06-02-2013, 08:49 PM
We have returned from our almost week-long vacation in Brown County and all I can say is Holy Guacamole were the trails muddy! I have NEVER in my many years of riding Brown Country trails seen them in such horrible condition. There were areas along Trail B where our horses were in mud past their knees and this was going up (or down) a hill!
We rode three days and I had my fill of the mess and said enough was enough, after we received a deluge of rain on Friday morning making the trails even wetter and more treacherous.
On Tuesday, we rode up Trail A to the fire tower and had lunch before heading back to camp. Wednesday found us riding Trail B to Trail E, into Story for lunch there. Thunder did a mini-spook and slipped in the mud and fell to his knees. Thankfully, I stayed in the saddle and all he sustained was a scrape. On Thursday, we rode Trail B and encountered the crazy deep mud. We rode to the first set of picnic tables and chatted with some other riders coming back down the trail who said the trails only got worse and that rattle snakes were chasing folks, so we decided to go back down the sloppy hill. Let the adventures begin. While trying to pick our way through the deep slop, my saddle began to slip and I was essentially riding Thunder's side. Thunder was not happy with this as I am sure it was uncomfortable and Midnight had already gotten most of the way down the hill, leaving him alone. So, I am trying to get the saddle back in position and not fall off, with a dancing horse underneath me pirouetting on a slippery slope! I know I invented some new words before Maria could come back through the slop and jump off to hold my saddle so I could dismount. Managed to get the saddle back on and tightened before once again trying to get through the muck. We made it down okay and decided to ride back out Trail A where you could at least by-pass the really deep mud bogs.
We had our adventures in camp, too. Thunder shrugged out of his halter and went exploring one night. Thank goodness white (grey) horses are easy to see in the dark!
I encountered a baby rattle snake in the women's shower house, which was a first. We contacted the DNR folks but they couldn't locate the critter, which had slithered into a wall opening in the first potty stall. My concern was if there is one baby, there have to be others and MAMA! The DNR guy searched the entire building (women's and men's side, as well as the storage room in between) and the only snake he found was a ring neck (non-poisonous) snake.
We decided to pack it in on Friday and head home a day early since it rained that morning and more severe storms were predicted for the area on Saturday.
Our adventures, however, did not end in camp as we had a traffic diversion on the interstate and ended up having to drive through Louisville proper and into Oldham County. Not a fun thing to do on a Friday night! We also had a flat tire when we hit a metal sign pole that the state mowing crew had mowed over and left laying in the road. Maria had just bought brand new trailer tires not two weeks before, which now made her two tires down when you count the spare tire that we lost on the way up because it wasn't fastened to the mount tight enough. Thankfully, the flat occurred close to home. Maria dropper her trailer and left Midnight here to visit with Thunder a few days. He is happier than a pig in slop because his lady is here with him.
So, as you can see, we definitely had an adventure! I will post pics soon, once I get them loaded.
Hope everyone found some time to get in the saddle some.
We rode three days and I had my fill of the mess and said enough was enough, after we received a deluge of rain on Friday morning making the trails even wetter and more treacherous.
On Tuesday, we rode up Trail A to the fire tower and had lunch before heading back to camp. Wednesday found us riding Trail B to Trail E, into Story for lunch there. Thunder did a mini-spook and slipped in the mud and fell to his knees. Thankfully, I stayed in the saddle and all he sustained was a scrape. On Thursday, we rode Trail B and encountered the crazy deep mud. We rode to the first set of picnic tables and chatted with some other riders coming back down the trail who said the trails only got worse and that rattle snakes were chasing folks, so we decided to go back down the sloppy hill. Let the adventures begin. While trying to pick our way through the deep slop, my saddle began to slip and I was essentially riding Thunder's side. Thunder was not happy with this as I am sure it was uncomfortable and Midnight had already gotten most of the way down the hill, leaving him alone. So, I am trying to get the saddle back in position and not fall off, with a dancing horse underneath me pirouetting on a slippery slope! I know I invented some new words before Maria could come back through the slop and jump off to hold my saddle so I could dismount. Managed to get the saddle back on and tightened before once again trying to get through the muck. We made it down okay and decided to ride back out Trail A where you could at least by-pass the really deep mud bogs.
We had our adventures in camp, too. Thunder shrugged out of his halter and went exploring one night. Thank goodness white (grey) horses are easy to see in the dark!
I encountered a baby rattle snake in the women's shower house, which was a first. We contacted the DNR folks but they couldn't locate the critter, which had slithered into a wall opening in the first potty stall. My concern was if there is one baby, there have to be others and MAMA! The DNR guy searched the entire building (women's and men's side, as well as the storage room in between) and the only snake he found was a ring neck (non-poisonous) snake.
We decided to pack it in on Friday and head home a day early since it rained that morning and more severe storms were predicted for the area on Saturday.
Our adventures, however, did not end in camp as we had a traffic diversion on the interstate and ended up having to drive through Louisville proper and into Oldham County. Not a fun thing to do on a Friday night! We also had a flat tire when we hit a metal sign pole that the state mowing crew had mowed over and left laying in the road. Maria had just bought brand new trailer tires not two weeks before, which now made her two tires down when you count the spare tire that we lost on the way up because it wasn't fastened to the mount tight enough. Thankfully, the flat occurred close to home. Maria dropper her trailer and left Midnight here to visit with Thunder a few days. He is happier than a pig in slop because his lady is here with him.
So, as you can see, we definitely had an adventure! I will post pics soon, once I get them loaded.
Hope everyone found some time to get in the saddle some.
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