Max's Big Adventure I

This last Saturday, Max and I went to our first event under our own power. The event was a living history timeline event called Marching Through History and it's held every year at Prado Regional Park in Chino, California. Max and I had gone the year before but we had to hitch a ride with all it's attendant frustrations so this year it was nice to actually be able to go when WE wanted to go.

I'll have more details and pictures in a bit but overall it was a great success (and five years in the making!).

Pass in review- it was here that Max decided to graze...right in front of the review stand. What a boy!




Meeting with the local "gentry".

On the Road Again with Max

Thanks to some idiot setting a brush fire in Santa Barbara, our planned trip to Sage Hill was canceled early last Friday morning. So there we were, eight of us with trailers loaded and coolers stocked with food and drink and nowhere to go...

What to do? After checking around online, it turned out that all of the usual alternative horse camping sites were either booked up solid, not open for the summer, or located north of us where we would have to get on the 101 (traffic going north was horrible for obvious reasons with the fire). After some checking around, we hit on Caspers Wilderness Park in San Juan Capistrano.

I normally don't associate Orange County with horse camping since it seems so built up (Camp Pendelton, excepted) but it turns out that Caspers Wilderness Park consists of some 8,000 acres and the entrance is located off of Ortega Highway (I-74), about 7 miles east of I-5.

It turned out that there were some open equestrian camp spaces with pipe corrals and we quickly decided to get on the road. We made good time and arrived at the park at about 1 PM. After some confusion over reservations and negotiating with a somewhat cranky ranger, we found our camp spots and got set up. The only bad part here was that I was going to sleeping in my friend's large trailer but Max and I were travelling with another friend with a smaller trailer so my stuff was somewhat scattered (I love my friends but sometimes they move a bit too slow- next time, I'll take a small tent) but it got sorted out eventually.

The campsites were pleasant but we were scaterred about a bit so it was hard to gather together as a group. Also, as the weekend progressed, it turned out that there were woefully far too few restroom facilities in relation to the amount of people and the larger shower/restroom facilities were far away from camp (don't know what's up with that except it looked like poor planning). Good think I brought extra TP (but I didn't quite have to resort to digging cat holes).

We headed out for small ride Friday afternoon to get a feel for the place. Max was excellent and not only did he travel well, but he was ready to explore the trails and get into things. He was definately relaxed with all the travelling he's been doing for the past three weeks (five, if you count the movie shoot).

The park consists of a large valley that leads north and apparently this was all once a cattle ranch. Talk about California as it once was before all the developers messed it up! The valley consists of a combination of grasslands and groves of oak trees while the ridge consist mostly of grass and scrub brush- it's interesting to note that when you ascend one of the trails going up the ridges, you ascent above the "treeline", so to speak.

The trails consisted of a combination of fire roads and single-track trails with mostly dirt footings and basically you can either ride in the shade or bake in the sun. The weather was relatviely mild although a bit too humid for my taste but not a deal-breaker. The best time to ride the ridges was in the morning before the mist burned off.

While riding Friday, we came accross what I'd call "The Cathedral of Oaks" which was an area shaded by massive oak trees with little undergrowth. I wasn't able to get a picture of it (damn cell phone crapped out) but hopefully one of my compadres did. The way the light was coming through the trees was absolutely beautiful and we were the only ones there. To me, we could have been the original Spanish explorers seeing this for the first time. This is what California is all about!

Coming up on the "Cathedral of Oaks"

After a pleasant evening, we hit the trails early in the morning and explored the valley, travelling in a long loop for about 7 miles or so. After lunch, we headed out again, this time to ride along the west ride. The trail up consisted of a series of gentle switchbacks and we mostly trotted up the trail to almost the top. Then things get a bit steep and the drop-offs are pretty extreme. The trail was well marked, which was good, because there were a couple of places where it would have been very easy to take a wrong turn and fall off...(shudder).

Heading up the west ridge

Me on the west ridge



View from the west ridge

After making the ridge, we paused to rest and check our cell phones (great reception) and then proceeded along with ridege for about 5 miles or so. The only drama occurred when we encountered a mountain biker and Max had issues- we really need to work more on this. The issue was handled and I was able to get Max pointed in the right direction and managed to work him around the biker.

