NEARING THE END OF THE TRAIL!

It is Sunday morning and Bonnie and I are in the lobby of the International Inn in Williston, ND. We attended Cowboy Church this morning and then had breakfast at Grandma Sharon's restaurant. It is a very good family restaurant.

I rode Ali three days this past week. We traveled on the Maah Daah Hey Trail for two days. It was a scenic ride through the Badlands and the Little Missouri River Grasslands. Some of the trail is very steep and narrow. There are places we went up, or down, the side of hills and rock formations that are so steep that we did switchbacks several times. Ali was very attentive to where we were and stayed on the trail very well. I'm glad because it was a long ways to the bottom if you fell.

We camped at the Milt and Clarice Madison Ranch three nights. They are a wonderful couple and were very hospitable to us. Milt took several of us on a horse drawn wagon ride out onto his ranch. It was a very peaceful ride. They and their children and neighbors fed us a delicious meal one evening. After the meal Del Shields sang cowboy songs to the group. I thanked the Riders, during this gathering, for their support and kindness to both Bonnie and me.

We are 60 miles, or 4 riding days, from the Canadian border. We expect to be at the border on Friday September 4th. All the riders are becoming more excited by the prospect of the journey's end and accomplishing their goals. Most are also ready to be back home.

The pictures are of the Little Misouri River along the Maah Daah Hey Trail and of the Madison Ranch horse drawn wagon.

RIDING AGAIN!!

Bonnie and I left Liberty on Monday August 17 and joined the Mexico to Canada riders on Tuesday night near Bowman, ND. The trip out was mostly uneventful, but we found it difficult at times. The memories keep flooding back for our daughter. All the riders welcomed us back to the trailride.

I rode Ali on a short ride around the camp and down near the Little Missouri River on Wednesday morining. The area is very scenic and rugged. We then moved camp to Medora, ND.

On Thursday I rode about 8 miles, part of which was on the Maah Daah Hey Trail. I was too busy with Ali to take any pictures as he was really fresh and ready to go. When we arrived in Medora there was a media event that all the riders participated in. We were all interviewed by local TV stations.

Friday was a rest day for the riders as they had been riding a very difficult schedule for the past week. We kept somewhat secluded for the weekend. It is pretty difficult to answer the questions.

Saturday I took part in the trail ride that took us out into the North Dakota Badlands. We rode the Maah Daah Hey Trail the entire 14 miles we traveled. The scenery was spectacular and I have many pictures that I will download as soon as I can. Ali was a hand full early in the day but settled down very well.

It is Sunday morning and Bonnie and I are at the Medora campgrounds doing some laundry and I am on their WiFi. The campground is down the road from our campsite. I have chosen not to ride today as it will be a long day and Ali and I are not in shape for a long hard day. We will be moving camp this morning to a site out in the boondocks and will be there for the next 3 days. We will have to carry in all off our supplies as we will not be near any towns. I have filled all the water tanks and the fuel tanks.

It is good to be back on the trail. I am really glad Bonnie is here with me. We both wish we had brought Sabian so she could ride him on some of the short rides.

Thanks for the support we have received from everyone.

Trail's End ???

I rode with Best of America by Horseback from Limon, CO to Brush, CO during the last week of June.

We camped one night on the Fisher Ranch and another night the Fellowship Baptist Church of Woodrow, CO where the church members hosted us to a very good potluck dinner. On Saturday we rode into Brush, CO and set up camp in the sale barn parking lot where we stayed Saturday and Sunday nights.

On Sunday we encountered a group of antique cars passing through Brush on their way to the west coast. They were re-enacting a coast to coast automobile race originally ran in 1902. What are the odds of a coast to coast antique car race and a border to border horseback ride being in Brush, CO on the same day?? It was interesting talking to some of the drivers of their adventure, and they were equally intrigued by ours.

On Monday we rode north out of Brush with me on a very contrary horse. He seemed to want to shy and spook at every thing. We rode only 9 miles and were at the new camp site by noon. I got a ride back to my rig and went to the new campsite and fed Ali, and had a bite of lunch for myself. I then loaded Ali into the trailer and headed for Missouri and home. Personal reasons dictated that I go home for a while. I was home from the 540 mile trip across parts of Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas at 1AM Tuesday. It was good to be home and see Bonnie.

