A Fresh Start to Spring

As I look out my window the Apricot tree is in full bloom, and a late Spring snowfall is slowly melting away. The Crocus and Grape Hyacinth's are emerging to remind me it is finally Spring in Boulder, Colorado. 

The late snow got me busy indoors going through my saddle pack and refreshing first aid supplies. I recently took a NOLS Wilderness First Aid class. This two-day class made me feel more capable of handling accidents that may occur either in the backcountry or on a local trail—whether on foot or on horseback. I have been wanting to take this class for some time. A horse camping accident last year got me motivated, so when I saw this class come up through REI I jumped on it. I recommend you find a class near you.

The next on my to-do-list was cleaning out my trailer, checking tires and getting ready for trailering this year. Saddle cleaning and finally letting go of that extra tack like saddles, girths, and bridles that I no longer use. First I tried listing one of my saddles on a horse-related website and sure enough I was contacted, but by a scammer who kept insisting I use their delivery service. This is a Red Flag. So be aware that if you are selling anything online to use your delivery service and payment service like PayPal. After trying to sell my endurance saddle myself, and running all over the town, I decide to go with a local tack shop, Saddle Up in nearby Longmont, Colorado. Yes, they take a percentage, but all the time and gas involved in saving a few dollars makes it worth it.

While I was at Saddle Up I found a grooming tool that I had heard was perfect for shedding winter coats. It is called the Groom Ninja. Not only is is great on small animals and horses, but also horse blankets, and it comes in three sizes. You will love this tool!

Have a lovely Spring
Linda

Late Summer at Vedauwoo

We always plan a late summer horse camping trip to one of our favorite areas in Wyoming. It is the time just before hunting season opens, and also a time we clean up after the campers who use this area and care little for the environment.

This trip was perfect except for some smoke brought in for the Montana fires to the North. The leaves were on the verge of color change and the spring still had some water flowing at the source. You can never tell about the water there, but with global warming the spring can be dry this late in the season.

After setting up camp we took a walk about to see how others have been treating the surroundings. We were saddened to find toilet paper left in the woods along with used sanitary products within a few inches from a water source. We put on our gloves and cleaned this up along with trash left in fire pits. Primitive camping requires respect for the ecosystem. Please consider bringing a portable toilet, fill a screw top bucket with a bag and some pine shavings or kitty litter — remember to pack out what you pack in, and take care of the planet you live on.

Later in the day we did a few of our favorite trails and took in the late season riding. On the last morning around 6 AM I awoke to the horses spinning in their pens. After taking a look around I saw a black animal off to the side of the pens. Thinking it might be a few stray cows I got a bit closer. Well hello, a beautiful bull moose and his girlfriend were just passing through. What a lovely surprise!

Our last ride revealed more trash, beer bottles and cans piled high in fire pits then covered with rocks throughout the area and new fire pits created in poorly chosen locations. Later today I will write the forest management area to alert them that users are mistreating this beautiful place. Please spread the word and pack out what you pack in, maybe refrain from a fire and please take care of these wild places.

- LindaP

Lady Moon

Spring is here and Mary and I were up for leaving Boulder County for the day and riding somewhere new. We contacted our friend Rose, who lives up in Larimer County, and decided to meet her at the Lady Moon trailhead near Red Feather Lakes.

There are over 20 miles of trails in this area, with only a couple well developed. The remainder are old roads and stock/game trails that have become recreational trails through local use. Private parcels surround this Roosevelt National Forest system, and boundaries are well marked. Signage is poor and trails can be hard to follow in some places, so keep your eye out and a compass or GPS on hand—we were lucky to have Rose who knew this area well.

We arrived late, traffic in Fort Collins (if you can avoid driving through town). We had a nice breeze as we set out on the trail—the footing was perfect! The trail wound through Pasque flower covered valleys with lovely rock formations, pine forests and small water crossings. The trail that day followed moose droppings, so keep your eye out so as not to be surprised by one. We had to do a bit of bushwacking around fallin trees here and there. Note: these trails are not consistently maintained, though Rose spoke of a local couple that do a bit of trail maintenance in that area—thank you.

Some other trail information:
The trailhead is on the south side of Larimer County Road 74E near Red Feather Lakes at approximate 8200 feet. Opposite this trailhead, on the north side of 74E is the Mt. Margaret trailhead. The trail offers meadow and mountain views as well as connecting Molly Lake and Elkhart Creek trails.

To get there:
Take Hwy 287 north of Fort Collins to Livermore, turn left on County Road 74E. Travel 22 miles to the the trailhead.

- The trail system is open year round.
- There are no parking or day use fees.
- Trails are open to horses, hikers and bikers and dogs are also allowed.
- Mountain biking is not allowed from December 1 through June 30th.