We then proceeded along the ridge until we linked up with a fire road that would take us down into the valley again. Overall, we'd ridden about 12 miles that day and while it wasn't as long or as difficult as some trails I've ridden, it was still pleasant and it was very neat to be able to ride through all the oak groves.

We had a pleasant dinner of tri-tip that evening and basically chilled out, although we did have endure a bit of "karioke night" from some of our neighbors...

On Sunday, we got up early eat a quick breakfast and decided to get in another ride before leaving (check-out is 12 Noon). This time, we followed a trail onto the eastern ridge. The eastern ridge was a bit gentler as a trail without most of the steep drop-offs. We encountered a lot of the local wildlife- a deer and a lot of rabbits (there's also a lot of fat squirrerels by the campground, no doubt nourished by the offerings of campers) and it was pretty interesting to watch. Max took it all in stride and ignored it. It seemed that the only thing he was interested in was grazing on all the grass (a lot of it was still green in the valleys).

Heading down the trail

The view from the east ridge

The one bad thing about the trails is that they're not really every long and there aren't a lot of them so after three days, we'd pretty much had seen everything. This is definately a good place to for a starting trail ride/horse camping excursion and in many ways it reminds me of Malibu Creek State Park without most of the people and their stupid antics.

As for Max, he had few issues and he was completely relaxed the whole time we were there. Except for the mountain bike and one vaquero wannabe who galloped his horse past us (so much for trail manners), Max didnt' really have any issues and even these were nothing. It was definately not like Morro Bay or even Vasquez Rocks. I stayed relaxed and kep Max's attention focused on other things like doing leg-yields and side-passes.

Overall, it was a good save for a weekend that threatened to be a complete washout.

P.S. For a map and description of the park, go HERE.

Bear Valley After-Action Report, Part II

Well, the next day dawned cold and overcast- perfect for riding, so long as it doesn't rain. After tacking up the horses, we proceeded to hit the trail. Things went relatively fine, even after getting lost a couple of times (no big deal there).

Max was acting up a bit because he was struggling for keep up with a Thoroughbred who could walk much faster- Max would struggle to keep up and then keep trotting and sometimes jig. Worse, I have come to the conclusion that Max likes to be the leader and it wasn't until the occassional moment that he was in the lead that Max would actually relax. It was not a very fun ride and in the future, I'm going to give more consideration to the breed of horse I'm riding with. It's just not fun and the other riders were probably ticked off. Oh well, you can only do so much with what you have.

Our party then split up and three of us proceeded to head on a trail towards the mountains (we were already an approximately 4000 foot elevation). No problem I thought, I've done this a lot of times and Max is a pretty fit horse. However, I was also using my new/used Western saddle and it weighs substantially more than what I've used in the past (why the hell I didn't think of this earlier escapes me)...

Several miles later, the trail began to climb and we went up about a 1000 feet in 2 miles- a pretty steep grade. Worse, the trail is a narrow single-track trail so if something happens, there's NOWHERE to go except down and that's a pretty steep drop-off. As we made out way, a deer popped out from behind a bush and scared the horse behind me. Before I knew it, the horse and rider to my rear had spun out and was now some 50 feet down the slope. Fortunately, at this point, we were on a piece that had about 200 feet of gentle slope before the sheer drop-off. Oh, did I also mention that there was a great view of the San Joaquin Valley?

We finally managed to get everthing sorted out but in the interest of safety, we decided to walk the horses downhill once we'd cleared the ridge. That was fun constantly having to keep Max from stepping on me as I led him. We must have walked about three more miles up some more steep trail and by this time both Max and I were getting pretty exhausted and I realized that the altitude was beginning to take its toll on us. My big fear here was that Max would tie up- tieing up basically happens when the horse doesn't get enough Oxygen so the muscles are not getting enough Oxygen and they literally "lock up". If that happens, then you're screwed because any attempt to force the horse to move will result in severe muscle damage.