Bonnie and I spent the next couple of weeks working on the yard and property and mending fences. We had made plans to return to the Mexico to Canada trail ride together, and depart from home, on Tuesday July 22nd after Bonnie's mother's 90th birthday celebration. I had started to load the supplies into the trailer on Friday July 17th.

On that night a phone call changed our lives forever. We received a phone call that our daughter, Deanna, had died as a result of a gunshot while driving her car in Kansas City. Our granddaughter, Tessa, sustained eye injures from flying glass from the bullet going through the car window. She has recovered from her injuries, but our daughter is gone from us forever and we are having a difficult time dealing with the pain this left us with.

I have no plans or desire to rejoin the trail ride at this time. I wish the riders the best of luck. May God be with them.

North to Limon, CO

Pictures are of Roy Mitchell and me on the open range and of Shania and Jerra Atwater.

On Wednesday June 17th we left Ordway, CO on a ranch road and then rode an irrigation levee a short distance. We were then guided by a local rancher across open ranch land. The Rocky Mountains became visible to us as we could see the Spanish Peaks and Pike's Peak. What a sight! We rode to the Glen Lewis Longhorn Ranch where we set up camp for the night. The Lewis' treated us to hamburgers made of longhorn beef. It was very good. Mr. Lewis told us of the history of the area and the beef industry, particularly the Longhorn beef industry.

On Thursday June 18th we rode out across Mr Lewis' ranch and alongside of a herd of longhorn cows and calves. Again we rode the open range with grass as far as we could see. Mark Hollenbaugh, the Manager of the Smith Cattle Company Ranch rode out and met us and guided us into our new campsite at their ranch. They light a campfire and Del Shields sang cowboy songs and recited some cowboy poetry. We had cake and ice cream to celebrate Mike Shaw's birthday.

On Friday we again were guided by Mark as we rode across the prairie. We found a baby antelope that held tight to his hiding place for a very long time. We thought it may have been sick as it set tight so long, however, it finally took flight and was it ever fast. Later this day we stopped for a lunch break along a creek under a large cottonwood tree. We then had to ford the stream. Ali and I led the way across. Who said Arabian horses don't like water? We set up camp at the Atwater Hay and Livestock Company's cattle pens. We rode 17 miles this day.

Saturday June 20th, we awoke to threatening skies and the day's ride was cancelled. We used the day and Sunday as rest days. I did my laundry and shopping in Limon, CO.

On Monday, June 22nd we awoke to bright skies and headed up the dirt and gravel ranch roads for Todd Wilson's place 20 miles away. Todd is a team roper and his arena and surrounding area is a great place to set up camp.

Tuesday June 23rd began with partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures. Shania and Jerra Atwater, the daughters of Laura and Jerry Atwater, rode with us across the Prairie Ridge Buffalo Ranch. We got to see buffalo, on the open range, up close and personal. The two girls had a great time riding with us and the Mexico to Canada trail riders enjoyed them a great deal. We rode 8 miles into Limon, CO and set camp one more time at the grounds next to Bucko's Feed Store. We have traveled over 850 miles of our adventure thus far.

Back in the Saddle

Wednesday, 6/10
My weeks vacation is over. I didn't realize how much I needed it. It's hard to imagine the strain we put on ourselves to ride each day. It was good to be off for a week, but I was also glad to be back at camp to continue the adventure. We arrived in Kim, CO just before dark on Wednesday, 6/10 amongst scattered thundershowers and severe weather. I spent the night at the fairgrounds in Kim, CO.

Thursday, 6/11
Early Thursday morning I trailered to the camp where the riders had ridden, the day before, 19 miles north of Kim. When we got there, we had trailers stuck in the mud. It took until 10:30 AM to get the trailers out of the campsite. We moved the trailers to the new campsite and shuttled back to ride our horses. Ali was feeling frisky after having a week off, and for the first hour was difficult to handle. He then settled down and had a good day the rest of the day. We rode 13 miles through a canyon and 21 miles total for the day. We parked our trailers on a highway intersection overnight.