So who was Lady Moon?
I found this interesting article about Catherine Lawder Grattan Moon after I found myself wondering how this trail got its name.

Lady Moon left riches-to-rags story in Fort Collins
Published by Barbara Fleming for the Coloradan

She was “loud and crude” but had a generous heart and took in strays of all kinds without hesitation.

The personal life of Catherine Lawder Grattan Moon was rocky, to say the least, and her turbulent life ended in 1926 as the age of 61.

Lady Moon, as she was known, left behind a detailed and revealing will that tells us much about the woman behind the public exterior. Her ex-husband, Lord Cecil Moon, to whom she had once paid alimony, received nothing. The ranch they had once jointly owned was in the care of her former foreman — what remained of it, in any case.

At one time the proud owner of race horses and a fine herd of cattle, Catherine Moon had fallen on hard times. The ranch buildings had burned and she had lost some rental properties she had formerly owned in town.

Her foster son, Frank Potts, had been a large disappointment to both Catherine and Cecil; he received nothing. Her horse, Lady West, went to a man named Joe Gray. Her foul-mouthed parrot — which had once sworn richly at Father Guillame LaJeunesse of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church — went to a woman named Mrs. S.J. Oliver, who, we presume, was unfazed by the parrot’s vocabulary.

Stories abound about this colorful character, who emigrated from Ireland as a young woman and landed in the nearby mining town of Manhattan, which flourished for a time in the 1880s. She was always proud of having wangled an audience with Queen Victoria when she and her then-husband went to England to claim his inheritance and title. She also liked to boast that her favorite horse at the time, Moses, traveled across the Atlantic with her.

She was known to tipple a bit and said to have secreted liquor in the folds of her skirts when she came to town —as well as a pistol, which she once used, the story goes, to retrieve her husband from the clutches of his latest lady friend.

But her heart was at her ranch, and when she died, having had to abandon it, she had little left to give. She designated a few cash gifts to friends — of which she had many — and named recipients for her gold-plated cane, a gold belt and two leather chairs.

The bulk of her estate, such as it was, went to St. Vincent’s orphanage and school in Denver, which received $500 — leaving historians to wonder about her own childhood in Ireland and what caused her to come to America.

She specified that she wished to be interred above ground at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Denver, so her remains rest there in a vault. That fact notwithstanding, Catherine Moon left an indelible legacy in her adopted home of Fort Collins.

Misty Morning Ride at Heil Ranch

It has been a pretty dry March so far here in Boulder, and plans were set earlier in the week to trailer
over to the Heil Ranch Open Space, just a few miles from Boulder Vally Ranch. To all our surprise we woke up to a wet and misty day—rare here in this part of Colorado.

After some confusion about our time to leave the ranch, a low tire (thank goodness Bob was around to get the air compressor up and running) and a balky-loading horse we finally got under way.

The four of us ventured out and were transported into a misty world. The smell of creasote from a earlier controlled burn scented the airas we ascended up the fire road and into the mist. I had the song Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin in my head the entire ride. We stopped to let a flock of wild turkeys cross the road, and were watched carefully by herds of does in no rush to get anywhere.

Up, up and up we rode, walking and trotting—the footing was perfect (but hoof protection is recommended). This trail system is a great way to start conditioning your horse, as it steadily climbs and descends on the return. It also is designed with trails for bikers and hikers so you have dispersed use. On a clear day the canyon views are quite astonishing, but for today we had the turkeys, does and mist-filled forests all to ourselves.

Returning back to the barn we all felt refreshed and at peace—less one hub cap off my trailer. Maybe I will come across it on Highway 36 one day.

- LindaP

Fall Riding In Colorado and Wyoming

It's been awhile since I posted to this blog, and it's been a very dry October and November in the front range and most of Colorado. The horses have grown long winter coats as the daylight hours become night, I was not quite ready for that and neither were the horses. Trying to ride in these warm temperatures makes them uncomfortable, sweaty and need I say dirty dusty ponies.

Some fun rides we did in early to mid fall were Red Mountain in Larimer County (pictured left from the Rim), a quick "I can't believe it's this warm in Vedauwoo", lets go camping at the last minute trip, and Caribou Open Space in Nederland.

Today, finally snow has fallen. It made me so happy and the feeling of cooler temperatures at ease.
Hopefully more snow will fall soon and I will head up to Copper Mountain for a few turns. I love riding in fresh powder whether its on my beloved furry pony or on skis!

May the holidays bring you together with friends and family—both near an far—and 2017 bring peace and love to the world.