We proceeded slowly, keeping the horse moving to prevent muscle cramping and trying to give Max a change to breathe more and work less. As for myself, I felt like crap and it suddenly dawned on me that I am not the same person I was at 21- I could got for more miles on foot with no problem at any altitude but that was some 20 pounds and 20 years ago when I was in the Army. Boy, did I feel like an idiot.

Fortunately, after another five miles, the trail crossed a major roadway and at that point I turned off and followed it back down into the valley and back to camp. I don't think my companions were too happy but in reality, the trail was a lot longer and harder than anyone expected and we wouldn't have gotten back until after dark (which didn't seem like a fun prospect in a forest at night on mountainous trails). I was more concerned about Max's well-being than my ego and that's just the way it went.

When I got back to camp, Max had recovered somewhat and I mixed up a special bucket of feed and electrolytes. I never saw a horse consume his feed and water so fast. I knew we were OK when he then proceeded to pass a ton of urine and manure (how do you think they make Coors beer... ). Anyway, lesson learned- I got my ass kicked because I wasn't prepared sufficiently and used the wrong saddle. Fortunately, Max is forgiving.

Bear Valley After-Action Report, Part I

Wheew, what a weekend!!!

Ever have one of those weekends where you wished you'd stayed home? I did...

Well, I got back from Bear Valley Springs with Max last night about 5 PM. While I can't say that the weekend was a disaster, I can say I've had better and it's what we call "a learning experience".

Bear Valley Springs is located some 100 miles north of Los Angeles (look for Tehachapi in the map- it's right next door). It's fairly mountainous and the elevation is about 4000-5000.

The original plan was that we were going to leave on Friday about 10 am so I took the day off from work and got over to the stable about 8 AM (I'd gotten mostly everything loaded up the night before). Unfortunately, another person in our party (who also boards where I board Max) got delayed and she didn't show up until about 1 PM. Then, to make things worse, her horses wouldn't willingly load so we spent another hour and a half struggling with two increasingly pissed-off horses. Basically, her trailer is too small and the horses just don't like confined spaces (been there, done that with Max).

After about an hour, we finally got them in but it took some heavy ropes, muscle power and many blows from a whip. Fortunately, Max loaded quite willingly and was content to munch his alfalfa and hang with his stable buddies in my friends trailer (it's a huge combination camper/horse trailer affair so it's pretty much like a limo for horses- lots of room). We finally get on the road convoy style and as a favor to another individual, I rode in her rig so if she got into trouble I'd be there to help (not that I'm a sure cure...).

Naturally the traffic is worse now because it's getting into rush hour and everything moved at a crawl until Sierra Highway.

Then, just as we're transitioning onto the 58 Freeway, we get a call informing us that the same lady's "way-too-small" horse trailer had blown out one of the tires and that they'd stopped in Mohave to buy a complete set of tires for the trailer (I had my doubts about the tires when we left the stable but was assured that everything was OK). Fortunately, it was only one and nothing major occurred.

Basically, the trailer has been sitting for almost eight months with no use and the tires' walls began to rot (you should cover them if the trailer is going to sit for a long time).

We finally arrived in Bear Valley by 6 PM but by this time, the temperature was dropping into the low 40s and it was getting dark. Also, all I had on was a light shirt so it was not fun sitting in the campsite freezing while waiting for Max and all my gear to show up (Max and the gear were back in Mojave where my friend had waited while the tires were changed).

Things finally get sorted out and we everyone's reunited but it isn't until late that we get camp organized. Much to Max's credit, he couldn't care less- I put his blanket on, threw him some alfalfa cubes and stuck him in a pen. I even saddled him up and rode him around the Equestrian Center (where we were camped)- what a boy, he couldn't care less.

Heading Out to Bear Valley Springs

Well, this weekend will find Max and I on the road again and this time, we're going to Bear Valley Springs. Located just west of Tehachapi, Bear Valley Springs is a gated community that's about 4,000 to 5,000 in elevation with a mix of pine forest and grasslands. There are various trails suitable for riding and the weather should be in mid-70s during the day and in the mid-40s at night. There's more information HERE.

We'll be leaving mid-day Friday and should be back on Sunday. This is the perfect opportunity to try out my Western saddle and really put it through it's paces. I had to borrow a breast collar since my Civil War one doesn't fit with the Western saddle.