Friday, 6/12
On Friday, we rode on toward LaJunta, CO. We had to stop riding at approximately the 16 mile marker, so we could shuttle to our trailers and haul our horses to town for a parade at 2:00. The parade was with a group of children who did Indian dancing. We circled the football field on the track, and commemorated 100,000 miles of Best of America by Horseback riders. We set up camp Friday night at the LaJunta kids rodeo grounds.

Saturday, 6/13
Saturday was a rest day. Although, we did go to, and participate in the village of Swink, CO. It was a pretty little town which welcomed us with open arms and enthusiasm.

Sunday, 6/14
Sunday was another rest day. However, Ali and I and another rider went to the Capulin volcano area in NM and rode through the canyons. It was a very scenic area! We rode 21 miles that day.

Monday 6/15
Monday we rode out of camp and returned to our stopping point from Friday. We rode this 11 mile portion of the ride backwards! We then shuttled back to our trailers and picked up our horses before returning to camp in LaJunta. We had lunch and headed north on 109 toward Limon, CO. We rode through wide open range. Almost no fences, no trees, no hills... wide open range. What better place for Ali and one other horse to run loose while we were waiting on trailers to pick them up. We caught them after they ran for about a mile. All the other horses had already been loaded an moved out. Luckily, there was one other rider there with his truck and we were able to hop in the truck and catch up to them, get ahead of them and catch them. They were worn out after their mischief! We trailered back to the camp in LaJunta. We rode 22 miles that day.

Tuesday 6/16
On Tuesday, everyone in camp was invited to breakfast by the LaJunta Chamber of Commerce and Business Development committee. It was a wonderful breakfast and program. They honored us, the riders, of the Mexico to Canada trail ride. We have about 40 people on the ride including riders and support staff at this point. After breakfast, we trailered the horses to Monday's stopping point, left them off, and advanced our rigs to the next campsite in Ordway, CO. We shuttled back and I was relieved to find Ali still there! We then rode 17 miles across ranch land and gravel roads to our new campsite. Again today, one horse got away. He was caught in just a few minutes and we rode on. After riding into camp, one of my fellow horsmen has left for a couple of weeks to his home in Mississippi. We expect to be in Limon, CO on Saturday for the weekend.

Posted by: Stephani Wackerle

June 2, 2009

We awoke to another cloudy threatening sky and cool temperatures. We all donned warm clothes and rain gear and headed toward Corner Rocks, the last major landmark on the Santa Fe Trail before Wagon Mound. A local rancher, Lenore Jeffers, guided us across open ranch land toward tonight's campsite. It was one of our best days in the saddle. The rain held off and we rode across the prairie and saw several intriguing old building sites.
When we finished the day's ride I joined Del Shields, our cowboy singer, poet, and preacher and we both headed for our respective homes. Who says old men don't get homesick? We drove to Fred and Claudia Harland's ranch near Texhoma, TX and spent the night there. The next morning I rode with Del to Wichita and met up with Bonnie, my wife, and rode home with her to Liberty, MO. She had been in the Dallas, TX area visiting our daughters who live in that area.
Ali stayed at the Harland ranch and will be cared for by Fred and Claudia.
I will be returning to the border to border ride on Wednesday next.



June 1, 2009

We rode out of Springer under threatening skies. We rode along the wide shoulder of U.S. Highway 56 eastward for nearly 17 miles.Most of the shoulder area has very loose dirt and has many mole and gopher holes. It was very taxing on the horses. We mostly rode closer to the pavement because it was smoother, however, traffic was more of an issue then. Riding along a highway is far more stressful then going across ranch land. A looming thunderstorm cut our ride short by a couple of miles and we set up camp near a cattle waterhole and some catch pens. If it rains very much we may be stuck in the morning?!

We rode 19 miles today

May 30 & 31, 2009
Saturday and Sunday were rest days for the riders and horses. We all busied ourselves with shopping and laundry duties on Saturday. On Sunday four of us, James Brown, Richard Lupardus, Micheal Marcus, and I went on a sight seeing trip up into the mountains and to Taos, NM. We stopped in route at the Westphall Vietnam War Memorial. It was a very emotional experience for all of us. It was a special visit for Richard as he is a Vietnam veteran. Taos is an artsy community and didn't really have much of interest to us. We did have a very good lunch there, though. The mountains and the rock formations were beautiful and awesome.


