trail follows the highway a while

We catch up to the two lady's and follow them awhile they tell us to go ahead and pass so we do a few min later Em has to stop so she can once again readjust I ask her couldn't we have done this before we passed the lady's? So the lady's pass us,Em get's settled and off we go again and I put her in the front, I had noticed she was always way right when she had to readjust so I rode behind her and every so often when I noticed her starting to lean I would say  "LEFT" "LEFT" "LEFT" I was saying it so often I started to feel like a drill sargent. We made good time for awhile after that. After crossing a foot bridge we caught the two lady's again they had stopped to let their horses drink It was kind of boggy so we passed it up. From their the trail wound up a hill and I got stung on my leg %&^&$%! We followed the RM's direction's about running into bee's and hauled ass out of their.

The trail wined's down a hill to another creek crossing we stop in this one, Both horses drink and drink. We sponge them a bit then continue on. It has been about an hour or so and I am starting to wonder about Adam but, we had been making good time so maybe that was why he had not caught up. We pass another couple on our way up a mountain our guys are used to way worse climb's so we let them move on up it at a fast trot and a little galloping. Their are some rock's in a few place's on the trail and I slow for them,as great of a horse Jasper is rock's are not his strong point he finds them all! I look up and twilight is flying threw them missing all of them. I have to say the trail's and scenery on this ride is some of the prettiest I have seen! And creeks when ever you think your horse could use water.

Things were going great and I decided to get out the camera and get some shot's of Em during her first ride and the pretty meadow we were going threw. we ride bout 1/2 a mile and I notice the lack of hoof print's and We haven't seen a ribbon in a while. I decide to turn around. We let the horses go all the way back to the meadow where I see we missed out turn while I snapped picture's. Em goes "O ya their were three ribbons right their" I tell her next time speak up!

( meadow the trail on the right is what we should have been on )

We come up on a couple they mention that a guy on a pinto had passed them and was looking for us just a bit ago. We ride behind them a while we go over some high wood foot bridge's. Once again twilight did great as he took lead over the bridges. Before you do this ride make sure your horse will cross bridge's safely!! their are a few you would NOT want to fall off ! We decide to pick up the pace a bit and we leave the couple behind. We come up on a bow hunters camp along a pond (bow hunting opened same day) I look ahead and see Adam we run to catch up. Turn's out it took awhile for Taurus to remember his manner's so that's what took so long. We ride along on a dirt road a bit and I once again decide to take some pictures.

 Picture by barry thorp

Twilight decides he doesn't like the road and head's off to the right. Emily just let's him, then demand's I do something about it. I remind her SHE is riding him and she needs to take charge. She yell's some more then seeing we wont help her make's him listen to her. We ride along some more and once again I notice the lack of hoof print's. We decide to turn around, meanwhile Twilight decide's to trek cross country again. Emily yell's at us, Adam yell's back at her,She yell's at him he yell's at her etc... Then she start's really whining. We tell her to get off walk him over to us and get back on. Now Emily has been riding a lot and can jump right up but.. her getting off is just frustrating !! the horse cannot even blink or she yell's at him to stand then she get's off very s-l-o-w-l-y . our 5 yr old get's off our much taller horse in a quarter of the time. So once again she's yelling at dad he's yelling back. I suggest to him he ride ahead Emily had behaved better with out him their. So he go's on ahead. Turn's out we missed the turn to the left when Twilight had decided to go right. Emily feel's bad cause her dad had really been looking towered to riding with her. We decide to try to catch him but their is to many down hill's so we give it up. Emily keep's slipping her feet out of the stirrup's And leaning to the right no matter how much I remind her to put her toes down and quit leaning and and wont fix it unless were stopped. On we went, stopping every little while for a lot longer then it should take to put your foot back in a stirrup! I Decide to ignore her while she's Blaming me for everything under the sun. I look around at the beautiful view's. Just when I really start enjoying myself again, she get's louder and talking about how mean I am because I want to trot while we can to make up some of our time. I tell her we have over an hour "stopped" and I don't think we are going to make it to the vet check in time. it's 10:20 I have no clue how much farther we have to go. She refuses to trot yell's at me and stop's to do something. I jump off and decide to see if my saddle will fit twilight I will ride with the bareback pad I drop both horses tack. Meanwhile Emily is yelling at me she doesn't WANT to hold both horses, Cant I hold my own horse while I untack and re-tack the horses? I always' make HER take care of her own horse. At this point I am wondering how much trouble I will get in if I ride into the vet check with out her, as wonderful as it sound's I decide against it.(she's lucky my new "happy" pill's work better then my old one's) I get the bare back pad on jasper but the girth that went to the English saddle is way to long with it. Dam I know it wont work on Twilight with the saddle he need's a super small one,Sooo I put everything back where it came from make Emily drink some water (She argue's over needing to drink as well) I get back on my horse and wait for her to get on. She put's her foot in the left stirrup twilight moves and her right stirrup fall's off!! I jump off and look at it. the bolt that hold's the screw is gone I try looking for it in the grass around us at the same time I notice all the bee's. We run on foot a way's down the trail and then stop to fix it. I pull out two zip tie's and use them in place of the bolt. We then continue on she decide's she can trot now so we make a little time up