We'll be staying at the Bear Valley Equestrian Center and there will be pipe corrals available for boarding (no worries about having to tie up to the trailer). The weather promises to be clear but it would still be a good idea to bring a horseblanket.

This trip has some personal meaning for me because a good friend of mine, Jerry Gold, used to live here before he died in 2001. I wasn't into horses then but I'm sure Jerry would approve and probably get a chuckle from my antics. He had a horse and small wagon that he'd use to get around the valley and he used to take it out to Civil War events. I first met Jerry at a Civil War event at Ft. Tejon back in 1994. In a way I want this trip to be a small tribute to him- at least on a very personal level. I was last up this way in 2001 for his funeral. His last request was to have his ashes scattered at several high points overlooking Bear Valley.

Anyway, this ought to be interesting and I'm looking forward to going on a new adventure with Max. Jerry, this one's for you!!!

We're Back From The Beach!!!

After a very long four-hour trip, Max and I are back from Morro Bay and it was a major success!! Max trailered like a pro and there were no traumatic events or disasters (thank god!!!).

We left about 10 am on Thursday, after a morning of loading, and Max loaded with no problems. Max was joined by his stablemates Dumbles (short for Dumbledore, a five year old Arab) and Kisses (a 13 year old Standardbred). The trip was uneventful and Max was very patient, even when we stopped for an extended period of time to get lunch and refuel.

We arrived at the campsite at about 3 pm and quickly got camp set up and settled the horses into their new home in the corrals (thank god we didn't have to tie off of the trailer). Others in our group slowly filtered in until we had about 25 horses and 30 people.

I decided to take Max out for a short ride to settle him and get him used to the area. Max was definately energized by the cool sea air and the steady sea breeze and he was definately up for a ride.

The trails leading away from camp towards the beach are all sandy, even though there are trees and vegetation and Max found the footing to be somewhat tiring- with the exception of some of parts of the various trails in Hansen Dam and especially along the base of Hansen Dam, there is not a lot of deep sand so it was going to be a workout that week.

After some basic manuvers, I then took Max up to the ridge overlooking the ocean (to get to the ocean from the campsite, you have to ride up a ridge and then cross the main road. Max was definately buzzed up, looking at all the new sights, sounds, and smells. His ears were turning everywhere and he was taking it all in. The bad part was that he was getting buzzed up and it was clear that I was going to have my hands full for awhile.

After the initial foray, I joined some of our group who wanted to watch the sunset. Max was excited to go, especially as he was behind a very fast Thoroughbred and he felt that he had to do everything to keep up. We followed one trail towards the beach and we went most of the way, turning back just shy of the actual beach.

It was dark by this time and on our way back, Max was definately chomping at the bit and wanting to run home. It was everything to keep him in check and he plowed through the sand with no sign of of tiring and he definately didn't want to rest.

Max and I on the sand...we finally made it! Unfortunately, the pictures are not the best due to the jiggy horses and all.

Max after a long day at the beach...

Upon returning, I feed and watered Max and he settled in for a long slumber. Overall, it was all new stuff to throw at Max but he did allright for the most part. More to follow!

Getting Ready For The Beach

Well, after some six months, it's drawing close to the time I'll be taking Max on vacation with me to Morro Bay for four days. I'll be leaving on Thursday morning and I'm going with some friends. Max will be able to travel in relative comfort in a very large camper/horsetrailer combination (he's ridden in it before with no mishaps). The drive is going to be a bit longer than what we've done before (4 hours) but he'll be with other horses who he knows so it should be allright. I'm also going to not feed him any Omolene or other supplements so he won't be buzzed up, especially when he gets there.

Space is going to be somewhat tight so I'll have to carefully pack and only take the essentials. Yesterday, I helped out, cleaning the trailer out and replacing the shavings and loading up the feed on the truck.

This ought to be interesting and hopefully I'll get some good pictures to post. I just hope he takes to the beach and doesn't have any serious issues with it- some horses are put off by the noise of the surf so we'll have to take it easy.

For a map of Montana de Oro's general location, go HERE.