May 29, 2009
We stayed last night at Colmor, NM, a ghost town. There are several interesting old buildings in the town. We were reluctant to go into any of the buildings because they looked like there would be snakes in them. Some people did venture inside, but not many. We rode into the Springer, NM fair grounds. It was a short day, just eleven miles, all along the side of a road. We set up camp and then went looking for a local farmer who has alfalfa hay for sale. We found him and bought several bales. It appears that hay may be scarce as we go through Colorado. They have been in a drought and many large dairies have been using up most of the hay supply.
A dozen of us went to dinner together at the Brown Hotel in Springer to give Gene Klosterman and his daughter, Annie Boswell, a send off as they will return home tomorrow morning to South Carolina. They have been riding with us the past two weeks.

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

Wednesday 5/27/09
We rode from Watrous to Wagon Mound, NM today. 13 miles of which were on roads of the 17 miles total. There were 22 riders riding today, and we all posed for picture taking at the 500 mile marker of our journey. That means that I’ve ridden almost as far as Kansas City to Dallas! We had to wear rain gear today due to showers and thundershowers this afternoon. We got under a highway underpass during one of the thunderstorms and waited it out. We moved camp to an open grass field near Wagon Mound, NM. It was about 6 ½ hours on horseback, and we arrived around 2:30 this afternoon before returning to the camp in Watrous to get our trailers. We had our new camp set up by 5:00 PM. I had Ali re-shod today, and his first set of shoes were worn out, but lasted over 500 miles. Glad I didn’t go with the rubber boots.

Tuesday 5/26/09
We rode today from Railroad Cattle Pens near Las Vegas, NM to a ranch near the small town of Watrous, NM. The setting for the ride was a rocky, craggy valley with a narrow winding country road. It reminded me some of the roads in Italy. We also rode through a very narrow and rocky canyon with only enough passage for one horse at a time. We had to duck under evergreen trees and allow our horses to pick their footing through the rocks and downed logs. We had to cross a stream several times. Ali had a tough afternoon because we got separated from most of the other riders. He was anxious about being alone. We arrived at the new campsite about 20 minutes after the lead riders. We then went back to the Cattle Pens to retrieve our trailers. Then, I went back to Las Vegas, NM to get repair parts for my propane tank. A hose had broken that goes from one tank to the regulator. Luckily it was only a 10-minute fix. I also needed a tire repaired. Richard Lupardus, another rider from Missouri, was kind enough to take it to the repair shop for me. A large thorn had punctured it. I arrived at the new campsite about 6:30 that evening. I tended to Ali, ate my Subway sandwich for dinner and called it a night.

Memorial Day 5/25/09
We left camp on the west side of Las Vegas, NM at 7:45 AM on Memorial Day. We had not gotten out of camp until we had our first serious horse wreck. Liz Malcome had her horse bolt and she came off her horse. She suffered many bruises and a broken wrist, but she will be okay. We rode through Box Canyon southwest of Las Vegas. It’s another scenic area that cannot be seen from any road or highway. Pictures just don’t do it justice! We had a long, hard day of riding to an old railroad shipyard that was used for shipping cattle back east many years ago. We put our horses up here for the night. We returned to our old campsite and moved to the Cattle Pens. Today we rode a total of 21 miles and rode several miles along the ruts and depressions caused by the travelers of the Santa Fe Trail.

Sunday 5/24/09
On Sunday, I woke to find that my refrigerator wasn’t working, and my frozen food was partially thawed. I missed Memorial Day church service in the old church in El Cerrito, NM. I took the refrigerator apart and cleaned up all the fins in the burner area. Dust and dirt from the roads we have been using had built up to the point it had stopped working. It’s now running again. I rode Ali bareback around camp for about an hour during the afternoon. He seemed to enjoy the exercise.

The Santa Fe Trail

This week we rode four days from Moriarty, NM to Las Veges, NM. It was a total of 75 miles and our total distance traveled is now 442 miles.

We rode through the frieght wagon route of the old Santa Fe Trail. This was the first that I knew of the Santa Fe trail haveing two routes, one for travelers on horseback and another for the frieght wagons. Part of the route was in Blanco Canyon through Canon Blanco Ranch. It has breath taking views and elevation changes.