11:05 We get to the vet check Jasper pulses right in. Twilight was a little nervous about the people so Adam who was about to leave told Emily to let him get something to drink. So I'm at the water tank Adam stay's an extra 10 min to see how things were going and help Em. I untacked Jasper His splint/fetlock boot's had gotten dirt in them and had rubbed a raw spot Ive used the cheap one's forever i finaly splurge and have problem's .....figures! I ask Em to see her vet card so I cant take it to the vet with us and I see she has no out time!! she hadn't taken him right back over to pulse. Adam offer's to sponsor her the rest of the ride so I can finish  I tell him no go ahead and leave. I vet threw all A's im not surprised because of the easy pace Jasper acted like we hadn't been doing anything he had hardly broke a sweat all day. Twilight get's all A's as well. Emily's out time is 11:50 mine was 11:35 O well. One of the lady's who was volunteering (I don't remember her name but I have seen her on the cover of an old EN magazine and seen her at a few ride's before) She come's over and tells me how to ride the rest of the ride if we want to finish on time. I thank her and start retacking while Jasper is eating everything in sight. I finish and help Emily retack then we get something to eat and use the porta pottie. 11:50 and were off the trail goes back the way we came for about half a mile then goes off to the left we ride threw a winedy trail then we go down a very steep hill and at the bottom is a stream both horses drink even though we had just left the vet check 15 min before. Their is a lot of up and down on this part and a few stream's about an hour out we were headed down A mountain I hear Emily start screaming. I look back and Twilight has his head down scratching it on his leg's then he start's bucking It's then

I notice all the bee's! hundred's of them are covering Twilight he's freaking out and Emily come's off to the left right into a huge pile of stick's I close my eye's I cant watch I just know she's going to get stuck with one. Twilight go's tearing by me I jump off and run to check Emily. I check her over looking for broken bone's or blood she's fine thank god! I make her run with me away from the bee's while I start yelling for Twilight but I can see him way away still running. I figure what the hell and I whistle worth a try I guess. I can just see part's of him way down the mountain he slowed when I whistled so I do it again,he turn's around and come's running back to us! WOW I am so happy with this guy! I check Emily over better now that we are away from the bee's she's a bit scraped up and has some sting's but she's fine. We don't see anything on Twilight so Emily get's back up and we keep going now with all the CONSTANT whining I have heard from her today I fully expect to get an earful about all her aches and pain's and I wouldn't blame her for it now, but Nothing not one complaint. We hit a dirt road and we kick up our speed a bit until twilight decides he doesn't like the road and try's to follow along side it.... threw the brush. Of course we forgot a leadrope so I use the string from my sponge and lead him that way. We pass some people in a truck they were looking for their rider's saddle, she had met up with the bee's as well and had to stash her saddle or something. Within a mile or so we are back on trail so I toss Emily the string I was leading Twilight with. This half of the ride is so beautiful we drop down threw many creek's and streams and the horses were drinking great. Emily had even started to enjoy herself and the scenery. We were able to move a little while Emily had fun letting Twilight jump a few small logs over the trail. We crossed threw a really cool tree that had fallen over the trail and had a chunk cut out of it to let us threw. After we crossed the Rogue river( ? ) we came up on Barry the photographer he had been waiting for us, Adam had asked him to get some good pictures of Emily on her first ride so he had waited for us. after that the trail is mostly flat with a few small hill's. It eventfully loop's you back to the trail we started out on that morning and then back to camp. Did I mention as soon as we crossed the paved road and were within two mile's of camp Emily's Whining came back with a vengeance? Well it did and by the time we got back to camp it was none to soon! We vetted the horses threw once again all A's. We were overtime by around 40 min. but I decided at least I still had my sanity and had not given in to any Thought's of leaving Emily to find her own way to camp. I let Adam know that in the futer he can sponsor Emily if he want's her make it to adulthood.

(Emily After the ride get's comforted by our old basset hound (he passed on in sep) 

  The next morning at breakfast and award's Emily got an award for being the toughest junior because of her bee incident. She was thrilled. We took Brenda for a short ride on the horses then we headed home.The ride home was great Aside from the call from my sister where she told me our 3 yr old daughter had taken scissors to her long hair, somehow it seamed a fitting end to the weekend.