Linda and Nico

It's Spring & Mud Season

It has been some time since I have written on this blog. I was busy writing and managing the Boulder County Horse Association Nicker blog. As a new Board of Directors brings a fresh look to the Association and its website I have decided to get back to my TravelsByHorse blog.

It has been a wild Spring here in Boulder, Colorado. Winter brought piles of snow to the mountains—great for us skiers—and a few piles here in the front range—not so great for us riders! Trees and fruit blossoms were a bit stressed and tree crews had a lot to clean-up. With the winter thaw, and the arrival of spring, so comes the mud and intermittent trail closures on our area open spaces.

What is arriving: Pasque flowers, wild asparagus, Bluebirds, Meadowlarks, and yellow Goldfinches to name a few. Their songs fill the fields and they line up on the fences—what a pleasure after such a long winter.

As the grasses begin to grow along with daylight I have gone into the shed and pulled out my grazing muzzle, cleaned my brushes and tack, and continue to make good use of my shedding blade on both my horse and my dog. Last week was the spring shot clinic at our barn and Mark Fitch made it quick and easy. This friday it’s off to get the trailer serviced at Scott Murdoch’s in Loveland.

It has been stop and go on starting conditioning Nico. But it looks like the weather may start cooperating a bit more. We started intervals of trots, and up and down hills. For me, I continue with Pilates and now interval training at a local Orange Theory here in Boulder.

In the meantime keep your eyes peeld for wild asparagus and colorful birds as spring bursts forth with all its wonderful surprises here is Boulder!

Grilled Asparagus Recipe
- peel stalks
- brush with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
- place on hot grill (in basket)
- when done sprinkle with flaked sea salt and parmesan cheese

Winter Riding

Nico in Winter at Boulder Valley Ranch

Winter is here in Boulder, Colorado and I find myself a bit off my usual schedule—riding after work
(darn that daylight savings time) is down, and weekend trailering to local trailheads too. I just pulled my front shoes to give Nico's feet a break. I think it is important for the hoof to make contact with the earth for a few months, so this is the time I do that too.

As my body grows a bit stiffer, I stay on my Pilates schedule to keep my lower back moving, my inner thighs in shape and my body flexible.

Here is a list of some of my favorite local winter rides:

Heatherwood:
The trailhead is accessible in from the Heatherwood neighborhood off 75th Street in Gunbarrel. Most users of this trail system access the trails from Valmont or Arapahoe, but I love the convenience of the wide street for parking and less bikes from this Northwest access point. The soft footing does not require hoof protection, and the grasslands and undulating terrain allows you to get in a few good gallops and also work your horses hind end climbing up and down the small canyons. There are no bathrooms here, you can find one at the Arapahoe trailhead, and no water sources. Also as a courtesy to the neighbors please pick up your manure at your trailers!

Boulder Valley Ranch:
I board here so these are my home trails. This trail system does have a lot of user groups (so good for desensitizing your horse to bikes, dogs and cross country skiers in the current winter snow),  but the trail system is big enough that you can spread out. The trail system offers equestrian/hiker only trails too. There are water sources and a bathroom at the Longhorn Road access point (beware not enough room to park a horse trailer at this location). The trailhead off Neva Road has plenty of parking, but  the bathroom is near the Beech Pavilion not in the parking lot. Another great parking area is off Highway 36 near the septic tank area. It is an in and out, so head down towards the parking lot that had the tunnel under 36, drive past and park near the cement septic tanks. There is a gate there to access the Hidden Valley area of Boulder Valley Ranch, then you can simply take the left back out to Highway 36.


Marshall Mesa:
Now that the brand new tunnel has been completed there is a lot of terrain to cover here. It is a heavy bike use area but worth riding in the spring, fall and winter. Trailhead parking is available on the Southeast side of Highway 93, Dowdy Draw off Eldorado Road, or Flatirons Vista on the west side of Highway 93. There are bathrooms at all locations except for Dowdy Draw. The area can be rocky so hoof protection might be a good idea on this trail system.


Bear Lake State Park in Morrison:
I like this trail system to work on water crossings—there are a lot of them here. There is a fee of $7 to access this Park but it is a nice riding area just a short distance from Boulder. Parking at the corral area also lets you do some arena work. The trails range from wide open and flat, to beautiful tree lines streams. In winter the North facing hill climb can be icy so beware!


Rabbit Mountain: You will find this trailhead off Highway 66 in Lyons. There are bathrooms and designated trailer parking sites. A steady climb out of the parking area takes you to more open trails where you can trt out and open up into some nice canters. You also can take side trails and do some loops. These side trails tend to be rocky so hoof protection is recommended.

Hope to see you out and about this winter! Linda P