We were not able to get our camping rigs into the area because of the steep terrain and rough roads but we did take in pickup trucks with three days provisions. Four of us teamed up and took supplies in with two trucks. I slept Monday night in the front seat of the pickup. I got up sore, stiff and tired! Tuesday & Wednsday nights I slept in the pickup bed. I rolled out my sleeping bag and got a pretty good night sleep both nights. Monday and Tuesday we spent at ranch catch pens where we had water for the horses and pens or fences to tie the horses to. On Wednesday night we stayed in El Cerritto, a small village that is on a horseshoe bend of the Pecos River. It is a beautiful 1700s village that now has eleven ful time residents and fourteen parttime residents. The river flows into a box canyon on one side and then flows out the other side. It is not much wider then a quarter mile.

The village hosted us to an authentic spanish dinner and breakfast. Our primary hosts were Louisa and Tony. They then rode with us on Thursday.

On Wednesday and Thursday we could see Starvation Mountain. Legend has it that a group of Spaniards were surrounded by a band of Indians while on the mountain and they all starved to death. Louisa assured us that it was only a legend.

W arrived at the camping site near Las Vegas after 5:00PM on Thursday. We then had to go back to El Cerritto to retrieve our trucks and then go back the sixty niles to Moriarty to get our rigs to take them to the new camp site. It was after 11:00PM when we arrived with our rigs. By the time we tended to the horses and took a shower it was almost midnight when I got to bed. This three day trek was every bit as grueling as the trip across the desert. The horses were very tired when we arrived Thursday night, as were we.

We are using Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as rest days. I have done my laundry and will get more propane and generator gas while I'm in town today. I am at a Comfort Inn using their wi-fi to do this update. Many thanks for thier hospitaliy.

It is Sunday afternoon and I am at the Comfort Inn in Moriarty, NM using their wi-fi. I have had a quiet day. I attended cowboy church at the rodeo grounds this morning.

Pictures are of the wagons and of the Gran Quivera Ruins

We have gone over 350 miles to date.

Yesterday was a busy rest day. The day started by banging pots and pans outside Tom Seay's trailer and singing Happy Birthday to him. We then went to breakfast at the El Comador restaurant and ate with Bruce King, former governor of New Mexico. We just happened to have taken the table he and his friends have coffee at every morning. What a pleasent man he is! We then rode in the grand entrance to the rodeo. The temperature was in the forty's with a stiff wind. We all froze. In the afternoon I went and had a flat trailer tire repaired, bought propane, did my grocery shopping, and had my laundry done.

Friday we rode into town with a group of local riders and wagons drawn by miniature horses.

I have gotten help from a couple of fellow riders on getting Ali to collect up better when he trots. Many thanks to Tammy and Julie for their help.

Thursday, 5/14

We rode out of the dairy farm and went 14 mile to Estanzia, NM to the Rodeo Grounds where we spent the night. There was a little over 10 miles of road-side riding alongside a state highway. This was the first time we've ridden along a road. We had wide shoulders to deal with and the traffic usually slowed down for us. The horses sometimes shied at signage along the highway, but nothing serious. Estanzia has a spring fed small lake in the center of town that is a beautiful little city oasis year round. One horse has now been deemed unfit to continue due to arthritic joints and an unsound mind. So Mary, from Massachusetts, must decide what she's going to do. She is looking now for another horse to either buy, lease, or trade. However, her 16 year old horse is part of her family and it seems she won't be parting with him. We are going to be riding into a rodeo tonight, so more to come!

Posted by: Stephani

Sunday 5/10 - Wednesday 5/13

Wednesday 5/13: We rode 17 miles to the Zen Dairy. The day was an uneventful 17.8 miles! We then trailered the horses to the city of Mountainair rodeo grounds and the city hosted us to a BBQ dinner. A local historian told us the history of the area and sang us some cowboy songs. I was able to get into town to get fuel for the generator, some parts at a hardware store and to do my laundry before dinner. I was lucky to find a hairdresser available at the Laundromat, so I also got my haircut. Tomorrow we ride out and head toward Moriarty where we will have a weekend of rest.

Tuesday 5/12: We rode out into another ranch from the Monte Pietra and came upon an ancient Pueblo Indian mission ruins from the 16th century. We took a break there from riding and toured the ruins. We rode 18 miles this day.

Monday 5/11: We stayed Sunday night on the Hinkle Ranch and rode out Monday morning through a beautiful canyon with gullies and ridges and brush. It was like riding in the scenes we saw on TV and movie westerns. I took photos, but they don’t do it justice. We rode 17 miles and stayed that night at the Monte Pietra Ranch.

Sunday 5/10: On Sunday, we rode off the McKinley Ranch and onto the Hinkle Ranch in NM. We’re entering an area with grass and juniper trees that looks more like the plains than the desert.

Posted by: Stephani

After the Desert!

5-7-09 Thursday was a welcomed and well-needed day of rest. After doing a great job in the desert, Ali was ready to rest. He was less than enthusiastic and didn't even eat all of his grain. Fortunately, Ali got better as the day wore on. We spent the day at a bed and breakfast owned by Linda and Dewey Brown on the Fite Ranch in San Antonio, NM. Linda and Dewey were great hosts. You can get more information about their bed and breakfast at http://www.fiteranchbedandbreakfast.com/.
Thursday night we had a potluck dinner. I took my infamous tossed salad.


5-8-09 Friday was another rest day. Boredom set in for Ali and I, but disappeared for me when it was time for the crawfish boil. The Best of America by Horseback crew had Fed Ex fly in 50 pounds of fresh crawfish from Louisiana. Bobby Horton, a native of Mississippi, cooked the crawfish with potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, and sausage. It was delicious! We all ate until we we were stuffed.

5-9-09 Saturday we were back on the trail. Ali and I were both ready to go again. We started the day at 7:00 a.m. It was a cool 40 degrees with gusty winds up to 25 miles per hour. Brrrr! The horses were fresh but skiddish from the wind. Fortunately, the horses settled down fairly quickly, and we were able to finish just after noon. We rode over 18 miles on changing terrain. There was more grass, and it even had a green tinge. We've now ridden 255 miles. Ali had his best day so far. He found a perfect gait and didn't want to argue with me at all. The highpoint of the day was riding by the Trinity Site where the first atom bomb was exploded in 1945.

We stop three times each day on the trail to give the horses water. So far, we have not had any problems with getting hay or grain. I understand we have to have certified weed-free hay when we go into Colorado, or we could be fined as much as $7,000. The Best of America by Horseback organizers are working on the details to make sure we have the right hay in Colorado. My supply of peppermint candies for Ali are holding out. I carry some in a sack on the saddlehorn each day. Ali knows where they are and turns to get one each time we take a rest stop on the trail.

The riders get together every night to share stories, talk about our families, and get to know each other better. My daughter sent cross word puzzles, soduku puzzles and books to keep me busy, but I haven't had time to do any of them, yet. This is a wonderful experience! I am just amazed to be so lucky to have people to support me in doing this. I pinch myself daily to make sure it's not a dream!

Posted by: Dea

Photos!!!

Bud was able to get a good enough connection to get a few pictures out today so I thought I'd share. There were no captions, but they seem to be pretty easily matched to the blog posts below. There are some from the T or C, NM parade, riding along the Rio Grande, the trek through the White Sands Desert and their camp at the Hatch Fairgrounds. I'm sure everyone's eager to see proof of the trip, so here you go!

Posted by: Melissa

Socorro, NM

It is Thursday morning and I am in Socorro, NM. We are staying at the Fite Ranch at the north edge of the White Sands desert, about 15 miles southeast of Socorro. We rode three day in the desert and I slept on the ground or on the floor of a cattle trailer the two nights. It was a hot and grueling ride. I was worn out after each day's ride. Ali is doing fine and has actually gained weight back. He likes the alfalfa hay! We rode 22 miles the first day in the desert, 24 the second day, and 20 the third day. We have past the 200 mile marker towards Canada.

The view is beautiful along the way. We had mountains in all directions from us. We rode along the west fence of the White Sands Missile range for several miles, and then rode across a small corner of it. We could see clusters of missiles on turrets pointed at the sky. We travel on ranch roads that are rocky & sandy, dirt roads. The ranch we stayed at the first night about 40 miles east of T or C, NM on the Buckhorn Ranch, owned by Doug & Leslie Davis. They are wonderful hosts and have an oasis in the desert. They are opening up a Bed & Breakfast in the near future. It is a great place to stay and bring your horses! They light a campfire for us and Del Shields sang cowboy songs as the sun set with brilliant colors on the horizon. It can't get any better then this for a cowboy!!!
The second night we stayed at a cattle watering hole with a fence to tie our horses to. We rode out, after breakfast, at 7AM on Wednesday to ride as much as we could in the cool morning. We arrived at the Fite ranch at 1:30PM after traveling the full distance without stopping for lunch. We did water the horses 3 times along the way. We ate lunch in the saddle. We never found a shady place to stop.

Of the 41 riders that started out 17 made the desert trip. Crossing the desert was a great experience, I don't have to, need to, or want to do it again!

I want to thank the people that helped me get Ali in shape to travel: My vet Dr. Mitts and his staff at Holt Animal clinic, Russ Mac Lellen, whose shoes are still on Ali, and Doug Perry for his advice in getting Ali into top shape.



Thanks to the Econolodge Inn for allowing me to use their wifi.

Until next time everyone be safe.

Bud

Week #2

*most recent dates on top*

Sat May 2

Sun May 3

The group participated in the T or C, NM annual parade on Saturday and rode in the grand entrance to the rodeo both Saturday and Sunday.  It was a lot of fun and Ali was absolutely perfect in the parade despite riding next to a crazy horse who wouldn't settle down due to the motor cycles, crowds & balloons.  All the work we've been doing the past 3 years and continue to do has paid off.  

Saturday at noon we had a wedding!  A couple traveling with us, Roy and Janice from Florida, were married by the Best of America preacher, Dale Shields.  They decided to marry while on the trail and it was completely unexpected.  We all rode into the arena and viewed the wedding by horseback.  The couple rode in, dismounted and tied the knot.  

After breakfast Sunday, we attended cowboy church and spent the rest of the day making ready and putting together the provisions needed for our 3 day trek into the White Sands Desert where the riders will be camping out on the ground beneath the stars.

Fri May 1

Early in  the morning, the horses and riders were shuttled to back to the Cain Ranch where we rode another 11 miles to Engle, NM.  Engle consists of four old buildings and not much more.  The town borders one of Ted Turner's ranches.  He did not allow our group to cross his land.  A few of the riders stopped at that point, but a few of us rode another 4 miles into the White Sand Desert.  Since we left Ft. Selden State Park, we've been riding along the Trail of Death which is part of the old trade route from Santa Fe to Mexico City.  It's called the Trail of Death due to a history of rampant Apache Indian attacks on travelers along the route.  

Total miles for the week: 69

Total miles to date: 125

Thu Apr 30

We picked up on the trail where we left off and rode another 19 miles further into the desert.  The day's ride ended at the entry to the Cain Ranch.  After riding, we returned to our camp in Hatch then moved it to Truth or Consequences (T or C), NM which is about 50 miles down the trail.  We set camp after dark that night at the Sierra County Sheriff's Posse rodeo grounds where we stayed through Sunday night.

Wed Apr 29

We had a "rest" day.  I think from now on I'll call it a "non-traveling" day because there's not much rest involved.  A few of the riders, including me, made presentations to several different classes in the Hatch Elementary school about our adventure.  A trail mate and I spoke to kindergardeners, 1st and 2nd graders.  Talking to the kids was a lot of fun!

Tue Apr 28

We left Fort Selden and rode 18 miles to the middle of nowhere in the surrounding desert.  The landscape consisted of cactus, sagebrush & tumbleweed.  When we arrived nowhere, we had crossed the first 100 miles of our ride.  There we tied the horses and returned to Fort Seldon to pick up the rigs.  After we drove back to the trail to pick up the horses, the camp was moved to the fairgrounds of Hatch, NM.  

Ali did very well and shows no soreness or lack of energy.  He's eating and drinking as well as am I.  

Mon Apr 27

The riders left Las Cruces, NM and rode 16 miles to a state park with beautiful scenery.  We rode along the Rio Grande River shadowed by the mountains all around us.  Ali was strong, but some horses showed signs of weight loss & dehydration.  The trail master talked to riders about the need for feeding and watering the animals that afternoon.

In the evening, we were treated to a BBQ by a group of people from the New Mexico Parks Department.  They gave us presentations on folklore & local history.  One individual talked to us about the nomenclature of the saddle and the Spanish influence on it.

*posted for Bud by Melissa*

Into Las Cruces

It's Sunday evening, we've returned from the parade in Old Masilla. The weather today has been in the high 70's. More on this later.

On Thursday, we rode 17 miles and spent the night at the J.C. Johns Ranch south of Las Cruces. Ali and I had a much better day. We didn't have the arguments we had on the first morning. He's having a tendency to shy at unknown objects, though. Chip Johns, our host, allowed us access to his ranch house. It is a beautiful, one-story, Spanish style home with patios and gardens. Pictures will follow.

On Friday, we rode out of the desert and into the Rio Grande river valley. What a sight! From the brown and prickly desert to the lush green irrigated farmland. Pecan groves went on for miles with alfalfa and produce fields interspersed. We rode another 16 miles and then moved camp to the Las Cruces fairground for the weekend. Ali is improving on each outing.

This weekend, I've been getting help on my horsemanship and Ali has gotten some training from an experienced horseman.

During the parade today, in Old Masilla, all the riders congregated in front of St. Albino's Catholic church. The mayor of Old Masilla read a proclamation and wished the riders safe travel and God speed. Many of the children and families of Old Masilla came to view the parade and intermingle with the riders. There was a teen-aged girl who came up to give Ali a kiss on his nose and several children petted him. Many other children found there way to the horses in our group. PBS New York was there to film the event. Pictures were taken in front of the museum of all the riders to be put on display inside. Pictures will follow.

Tomorrow morning we leave Las Cruces and will ride 14 miles to Radium Springs, NM and stay at a state park campground.

Here's a little side note about travelling conditions on the ride....

Each day of travel, we break the day up into sections. As I pack Ali up for the day I do warm-up and stretching exercises each morning. We ride until mid-morning and take a water and snack break. A truck is travelling with us as an emergency vehicle and as a water carrier. They carry 150 gallons of water for our horses, and they drink almost all of it each day. We ride again until noon and have lunch and a water break. Each rider packs himself a lunch and plenty of water to last the day. In addition, we pack our horses a small amount of feed. Our average moving speed is about 3.5 mph. We take one additional break mid-afternoon and when we ride into camp each night we are all worn out and ready for dinner. And, you might be surprised to know that my seat is not sore!

I know you may be interested in the company I'm keeping on this adventure, but stay tuned, I've just met them myself. I'll be giving you a snapshot of who they are in the coming weeks.

The Start of the Adventure

Here I am in a Starbucks cafe in El Paso TX. We arrived in Las Cruces, NM on Friday and jumped right into the adventure.

Our trip out was mostly uneventful. We stayed at the Cactus Ranch in Shawnee, OK on the first night. Our hosts were very gracious and friendly. The second night we spent with Danny and Karen Alewine in Lubbock. They made us a great meal for dinner. We saw the southern high plains across OK, TX, and NM. The truck worked pretty hard getting us up and over the Franklin Mountains on US 70 highway in NM.

We are now staying at the grounds of the El Paso County Sheriff's Posse, oldest continuous sheriff's posse in the United States, what a lot of history there is on their beautiful facility. The Posse took many of us on a six mile ride along the Rio Grande River this morning. It is a spectacular site. I will add pictures when I get it figured out.??

We will go to the border at Santa Teresa, NM on Tuesday morning to start our ride north. My internet access availability may be less then I expected. I will do my best to post new events.

Trial Run

On Tuesday of this week Ali and I went to the Big River Ranch near Lexington,MO for a 2 day trial run. We tested our tack up time and various other processes to see what we could change or improve on. There are a couple of minor changes I made to the tack room to improve access.
I rode Ali 11 plus miles for 4:5 hours on Wednesday. I packed lunch for both of us and we ate on the edge of a pond. Ali was more interested in the lush grass then in the grain I brought for him. He did finally eat it along with half my apple. On Thursday morning we again went through our morning feeding routine (for both of us). We again made a timely departure from camp and rode off down the Missouri River levee.
Big River Ranch is a great place to ride. It follows the Mighty Mo for six miles and the trail are also up along the bluffs and ridges. There are good views all along the way and of course the river is just awesome.